Safety Drill on HAL - Place to Sit?

[PSR]

We haven't been on Royal Caribbean in awhile, and they held their muster drills outside. However, they checked you off their list when you arrived; the cabin numbers are stamped on the vest. This resulted in a much shorter roll call. I think this is a good compromise between the inside and outside muster drills.

 

Penny

[hal lover]

I agree, it definitely has to be held at the lifeboat stations, but something has to be done about the no-shows to avoid everyone else standing there for an additional half hour or so. On our last cruise there were several no-shows, several PA announcements, and all of us who took it seriously had to stand around waiting for those stragglers to eventually turn up. I think they should ignore them, and disembark them when found:D instead of punishing the rest of us.

 

I totally agree with you startwin. The passenger's that fail to show up for the muster drill are the problem. The ones that do show up are punished for their lack of respect.

For passenger's with disabilities there should be an alternative type of muster drill. To make them stand in the heat or whatever the elements are for that time is cruel.

Perhaps letting the passengers with mobility issues to only have to check in with the nurse is the answer. From there they should shown where their life boat station is.

Bottom line for me is~ if you are a able body person, go to the drill. And God forbid something does arise on your cruise, if you see someone that is having an issue getting to the life boat, help them.

[whogo]

The safety drill does not go far enough. All passengers should be trained to lower lifeboats for the next time the captain is the first one to abandon ship.

[Globaliser]

The other lines that do it inside don't even know if passengers can find their lifeboat, to me that is a problem. The drill needs to resemble what will actually occur as best it can.

I can't imagine sitting in a dining room hearing a talk, and then knowing exactly where to go in case of an actual emergency.

On the ships where the muster drill is held in a dining room or other public room indoors, it's there because in case of an actual emergency, that room is where you go. You do not go to a lifeboat.

 

So on these ships, the drill also resembles what you actually need to do as best it can.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

On the ships where the muster drill is held in a dining room or other public room indoors, it's there because in case of an actual emergency, that room is where you go. You do not go to a lifeboat.

 

So on these ships, the drill also resembles what you actually need to do as best it can.

Thank You, I do not think some "Get It" It has been a proven fact that many times where your Life Boat is in a REAL emergency is not accessable so which is why many cruise lines now do hold the Life Boat Drill where they want you to assemble in case of a real emergency. Then you will be led to where you can safely evacuate.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thank You, I do not think some "Get It" It has been a proven fact that many times where your Life Boat is in a REAL emergency is not accessable so which is why many cruise lines now do hold the Life Boat Drill where they want you to assemble in case of a real emergency. Then you will be led to where you can safely evacuate.

 

I agree as well. As mentioned, Celebrity, NCL, and Princess all have you go to an assembly area. Princess now has those hand held devices and they swipe your card as you go into your assigned station. Princess still has you bring your life jackets and at the end, passengers put them on. They are the velcro ones so you don't have the cords dragging on the floor.

 

In a real emergency, people are going to panic, and I think going to an assigned station and then taken to the life boat, if needed, by crew is the way to go. I recall that when the Princess ship had the fire, everyone waited in their assembly room for hours before the decision was made not to abandon ship. Tedious I am sure but more comforatble than standing in a very confined area on the deck.

[RuthC]

I generally book a cabin on the same deck as the life boats, or the closest deck down, in order to be able to get to my station with the fewest number of steps. I do not want to have to climb up several decks, just so that I would need to come back down those decks to get to my boat. Not when I can't climb stairs without a great deal of difficulty! I would probably get pushed over and trampled in the process. :eek:

I don't like standing there for the time of the drill, while the pain from standing mounts, but I can stand it for as long as the actual drill takes. It's what I would have to endure during a real emergency, so I might as well know what it would be like.

It's the folks who don't bother to come on time, who hold everything up, that cause the problem, as far as I'm concerned. They need to be dealt with severely. I'm in total agreement that they should be rounded up and disembarked. Make an example of them every once in a while, and word will get around.

In the meantime, let those of us with the standing problem have the choice to attend a separate drill for us only. Since it would be fewer people, it shouldn't last too long.

[solocanadian]

Solocanadian/Gail; there is an easy solution to your issue! When HAL instituted the current mandatory pax safety drill, a Medical Officer/Nurse is now stationed at the bottom of the Atrium near the entrances to the 'Boat Deck' (LP Deck on the S and R class vessels and on Prinsendam; Promenade Deck on the Vistas & Signatures) starting at 15 min prior to the commencement of the drill. Contact that medical officer and advise him/her that you are unable to stand for long periods of time during the drill. He/she will contact the Bridge/Staff Captain via portable radio and they will check you off the muster list.

 

There is some good advice here also from Tangerinebunny and Trixiee re: contacting the Infirmary staff ahead of time (after embarking) however, if you contact the medical officer stationed in the Atrium, it's a done deal. He/She will have you take a seat on one of the benches in/near the Atrium for the duration of the drill. Have a great voyage!

John: Thanks ever so much for the info. I've printed it off so I know where and when to go for Safety Drill.

[Typhoon1]

I'm sure HAL will be willing to accommodate passengers with disabilities.

[jkelec]

While I understand some passengers may have issues with the drill outside by the actual lifeboat, I think that is an important part of the drill. The other lines that do it inside don't even know if passengers can find their lifeboat, to me that is a problem. The drill needs to resemble what will actually occur as best it can. I don't have a solution for those with limited mobility, maybe they have a separate drill or have some limited seating at each lifeboat but I am not a fan of inside lifeboat drills at all.

 

agree totally with the above they have to make it as real as possible id like to know were im goin in an emergency and not in a state of panic the drill is there for your safety. look what happened when a ship went down last year concordia. its just like some people when they fly you get the ones that no it all yes most of us proberley do but its always good to shut up and listen to whats being said about your SAFETY. ok yes i know people have probs with standing and mobility problems but if you cant stand or walk far for long then maybe those people need to bring along or hire a rollator for those periods when you have to wait in ques and things

[geoherb]

I agree with you 100% ... for the reason you wrote ... the drill needs to be held at each person's lifeboat. I can't imagine sitting in a dining room hearing a talk, and then knowing exactly where to go in case of an actual emergency.

The point on Princess ships is that in an actual emergency you will go to your muster station--which is the inside area where you practiced the muster drill. From there, the crew members will lead you to your designated lifeboat. Even in a real emergency, there should be time to get people out safely in an organized fashion once the lifeboats are ready to be boarded. Edited November 28, 2012 by geoherb

[mr green]

One little question. On one Princess cruise we had to go to our muster stations, sitting down, for close to three hours, bomb scare.

How would HAL handle this?

 

john

[bcd2010]

Copper John - thank you so much for posting this info. I now have concrete info and am relieved to know there are such specific procedures in place.

[KirkNC]

The point on Princess ships is that in an actual emergency you will go to your muster station--which is the inside area where you practiced the muster drill. From there, the crew members will lead you to your designated lifeboat. Even in a real emergency, there should be time to get people out safely in an organized fashion once the lifeboats are ready to be boarded.

 

Point taken but I want to go to my lifeboat not some dining room or where ever. What I believe recent events have shown is you can't rely on the crew and officers to be leaders of anything. There would be confusion, language barriers, conflicting orders and who know what else. Yea the lifeboat maybe inaccessible but so may the meeting room (think fire/smoke). Not a perfect solution either way but I believe you are naive if you think the crew is going to handle this smoothly, on the Costa ship it was pretty much every man for themselves. I do recognize some crew members perform heroically, but some clearly did not.

[Globaliser]

Point taken but I want to go to my lifeboat not some dining room or where ever.

Well, in a real emergency I'm sure I'll want to go home. But first I still have to go to wherever my muster station is. If it's in the dining room, that's where I'll go. If it's on the promenade by the lifeboat boarding point directly underneath the lifeboat, that's where I'll go. There are risks to either solution, as you point out, but at least the muster station on that ship - wherever it is - is where the crew will be expecting you.

 

If the crew are useless and inactive, it really isn't actually going to help you much whether you're on deck or in the dining room. You're still not going to be able to do much to launch the lifeboats. You might be a bit quicker to get to the railing to jump into the water, but if you're wearing your lifejacket you really don't want to be doing that unless you absolutely, absolutely have to - and you know what you're doing when you jump.

[Dietemann]

- and you know what you're doing when you jump.

On Princess they teach you how to "walk off" not jump.

[Copper10-8]

On Princess they teach you how to "walk off" not jump.

 

and/or "step off":cool:

[Globaliser]

On Princess they teach you how to "walk off" not jump.

and/or "step off":cool:

Precisely! As I said, you have to know what you're doing.

 

Incidentally, is it only British ships that teach pax how to do this?

[solocanadian]

agree totally with the above they have to make it as real as possible id like to know were im goin in an emergency and not in a state of panic the drill is there for your safety. look what happened when a ship went down last year concordia. its just like some people when they fly you get the ones that no it all yes most of us proberley do but its always good to shut up and listen to whats being said about your SAFETY. ok yes i know people have probs with standing and mobility problems but if you cant stand or walk far for long then maybe those people need to bring along or hire a rollator for those periods when you have to wait in ques and things

Easy for you to say. Price to rent a rollator for 12 days is $200.00. That is expensive to have just for boat drill. I have my own but that is another issue since I have to fly into port. I'm glad to see HAL has solved this problem per copper10-8's message.

[solocanadian]

Point taken but I want to go to my lifeboat not some dining room or where ever. What I believe recent events have shown is you can't rely on the crew and officers to be leaders of anything. There would be confusion, language barriers, conflicting orders and who know what else. Yea the lifeboat maybe inaccessible but so may the meeting room (think fire/smoke). Not a perfect solution either way but I believe you are naive if you think the crew is going to handle this smoothly, on the Costa ship it was pretty much every man for themselves. I do recognize some crew members perform heroically, but some clearly did not.

What is there was a big fire under your life boat - where would you go?

[BruceMuzz]

Many other lines do this indoors where you can sit if you want, Hal should speed this up.

 

The mass market cruise line I work for holds safety drills indoors. Our Flag State Inspectors have just inofrmed us that the bulkheads and windows in those large public areas are not safe in emergency conditions - especially where flames are present. We will soon be moving our drills to the outer decks - where it is safer.

 

Every cruise line gives options to passengers with medical conditions. You only need notify the cruise line before the safety drill happens.

Edited November 29, 2012 by BruceMuzz

[dr.dawg]

sorry typhoon, but on my last hal cruise in march of this year, i had to be wheeled to my stateroom; coudn't walk, in pain, could not even stand. when i called the front desk for assistance, i was told 'sorry' we can't help you, but you must be there or you will be disembarked. that was it. no help at all. i did make it up there via the elevator, and some good souls helped me to walk and stand. NO THANKS TO HAL AT ALL. THEY DID NOT CARE.

[hrhdhd]

I agree with you 100% ... for the reason you wrote ... the drill needs to be held at each person's lifeboat. I can't imagine sitting in a dining room hearing a talk, and then knowing exactly where to go in case of an actual emergency.

 

You're missing the point: in the case of an emergency, passengers report to the dining room. That is the muster station. "Muster station" does not have to equal "under assigned lifeboat."

[Dietemann]

The mass market cruise line I work for holds safety drills indoors. Our Flag State Inspectors have just inofrmed us that the bulkheads and windows in those large public areas are not safe in emergency conditions - especially where flames are present. We will soon be moving our drills to the outer decks - where it is safer.

 

Every cruise line gives options to passengers with medical conditions. You only need notify the cruise line before the safety drill happens.

Oh no, say it isn't true. I guess we'll find out in April on our TA to Southampton.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Dietemann

[CostaSmurfette]

Something that I personally wish that ALL lines did, not just HAL, is when the emergency drill is being done, those pax with mobility issues or any disability whatsoever should be met by their respective crew escorts and taken to the drill in the way that they would if a real emergency occurred.

 

Such as those who cannot walk...they would meet the crew assigned to them and they would be carried from wherever they are on the ship to the muster station. By doing this, the crew would know the pax and how they would likely react and the pax get to know their assigned crew so in the event of a real emergency those pax would not get so distressed worrying as to how they might escape.

 

By having crew that are assigned to disabled/elderly/infirm pax for the drill, it would cut down on the levels of anxiety caused by the "what if" and both crew and pax would get to know each others strengths and weaknesses and be ready should the worst happen.