Muster Drill.

[caribill]

Exactly.....

 

Being able to retrieve those items is never a sure thing under any circumstances.

 

People have posted of always carrying a flashlight in order to see if the lights go out. I think it is more important to be carrying your cruise card so you can get into your cabin if conditions permit.

[gdisney]

In a real emergency many may not even have a card with them to scan.

 

This to me is not a good system. :)

 

What other system would you propose?

 

We always have our cards on our person, the only exception being when we're sleeping. I mean, you kind of have to have it as it's your means to charge anything on board as well as get into your cabin.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Understood. But just because some people go out of their way to avoid being scanned and circumvent the procedure does not make Princess' procedure "random". At least not by my definition. Princess can hardly be faulted for people trying hard not to comply. No system can be made foolproof agaisnt people who simply want to flaunt the rules.

 

Some people may have been just to lazy to go back & have their cards scanned but I was just testing the system to see if they would check to see if people would be called out to attend the next muster drill & obviously they are not. The cabins are also not checked to see if anyone is avoiding the drill or if you're sitting at a pool nothing will be said. So in effect ever since they've begun scanning the cards nothing has changed.

[PescadoAmarillo]

We always have our cards on our person, the only exception being when we're sleeping. I mean, you kind of have to have it as it's your means to charge anything on board as well as get into your cabin.

We do the same. When we retire for the evening, our cards are always placed in the same location on the edge of the vanity. In an emergency, finding or getting my card is the least of my worries. It's never more than 8 feet away from me, even while showering.

 

I am in favor of any procedure for checking attendance at a muster drill that ensures people attend. They do not check cabins, they do not close all services, they do not question the many people who aren't attending, way more than the number of in transit passengers.

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

In a real emergency many may not even have a card with them to scan.

 

This to me is not a good system. :)

 

It may not be perfect, but in an emergency, if our party is somehow separated, it would be of great comfort to at least know that the rest of my family had checked in to a muster station.

 

Like others, we pretty much carry our cards everywhere.

[PescadoAmarillo]

It may not be perfect, but in an emergency, if our party is somehow separated, it would be of great comfort to at least know that the rest of my family had checked in to a muster station.

I wish Princess would put wrist bands on all those under a certain age. I work with young children. They will agree to whatever name you call them, they will remain silent when you ask them a question if they are feeling out of their comfort zone. In a real emergency, I would hate to think of parents separated from their young children.

[JimmyVWine]

I wish Princess would put wrist bands on all those under a certain age. I work with young children. They will agree to whatever name you call them, they will remain silent when you ask them a question if they are feeling out of their comfort zone. In a real emergency, I would hate to think of parents separated from their young children.

 

Every parent has the option of doing this, if they choose. But I wouldn't want Princess enforcing this as SOP. As a matter of fact, I saw more disoriented seniors on board that I would worry about in an emergency than children.

[highheel girl]

What other system would you propose?

 

We always have our cards on our person, the only exception being when we're sleeping. I mean, you kind of have to have it as it's your means to charge anything on board as well as get into your cabin.

 

It may not be perfect, but in an emergency, if our party is somehow separated, it would be of great comfort to at least know that the rest of my family had checked in to a muster station.

 

Like others, we pretty much carry our cards everywhere.

 

The scanning is still a hit and miss.

The system Princess has used has worked for many many years.

Obviously scanning is not a fail safe system.

In a perfect scanning world onboard this would be great however like I said in a real emergency there are many other factors including crew who may not have access to a scanner and passengers that are stuck in other areas of the ship and cannot make it to a pre-determined lounge or inside muster station.

[slomotion]

December of 2010 cards were not scanned, but we took our life preservers (life jackets) and our group met in the theater, others met in other locations.

 

October 2011 (on HAL) Instructed NOT to take the life jackets, we went to the actual location of the life boats, roll was taken, cards not scanned.

[caribill]

December of 2010 cards were not scanned, but we took our life preservers (life jackets) and our group met in the theater, others met in other locations.

 

October 2011 (on HAL) Instructed NOT to take the life jackets, we went to the actual location of the life boats, roll was taken, cards not scanned.

 

Princess musters inside for several reasons.

 

o Almost every emergency is resolved without having to abandon ship.

 

o In an emergency it may be hours before the emergency is resolved. It is much more comfortable to be inside than outside in possible rain, heat/cold, etc.

 

o An emergency such as a fire outside on deck 7 could mean you could not get to a pre-assigned lifeboat. (If a muster station was not accessible, ship personnel could easily direct you elsewhere.)

 

o If there is a need to abandon ship, crew can lead passengers from thye muster station to working, accessible lifeboats.

 

On HAL, if there was a need to put on the life jackets, many people would not know how to do it properly. That is why the Princess drill has everybody putting on their life jackets.

[Pam in CA]

On HAL, if there was a need to put on the life jackets, many people would not know how to do it properly. That is why the Princess drill has everybody putting on their life jackets.

HAL ships are designed differently in that almost all of their ships don't have lounges or theaters (large gathering places) on the same deck as exits to the lifeboats. Thus they have to have them outside. In an emergency, you are told to go to or stay in your cabin, not to the muster station. I always wondered how they would handle a real emergency and found out when I was on the Prinsendam a few years ago and the emergency signal went off at 2am due to a fire.

[swedish weave]

Princess musters inside for several reasons.

 

o Almost every emergency is resolved without having to abandon ship.

 

o In an emergency it may be hours before the emergency is resolved. It is much more comfortable to be inside than outside in possible rain, heat/cold, etc.

 

o An emergency such as a fire outside on deck 7 could mean you could not get to a pre-assigned lifeboat. (If a muster station was not accessible, ship personnel could easily direct you elsewhere.)

 

o If there is a need to abandon ship, crew can lead passengers from thye muster station to working, accessible lifeboats.

 

On HAL, if there was a need to put on the life jackets, many people would not know how to do it properly. That is why the Princess drill has everybody putting on their life jackets.

 

SOLAS rules do not require passengers to don their life jackets at muster -- only that they be instructed in the procedure. All cruise lines handle muster drills a little differently within the guidelines of SOLAS.

[caribill]

SOLAS rules do not require passengers to don their life jackets at muster -- only that they be instructed in the procedure.

 

 

True, but many of those who do not put it on truly do not know how to do it.

 

And when it was demonstrated on another line.....well, this is what happened:

 

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.