Muster drill during dinner time?

[sandcake]

I have traditional dining at 6pm on my upcoming Alaskan cruise on the Island Princess. If muster drill is at 7:15pm, how am I suppose to attend if I am still at dinner? Will all eateries, shops, guest relations close during muster drill? How long is muster drill? Do they scan our room cards or take roll call? How do I know where to go?

[kaybeeeeeee]

I have traditional dining at 6pm on my upcoming Alaskan cruise on the Island Princess. If muster drill is at 7:15pm, how am I suppose to attend if I am still at dinner? Will all eateries, shops, guest relations close during muster drill? How long is muster drill? Do they scan our room cards or take roll call? How do I know where to go?

 

Everything closes during muster, which usually takes half hour or so. Dining room times will be scheduled around muster. They do not take roll call but they did scan some of the cards during our last muster. We were told this was for staff training. There will be a notice on the back of your cabin door which will contain your muster station. Also there will be staff in the corridors all along your route to guide you to the correct muster station.

[Toto2Kansas]

No worry, muster drill is never during dinner hours. :)

[Treven]

Ditto; everything shuts down for muster. As far as knowing where to go, that's printed on the information sheet pasted to the inside of your cabin door. At least it has been on every cruise I've taken no matter what cruiseline.

[UandMe4Ever]

No worry, muster drill is never during dinner hours. :)

 

 

Hi: Has the Island Princess done away with carrying lifejackets to Muster:confused: Hope so. Thanks.

[geoherb]

We still had to carry our life preservers to the muster drill on the Island in December. On the Sapphire in August, they scanned our cruise cards. They did not do that on the Island.

[UandMe4Ever]

We still had to carry our life preservers to the muster drill on the Island in December. On the Sapphire in August, they scanned our cruise cards. They did not do that on the Island.

 

Thanks! Wish they would also do away with the life preservers! They can be pretty darn hazardous with those hanging straps! Most lines have already gone that route.....Scanning cards is a very good idea that the Island should consider also.

 

Safe sails:)

[mytime53]

I have been on a couple of cruises where muster drill was during dinner hours (most recent, 2 weeks on the CB in Jan.).

The dining rooms did not shut down--probably they stopped seatings at a certain point, but we were already in the middle of our dinner. Those who missed muster were simply expected to go to the make-up one the next day.

[mytime53]

Thanks! Wish they would also do away with the life preservers! They can be pretty darn hazardous with those hanging straps! Most lines have already gone that route.....Scanning cards is a very good idea that the Island should consider also.

 

Safe sails:)

 

They don't scan all cards--can you imagine how much longer that would take for getting in or out of your muster station? They scan enough to make sure that their scanner system is working in case it was needed in a real emergency. At least that's what I was told on the CB. I could see them scanning everyone's card if they went to the lifeboat area like they do on some other lines we've been on.

[hansi]

Hi: Has the Island Princess done away with carrying lifejackets to Muster:confused: Hope so. Thanks.

 

erm, that sort of does away with the whole concept of muster drill. You must be able to demonstrate that you can put one on, and before I get flamed, some people still don't know howto!

[Pam in CA]

Since the main Muster is almost always held before sailaway, shops, casino, etc. would not be open anyway.

 

I have no problem carrying my life jacket to Muster, probably because I wouldn't carry it with a hanging strap, either coming or going. The good news is that Princess holds Muster inside, where you are comfortable than out on deck, where you can stand, packed in like a sardine, for 15-20 minutes in all sorts of weather, freezing, hot and muggy, pouring rain, you name it. I've seen so many people faint or get sick at Musters held on deck that it makes me wonder. I've heard people say, "Well, I need to know where my lifeboat is." What? How do they know in advance that lifeboat will be safe to use? They must be prescient. Besides, I've been through a real alarm and people didn't know which direction to turn or what to do, and my cabin was on the lifeboat deck. You can always find a lounge but not necessarily a specific lifeboat.

[captainron]

Thanks! Wish they would also do away with the life preservers! They can be pretty darn hazardous with those hanging straps! Most lines have already gone that route.....Scanning cards is a very good idea that the Island should consider also.

 

Safe sails:)

 

I hope you're wrong with that one.

 

There are too many people in an emergency situation that will be panicking because they do not know how to properly don their lifejackets. Muster Drills are to refresh experienced cruisers and teach new cruisers how to properly don their emergency flaotation devices and to brief on the flashing beacon and attached whistle.

 

Across the Princess fleet upon any Princess vessel, on the sounding of the ship's emergency signal, passengers return to their staterooms retrieve their lifejackets and proceed (without using elevators) to their assigned muster station. On Princess this is generally in one of the lounge or theatre areas.

 

Princess has ascertained that it is in the comfort and best interest of passengers that they will be escorted to the lifeboats by crew once the lifeboats are lowered to the Promenade Deck. This negates any possible havoc of people running wildly around the decks to other lifeboats in a "no duff" emergency situation.

 

The announcements from the bridge in an emergency situation/report to Muster Stations will apprise all passengers of the safety importance of gathering the lifejacket straps around their lifejackets as they proceed down companionways to the assigned Muster Stations.

 

At least Princess has passengers inside rather than out on what hypothetically could be a freezing or boiling hot day (depending on the vessel's position).

 

Curious...what lines have gone to no lifejackets for muster drill?

 

Ciao for now!!!

[lovetocruise1960]

Anyone ever cut Muster Drill??

[Pam in CA]

Curious...what lines have gone to no lifejackets for muster drill?

HAL. No life jackets at Muster drill now but they do make you do a sardine impression on deck in all weather. Before, they made you put them on before arriving at Muster and wear it throughout the drill. Way too hot sometimes and many people fainted or were about to faint with no place to sit or be out of the elements. I can remember when they didn't have enough staff on hand to catch and help the people fainting or collapsing. They were going down like bowling pins.

 

You can tell I'm really looking forward to Muster on the Oosterdam in a couple of weeks.

[Pam in CA]

Anyone ever cut Muster Drill??

It's required by law but some skip. You really, really don't want to do that because even if you are very experienced, have been to them time and again, I'll guarantee you won't know what to do when that alarm goes off, usually in the middle of the night. I've seen it happen.

[dbeckett]

Not only do we not cut the drill but on B2Bs, from the same cabin, I make my brother go again but we use a different route on the second muster. I can hear people say that they'll try the life jacket on the cabin but using the old teaching adage of tell them once, tell them again and then again does not go amiss for safety issues (Okay I am a safety professional so this is dear to my heart)

[Jasperdo]

 

I have no problem carrying my life jacket to Muster, probably because I wouldn't carry it with a hanging strap, either coming or going. The good news is that Princess holds Muster inside, where you are comfortable than out on deck, where you can stand, packed in like a sardine, for 15-20 minutes in all sorts of weather, freezing, hot and muggy, pouring rain, you name it. I've seen so many people faint or get sick at Musters held on deck that it makes me wonder. I've heard people say, "Well, I need to know where my lifeboat is." What? How do they know in advance that lifeboat will be safe to use? They must be prescient. Besides, I've been through a real alarm and people didn't know which direction to turn or what to do, and my cabin was on the lifeboat deck. You can always find a lounge but not necessarily a specific lifeboat.

That's exactly how I feel. Even though Princess is one of the few lines that still requires you to take the life jacket to muster drill, they are the most relaxing, informative drill out there. I was on a Carnival ship leaving out of Miami, and we were all crushed in like sardines on a hot, muggy afternoon. I nearly fainted. Couldn't see the demonstration at all, due to tall people in front. On Princess, I'm always comfortably seated in a lounge. It's easy to see the staff demonstration. Carrying a life jacket is a small price to pay for that.

 

I've always felt that having the muster drill in a lounge is the best place anyway. In an emergency, most people are not going to remember where on that long Promenade Deck their station is. But, just about everyone will recall "I was in the Wheelhouse Bar" for the drill. That's where I need to go."

[Jasperdo]

Curious...what lines have gone to no lifejackets for muster drill?

Royal Caribbean has also done away with life jackets at the muster drill. But you still have to stand out on Promenade Deck. I understand that Carnival has the same policy now, too.

[Saruman]

It's all part of the cruise experience! And it is only a small chunk of time out of your day. I don't understand all this kvetching over having to to go to a short safety demonstration that is required under Maritime law. Big deal! Go, watch the demo, watch the other passengers, get it done and go enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail as the ship sails out of port. Stop whining about it. You're on a cruise! Enjoy the whole trip! :D

[love2cruisegal]

Royal Caribbean has also done away with life jackets at the muster drill. But you still have to stand out on Promenade Deck. I understand that Carnival has the same policy now, too.

 

That's right. We were on RCL last year and we didn't have to bring our jackets and we had to stand out on the Promenade deck all bunched together. Luckily we were in LA and it wasn't hot.

[love2bonboard]

I think they should have two fire/safety drills...

 

The first one is with the standard size life jacket

 

The second one is toward the end of the cruise....comes with the lesson on using the extension straps so that it fits (I know salt water weight gain only):D

[Pam in CA]

The second one is toward the end of the cruise....comes with the lesson on using the extension straps so that it fits (I know salt water weight gain only):D

Of course it's only water weight gain, if any; I think the jokes about people gaining weight on a cruise are way overdone and can be offensive as most people aren't like the guy I saw in the buffet with three platters full of food, using a fork in each hand to shovel it in. The only person I know who gained weight on a cruise was my sister's former daughter-in-law who ate two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts every night.

[love2bonboard]

Of course it's only water weight gain, if any; I think the jokes about people gaining weight on a cruise are way overdone and can be offensive as most people aren't like the guy I saw in the buffet with three platters full of food, using a fork in each hand to shovel it in. The only person I know who gained weight on a cruise was my sister's former daughter-in-law who ate two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts every night.

 

Seriously? It was humor. geez. This is exactly why I regret posting on this forum about 85% of the time.

[caribill]

Curious...what lines have gone to no lifejackets for muster drill?

 

 

From a RCCL cruise a year ago:

 

The muster drill required everyone to be outside at the lifeboat station assigned to you and listed on the cruise card. There was no need to bring the life vest to the muster. Use of the vest was demonstrated by a crew member at each lifeboat. No mention was made of what needed to be done if it became necessary to walk/jump into the water. Everyone lined up in rows on the deck with their backs to the wall. Most people could not see over/through the people in front of them to actually see the demonstration by the crew member putting on the vest. Before the demo they did a roll call with everyone's name that was assigned to that lifeboat. They made note of all passengers who were not there, but I do not know what they did with that list.

[1 HappyCruiser]

From a RCCL cruise a year ago:

 

The muster drill required everyone to be outside at the lifeboat station assigned to you and listed on the cruise card. There was no need to bring the life vest to the muster. Use of the vest was demonstrated by a crew member at each lifeboat. No mention was made of what needed to be done if it became necessary to walk/jump into the water. Everyone lined up in rows on the deck with their backs to the wall. Most people could not see over/through the people in front of them to actually see the demonstration by the crew member putting on the vest. Before the demo they did a roll call with everyone's name that was assigned to that lifeboat. They made note of all passengers who were not there, but I do not know what they did with that list.

 

You get invited to a special make up drill in one of the smaller lounges the next day with the rest of the late boarders.