Muster drills to return to pre-Covid style

[BirdTravels]

12 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

No, but since the boats are no longer on the old "gravity" davits, where they were stored above the promenade deck, but on the "retractable" davit, so blocking part of the promenade deck, and the most recent trend to minimize the promenade deck (non-revenue generating space), I'm assuming they will be indoors.

On the Bliss, Joy, and Encore, the inboard lifeboats also allow the ships the transit the panama canal. 

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

On the Bliss, Joy, and Encore, the inboard lifeboats also allow the ships the transit the panama canal. 

Yet, if they had retained the old style gravity davits, the boats would have been even farther inboard than what they are now on these ships.  But, this would take out a full deck of balcony cabins, which is the prime reason they went to the retractable davits.

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Everyone who has sailed on the Prima has had to go to their muster stations in the virtual muster... Just not sit down. Like other big ships, it is in different venues. We had the theater deck 7 on one cruise. and theater deck 8 on another. 

I was asking the question about indoor or outdoor muster stations after postings that said that they will be returning to the old muster procedures. I guess the answer is indoors in a theater. I think having both having to view the video (possibly over and over) and having to do the old muster is a bit of an overkill.

[Turtles06]

5 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I was asking the question about indoor or outdoor muster stations after postings that said that they will be returning to the old muster procedures. I guess the answer is indoors in a theater. I think having both having to view the video (possibly over and over) and having to do the old muster is a bit of an overkill.

 

I have no issue per se with in-person muster drills, but I do have an issue with them when they turn out to be a total waste of time because people are talking over what is being said, and/or you can't even see or hear what is going on. 

 

In my experience, NCL has done a very poor job in these crowded venues, be it the theatre or an MDR, in keeping people quiet and making sure that what the NCL staff are saying and demonstrating can be seen and heard.  Also, because these indoor muster stations are so large, it takes a very long time before everyone arrives. 

 

And because of those negatives, right now at least, there does not seem to be a really good reason to create a crowded, mandatory, indoor event that could be a covid-spreader.  

[wolft927]

3 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I have no issue per se with in-person muster drills, but I do have an issue with them when they turn out to be a total waste of time because people are talking over what is being said, and/or you can't even see or hear what is going on. 

 

In my experience, NCL has done a very poor job in these crowded venues, be it the theatre or an MDR, in keeping people quiet and making sure that what the NCL staff are saying and demonstrating can be seen and heard.  Also, because these indoor muster stations are so large, it takes a very long time before everyone arrives. 

 

And because of those negatives, right now at least, there does not seem to be a really good reason to create a crowded, mandatory, indoor event that could be a covid-spreader.  

You say no good reason? Well believe the folks that were on the Costa Concordia would disagree. Also Covid Spreader? Its ok to be jammed together for dinner, shows, lounges for entertainment for hours on end, but 15 to 30 minutes to complete a mandatory safety briefing is where you draw the line regarding covid spreaders? I understand drills stink, but this is a mandatory drill that will never ever go away. I will deal with this and will never let it bother me one bit

[Turtles06]

45 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

You say no good reason?

 

Perhaps you might re-read what I posted.  NCL needs to make these drills meaningful by eliminating the noise and distractions and making sure the crew are seen and heard. 

[wolft927]

9 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Perhaps you might re-read what I posted.  NCL needs to make these drills meaningful by eliminating the noise and distractions and making sure the crew are seen and heard. 

The Noise and Distractions come form...you guessed it, passengers that refuse to be quiet and complain about being there. Instructions come over every single Speaker on on the ship. 

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

I have no issue per se with in-person muster drills, but I do have an issue with them when they turn out to be a total waste of time because people are talking over what is being said, and/or you can't even see or hear what is going on. 

 

I had that experience once on an NCL ship, when muster stations were inside. But what would stop me from cruising on a particular line is the old RCI style, where passengers were made to line up in military formation and stand silently that way for a long time before it even started, and dressed down Marine-style for using earbuds before the demonstration started.

[cruiseny4life]

20 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

I had that experience once on an NCL ship, when muster stations were inside. But what would stop me from cruising on a particular line is the old RCI style, where passengers were made to line up in military formation and stand silently that way for a long time before it even started, and dressed down Marine-style for using earbuds before the demonstration started.

Bet you heard what was said though! If I were crew, that would be my preferred way of doing the muster...since I'm a passenger, well...I'd probably have the same reaction as you. 

[wcook]

2 hours ago, wolft927 said:

Well believe the folks that were on the Costa Concordia would disagree

many of us believe the old style muster drill doesn’t do a better job than virtual drills. 

[cruisekitty22]

We are on the Escape in April.  Anyone know if the muster drill will be inside a theater perhaps or under the lifeboats outside standing for a long time?  I hope it's in a theater!

[wolft927]

Just now, cruisekitty22 said:

We are on the Escape in April.  Anyone know if the muster drill will be inside a theater perhaps or under the lifeboats outside standing for a long time?  I hope it's in a theater!

Almost all newer ships all muster stations are inside and not on the boat deck

[zqvol]

12 minutes ago, cruisekitty22 said:

We are on the Escape in April.  Anyone know if the muster drill will be inside a theater perhaps or under the lifeboats outside standing for a long time?  I hope it's in a theater!

It all depends on where your muster station is located. 

[PATRLR]

19 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

That will depend on the ship.  Sky and Sun have all their stations outside, I think the Dawn and Star have some outdoor and some indoor stations.

with these outside stations, are they still making people go to their rooms, get their life vests, put them on and then report to the station?

[chengkp75]

3 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

with these outside stations, are they still making people go to their rooms, get their life vests, put them on and then report to the station?

I don't know.

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

But what would stop me from cruising on a particular line is the old RCI style, where passengers were made to line up in military formation and stand silently that way for a long time before it even started, and dressed down Marine-style for using earbuds before the demonstration started.

That wasn't unique to RCI.  I experienced that on every cruise line until recently: Holland America, RCCL, Dolphin, Disney, and I think even NCL Dawn back in the 2015 time frame. 

[wolft927]

No getting life vests at all!

[cruiseny4life]

I guess I'm one of the crazy ones. I want the whole experience! Outside, apparently in military formation, with life vest on, being yelled at by crew to hush...ahhh, this sounds like Type 2 fun to me! 

[UPNYGuy]

19 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

No, but the whole muster drill crew, about 500 on the Sun, will participate, and only those passengers who embarked will go to their stations.  Interporting makes it difficult for the crew to sort out the participating pax from the non-participating ones.

MSC seems to do ok with this. Almost all the cruises they operate throughout Europe and the U.K seem to have multiple points of embarkation. Have they managed to figure this out?

[chengkp75]

3 minutes ago, UPNYGuy said:

MSC seems to do ok with this. Almost all the cruises they operate throughout Europe and the U.K seem to have multiple points of embarkation. Have they managed to figure this out?

All the lines that interport have "figured this out", but it does make it more difficult for the crew.

[TrumpyNor]

It could be worse - it could have been "returning to the old way of everyone gathering on the promenade deck outside, next to the lifeboats" instead of just returning to the meeting venues inside the ship, where you can actually sit down for the 15-20 minutes the muster drill takes.....

As far as I know, the only ships that will have their muster drills outside on the promenade deck, are the Sun and the Spirit. 

[TrumpyNor]

Sorry, duplicate post by mistake.

Edited January 24, 2023 by TrumpyNor

[chengkp75]

2 minutes ago, TrumpyNor said:

As far as I know, the only ships that will have their muster drills outside on the promenade deck, are the Sun and the Spirit.

Sky, as sister to the Sun would have outdoors (I know, I worked her), and I was on the Dawn and some of the stations were indoors but some were outdoors.

[v3cruiser]

If they are moved indoors that is better than being lined up military style, breast to back on promenade deck for a half hour right after getting on the ship from clearing health and safety standards. 

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, v3cruiser said:

If they are moved indoors that is better than being lined up military style, breast to back on promenade deck for a half hour right after getting on the ship from clearing health and safety standards. 

Ships that have outdoor muster stations will never move them indoors, since the SOLAS requirement is to have the muster station "as close as practicable" to the boats.  If there was room before to muster outdoors, there will always be room to muster outdoors, until the ship is scrapped.