Going ashore after Muster

[Elizanessie]

I was terribly concerned when I read recently that after muster, a passenger was able to go ashore to do some last minute shopping.Isnt muster held just a short time before sailaway?

 

Surely for security and safety reasons this would simply not be allowed.

 

Isnt the point of muster to ensure the passengers are all aboard and of course know their drill stations.

 

Liz

[slyster]

Hi, I'm not sure which post you are talking about, but for our recent AOS cruise from San Juan, we had the muster drill late afternoon, early evening. The ship doesn't depart San Juan until 10pm so that would give people extra time to go shopping or sightseeing if they wanted. You would think you can do it for any port as long as you are back before the ship leaves.

 

In order to leave and re-enter the ship, they would need they seapass card which tells them they have already been through the check-in procedures and verified their citizenship. They would also have to go through the metal detectors just like if they visited any port during the cruise.

 

As long as the person(s) went through the muster drill it shouldn't be a problem to leave the ship.

[NorEaster]

They do indeed use your sea-pass card to know who is on board and who is not. Two years ago an officer showed up at our diningroom table during dinner looking for my 5 year old son. What had happened is his card did not read when we entered the ship in the afternoon so they went looking for him. My wife and I thought is was a joke at first but that officer was not to happy as they were holding the ship at port looking for him.

[mammallama]

I was wondering the same thing. And are muster drills mandatory? What happens to a guest if they decide they don't need to attend muster? Do the rest of the passengers have to wait around during muster while they try to find these people?

[Grumpy8]

I was wondering the same thing. And are muster drills mandatory? What happens to a guest if they decide they don't need to attend muster? Do the rest of the passengers have to wait around during muster while they try to find these people?

 

Yes it's mandatory and will hold up the ship.

[mammallama]

Do you stand around while they attempt to locate the passengers missing from muster? Is there ever a reason one would NOT have to attend? Been there, done that kind of thing?

[Elizanessie]

How embarassing if that happened.....they would have to be very "brassed necked" to do it....selfish.

 

Liz

[Jimbo]

Have never done it, but if the Muster Drill was done while you were off the ship sight seeing wouldn't the ship already know where you are? There is no way they would be looking for you, they would already know your where abouts?

 

Ahh........a way to miss the muster drill.......might have to try that sometime.

 

Not all people attend the Muster Drill, sometimes passengers are not even on the ship yet when that takes place. There are always people arriving late right up until the ship sails. So some misss it.

 

 

Jimbo:)

[Elizanessie]

Ok so the point of Muster is to ensure that all pax know where to go if the emergency klaxon goes etc and how to put on their lifejackets...yes?

But I assumed it was also to make sure all those meant to be on the ship were on the ship.....now what if a pax went to muster then went ashore to do "shopping" and didnt return....couldnt be found anywhere....what would happen then....would the ship leave them behind or delay sailing.

 

Liz

[Jimbo]

...now what if a pax went to muster then went ashore to do "shopping" and didnt return....couldnt be found anywhere....what would happen then....would the ship leave them behind or delay sailing.

 

Liz

The ship would sail........you have to be pretty important for them to wait for you. If you misss the ship you can just fly to the next port and pick up the ship there at your expense, that is.

 

Terrible way to start your vacation but it happens.

 

Jimbo:)

[SeaBreezy]

The time I sailed on Explorer of the Seas, we were leaving Nassau and apparently a few pax didn't make the ship. The Captain came on the PA and said he was stopping the ship to wait for passengers that had been left behind. They were being brought to the ship on a little boat. We were a few miles away from Nassau, as you could still see it from the ship, but it was distant.

 

Everybody around the pool (where I was) was laughing and talking about the people. Well, they made it aboard and on we went. Then at our next port, St. Thomas, the Captain came on the PA before everybody got off and "scolded" us a little and said pay attention to the time and get back promptly. Wouldn't you know it, a taxi with some of our pax was caught in a traffic jam. The jam was caused by a wreck. It wasn't the pax's fault. Apparently, the taxi driver somehow got word to the ship and we waited for them, because as the Captain said, it wasn't their fault. They would've been back had the road to the pier not been blocked. We were only delayed about 30 min. Not much time at all and no one cared about the delay.

 

It seems just about every cruise I've been on, someone gets left. A crew member got left in Alaska and was running down the pier waving at the ship. :eek: And he wasn't saying "Bon Voyage! Have a nice time!"

[Rubia_Boricua_PR]

When we were on the Radiance, the muster was done just before we were ready to depart. They told us what time to be in our rooms (our cruise was leaving at 5pm) and then we proceeded to go to Chops, that's where ours was.

[Merion_Mom]

Liz, Karen...........you two are SO bad!!!!! :D

 

Carol

[ArcticZ]

Is there ever a reason one would NOT have to attend? Been there, done that kind of thing?

on our last EOS cruise, my grandparents went down with us to deck 4 for our muster drill, it was hot they told the people they couldn't stand out there for the drill. They took them back inside while we did the drill. they just marked them off there list and told them to back inside.

[dad son team]

They take attendance at the muster drill to see who participated not who is on the ship. If you do not participate, they hunt you down and make you attend a special drill with the others that missed it. At least that is what they did on the Mariner with our tablemates. They missed the drill because the bus(RCCL transfers) from the airport was just dropping them off at the pier while the drill was taking place. We actually watched then getting off the bus as we were all standing there during the drill. This all happened about 20 minutes before we were supposed to sail.

[Ocean Boy]

When we were on Explorer many people arrived late due to the weather. We, and many others, missed the muster. When you check in they hand you a piece of paper stating that you missed it and they ask you to watch a tape of it on your stateroom TV.

 

I have been told that muster on the San Juan departures occurs between first and second dining seatings. I would imagine that many people could be off the ship as you can leave after you check in and don't have to be back on the ship until an hour or so before departure. I am sure that many people leave the ship and explore San Juan just as would happen at any other port of call. They may have dinner in town and not be back until muster is over.

[Elizanessie]

So say for example...muster was at 4pm approx and the ship was sailing was sailing at 5pm ....would they actually let pax off the ship to go do "shopping" at the pierside before the ship sailed.

 

Liz