Safety Drill

[*Miss G*]

Yikes!  That is not good at all.  In addition to the great advice Kazu has given, if you go to your Navigator and click on “More” in the bottom right-hand corner, there is a “Feedback” button available.  I’ve read, though I have yet to use it, that it is a great tool for when you require a response.

 

Sadly, I have to agree that the Neptunes not on Boardwalk (Deck 7 Lounge vicinity) are the neglected cousins.  It would be nice if they could get their act together on those.

 

Editing to add:  I see that we posted at the same time and that @Copper10-8 has provided valuable advice.  Let us know if that does that trick @GeezerCouple. Good luck!

Edited December 4, 2019 by *Miss G*

[richwmn]

9 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

Yikes!  That is not good at all.  In addition to the great advice Kazu has given, if you go to your Navigator and click on “More” in the bottom right-hand corner, there is a “Feedback” button available.  I’ve read, though I have yet to use it, that it is a great tool for when you require a response.

 

Sadly, I have to agree that the Neptunes not on Boardwalk (Deck 7 Lounge vicinity) are the neglected cousins.  It would be nice if they could get their act together on those.

 

Editing to add:  I see that we posted at the same time and that @Copper10-8 has provided valuable advice.  Let us know if that does that trick @GeezerCouple. Good luck!

 

On my recently completed Noordam cruise I used the Feedback option to compliment several staff members. Within a short time I had a phone call from the front desk letting me know that the supervisors involved would be notified and later that evening several of those I complimented thanked me.

 

[bennybear]

Yes the written note works! 

 

I am am glad you are having a good time besides these annoyances.  

 

On our last cruise it always took moments together to the right channel, wish they would do a warning chime and wait a few seconds as we always missed the beginning.

 

interesting what is considered an emergency,   People late Boarding caused an all call around 11 pm waking many up.   

[DougK]

Regarding the debate about indoor and outdoor muster stations, there's yet a third option: both. I had that experience 15 or 20 years ago on a cruise--don't remember which line--where we were told to go to our indoor muster station, received the lecture there, and then were escorted by crew to our lifeboat station, as we would be in an actual emergency. This certainly took more time than the current drills, but probably also was more effective.

[grest]

Well we had an interesting experience on the Nieuw Amsterdam last week.  On our way down the stairs to muster, my husband, who usually walks with a cane, took an unexpected trip on our way to muster.  His sneaker got stuck on the carpet somehow, and he went tumbling down.  There was a muster staff at the bottom of the stairs, and he immediately called for medical.   There was minor damage, and a bill to go with it, along with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, but we never made it to muster since he was being treated at the medical center...

[*Miss G*]

12 minutes ago, grest said:

Well we had an interesting experience on the Nieuw Amsterdam last week.  On our way down the stairs to muster, my husband, who usually walks with a cane, took an unexpected trip on our way to muster.  His sneaker got stuck on the carpet somehow, and he went tumbling down.  There was a muster staff at the bottom of the stairs, and he immediately called for medical.   There was minor damage, and a bill to go with it, along with a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, but we never made it to muster since he was being treated at the medical center...

 

Awww.  I am so sorry to hear that, grest.  I hope your husband is doing much better, now, and mending well.

[GeriatricNurse]

On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 12:49 PM, Copper10-8 said:

The mandatory passenger emergency drill, just some observations:

 

30 minutes prior to the drill taking place, the CD comes on the ship's P/A system and gives the first heads up to all pax. 15 minutes prior to the drill commencing, he/she makes another announcement to "stand by to stand by, it's coming and btw, if you fail to participate, you'll find yourself standing on the dock with a perfect view of the ship's stern as she moves away because you ain't sailing with us." 

 

Then the first alarm sounds which includes the C/D coming on that "Hey listen y'all, it's coming however, no action by our pax is - yet - required." A short time later the 2nd (crew) alarm is activated with the announcement that "passengers should now head for their cabins and stay there until further notice and that all service in public lounges will be halted so put away your tropical drink with little umbrella until further notice."  It isn't until the third alarm which follows that pax are instructed to head for their muster stations so a mandatory muster (roll call) can be taken.

 

That's a total of four notifications that a mandatory passenger emergency drill will take place at a designated time. If you've been on just a single prior cruise vacation, you know (or should know) it's coming! The drill is also listed in the daily program, and those smart room stewards will have ensured that your fancy flat screen cabin television is turned on when you arrive for the first time in your stateroom playing, guess what, The Big Bang Theory? Young Sheldon? Modern Family? Nope, footage of a similar mandatory passenger emergency drill, yet another hint. They even have made life easier for you because you don't have to wear those silly bulky orange life vests anymore because too many folks, despite instructions not to do so, felt the need to take them off post-drill enroute back to their floating abode, wound up dragging the vest straps behind them in corridors and stair wells, causing tripping and falling accidents to others, which have included serious injuries, and a trip to the hospital prior to their cruise even starting.   

 

Yet after all these notifications, some fine folks still display the uncanny ability to show up late for the drill, some as late as ten minutes after it commencing, some after having been instructed by the sweep teams they have encountered to go forthwith to their muster stations without passing Go and collecting two hundred green backs, others happily carrying adult beverages in one hand, with the end result being the delay of the drill already in progress, while holding up all those who were responsible, were obviously able to follow directions given, and were present and accounted for at their respective muster stations and at the designated time.

 

I've seen drills conclude in twenty minutes when people did pay attention, were quiet/not taking the entire procedure as a joke, and listened to the instructions from captain and crew. Drills that ended in applause from those same pax. I've seen other drills take over thirty minutes because crew members were forced to scour the entire ship in an attempt to locate missing guests who were engaged in activities deemed more important, including cutting zzzzs in their stateroom, having no clue that a safety drill that they were obligated to attend, was in progress

 

What is a mother to do........................

Is the Mandatory (Muster) Roll Call done electronically and have the Life Jackets, with straps, been replaced by Life Jackets, with Snaps?

As an aside, on NCL ships, the mandatory muster drill is done inside, the roll call is done electronically and all the life jackets are stored at the various muster stations.  No life jackets are stored in the staterooms, (which, beneficially, frees up more space for storage)!

[CruisingAndDiving]

4 minutes ago, GeriatricNurse said:

Is the Mandatory (Muster) Roll Call done electronically and have the Life Jackets, with straps, been replaced by Life Jackets, with Snaps?

As an aside, on NCL ships, the mandatory muster drill is done inside, the roll call is done electronically and all the life jackets are stored at the various muster stations.  No life jackets are stored in the staterooms, (which, beneficially, frees up more space for storage)!

On our Dec Nieuw Amsterdam cruise...life jackets were in the stateroom but we were told several times not to bring them.  We did go outside to the muster station and once there, had our key card scanned.  We may have been outside 15 minutes maximum. 

[RAS4331]

We went on our first cruise recently, and the muster drill was fairly painless.  I, for one, was glad to actually know where my muster station was, rather than watching a presentation from a lounge.

 

The only two things I noticed:  When a cabin number was called and there was no answer, the crew just went right on to the next number.  No one seemed to be "scouring the ship" for missing people, and we certainly didn't wait for latecomers to show up.  I didn't know if that meant that attendance really wasn't as mandatory as I had thought, or if those people would be hunted down later.

 

The other thing was funny/dumb -- a man near me kept talking and waving and beckoning to other people - presumably his family or friends.  Twice when a crew member called a number, they looked up, saw this man waving his hand, and crossed a name off their list.  I wanted to say "mister, quit raising your hand!"  Oh well!  Other than that, everyone was reasonably quiet and attentive.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Yes, they were scouring the ship for missing people. Part of the drill is a cabin search. In an emergency, cabin stewards go from cabin to cabin looking for people who, for some reason, didn't leave their cabins when the announcement to go to muster stations was made.

 

The drill is mandatory. People who didn't show up for muster drill would have to attend a make-up drill. Or they could be disembarked. It has happened. Another possibility is that there were people on a B2B, and attending the second drill isn't always required (reports here vary on that). 

[chengkp75]

6 hours ago, GeriatricNurse said:

As an aside, on NCL ships, the mandatory muster drill is done inside, the roll call is done electronically and all the life jackets are stored at the various muster stations.  No life jackets are stored in the staterooms, (which, beneficially, frees up more space for storage)!

This is not universal for all NCL ships.  Older ships than the Escape still have outdoor muster stations.

[chengkp75]

52 minutes ago, RAS4331 said:

We went on our first cruise recently, and the muster drill was fairly painless.  I, for one, was glad to actually know where my muster station was, rather than watching a presentation from a lounge.

If your "drill station" is in a lounge, then that is where your actual "muster station" is.  In an emergency, you would go to that lounge.

[chengkp75]

On 12/3/2019 at 12:49 PM, Copper10-8 said:

wound up dragging the vest straps behind them in corridors and stair wells, causing tripping and falling accidents to others, which have included serious injuries, and a trip to the hospital prior to their cruise even starting.   

My personal feeling is that the life jacket should still be a part of the muster drill, but that no passenger should be dismissed from the drill until they have properly stowed the straps again, and passed by the crew.  That would show the proper respect for the life saving equipment that it deserves.

[Copper10-8]

5 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

My personal feeling is that the life jacket should still be a part of the muster drill, but that no passenger should be dismissed from the drill until they have properly stowed the straps again, and passed by the crew.  That would show the proper respect for the life saving equipment that it deserves.

 

Agreed, but try selling that added procedure to some, not all, but some, passengers who want to get outtathere without any more delays 😉 

 

Oh, and yes, to answer the two questions; the old life vests, the straps of which you had to wrap around you and tie off in a knot (plus place both arms through), have been replaced by the clip-on "jacket-style" vests and pretty sure, the Vista-class and up now do electronic muster check-in. Not sure about the six smaller (two "S" and four "S") class ships

 

 

[rafinmd]

I don't think I have taken my life jacket to a drill on ANY cruise line for a couple of years now.

 

Roy

[Lunar Dragon]

Regarding muster drill etiquette, can I please ask English speaking guests to also refrain from speaking when instructions are given in Dutch.  

On many of our European cruises, I noticed that while listening attentively when the Captain was speaking English, as soon as he switched to Dutch,  many passangers considered the drill over and began chatting.   There are many elderly Dutch passengers on European cruises who benefit from hearing instructions in their native language, so please be respectful of this!

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Agreed, but try selling that added procedure to some, not all, but some, passengers who want to get outtathere without any more delays 😉 

 

Oh, and yes, to answer the two questions; the old life vests, the straps of which you had to wrap around you and tie off in a knot (plus place both arms through), have been replaced by the clip-on "jacket-style" vests and pretty sure, the Vista-class and up now do electronic muster check-in. Not sure about the six smaller (two "S" and four "S") class ships

 

 

 

I can't remember the last time I saw one of those tie-strap life vests! But even with the clips, if you put it on and adjust the clips to fit, there are trailing straps when you take it off. When I have had to take my vest to the drill, I've always repacked it by shortening the straps so they hold it firmly closed, then wrap and tuck in the trailing straps. It's the safest way to carry it (and then it goes back into the closet neatly), but all of that is more time-consuming and difficult than putting the thing on. You're right, passengers will NOT want to stand there and repack the vests. 

 

And this raises a question. Did the stewards have to find and repack the vests after the drill? I'm imagining people in a hurry to get on deck for a sailaway drink just tossing the vest on a chair or the bed. 

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by 3rdGenCunarder

[chengkp75]

The proper way to store them is to extend the straps all the way, and wrap them around the vest a couple of times and then clip them, and pull the end to tighten.  This allows for quick donning by all sizes: unclip, don, clip, pull strap.

 

Yes, the stewards will properly stow the vest at the first time they are in the cabin after drill.

[3rdGenCunarder]

10 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

The proper way to store them is to extend the straps all the way, and wrap them around the vest a couple of times and then clip them, and pull the end to tighten.  This allows for quick donning by all sizes: unclip, don, clip, pull strap.

 

Yes, the stewards will properly stow the vest at the first time they are in the cabin after drill.

 

I'm pretty sure I repack them the way I get them. I always have to lengthen the strap, not shorten it. Your description makes more sense. It's easier/faster to tighten the strap than loosen it. 

[Happy2cruise]

If someone has mobility issues, can they go the muster station early to have access to elevators and avoid the crowds?

[RuthC]

4 minutes ago, Happy2cruise said:

If someone has mobility issues, can they go the muster station early to have access to elevators and avoid the crowds?

Those with mobility problems don't have to leave early to attend muster; there is an elevator for use at each elevator bank. The Traffic Director will see you coming, and will most likely call for the elevator for you. Then you make your way. 

If using a scooter, be sure there is sufficient clearance for the scooter to clear the metal strip that has an inch or two rise above the doorway to the outside. The rental scooters get hung up on it, and someone needs to lift it over that barrier.