Muster stations for family split on different decks/rooms

[FadingRose]

I think I read that families would be assigned the same muster station, but what do cruise lines do (if anything) if a family is on different decks/sections of the ship and hence aren't in the same muster station?

 

We recently went on a Carnival cruise and my sis and I were assigned to muster station B. My mom and dad were assigned to A. Our bookings were linked together but it made me wonder if the rooms were all assigned/sold out so that they couldn't put us in rooms that were at least in the same muster.

 

My sis and I are over 18, so it's not like we HAVE to be with our parents, but it did make me think of the worst case scenario - if something did happen and the lifeboats were deployed, there'd be no way to know if my parents made it out safely. And they wouldn't know if we got out okay either.

 

I know I'm morbid thinking about stuff like this, and it's a risk we take when we cruise (life's full of risks anyway), but it definitely crossed my mind while we were at muster stations...

[aohkay]

I think I read that families would be assigned the same muster station, but what do cruise lines do (if anything) if a family is on different decks/sections of the ship and hence aren't in the same muster station?

 

We recently went on a Carnival cruise and my sis and I were assigned to muster station B. My mom and dad were assigned to A. Our bookings were linked together but it made me wonder if the rooms were all assigned/sold out so that they couldn't put us in rooms that were at least in the same muster.

 

My sis and I are over 18, so it's not like we HAVE to be with our parents, but it did make me think of the worst case scenario - if something did happen and the lifeboats were deployed, there'd be no way to know if my parents made it out safely. And they wouldn't know if we got out okay either.

 

I know I'm morbid thinking about stuff like this, and it's a risk we take when we cruise (life's full of risks anyway), but it definitely crossed my mind while we were at muster stations...

 

I don't know for sure, but it makes sense to me to get to your own muster station as quickly as possible in of emergency.

 

Imo, it could be a fatal error trying to find someone else's muster station.

[Shmoo here]

I think I read that families would be assigned the same muster station, but what do cruise lines do (if anything) if a family is on different decks/sections of the ship and hence aren't in the same muster station?

 

We recently went on a Carnival cruise and my sis and I were assigned to muster station B. My mom and dad were assigned to A. Our bookings were linked together but it made me wonder if the rooms were all assigned/sold out so that they couldn't put us in rooms that were at least in the same muster.

 

My sis and I are over 18, so it's not like we HAVE to be with our parents, but it did make me think of the worst case scenario - if something did happen and the lifeboats were deployed, there'd be no way to know if my parents made it out safely. And they wouldn't know if we got out okay either.

 

I know I'm morbid thinking about stuff like this, and it's a risk we take when we cruise (life's full of risks anyway), but it definitely crossed my mind while we were at muster stations...

 

On one of our recent cruises we had two rooms (DH, DS & me in one room, DD & BF in the other) We had rooms right next door to each other. We had different muster stations. Not even next to each other, our room mustered in the front of the ship and DDs was about midship.

 

:)

[paul929207]

The Muster station is noted on the inside of the door to your cabin, so I don't think families in more than one cabin are necessarily assigned to the same station

[trish1c]

We booked GTY cabins for our last cruise which happened to be on Princess. One cabin was for DH & me, the other was for my 83 year old dad. We were taking him on the cruise b/c my mom had recently passed away. When we booked the TA asked the cruise line to please assign us to the same muster station. Since our reservations were linked together, I also sent an e-mail to Princess with the same request. They assigned us cabins next to each other in the same muster station.

If Princess hadn't accomodated us, we were going to switch my reservation to be in dad's cabin & have DH in the single on paper. Then I would have gone to muster with dad but stayed with DH. In the event of a true emergency especially after the Concordia I get the impression that if you get to a life boat you will be let on so I'd keep the 3 of us together, no matter what.

[Dayenu]

My sis and I are over 18, so it's not like we HAVE to be with our parents, but it did make me think of the worst case scenario - if something did happen and the lifeboats were deployed, there'd be no way to know if my parents made it out safely. And they wouldn't know if we got out okay either.

 

 

Imagine, you are at dinner while your parents take a nap. In case of emergency it's possible you won't be able to go to your assigned station.

 

Besides, on that Costa Concordia that was laying on one side so they were unable to use some of the lifeboats - do you think everybody went to their assigned station?

 

Things happen, so think of somebody to call in case of emergency on the ship, after you got on land. Same case as in California people are advised to have somebody out-of-state to call in case of an earthquake.

[sail7seas]

Muster where you are assigned. There is no way they can keep all family groups together. You can't just juggle around where you want who to be for drill. If an actual emergency occurs and you are all together at the time, then ..........

 

[cruzinfamilyof4]

When I booked (w/ Carnival) I was told that even though we are 3 rooms away from our kids we will be in the same muster station, even if the door says differently. Reason being, DS is only 15 and DD and her friend are 18. They told me that when we have our muster drill to go together.

 

I too think of things like this.

[cb at sea]

If there is an actual emergency, you can bet the "muster stations" will go right out the window....folks will go to the nearest evacuation point and leave!

[FadingRose]

I agree that in the event of an emergency, the most important thing is to get to safety - so obviously, trying to switch muster stations then would be impractical. That's why I assumed that cruise lines would try to assign families or groups to staterooms that are in the same muster station BEFORE sailing. Otherwise, in a real emergency, you may have people who will just go with their families and ignore whatever muster station they were assigned to.

 

My mom, for example, wanted to just go with me to my muster station but I made her go to her own. Thankfully I read that cruise ships have enough room on lifeboats (like 25% extra?) and lifejackets so that it's not like an extra person at your muster station would result in one person getting left behind on the ship as everyone sails away on the lifeboats.