Silhouette Life Boat Drill Question

[njaloha]

Life Boat Drill (aka Muster) Question for anyone on Celebrity Solstice Class ship or specifically Silhouette: Please describe what happens and when, in detail. I would like to be prepared for this event in advance. My husband is a big guy with bad knees (too heavy for knee replacement surgery, you get the idea) and I'd like to know if we're going to have to walk down stairs for this drill. Walking down is absolutely the worst thing for his knees especially if we have to walk down several flights of stairs. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner.:eek:

 

Any help with this question is much appreciated. We're in Aqua Class on the Penthouse Deck.

 

Thanks! :D

[cruisestitch]

They announce the drill far in advance -- it is printed on the daily -- your steward also has all the details -- and your muster station is posted on the back of the stateroom door. So, what I would advise is that you go waaaaay ahead of time -- half an hour or so -- and take the elevator. Also, when it is over, be very patient and wait for the rush to clear, then the elevators will be free again. You might have to wait 15 or 20 minutes or so for the elevators to clear, but they eventually will.

[Gonzo70]

Everybody is assigned a muster station. The drill is generally shortly before sail-a-way time. Your best bet is to find out where your muster station is (they are indoor venues such as the theater, various dining rooms etc.) and then head to the station early. That way you will be able to take the elevator and not have to fight through crowds. Once the drill ends, your best bet is to wait 10-15 minutes so the crowds vacate and you can again take elevator without crowds. If this plan does not feel sufficient, another option would be for you to stop at Guest Relations when you board the ship, explain the situation to them, and they will see what can be arranged to facilitate things. Do not worry too much about it, it will work it's way out - it just may end up taking you a bit extra time (i.e. arriving early and leaving late). Enjoy the cruise, Silhouette is an amazing ship. :)

[Ocean Dancer]

agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great cruise.

[unixgeek]

For all of the folks suggesting "arriving early" at the muster station, allow me to be the gentle voice of counter-opinion.

 

The entire point of the drill is know both where, and how, to get to your muster station in the case of a shipboard emergency. You will not be given a convenient three hours advance notice of, say, hitting an iceberg, to use the classic example.

 

Knowing how to get to your muster station, in the crowd, and avoiding the elevators, is something you might very well need to know (heaven forbid) in order to stay alive at some point in your cruise. Avoiding that situation at muster just puts you at a disadvantage when it counts.

 

The odds are low, to be certain, but definitely be aware of the risk you're taking when "cheating" the muster like that (for lack of a better word).

[Lsimon]

If you have bad knees then I agree the best thing to do is to arrive early. Another benefit of this is that there are not chairs for everybody at the muster stations (usually restaurants or lounges on the promenade deck) and if you arrive early then you'll be able to find a place to sit and won't have to stand.

 

unixgeek - while you have a good point, I don't think there is much benefit to going down stairs in a crowd as opposed to taking the elevator next to the same staircase a few minutes earlier. In a real emergency if the elevators are not working I'm sure njaloha's husband will be much more willing to suffer the after effects on his bad knees - but there is no reason to start a cruise in pain for the sake of adding a minor step of realism to the drill.

 

Celebrity themselves has eliminated some one step of the drill realism by eliminating the need to wear your life preserver to the drill and, as I recall, they no longer make you go stand outside by the life boats either. The main purpose of the drill is to (A) locate your muster station; and (B) to listen to a short briefing of what to do in the case of a real emergency. It is no longer involves practicing other parts of the emergency procedures. Also, there is no current requirement or recommendation that one be in their stateroom nor any other specific location at the beginning of the muster drill. So I see no more benefit of climbing down the stairs, or possibly up the stairs, from some other part of the ship as opposed to already being at the muster station. It is about knowing where you muster station is and not about practicing getting there.

[njaloha]

agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great cruise.

 

I see you were just on the Silhouette!!! Thanks, I hope we have smooth sailing.

[Grandma Jean]

Many people need to go to the muster early to use the elevator, people in wheel chairs, on crutches and my sister, who is very arthritic throughout her body. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for using this system. You will know where your station is because it will be a much used place on the ship.

 

Jean

[Leibe_]

Many people need to go to the muster early to use the elevator, people in wheel chairs, on crutches and my sister, who is very arthritic throughout her body. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for using this system. You will know where your station is because it will be a much used place on the ship.

 

Jean

 

I was in AQ and our station was on the starboard side of the main theater. A bear to get to, cramped quarters and stairs.

Go to Customer relations first and find out where you can switch to. Arrive early, there will be a lot of crew members to direct you to the right area. Afterwards it took about 15 minutes for the elevators to clear.

Welcome to the Silly. You are going to love her, AQ and Blu.

[Maureenie Beanie]

For all of the folks suggesting "arriving early" at the muster station, allow me to be the gentle voice of counter-opinion.

 

The entire point of the drill is know both where, and how, to get to your muster station in the case of a shipboard emergency. You will not be given a convenient three hours advance notice of, say, hitting an iceberg, to use the classic example.

 

Knowing how to get to your muster station, in the crowd, and avoiding the elevators, is something you might very well need to know (heaven forbid) in order to stay alive at some point in your cruise. Avoiding that situation at muster just puts you at a disadvantage when it counts.

 

The odds are low, to be certain, but definitely be aware of the risk you're taking when "cheating" the muster like that (for lack of a better Uword).

 

OMG. What are you talking about?

[Welovetokruze]

Handicap people are allowed to use the elevators when muster drill begins. Just ask the crew standing at the elevators.

[CaptData]

One other thing. I am a disabled person. I suggest that he register at the Guest Services area for assistance in an emergency. This way there will be people there to ensure he does get to his mustard station in the event of a real emergency.

 

Using the elevator prior to and after is not cheating. I believe they tell you the elevators will not work in a emergency. I have been aided during a power failure once so that I could eat. They helped me up three flights of stairs to the nearest area for me to eat at and got me my food. They use a special stairwell chair for the disabled (which your husband qualifies as). It could take someone up to 450lbs. This was on the Dawn Princess in 2002.

 

Here is what I do all the time I travel. I report to the Front Desk/Guest Services shortly after boarding to be put on list of those who need a little help in an emergency.

 

I go to the Lifeboat drill early (5-10 mins) with my scooter (I always have a seat). After the drill they usually have at least one elevator deicated to the h/c but I sometimes wait for a few minutes anyway. If it is a bar or lounge, they open up the bar asap so I am the first to order a drink after the drill. Once I finish the dfrink I head to the party for sailaway which is the first order of bussiness after mustard.

[Onelung]

On our Holy Land cruise in September on Silly we did not have a "real" muster drill. We all assembled in the Lounge and they showed us a video presentation of what to do !

 

Enjoy Silhouette - she's a great ship.

[njaloha]

Thank you all for the valuable information and best wishes on our future cruise.

:)

[Lsimon]

On our Holy Land cruise in September on Silly we did not have a "real" muster drill. We all assembled in the Lounge and they showed us a video presentation of what to do !

 

Enjoy Silhouette - she's a great ship.

 

That is the drill. What you are describing is SOP these days.

[rafinmd]

Per the Captain on my HAL Rotterdam crossing, who is now their chief of marine operations so he should be a pretty good source: "What you do before the voyage is not a 'muster drill', it is a 'safety orientation briefing'"

 

Roy

[Lsimon]

Per the Captain on my HAL Rotterdam crossing, who is now their chief of marine operations so he should be a pretty good source: "What you do before the voyage is not a 'muster drill', it is a 'safety orientation briefing'"

 

Roy

 

Celebrity calls these "Emergency Lifeboat Drll" or at least that is the name used in the daily bullitin for embarkation day.

[bob brown]

How times have changed. Years ago, not only did we have to stand beneath our designated lifeboat on the promenade deck, with our lifejacket on, ("Ladies and children to the front, gentlemen to the rear, please"); but our muster officer had a list and took attendance. We were not 'dismissed' by the Captain until all were present or accounted for. :)

[Freecall]

If you have bad knees then I agree the best thing to do is to arrive early. Another benefit of this is that there are not chairs for everybody at the muster stations (usually restaurants or lounges on the promenade deck) and if you arrive early then you'll be able to find a place to sit and won't have to stand.

 

unixgeek - while you have a good point, I don't think there is much benefit to going down stairs in a crowd as opposed to taking the elevator next to the same staircase a few minutes earlier. In a real emergency if the elevators are not working I'm sure njaloha's husband will be much more willing to suffer the after effects on his bad knees - but there is no reason to start a cruise in pain for the sake of adding a minor step of realism to the drill.

 

Celebrity themselves has eliminated some one step of the drill realism by eliminating the need to wear your life preserver to the drill and, as I recall, they no longer make you go stand outside by the life boats either. The main purpose of the drill is to (A) locate your muster station; and (B) to listen to a short briefing of what to do in the case of a real emergency. It is no longer involves practicing other parts of the emergency procedures. Also, there is no current requirement or recommendation that one be in their stateroom nor any other specific location at the beginning of the muster drill. So I see no more benefit of climbing down the stairs, or possibly up the stairs, from some other part of the ship as opposed to already being at the muster station. It is about knowing where you muster station is and not about practicing getting there.

 

I (almost) totally agree. Although you state that 'there is no current requirement or recommendation that one be in their stateroom nor any other specific location at the beginning of the muster drill', this would not be a valid comment in a real emergency.

 

You could indeed already be at your muster station when the alarm sounds but the instruction is for passengers to return to your cabin, collect your life jacket, warm clothing, medicines etc so you would still need to make the journey.

 

For a drill your comments make practical sense however.

 

.

[njaloha]

How times have changed. Years ago, not only did we have to stand beneath our designated lifeboat on the promenade deck, with our lifejacket on, ("Ladies and children to the front, gentlemen to the rear, please"); but our muster officer had a list and took attendance. We were not 'dismissed' by the Captain until all were present or accounted for. :)

 

As recently as 2005 on the Disney Magic, this is exactly what I recall. I vividly remember standing in a line with the children ahead of me and my husband behind me at a lifeboat station and my daughter, then almost 3, refusing to stand in front of my son, refusing to wear the life jacket, scared out of her mind, screaming because all she wanted was for her father to carry her. The life jacket I was wearing smelled like someone's stale perfume which clung to my hair and skin for the rest of the day. Did I mention how hot it was in Port Canaveral that day in April? Humid, breezeless and crowded. And we had to stand there until all passengers were accounted for. What a way to start the cruise.

[cruisestitch]

One reason for no longer wearing the life jackets is that they, themselves, turned out to be a significant hazard. The long ties dragged behind people as they walked and those behind them frequently tripped on them. You can't see over them very well, and people missed the small step up over the ledge at the doorframe to get from the deck to the interior of the ship.

 

They do, however, still take attendance. Only now you are inside at your muster station or other designated location.

[Freecall]

 

They do, however, still take attendance.

 

The OP was specifically asking about S Class ships. These do not have a roll call at muster drill.

 

.

[Texed]

The OP was specifically asking about S Class ships. These do not have a roll call at muster drill.

 

They did on the four "S" class sailings we were on. They took the room numbers as we entered our assembly lounge.

[cruisestitch]

They took down our room numbers on Eclipse in March.

[daydreamer16]

We were on our first Celebrity cruise last year on the Connie. I told the cabin steward that I had a bad knee and would go ahead to the muster drill. Within 10 minutes he had a wheel chair outside my room so that in case of an emergency I would an easy ride to the stairway(we were in an aft cabin). I was impressed with his thoughtfulness even though we didn't need it!