Muster Drill Time on the Sun - Alaska

[Naomigruis]

Hi Everyone,

 

This is the first time we have sailed NCL and are doing a 7 day northbound Alaska cruise on the 5th September.

 

As one of our extra's we chose the 4 specialty dinning package as we always eat at the speciality dinning restaurant on each of our cruises. A tradition is to start the cruise with the first night at the steak restaurant in this case it will be Cagney's.

 

I have booked our dinning restaurants online for 7:30pm seatings but having looked at a recent review of the same sailing it shows that the muster drill is a 8:30pm!!:eek:

 

Is this the normal time on NCL? Every other line we have sailed (six others) the muster drill is usually in the afternoon about 3 to 4pm.

 

Do i need to change our table booking? We like to take our time over these dinners and there is no way we want to rush the experience to make a 8:30pm muster drill.

 

Sylva

[AquaMarineFerret]

Hi,

I just checked the equivalent southbound daily (published elsewhere in CC) that I downloaded. The 20th June Day 1 from Seward has the same time for the drill, ie, 8.30pm.

 

I have not yet seen a northbound version, but guess it may be exactly the same.

 

I just found the following on the first page: "During the drill, all restaurants will be temporarily closed from 8.30pm and will re-open after the drill. We will accept last guests by 7.15p in the Main Dining Rooms and Speciality Restaurants."

 

Personally, I would fire off a question to NCL to seek clarification of whether there is a new schedule coming into effect that will change this timing. I have to say that it is less than perfect timing, but when can they fit such a thing in to minimise inconvenience? I will certainly bear this in mind for our trip.

 

Does anyone know how long these drills actually last so people can work around the event?

Edited July 12, 2016 by AquaMarineFerret

[bkluyt]

Here is a link to the daily for day 1, southbound Alaska on the Sun from June. It shows the muster drill at 8:30. Dailies start about 3/5ths the way down on page 6.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2376089&page=6

[www3traveler]

Hi Everyone,

 

This is the first time we have sailed NCL and are doing a 7 day northbound Alaska cruise on the 5th September.

 

As one of our extra's we chose the 4 specialty dinning package as we always eat at the speciality dinning restaurant on each of our cruises. A tradition is to start the cruise with the first night at the steak restaurant in this case it will be Cagney's.

 

I have booked our dinning restaurants online for 7:30pm seatings but having looked at a recent review of the same sailing it shows that the muster drill is a 8:30pm!!:eek:

 

Is this the normal time on NCL? Every other line we have sailed (six others) the muster drill is usually in the afternoon about 3 to 4pm.

 

Do i need to change our table booking? We like to take our time over these dinners and there is no way we want to rush the experience to make a 8:30pm muster drill.

 

Sylva

I just did a mock booking for your cruise out of Vancouver. According to the itinerary published on the website, you are scheduled to sail at 4 P.M. That would put the drill about 3:00 P.M.

[AquaMarineFerret]

I just did a mock booking for your cruise out of Vancouver. According to the itinerary published on the website, you are scheduled to sail at 4 P.M. That would put the drill about 3:00 P.M.

 

Unless someone can post recent dailies for Vancouver northward the best course of action is to check with NCL direct.

 

Our sailing is at 4pm from Vancouver, which is the same as the OP's time I gather.

[zqvol]

Ships typically sail from Vancouver around 4:00 p.m., with muster occurring prior to sail away. In Seward, because they have to wait on the transfers from Anchorage they sail later, at around 8:00 p.m. with muster occurring slightly before sail away.

[Naomigruis]

Unless someone can post recent dailies for Vancouver northward the best course of action is to check with NCL direct.

 

Our sailing is at 4pm from Vancouver, which is the same as the OP's time I gather.

 

Ships typically sail from Vancouver around 4:00 p.m., with muster occurring prior to sail away. In Seward, because they have to wait on the transfers from Anchorage they sail later, at around 8:00 p.m. with muster occurring slightly before sail away.

 

Thanks for that. Will leave booking the way it is. :D

[AquaMarineFerret]

Ships typically sail from Vancouver around 4:00 p.m., with muster occurring prior to sail away. In Seward, because they have to wait on the transfers from Anchorage they sail later, at around 8:00 p.m. with muster occurring slightly before sail away.

 

Thanks for that - useful to know.

[nunuc2000]

We're on the same sailing as the OP... and we also have a specialty dining reservation the first evening. We confirmed with NCL that muster is in the hour preceding sail away, so sometime between 3 and 4 that afternoon. :)

 

Celine

[AquaMarineFerret]

We're on the same sailing as the OP... and we also have a specialty dining reservation the first evening. We confirmed with NCL that muster is in the hour preceding sail away, so sometime between 3 and 4 that afternoon. :)

 

Celine

 

Splendid! I will assume the same for 2 weeks previous. :)

[Warbird]

We just sailed on the Sun and the drill was at 3:30 PM on the north bound leg.

[AquaMarineFerret]

We just sailed on the Sun and the drill was at 3:30 PM on the north bound leg.

 

Aha! It seems some form of pattern may be emerging! Thanks for the confirmation that they seem to be consistent (so what's the betting that for some reason they change it on 22nd Aug?)

[3Fluffies]

I was also on a northbound cruise in late May out of Vancouver, and I believe the muster drill was before the 4 pm departure.

[Naomigruis]

Aha! It seems some form of pattern may be emerging! Thanks for the confirmation that they seem to be consistent (so what's the betting that for some reason they change it on 22nd Aug?)

 

I was also on a northbound cruise in late May out of Vancouver, and I believe the muster drill was before the 4 pm departure.

 

 

 

Thanks everyone. Your info has been great. Much easier to plan around a 3:30 muster drill rather than a 8:30 one.