Muster Drill.... i.e. "If I ruled the world!"

[cyntil8ing]

There is no way the crew needs to practice standing in the stairwell every single time.

 

I disagree. There are crew coming on and going off every single cruise. Crew have to move around to new positions all the time. If at the beginning of every cruise, Joe Crewmember has to go to his position at the port side of the aft stairwell on deck 4, which may be a different position than he went to last week, then he's more likely to remember it and know where to go. The life boat captains practice every week. I see this no differently.

 

I have no problem excusing passengers with physical issues from attending drill.

[travelberlin]

I see people refer here to "crew members". Are the singers and dancers considered "crew members".?

[dblane]

I'm probably in the minority but, I liked it when we went to our lifeboat stations

[sasysutler]

We have had the "pleasure" of abour 25 muster drills, and most of them were rote. check in stand there for 30 minutes and then the mad crunch to sail away.

 

What if this was all shown on a continuous screen in the port BEFORE YOU EMBARKED. You would have to watch the video, do a small test and then swipe your card at the muster station upon embarkation? You're held captive there anyway..and they now do the initial photo in the terminal too.

[macruisefan]

What if this was all shown on a continuous screen in the port BEFORE YOU EMBARKED. You would have to watch the video, do a small test and then swipe your card at the muster station upon embarkation? You're held captive there anyway..and they now do the initial photo in the terminal too.

 

I like that idea. Then, you know everyone saw the video. And I still say there is something to being able to check out the muster station any time from embarkation to sail-away.

 

Not sure I'm totally convinced about the crew needing as much practice as they get. Yes, they need some, but I'm not sold on every single time. Also, no reason they couldn't drill the crew independent of the passengers. They already do this with lifeboat drills, fire drills, etc...

[Waihekean]

My muster drill on the EQ was in Murano. Came with my elderly mother and luckily had a seat near the video screen. It became incredibly crowded and noisy. The crew member started by calling off names to see who was there. It became clear many were not present, so he did not continue, but just gave up.

 

Although near the screen and seated, we could not follow the video (especially my mother who is not English speaking).

 

It was a complete waste of time and we were so glad to get out of the small stuffy space! Surprised though that it was done this way, especially when the Costa accident was still fresh in our mind.

 

Really felt that the muster drill should be done outside and shown where your lifeboat is. I do not think in an emergency I would go to a lower deck and maybe get stuck there as happened to the poor souls on the Costa.

[cruise kitty]

I'm probably in the minority but, I liked it when we went to our lifeboat stations

 

Completely agree, last cruise our muster station was on 4th deck, in the dining room... below the deck with the life boats... of course if the lower decks are flooded or have smoke or fire it'd be nice to know which lifeboat to go to.. or at least an alternative area...

[celle]

I like that idea. Then, you know everyone saw the video. And I still say there is something to being able to check out the muster station any time from embarkation to sail-away.

 

Not sure I'm totally convinced about the crew needing as much practice as they get. Yes, they need some, but I'm not sold on every single time. Also, no reason they couldn't drill the crew independent of the passengers. They already do this with lifeboat drills, fire drills, etc...

 

I regard the muster drill as being the equivalent of the safety video and demonstration on an aircraft. Yes, it can be a nuisance. Yes, there are probably ways of making it more efficient, but it is a legal requirement.

 

I can just imagine the lawyer-happy people who would sue a cruise line if they didn't watch the video on TV in their staterooms, or didn't find their own way to their muster station in an emergency. Cant you just hear it? -"Nobody made us . . . Nobody told us . ."

[billie5]

I see people refer here to "crew members". Are the singers and dancers considered "crew members".?

Absolutely. You should read about the Costa accident.

[peterm]

Really felt that the muster drill should be done outside and shown where your lifeboat is. I do not think in an emergency I would go to a lower deck and maybe get stuck there as happened to the poor souls on the Costa.

 

You don't have YOUR lifeboat - in the case of COSTA (and other incidents) part of the boats on one side of the ship couldn't be lowered - so would you than stay close to YOUR boat? And even if your boat is O.K - will you wait until the last person assigned to your boat would show up?

 

It is much better to meet at your muster station and - if an evacuation is necessary - be guided by the crew to the next available boat, which than can leave as soon as it is full.

The old way - standing for half an hour outside in the rain or in 90 degree heat, while they were reading a passenger list for every life boat - was bad and no longer applicable.

[travelberlin]

Absolutely. You should read about the Costa accident.

Thanks for your sugestion. I have read it. I did not find the relation to the singers and dancers. Does Costa also uses the entertainment personal for the drill and safety purposes as Celebrity does?

[WpgCruise]

I agree that assembly at the Muster Station, then assignment to an available life boat is the only sensible way to do an evacuation.

 

For those who insist on "thier" lifeboat what if "your" life boat can't be lowered due to a list on the ship?

 

Somehow if some of the lifeboats can't be used then I think you'll be quite prepared to be directed from the Muster Station to the next available lifeboat, and which one might be "yours" won't be so important.:)

 

 

 

 

 

You don't have YOUR lifeboat - in the case of COSTA (and other incidents) part of the boats on one side of the ship couldn't be lowered - so would you than stay close to YOUR boat? And even if your boat is O.K - will you wait until the last person assigned to your boat would show up?

 

It is much better to meet at your muster station and - if an evacuation is necessary - be guided by the crew to the next available boat, which than can leave as soon as it is full.

The old way - standing for half an hour outside in the rain or in 90 degree heat, while they were reading a passenger list for every life boat - was bad and no longer applicable.

[cruise kitty]

edit....

[macruisefan]

The change from mustering at specific lifeboats, to various muster stations is by design and necessity. With larger ships, carrying more lives, sending everyone to the relatively small outdoor deck where boats are loaded would be a complete disaster. The interior muster locations aren't arbitrary. The ships have been designed with utilization of these spaces for this purpose in mind. If that's where they tell you to go, that is absolutely where you should go.

 

I'm just questioning the utility of test cramming everyone into these spaces for twenty minutes and then trying to give out any sort of worthwhile information over the noise of the crowd.

 

Of course it goes without saying that any change would have to be approved by SOLAS or whomever. I'm just thinking that maybe it's time to rethink the whole process.

[MizDemeanor]

Revamp the entire SOLAS procedure due to a preceived inconvenince?

[macruisefan]

Revamp the entire SOLAS procedure due to a preceived inconvenince?

 

No. Revamp the muster policy, such that it still satisfies Coast Guard, and SOLAS, in order to make it a more effective and efficient process.

 

It's not about the inconvenience. I could care less about being "inconveninenced" for 20-30 minutes if I was confident that it was effective.

 

But standing in the entry to Tuscan Grill, not being able to see the video because of the glare, nor hear the crew because of all the chatter isn't an inconvenience. It's a complete waste of time that only serves to provide a false assurance that people have been properly oriented.

[billie5]

Thanks for your sugestion. I have read it. I did not find the relation to the singers and dancers. Does Costa also uses the entertainment personal for the drill and safety purposes as Celebrity does?

 

Perhaps I remember incorrectly, but I thought it was the Costa where entertainment staff took over some of the tasks the cowardly captain should have been doing. If it was not the Concordia (which we have sailed -- but not when the captain decided to do the fatal sail-by), then it was another recent sea accident where the captain also failed.

[Tony UK]

On a recent ccruise out of Singapore the drill was a mess. We were in Murano, not enough room for everyone. A number of people who had never cruised before, and some who didnt speak English. The video couldnt be seen by around 75% of those at the station, which turned out not to matter because the system didnt work. A minute long demo re the lifevest and a request to watch on tv - as if ayone would - was about it. Given the Costa Concordia disaster I think the whole thing should be rethought and I welcome your suggestion - perhaps the theatre could be used on embarkation day with the swipe idea, lots of capacity and minimal staff needed.

Tables were set in Murano and people were fingering the glasses and cutlery - ugh! No wonder there was a medical problem on board!

[sheffield]

I agree that assembly at the Muster Station, then assignment to an available life boat is the only sensible way to do an evacuation.

 

For those who insist on "thier" lifeboat what if "your" life boat can't be lowered due to a list on the ship?

 

Somehow if some of the lifeboats can't be used then I think you'll be quite prepared to be directed from the Muster Station to the next available lifeboat, and which one might be "yours" won't be so important.:)

 

 

Just back from the new year cruise on Silhouette. Our muster station was the MDR, floor 4, the drill went quite well, people were quiet and attentive during the video. We were, however, told which were the lifeboats we would be using, boats 13-16. I was surprised as I could not remember being told this before in a drill.

[jveevers]

Hi Orator,

 

We had our muster in the same area, last month on Eclipse. It was overcrowded, with extremely limited seating. I noticed a number of elderly folks and others having issues standing and I felt really bad for them. From our position - we couldnt see or hear anything. We walked away feeling that nothing was learned.... other than Celebrity should avoid using this area in the future. At the very least, use it for a smaller number of guests, and provide more seating.

 

What I found most interesting, is that we could see the Entertainment Court below on Deck 4, and there was only a handful of Celebrity crew standing around, with no guests in sight. Why not make use of the crew and this area ? Would have certainly helped with the madhouse on Deck 5. The whole experience made no sense to me.

 

While I find the OP's post thought provoking - there was a time when Celebrity offered safety infromation on TV, and it was turned to this channel when you first entered your cabin on Day 1. It wasnt in place of the muster drill, nor should it be... but I thought this was an excellent idea. I'm not certain if Celebrity currently offers this, but I do not believe they are. If I'm wrong, please comment.

 

Being informed can be life saving in an emergency. I strongly feel we can never have enough information on this topic.

 

 

Hi Andy, what time approx. is Muster in relation to sail-away time?

[MizDemeanor]

No. Revamp the muster policy, such that it still satisfies Coast Guard, and SOLAS, in order to make it a more effective and efficient process.

 

It's not about the inconvenience. I could care less about being "inconveninenced" for 20-30 minutes if I was confident that it was effective.

 

But standing in the entry to Tuscan Grill, not being able to see the video because of the glare, nor hear the crew because of all the chatter isn't an inconvenience. It's a complete waste of time that only serves to provide a false assurance that people have been properly oriented.

 

Do you really think if the ship's passengers are impacted that the video or the visual at the muster is going to be a significant part of the next steps?

 

I happen to think the location, life jacket, and instruction by those that are moronically multi-tasking as singers and dancers to my safety are quite capable in light of any other individual or group.

 

Similar to the the volunteer ambulance safety core that are in my hometown are.

[Tony UK]

There seems to be a big variation reported here on the effectiveness of drills. In our national paper we were reminded of the anniversary of the Costa Concordia. There was talk that there have been cruise wide discussions on emergency procedures including thee drills. Lets hope something positive comes out of it.

I agree with Andy that being informed is crucial. The crew may do the drill over and over and are probably a little bored by it. For some passengers it wil be the first time they have heard it. We need consistency, the drill to be taken seriously by passengers and crew, and to ensure that if tv or video is used then the venues and screens sufficient so everyone can see.

It just isnt enough to tick a box.

[Lovemychoos]

We have now done 3 cruises with Celebrity, and were initially impressed with their muster drills. Our first cruise we were in the theatre, our names were ticked off on entry, we were seated, and the drill was very clear and well displayed on the big screens. Our second cruise we were in the upper floor of the dining room (both of these cruises were on Eclipse). Again, our names were taken, we were seated, and although we couldn't see the screens too well, the crew member was very clear and precise.

 

Our third cruise, last October, was on Equinox. Unfortunately, we were mustered at the photo gallery. I agree with everything that has been previously said. I too suffer from a bad back, which is made much worse by standing in one position for too long. However, there were many older people who were much worse off than me, and our 'crew' member (one of the show singers) was totally obnoxious, shouting at everyone, and making them stand in straight lines (I kid you not) otherwise we was physically moving them to straighten them up! Add all this together with a screaming youngster (before I get shot down in flames, this 'youngster' was at least 5 yrs old, old enough to have been taught better) and you can imagine the scene. We waited for ages for late comers, and then when the drill was finally shown on the screen, unless you were at the front of your 'queue' you couldn't see or hear anything.

 

I can't imagine if there was a real emergency the situation would have been any better. This is NOT the place for muster drill, and certainly should be moved elsewhere on the ship.

 

Louise

[diveinhere]

Just a suggestion but has anyone thought of making it part of the online check in where it could be targeted to the individuals cabin. We have technology that we use at work for online training where it know how long you have played something and if you try to get out of it the software knows.

It could also be played while you are waiting to board and having lunch before going to cabin and on all the Channels internally.

Surely this would be more effective then what is happening now and more convenient.

My suggestion anyway

[robtulipe]

Hi Andy, what time approx. is Muster in relation to sail-away time?

Muster was at 4:30pm for our scheduled 6pm sail away on our Dec. 1 Ecllipse cruise which actually sailed at around 7pm.