Will you bother to turn up for the lifeboat drill next time?

[gelo7]

Always do, it's part of cruising to me.

[KTBLUE]

I always attend. I am not a worry wart, but I like to have a mental plan if an emergency were to occur. Being in the US Navy in the past, safety was always a #1 concern. Accidents are not planned, but you CAN plan for unforeseen events and it only takes 30 minutes or less of your time.

 

What I always think is "funny" are the people that show up to muster and ***** the whole time about how stupid it is. I just sit and think that if there WERE an accident, I hope their life depended on MY actions and not my life depending on theirs.

[MauiGirl55]

We've always attended, but, after many muster drills, certainly haven't paid nearly as much attention to what was being said.:o

 

However, I think my ears are going to perk up a bit more now, and I will certainly pay attention to the emergency exits from now on!

[Aquahound]

What I always think is "funny" are the people that show up to muster and ***** the whole time about how stupid it is.

 

...or the ones who don't show up at all, hold up the entire process because they are not there, and then come on to CC and complain about how the cruise lines handle the drill. :rolleyes:

[princessangi]

Isn't it always those same people who skip out on things like the muster drill that scream the loudest when something happens and they don't know what to do? :rolleyes: Sorry folks, I am not a rule follower by nature, but I ain't taking chances with this one. Plus, I know that the crew is likely to panic and I want to know where to go to protect my loved ones in the event of an emergency.

[B-52]

I wonder on my/your next cruise will everyone will turn up the the drill?

 

 

Not stay sat down to breakfast, or guarding their sunbeds for dear life, or pretend this is the second week of their cruise and they did the drill last week.... llike people do now.

 

I did not know we had a choice!

[Swampbabe]

I've never sailed on RCI, ust Carnival. On CCL they actually have you meet in your muster station, then each station goes from where they muster to the lifeboats they will lead you to so you are familiar with the route your station will take. Does RCI not do this? I always thought that was interesting and informative. A little annoying because once you got to your Muster Station you had to wait for your group to be called to move to your lifeboats, and once you were there you had to wait for all other groups to be brought to theirs, rather than have everyone go at once, but it still didn't take that long.

 

I have only sailed Carnival twice but the procedure that you describe did not take place either time. This past summer on the Sensation we met on deck, heard a quick explanation of how to put the lifejacket on and that was it.

[Bonnielass]

I understand the reason for telling passengers not to wear the life jackets during the drill because people do trip over the straps etc. Also going down stairs you can not see your footing on the stair over the life jacket. However all of these points are also relevant during a real emergency. Perhaps during the drill when life jackets are not being worn it should be brought to passengers attention the danger of the straps, of the need to be more careful when going down stairs whilst wearing a life jacket. Reminding passengers that if everyone panics it is counter productive for all.

[peteukmcr]

We always attend & will continue to do so. My only problem is with the inconsiderate passengers that arrive 15 - 20 minutes late & think it's a big joke.

Agree 100%. Thank you.

[peteukmcr]

I am guilty of not attending the muster drill on our last RCCL cruises. However, we always privately go to our muster station and make sure we know where it is.

Why did you not attend? Did you have an exemption from attending? If so, then OK.

 

However, if not, did you not consider how inconsiderate this was to your fellow cruisers who were kept waiting at your appointed muster station whilst the crew worked out if you were attending?

 

Whether you visit your muster station or not privately is immaterial, you did not attend the compulsory muster drill and so as far as the records of the cruise line were concerned you were a non attendee unless as mentioned you had been granted a valid exemption.

[C Cruise Dude]

I wonder on my/your next cruise will everyone will turn up the the drill?

 

 

Not stay sat down to breakfast, or guarding their sunbeds for dear life, or pretend this is the second week of their cruise and they did the drill last week.... llike people do now.

 

I have always gone to muster but I can honestly say that on my last cruise, I almost skipped it. Felt like, seen this done this, I'll look at on TV at my convenience. I did attend but it's interesting that they did not check my name off a list as they have at past musters.

[trixietx]

Yes, we will be there. I thought it was mandatory on RCI. Last week we stood there for what seemed forever because someone decided not to show!

[jebuell]

I have only sailed Carnival twice but the procedure that you describe did not take place either time. This past summer on the Sensation we met on deck, heard a quick explanation of how to put the lifejacket on and that was it.

 

If the deck was your muster station then you were already at your life boats. That happened to me the first time. We just sat there the whole time. But every other time I've sailed on CCL my muster station has been a club or bar and we always trooped to the life boats at the end.

[jebuell]

Although it IS extremely annoying because of so many repeats, it has never occurred to me not to show up. It is mandatory, why fight it. I used to advocate getting there late to avoid the crush, but now we just go early and hope everyone else does too so we can all get done with it ASAP. But I study the back of my door to make sure I know where the boat is and how to get there as soon as we walk in our cabin.

 

If we had been on the Concordia, as we discussed yesterday morning, we would have made straight for our cabin to retrieve our important papers and the life vests immediately upon that loud boom and the lurch of the ship as Mickey d related. In fact at that time of night, we probably would've been in our cabin.

 

 

I'm curious, and I swear not being sarcastic... but what important papers do you bring on a cruise that you'd need to grab?

 

I feel like I'd just find the closest life vest and get to my life boat or muster station ASAP, screw everything in my cabin! Passports can be replaced and my valuables are insured... I'm getting my butt off that ship!

[davekathy]

We have never skipped the muster drill.

[southstaffs3]

always have and always will but next time will do so with more attention !

[Cruise-Crazy]

From passenger accounts is was utter chaos on the part of crew and passengers. I bet there will be changes to the drills before too long.

[lanikeekee]

I have cruised with RCI numerous times and I can honestly say that the muster drill was conducted BEFORE sail away on day 1! Attendance was checked as well as cabins, public areas, etc were cleared and searched for passengers.

 

And I've witnessed the crew engaged in their drills by day 2 or 3.

I am glad to hear this...my last cruise on HAL and it was the same :Dalthough we all want to start our holidays relaxing it is so important that you take that short time to know all the emergency procedures as it could save your life and those of your loved ones:)

[lanikeekee]

 

And: "Also, I find it hypocritical that the cruise lines themselves (through their lobbying group CLIA) make their own safety rules. All of a sudden since they built Freedom and Oasis Class, the cruise lines have decided that it is too cumbersome for so many passengers to walk around the ship wearing their lifevests, and now all of a sudden the life vests are no longer required."

It was not so much a fact of being cumbersome as it was a hazard. I have tripped several times coming down the stairs with the vest on. I for one am glad for not needing the vest on anymore. It's safer!

I have just heard that they found two bodies...elderly men in their life jackets trapped...I cannot confirm this...I will make a notation though many people die whilst wearing their lifejackets because they put them on to early...they should only be put on just before you enter the water as they are bulky and you can get stuck in spaces you normally wouldn't...if what I heard is true this is very sad:(

[Oshawapilot]

I'll also confirm that RCI (Allure, at least) did take the muster drill very seriously, and we did it before we ever left the pier in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

There was staff EVERYWHERE directing passengers based on their seapass cards (as a lot of people had no idea what to do, where to go) and once we got to our stations we were organized well and kept informed. Passengers who had trouble standing (and we were standing for a LONG time because of the idiots who thought they were above having to show up, so staff had to search for them) were brought chairs.

 

After everybody was accounted for everywhere the safety video was shown and everybody seemed to pay atttention. If anyone was talking or not paying attention they were politely "scolded" by the staff.

 

Personally, I was glad to have it out of the way before we ever left the cruise port - it seems foolhardy to not do this, and I'm confident it will now change in the coming months/years - safety clearly can't be an afterthought anymore, so far as at least running the essential drills and education BEFORE you head off to sea.

 

I will however, from here forward, pay extra attention, and also talk to our kids afterwards to ensure they understood everything and knew what to do in the possibility that we were apart on the ship if muster was called.

[CruisinGerman]

Costa Concordia also did the drill the same day as its main embarkation.

 

The problem with itineraries in Europe on Costa and MSC is that they allow embarkation in nearly all of the ports during a 7 night cruise, depending upon the country where you purchase the cruise. Main embarkation was considered Savona, so those who had just embarked in Civitavecchia the day before were not going to have the drill until 24 hours later.

 

As I mentioned earlier, RCCL also has several cruises with staggered embarkation ports (Grandeur in the winter out of Colón -- can also embark in Cartagena), several European itineraries in summer -- can embark in Málaga or Valencia; Barcelona or Mallorca, etc.

 

At least on the Grandeur run, the drill for passengers embarking in Cartagena the second day was non-existent, so RCCL is just as guilty as Costa in this respect.

 

This is one of the main aspects I suspect will be reviewed and will change industry-wide after this tragedy, i.e. how cruise lines must now deal with drills when the cruise is multi-embarkation from several ports.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[BillB48]

To have the drill before sailing or not... the truth is the drill is an insignificant part of the picture and in the end won't ensure the safety of a single person if the people conducting the drill are inadequately trained or don't respond appropriately in an emergency, from the Captain on down. It is too early to say that is what happened in this case, but from what I have read it does not look encouraging that the crew acted in a professional manner. Don't be lulled into thinking you are safe because they have a drill and make tote your life jacket and stand at attention like a boot camp recruit, too many times this is only the appearance of safety.

 

The last thing that is needed now is a boat load of knee jerk regulations come down the pike that in the end just make safety harder to ensure.

[marielco]

It was interesting to hear a British couple, who were on the Concordia on their first cruise, comment this moring on the muster drill. As they had just borded seven hours before they had not yet attended a muster drill (it was scheduled for the next morning). They said that the passengers who had been on the ship for a number of days had attended a muster drill (the Concordia took passengers on at a number of ports).

 

This couple said that those passengers who had been to a muster drill knew where to go and what to do while they had no idea. They felt the panic was among the passengers who were confused and not knowing where they were supposed to be or what they were supposed to do. This of course made it more difficut for those who were remaining calm.

[BecciBoo]

I'm curious, and I swear not being sarcastic... but what important papers do you bring on a cruise that you'd need to grab?

 

I feel like I'd just find the closest life vest and get to my life boat or muster station ASAP, screw everything in my cabin! Passports can be replaced and my valuables are insured... I'm getting my butt off that ship!

 

So I guess you didn't need to ask the first question...:rolleyes: That's just me, not you. I would've gone to get mine. I have pieces of jewelry that I cannot replace that belonged to my mother. And I can take those anywhere I please as well. I have no doubt that this isolated incident (1 cruise out of how many that take place each week worldwide) will not take place on one of my cruises (according to the laws of probability). If it does, I will not panic, I will work out a plan and unless the thing is going down in seconds, will do exactly what I said I would do.:)

[BecciBoo]

When we were on Ecstacy, we met in the theater and saw a movie while waiting...then they gave the drill demonstration and then asked that a section of the theater go to their life boat. We looked at each other and said, where is ours? But they did not require us to go...so I made sure we knew which one to go to. On RCCL the location is on your cabin door so you look at it every time you go out the door.