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muster drill


hbe
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Sorry if this question has been asked before. This is our first cruise with Regent and was wondering if they handle the muster drill as NCL does, no life jackets and the drill is held in different venues on the ship instead of lining up outside by the lifeboats?

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Welcome to the Regent board!!

 

The majority of the passengers are assigned the theater as their muster station with fewer passengers being assigned dining venues. Approximately 75% of the time you then go to the lifeboats. You do take your life jackets that are put on at your muster station.

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Last month on the NAV we all mustered in the theater, put on lift jackets and taken in conga line fashion to the "boat deck".

 

Regent has cut back on the time that the muster takes by half. A few years ago the muster announcements droned on for 20 minutes. They used to be wordy and repetitive. What is the difference in sayings between: "we need your attend" and "we need your complete attention" and "we need your attend, we need your complete attention " I would tease the CD's about and they always rolled their eyes. "It is a script we have to read." Ray Solaire had the best eye-rolls ;)

 

J

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for the late input.

 

From the perspective of going through this "drill"--for REAL several years ago aboard a Cunard ship in the south Atlantic--and at 0030H, my wife and I take any muster drill extremely seriously, in whatever format it might take.

 

I'm sure all CCs also share this mindset.

 

We prefer the whole enchilada routine including jacketing-up at a muster station after roll is taken, which may or may not be on the boat deck adjacent to the assigned tender we would be on in an emergency; to jacketing-up in a larger venue such as the Theater and/or a restaurant. Then, yes, the conga line to the tender.

 

I can't recall the conga line format aboard any of the four Regent ships we have been on. Smaller ships.

 

Muscle memory learned by practicing something in advance is very important, particularly when one's entire attention is focused on what might happen in the next 20 minutes.

 

In our particular situation: The emergency turned out to be a faulty alarm at the Bridge indicating a fire "in the main stack" (funnel). However, that resolution only took place after some anxious minutes. I discussed this matter with our Room Steward the next morning. He said he had been on various Cunard Liners for 15 years, and this was the first instance where it was the "real thing". That was reassuring. The Captain also provided more details later that day in a general address to crew and passengers. I recall his comment that "All performed as trained and admirably."

 

So--there is no rolling of eyes when we listen to instructions.

 

GOARMY!

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The most memorable time we did the conga to the boat decks was in Sydney Harbour, when we provided a few people on the pier with a free show for a few minutes. But that was almost immediately after the Costa Concordia "event", when many cruise ships reassessed their procedures and indeed, everyone took the drill very seriously indeed. Since then, we have had a variety of routines, sometimes going no further than the muster station, occasionally being led to the boat deck wearing our lifejackets. I can't help but think that it's fifteen/twenty minutes well spent, that it's as essential as listening to the safety demonstration on board a plane and that as research has shown that those who have listened/taken note stand the best chance of survival in an emergency, there's no better reason to pay attention.

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They don't do the conga line on the Explorer, because the passengers would not fit on the decks next to the boats. They did invite us to take a look at the lifeboats, and one could instantly see why. Unlike every other ship I've been on, these lifeboats are nestled such that you would walk out the doors and step straight onto the lifeboat. I would imagine that, in a real emergency, that would cut the evacuation time down considerably.

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Last year on the Explorer, a couple showed up for the life boat drill wearing not life vests but robes! They also came well equipped with cocktails. I was shocked that nobody said anything to them. When we had our next drill it was announced that No alcohol was permitted.

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Sheila: Yes, you are kidding because--as you know--you are on "the List" of persons who will assisted, by whatever measures are needed, in an emergency to get to the assigned tender. There are probably two crew already-designated for this duty.

 

Certainly, after the Costa Concordia disaster, more attention was paid to muster. We noted this while aboard Regent a few months after that tragedy. Loss of life on Concordia was exacerbated because no general passenger muster drill had been conducted preceding the accident which occurred within a few hours after embarkation--as I recall. Of course, the name Concordia was never mentioned during our drill. There was no need. Passengers looked at each other; checked each other's proper placement of jackets as assigned crew did the same; and were somber. Not a distracting noise. Total attention.

 

Just one more thought on this matter as to a sound you do NOT want to hear. I have opined on this before, long-ago, on another Thread, but perhaps it bears repeating. I understand the number of short whistle-rings we are told to listen to, followed by a longer, continuous whistle, as the precursor to an announcement concerning an emergency situation "requiring immediate passenger action".

 

On Cunard, particularly in the "Zero Dark Early" hours, that will come in the form of a 20 second continuous klaxon at the shrieking, bone-rattle level. It is meant to literally jolt you out of bed. It did the trick with us. That was followed by the following words, as best I can recall, from the First Officer: Attention, attention. This is the First Officer from the Bridge. This is NOT a Drill. Say again, This is NOT a drill! All crew report to your emergency stations. Passengers, remain in your cabins; prepare to move to muster stations. Remain in your cabins at this time. Await further instructions. His voice sounded, shall I say, on-edge.

 

We immediately put on two layers of clothes, to include socks; followed by coats; followed by life jackets. Then, cleaned out the safe to be sure we had our Passports and cash (like, that would have made a lot of difference). Then, sat on the edge of our bed waiting further instructions.

 

What put my mind somewhat at ease was that there was no obvious exterior sound preceding that klaxon blast to indicate the ship (Queen Victoria, as I recall) had hit anything in the water larger than, perhaps, an itinerant whale. Certainly, not another vessel. This is not a flippant comment, as two U.S. Navy ships hit other vessels at night in the Pacific Ocean area, resulting in mass loss of life, within the last six months. Also, our ship did not slow down, or seem to change direction.

 

Upon orders, we did not open our cabin door. I did, however, open the veranda door. Did not detect any smell indicating a fire; and again, no change in speed or direction.

 

All was beginning to be put right when the Captain, preceded by another horn blast, came on the Intercom announcing ship's crew was attending to what appeared to be a false alarm indicating fire in the stack. Remain in our cabins. Then, a few minutes later, another report from the Captain that confirmed the alarm was false. I do very-well recall his closing comment: "Crew, crew. This is the Captain. Pipe down. I say again, Pipe down. Return to your normal stations."

 

Typical British Navy aplomb. Crisp, precise, and to the point. Pipe down meaning, whatever the situation was, it was; but no-longer is. What a relief! I think we actually were able to get back to sleep. But, there were a lot of folks a bit-bleary eyed the next morning. I did ask our Cabin Steward where he was during this situation. His answer was, that he was at his emergency station--which just happened to be right outside our suite!

 

GOARMY!

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Sheila: Glad to be of assistance. As I recall, a portion of the Muster Drill "script" includes letting passengers know that if they believe assistance will be needed to help them in an emergency--please convey that situation to ship's personnel. If one was not on "the List", before, that person will definitely be added.

 

Obviously, staff want passengers to feel safe and not worry.

 

This situation applied to us some years ago when my wife's mother joined us on an Alaska cruise. She was in the above category, health and mobility-wise. No problem. On the List. Fortunately, no need to activate that request.

 

GOARMY!

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We just came back from 10 days on the Explorer. Our muster station was the Pacific Rim dining room and we were told to carry our life jackets. During the drill we had to put them on however we did not need to go to the lifeboats. When asked we were told that because you step directly from the deck into the lifeboat there was no need. Hope this helps!

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We just came back from 10 days on the Explorer. Our muster station was the Pacific Rim dining room and we were told to carry our life jackets. During the drill we had to put them on however we did not need to go to the lifeboats. When asked we were told that because you step directly from the deck into the lifeboat there was no need. Hope this helps!

 

That's great, thanks

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