Royal files trademark application for "EMUSTER"

[LXA350]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I just remembered, you don't get your sea pass at boarding anymore. 

 

Therefore you need to give a grace period of 24 hours and gives the chance to look at the map to your muster staton. Ideally you should know how to get there from your stateroom

[jk04]

17 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I just remembered, you don't get your sea pass at boarding anymore. 

 

Then maybe provide some other type of card, piece of paper, whatever, that can be scanned at the muster station.  However, then the problem will be those individuals that give all their cards to one person to go down and check-in so they don't have to leave the bar, pool, buffet, etc.  On Symphony in December our station was at Cafe Promenade and it was packed.  I'm all of 5'1" and couldn't see a thing.  Everybody was pretty much talking and couldn't hear a thing either.  I would like to just have one in the room, but that is just my preference....

Edited April 25, 2020 by jk04

[LMaxwell]

16 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I just remembered, you don't get your sea pass at boarding anymore. 

you inspired me. my big beautiful bald muse.  see other thread

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, ksp819 said:

Ever since the time we were crowded into the photo gallery due to rain and not being able to use the aqua theater I have mentioned a stateroom video on every survey I get!!  No one was listening and even if they were you could not understand a word over the loudspeaker.  I believe they showed the video but we did not have any screens near us (why they couldn’t put it on the photo gallery screens was my first thought at the time)

 

Last year we cruised Oceania for the first time.  I was shocked and elated when I found out there was no muster drill!!!  We simply watched a video on our stateroom tv.  The tv was set up to where you had to watch the video before you could access any other functions of the tv.  It was awesome!!!  Would love it if RC would do something similar.  Honestly I think people would get more out of it if at least one family member paid attention and knew what to do in an emergency!

If there was no actual requirement to go to your muster location, this is a violation of SOLAS, and I would be very surprised at that.  The safety information has long been allowed to be shown on videos, but there is still a requirement to physically have all passengers at their muster stations.

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Ships used to do muster AT or AFTER Sailaway; but on US port departures I think it is now required they be done before ship leaves the port. 

SOLAS used to require muster drill within 24 hours of embarkation, that was changed everywhere to immediately prior to sailing.

 

And, again, there is a requirement not only that all passengers physically show up at their muster stations, but that this is a "drill", or practice, and that it be as "realistic as possible", which counts out having the passengers meander into the muster stations all afternoon long to get checked off.  This would require a change to SOLAS, and a change of this magnitude would require a whole lot of debate and time to get everyone to sign off on it.

[ZiggaZagga17]

5 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Aqua Theater was nice

Yeah had 2 in the Aqua Theatre on the Harmony 2 years ago ...  It was nice n warm, but I'll still take the huge comfy chair in the MDR over the Aqua Theatre ha ha  ....You hit lucky their though buddy, perfect location, especially for when it ends! 

Edited April 25, 2020 by ZiggaZagga17

[BND]

3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I just remembered, you don't get your sea pass at boarding anymore. 

On some ships you still do.  Grandeur for example out of Baltimore, unless they've changed it recently.

[ACEMommy2008]

What if you had to view the video prior to boarding and then at check in you are given your muster station....You have to then appear in person at your muster station and receive your seapass card from the crew member assigned to your muster station?  

[mpk]

14 hours ago, ZiggaZagga17 said:

I think some once said that a high percentage of people who survive plane crashes/evacuations etc are the ones who regularly watch the safety videos/demonstrations etc! I guess the rest are the ones still trying to get their bags and put on their coats as the aircraft burns away!

 

Sadly, sometimes these cluless passengers are able to get their luggage, but at the ultimate price for those behind them.

   usatoday: Some passengers in the Russian plane crash that killed 41 may have stopped to retrieve carry-on baggage.

 

[time4u2go]

32 minutes ago, ACEMommy2008 said:

What if you had to view the video prior to boarding and then at check in you are given your muster station....You have to then appear in person at your muster station and receive your seapass card from the crew member assigned to your muster station?  

See post #54

[gatour]

9 hours ago, ksp819 said:

Last year we cruised Oceania for the first time.  I was shocked and elated when I found out there was no muster drill!!!  We simply watched a video on our stateroom tv.  The tv was set up to where you had to watch the video before you could access any other functions of the tv.  It was awesome!!!  Would love it if RC would do something similar.  Honestly I think people would get more out of it if at least one family member paid attention and knew what to do in an emergency!

 

When I get on a cruise ship I don't make bee line to the cabin to use the functions of the TV.

 

At least if everyone is required to initially go to a muster station they kind of know where to go.  If only one person does this, doesn't matter much later in the cruise for their fellow cabin mates.  I know me and my wife are not married at the hip during a cruise.  I lay to vedge out and read, while she is doing an activity and vice versa.  If I attended the muster drill and she didn't, doesn't do her much good in the event of a real call to muster stations and she is on the other end of the ship from me.

[gatour]

19 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

What's wrong with the map🤔

John, I didn't see an answer.

 

The only thing I have come up with is that cabin 9641 in on the port side vs the starboard side as the map/directions indicate.

[mmroadster]

On 4/25/2020 at 10:55 AM, jk04 said:

 

 However, then the problem will be those individuals that give all their cards to one person to go down and check-in so they don't have to leave the bar, pool, buffet, etc. 

Probably not a problem with facial recognition, just need a station with a camera to scan your Seapass card at every muster station.

[jk04]

27 minutes ago, mmroadster said:

Probably not a problem with facial recognition, just need a station with a camera to scan your Seapass card at every muster station.

That would definitely resolve the issue, just not sure how cost prohibitive that might be.  But, technology like this is getting cheaper all the time.

[SherriZ366]

Hope that RCCL comes up with a Muster Format doesn't involve being in a crowd.

[Merion_Mom]

On 4/25/2020 at 2:02 PM, BND said:

On some ships you still do.  Grandeur for example out of Baltimore, unless they've changed it recently.

no change, as of their last cruise before the shutdown

[compman9]

This is easy to do:

 

Stage 1. You have to watch a safety video at home before you can complete check in

Stage 2. You have to watch a second safety video in the check-in terminal before you board

Stage 3. You have to watch a third safety video in your room - At the end your muster station is revealed

Stage 4. You have to visit your muster station to get your name checked off in a two hour period on the first day

 

 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, compman9 said:

This is easy to do:

 

Stage 1. You have to watch a safety video at home before you can complete check in

Stage 2. You have to watch a second safety video in the check-in terminal before you board

Stage 3. You have to watch a third safety video in your room - At the end your muster station is revealed

Stage 4. You have to visit your muster station to get your name checked off in a two hour period on the first day

 

 

All quite easy to do, except for #4, since it does not meet SOLAS requirements for a passenger muster, so you would need to get the IMO to amend SOLAS before this could be done, and since it does not meet the requirement that the muster be a "drill" or as "realistic as possible", I doubt the maritime safety experts would allow this.

[rolloman]

28 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

All quite easy to do, except for #4, since it does not meet SOLAS requirements for a passenger muster, so you would need to get the IMO to amend SOLAS before this could be done, and since it does not meet the requirement that the muster be a "drill" or as "realistic as possible", I doubt the maritime safety experts would allow this.

Here we go again....this thread is now a repeat of one created last week. Virtually same suggestions being shot down by the same people for the same reasons.... Certain posters demand you understand nothing will change. The old "it is what it is" routine.  That being said, I will add to this post with the understanding the usual three or four lynch mob will attack.  The Emuster idea could be something like ZOOM where everyone attends as a group remotely while a live presentation is conducted from your specific muster drill station. Just a thought....nothing more...

[BND]

49 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Here we go again....this thread is now a repeat of one created last week. Virtually same suggestions being shot down by the same people for the same reasons.... Certain posters demand you understand nothing will change. The old "it is what it is" routine.  That being said, I will add to this post with the understanding the usual three or four lynch mob will attack.  The Emuster idea could be something like ZOOM where everyone attends as a group remotely while a live presentation is conducted from your specific muster drill station. Just a thought....nothing more...

You do know what Cheng does for a living, right?  You think RCI's IT dept could come up with something that would actually work?  LOL.  ZOOM has it's own issues and it's widely used.

Edited April 28, 2020 by BND

[Georgia_Peaches]

On 4/25/2020 at 10:26 AM, LXA350 said:

As part of the online check-in process you need to watch a safety video and you can only confirm you watched it after you played the full lenght of it on your device. This can be any time between 7 days before the cruise until 24 hours into your cruise. As a 2nd step you need to confirm either electronically on your Stateroom TV, through the App or by scanning your Seapass card at a scanner located at your actual Muster Station within 24 hours upon boarding that you made yourself aware of the evacuation plan and have actually located your Muster Station. If you did not comply with it,  the Seapass Card will for instance  automatically be blocked from accessing your stateroom, dismbarking the ship and onboard purchases for all members of the same stateroom.

Very interesting and thorough plan.  Emustering is quite appealing and has the potential to be far more meaningful for passenger safety (in the event of a real emergency) when it is done in a format that allows for people to give full attention to the briefing.  I really like the idea of using the seapass card to check in at the muster station...although I have often wondered out loud to my DH about how many people would actually retreat to their muster station in an emergency.  On Costa, for example, I'm imagining that people were more concerned about finding the nearest life boat than their assigned muster station.  In the height of pandemonium, do passengers remember where to go?

[rolloman]

20 minutes ago, BND said:

You do know what Cheng does for a living, right?  You think RCI's IT dept could come up with something that would actually work?  LOL.  ZOOM has it's own issues and it's widely used.

From what I gather, he is a professional? internet message board poster who spends an inordinate amount of time on cruise critic fielding questions from any topic. I look to see him on Jeopardy one day in the champions episode. 

I do agree about the IT department at Royal not exactly being efficient. 

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, rolloman said:

Here we go again....this thread is now a repeat of one created last week. Virtually same suggestions being shot down by the same people for the same reasons.... Certain posters demand you understand nothing will change. The old "it is what it is" routine.  That being said, I will add to this post with the understanding the usual three or four lynch mob will attack.  The Emuster idea could be something like ZOOM where everyone attends as a group remotely while a live presentation is conducted from your specific muster drill station. Just a thought....nothing more...

Could this change?  Sure, anything could change.  Can RCI do this on their own?  No.  There are laws in place about this particular matter, and these involve international conventions, and these would need to change.  Do I see this happening in the next 18 months to 2 years?  No.  That is what I am saying.  This is not a decision that can be made unilaterally by the cruise line, or really by any one nation.  I post the reality of life, not some wishful thinking.

 

But I don't get into personal attacks when someone does not agree with me.

Edited April 28, 2020 by chengkp75

[spookwife]

9 minutes ago, rolloman said:

From what I gather, he is a professional? internet message board poster who spends an inordinate amount of time on cruise critic fielding questions from any topic. I look to see him on Jeopardy one day in the champions episode. 

I do agree about the IT department at Royal not exactly being efficient. 

he is a professional.  a professional Mariner who has been in the  industry for decades.  in case you were unaware, CHENG stands for Chief Engineer and is  a widely used  title for  Maritime( civilian cargo, passenger and military) personnel who are in charge of the  ships mechanical operations.  in other words, he is an  practical expert with enough experience that he is widely regarded as  one of the few people on these boards who isn't talking out of their tuckus especially WRT SOLAS regulations( and of course the whole " can I leave my balcony door open all the time" debate.

 

as for EMuster.  welp.  let's face it.  when we access our cabins at 1300 hours, the TV is of course on to the relevant channel showing the  Power Point slides of the drill with all 1500 languages.  who can honestly, with no irony, say they sit down and watch it?!  none of us.  we all take a tour of our cabins, taking pictures to be later posted on CC.  we unpack.  we enjoy that  bottle of sparkling wine our TA so nicely provided in our cabin.  its background noise.  

 

do I think something could be/should be done to adjust Muster to comply with SOLAS while still being cognizant of the post COVID19 world?   of course.  I just don't have any realistic suggestions.

[BND]

24 minutes ago, rolloman said:

From what I gather, he is a professional? internet message board poster who spends an inordinate amount of time on cruise critic fielding questions from any topic. I look to see him on Jeopardy one day in the champions episode. 

I do agree about the IT department at Royal not exactly being efficient. 

He's a chief engineer on commercial sea vessels and has also worked on cruise ships.  I think he's pretty well versed in maritime law.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

since it does not meet the requirement that the muster be a "drill" or as "realistic as possible", I doubt the maritime safety experts would allow this.

The thing is, how "realistic" were muster drills before COVID19? What's the diff between someone walking down with just a few people and seeing the safety demo vs. being joined in the same exact info session by a few thousand? Is experiencing the mad dash for the elevator/stairs after the drill part of the "realistic" requirement? Is waiting for the late stragglers part of the "drill"? Is being squished in on the lifeboat deck (only on some ships) something that has to be experienced to satisfy the "drill"? I have a feeling the cruise line lawyers are already trying to figure out a way to satisfy SOLAS requirements but with alternative ways to accomplish them.