carnival to start head counts at muster drills!

[gfy012]

Having only cruised on one Carnival cruise before I always wondered how they knew you were at the drill. I understand they are important to everyone on board but what if some guy locks his cabin door and doesn't go? How would they know unless they scanned their cards. Always have wondered about that.

 

Another question I have is for H82seaugo. Being fairly new to cruising and to Cruise Critic I honestly don't know they answer to this so please forgive me. However, what is the deal between you and John Heald? Did you guys have a run in a long time ago or something? I honestly am curious to what what got you and he at odds with each other. I have seen you post on other threads and never noticed an issue and I have seen his blog and never notice an issue. Thanks in advance for your response.

 

Part of the crews jobs is to clear all cabins during muster drill.

[H82seaUgo]

Having only cruised on one Carnival cruise before I always wondered how they knew you were at the drill. I understand they are important to everyone on board but what if some guy locks his cabin door and doesn't go? How would they know unless they scanned their cards. Always have wondered about that.

 

Another question I have is for H82seaugo. Being fairly new to cruising and to Cruise Critic I honestly don't know they answer to this so please forgive me. However, what is the deal between you and John Heald? Did you guys have a run in a long time ago or something? I honestly am curious to what what got you and he at odds with each other. I have seen you post on other threads and never noticed an issue and I have seen his blog and never notice an issue. Thanks in advance for your response.

 

does he? i guess that's a question for him then.

[joepeka]

Maybe I misunderstood JH's FB post about this (and he included the verbatim announcement that CD's will be making regarding the head count) but I got the impression the counting was not so much to make sure everyone showed at their muster station for the drill but more as practice for the crew at those muster stations in the event of an actual emergency. :confused:

[Zoedokey]

It's about time. You can never be too prepared. You should attend each and every cruise, even if you have heard it before.

[wiskt]

Agree they need to scan per pax. When I was walking into my muster station with a cane, someone came & escorted me & hubby to an inside room where I sat in comfort. If they are merely counting heads, they would have been absent 2 at my station and plus 2 inside.

 

 

I always said why cant they set up a scanner that you swipe your card into as you walk out onto the lifeboat deck? Like what they have when you leave the ship in ports or at the end of the cruise.

 

Maybe if they added a mandatory LIFEBOAT DRILL FEE that gets removed when you get your card scanned, everyone would be lined up for the muster drill instead of at Guest services to remove their tips. haha

 

.... or just have everyone have to sit and watch the Muster drill video in a waiting room BEFORE you board the ship. You could easily be scanned into or out of the room. Whether you choose to pay attention is your option.

[martinchem]

It's about time, NCL has been doing this for years.

[pe4all]

Maybe I misunderstood JH's FB post about this (and he included the verbatim announcement that CD's will be making regarding the head count) but I got the impression the counting was not so much to make sure everyone showed at their muster station for the drill but more as practice for the crew at those muster stations in the event of an actual emergency. :confused:

Don't really see what good this would do. I'm sure the crew knows how to count. Getting the passengers quickly and safely in lifeboats is more important in the event of a real emergency, and it would make more sense to have crew members at each muster station scanning a card, or inputting passenger's name/cabin # into a handheld system to make sure all are accounted for!!

[John1928]

I think they're worth the time (since they're not that onerous) though in practice I suspect these are of dubious value in an acute emergency. They (for obvious reasons) don't practice any of the more challenging tasks involved with an emergency (injuries, low lighting, large crowds trying to move quickly, unpassible hallways/stairs, smoke, sloping decks, use of emergency gear, evacuation procedures, etc.).

 

In a slow-motion or non-sinking emergency then it's probably more helpful.

[gfy012]

It's just a freaking head count. No different than what the flight crew do on an airplane before they leave.

[kicia]

I still think they need to actually check off the names so they know who is actually there and who to look for.

[sandys57]

They did a head count on our cruise last May.

[Mom2JJandJ]

Haven't read through every post yet, but on my last cruise they had someone going thru with one of those handheld clicker thingees counting people. Never saw them asking anyone which cabin they were in or anything like that.

[C Cruise Dude]

I don't think this is anything new. I recall that in the past (yep, WAY in the past) they used to have the list of passengers, and they'd check you off when you arrived at the muster station. Makes perfect sense to me. ;)

 

"SKY"

 

They did it on my first cruise in '03 and I think they did it 2 years ago. It does not take any longer.

[c&d]

I think it's ridiculous that these drills are mandatory. Once you attend one, it's the same thing on every cruise going forward! As long as you know where your muster station is, that's all that changes from cruise to cruise! If you don't attend, you're not hurting anyone but yourself!

 

You will be the 1st person to complain when there is a emergency, when the pressure is on and you can not find your muster station or do not know what to do. You probably are one of those people who does not pay attention to where the emergency exits on a airplanre are either.

 

I remember the days when they counted head and checked off names and then went looking for those missing. Was not that many years ago either.

[H82seaUgo]

You will be the 1st person to complain when there is a emergency, when the pressure is on and you can not find your muster station or do not know what to do. You probably are one of those people who does not pay attention to where the emergency exits on a airplanre are either.

 

I remember the days when they counted head and checked off names and then went looking for those missing. Was not that many years ago either.

 

these are usually the people in the way that are clueless, and are blocking you from getting to where you need to be.

[btrbill]

I dont have a problem with this really. It might us miss sailaway in NOLA, and maybe other ports, but it should be done.

 

H82seaUgo, why do you care? I thought you hated CCL? (Maybe I am mistaken, but that seems to be the tone in your posts...)

[WiCruiseDreamer]

I think it's ridiculous that these drills are mandatory. Once you attend one, it's the same thing on every cruise going forward! As long as you know where your muster station is, that's all that changes from cruise to cruise! If you don't attend, you're not hurting anyone but yourself!

 

Drills are for the cruise line, not for us.

 

And don't tell me that by others going it will be safer for me. If the unthinkable happens, nobody will remember squat about what they did or did not learn in any drill. You best be prepared to help yourself. Always.

 

Yes, it is the same for each and every cruise, that makes it easier to remember the procedures. It is not just about knowing where your station is, it is about knowing what to do when you are there. The best way to prepare yourself is through practice. And yes, if someone else does not know what to do in an emergency, then they become a danger to everyone else.

[mitsguy2001]

Given that it seems Carnival doesn't feel that men's lives are worth anything and that men are not even part of their family, they should only require women and children to attend the muster drill.

[H82seaUgo]

I dont have a problem with this really. It might us miss sailaway in NOLA, and maybe other ports, but it should be done.

 

H82seaUgo, why do you care? I thought you hated CCL? (Maybe I am mistaken, but that seems to be the tone in your posts...)

 

um, safety for my fellow vacationer?

[btrbill]

um, safety for my fellow vacationer?

 

Except if you are not on the cruise, they would not be your fellow vacationer...

[WiCruiseDreamer]

Given that it seems Carnival doesn't feel that men's lives are worth anything and that men are not even part of their family, they should only require women and children to attend the muster drill.

 

Speechless.

[H82seaUgo]

Except if you are not on the cruise, they would not be your fellow vacationer...

 

 

i don't think anyone is on every cruise nor every ship.

[waldocruiser1]

I was on the Star Princess last week and they did this. When you entered your assigned muster area, they scanned your sail and sign card with a hand held scanner not much bigger than a book. In fact, they used the same little scanner to get on and off the ship, getting on they had four people with them, made things faster.

 

I was just talking to DW after reading the store on Facebook, and said that they should have some kind of scanner to read your card,

 

I think they could do it this way, when they have a small group, (10 or 12) start the how to put on your life jacket, demo, then scan your card and you are done, that way if you get there early, you get done early, if late you are late. And have a mark on your computer image that shows you were at the briefing, so after you leave, if someone asks for your card, and they scan it, it shows you took the class.

 

That way if you just skipped, you wont have the mark, and they know and can give you the LONG VERSION.

[btrbill]

i don't think anyone is on every cruise nor every ship.

 

Correct, that would be impossible... I just thought it odd you actually care about anything CCL does.

[mitsguy2001]

Speechless.

 

At the muster drill, they give the seemingly contradictory info that "families will not be split apart", and then they say "women and children first". Either they are lying in one of those rules, or they are so callous that they don't even consider men to be part of a family.