question about muster?

[searoses]

hi- i have mobility problems and may not be able to stand for the muster by that time of the day-anyone been able to get around that? would they let me borrow a wheelchair and observe rather than line up? i remember being in tears last time and nearly passing out but too selfconscious to say anything. i know my husbabd would be relieved! thanks...

[daveco58]

hi- i have mobility problems and may not be able to stand for the muster by that time of the day-anyone been able to get around that? would they let me borrow a wheelchair and observe rather than line up? i remember being in tears last time and nearly passing out but too selfconscious to say anything. i know my husbabd would be relieved! thanks...

 

 

I don't know what line you are going on...some make muster easier than others, but when I cruise with my brother, who is a full time wheelchair user, I usually talk to the steward and get "excused" from drill. We just sit quietly in our cabin and listen to the announcements.

 

p.s. Dont tell the Coast Guard.....;)

[wrp96]

It depends on the cruiseline, but I know on RCCL that you can ask for a chair (regular not a wheelchair) at your muster station if you have issues standing. But the best thing to do is talk to your room steward in advance. Usually they will have special arrangements and/or areas for those with mobility or health problems.

 

 

Also, if you have mobility issues, especially ones that make standing hard, you may want to consider bringing a wheelchair from home or renting one for use throughout the cruise. There are other times, especially when getting on and off a ship, that you may encounter times where standing for long periods of time is necessary without access to a place to sit.

[searoses]

thanks for the quick info. i'll be on the summit which doesn't muster until after 10pm. i will ask the steward for assistance. i have cruised several times and find that most lines i can sit until my turn or at least move around which is easier than standing. being adhd doesn't help the situation!!:D

[Putterdude]

On Princess and Celebrity our experience is that the muster drills occur in lounges and everyone sits down.

[rfbdorf]

The muster drill is an important safety lesson, and you really should take part. True, the probabilities are low, but it could be a life or death matter. Requesting assistance seems reasonable. If, however, there were an emergency, would you be able to borrow a wheelchair for that? If it's needed, I'd suggest you bring along your own folding wheelchair; it might very well be useful on other occasions on your cruise (you can also use it to help haul your luggage to the ship). Or how about a rollator with a built-in seat? During the drill on the Oosterdam, they made room for us (DW is in a powerchair); next to us was a bench on which several elderly or inform people sat; the AB pax walked a bit further on past us.

- Richard

[etoile]

On Princess and Celebrity our experience is that the muster drills occur in lounges and everyone sits down.

 

I've been on Celebrity three times and the muster drills have always been outside at the lifeboats. I've never experienced a lounge muster drill on Celebrity. Especially on Summit, I distinctly recall that one being outside!

[cusyl]

I travel with a rollator, which is a rolling walker with a seat. When I get tired I can jut sit down. In a wheelchair you are dependent on someone to push you. With this mobility assist device you can be independent. I got mine from a medical supply store on Ebay for less than I could buy it locally. I selected one with the larger wheels for use in the ports.

[Arwenmark]

I second the idea to bring a WC from home if you have one or a rollator with seat. and be SURE you register with the Front desk and the Muster person at your station that you are a guest that would require assistance in an emergency. They have such guests noted and personnel assigned to help them. In the drills for instance I can use the elevator to get in my scooter or WC to the floor where the drill is held. In a real emergency I could not and would need assistance on the stairs to get where I needed to be.

[uppitycats]

hi- i have mobility problems and may not be able to stand for the muster by that time of the day-anyone been able to get around that? would they let me borrow a wheelchair and observe rather than line up? i remember being in tears last time and nearly passing out but too selfconscious to say anything. i know my husbabd would be relieved! thanks...

 

"Vanity, vanity, what price vanity??" (This line occurs in Shakespeare, somewhere, but seems appropriate here).

 

You really should get a rollator, or a wheelchair, for those times when you need to be standing for any length of time -- both for your own comfort and the comfort of your husband.

 

Muster drills are very important, and you do need to participate. Some of the cruise lines now are doing in them in lounges: when I was on NCL a couple of months ago, every muster station was indoors, and at a location where most everyone was sitting -- but on a Princess cruise a couple of years ago, they were indeed out on the deck, and there was a lot of standing.

 

If you tell the cruise line beforehand (like when you arrive on the ship and before the muster drill), they may well be able to accommodate you -- let you borrow a chair, or make sure that there is a seat available when you get to your muster location. But you have to acknowledge first that you need assistance before you'll get it!

[Mdlefthander]

I was just on the Celebrity Solstice last, and mustered in the large theatre. (but our lifeboat group was still in an area that had to stand- 5-7 minutes total-- info was shown on the theatre screen) But that being said my elderly mother and friend's step dad both have mobility issues and when we checked in , because we needed assistance they took names (they said for Coast Guard) so they were excused from muster, but cabin number and name were noted in event of an emergency.

[tngirl89]

My boyfriend and I were on a cruise in November on the Valor(Carnival). My bf is in a wheelchair full-time. They put all the people with mobility issues in the halls and had chairs for the ones that couldn't stand on their own very long who weren't in wheelchairs. All the others were outside next to the lifeboats. I know muster drill is necessary but there was no way I could remember by the second day where we were supposed to go and do in case of emergency.

[pjs9876]

Cruised Crown Princess last week with in laws in a wc and a scooter in HC room. Cabin steward informed us we could watch from room on tv. We watched with them and practiced putting them on. Cabin steward checked back to ask if we had any questions. AB do the drills in a lounge seated until asked to put on the vest. Lovely and short and cool! One of the many reasons I love Princess.:D

[JoKen1]

I think that many of us who have cruised before think this drill is useless but it isn't. If there was a real emergency you would be thrilled you went.

 

I would think that those in a wheelchair would be ones that really need to go so they could be more prepared.

 

Just get ready early. Put your jacket on and go to the meeting place a little early and wait. That way you won't have to rush and you will be there in time.

 

Yes it can be a pain but it could also be a life saver. I'm going to be taking my brother on a cruise and I know I want to learn how to make sure he is safe and how to take care of him BEFORE any emergency happens so we will be at the drill for sure. Even if we could be excused I wouldn't want to be.

[Mrwheels29]

I just got off the MSC orchestra and had the muster drill being fulltime in a wheelchair wasn't bad the hardest part was listening to all the complaints about my being allowed to use elevators when everyone else had to use stairs unless they physically couldn't do stairs with a walker or were elderly. I listened to one guy complain nobody was up on their deck to tell them where to go with someone in a wheelchair and it says don't use elevators so whomever it was missed the drill and with all his complaining the drill ended and he was even more ticked off that it lasted 10 minutes and he didn't hear anything because he was complaining. After he finished with the woman he asked 4 of us in chairs that were there how did we get down and all said in the elevator and he started yelling an what would you do if the elevators didn't work being a smart A** I yelled out "Help the ship is sinking will anyone help me get to the lifeboats" and 14 guys came over and said they would carry me down if needed 5 of which were crew. if worst came to worst I'd say forget the chair and climb down myself like a baby on my tush.

[Arwenmark]

I think that many of us who have cruised before think this drill is useless but it isn't. If there was a real emergency you would be thrilled you went.

 

I would think that those in a wheelchair would be ones that really need to go so they could be more prepared.

 

Just get ready early. Put your jacket on and go to the meeting place a little early and wait. That way you won't have to rush and you will be there in time.

 

Yes it can be a pain but it could also be a life saver. I'm going to be taking my brother on a cruise and I know I want to learn how to make sure he is safe and how to take care of him BEFORE any emergency happens so we will be at the drill for sure. Even if we could be excused I wouldn't want to be.

 

In response to your comment about thinking someone is a WC would really need to go. while I agree that it is important for everyone to attend and I always do, I usually go to whatever the deck is ahead of time and wait since It is SOMETIMES hard to get them to let you use the elevator even with WC even for the drill since you cannot for the actual emergency. That said, every time I have gone they take my name and cabin number and tell me in an emergency stay in my cabin and someone will come for me????? You really think so? Some particular crew member, could be anyone, deck hand, cleaning crew, entertainer, etc. will come to my cabin as the ship is sinking and assist me to the deck up or down stairs and too a life boat. How many of you see any problem with this scenario???

[uppitycats]

While I think they do indeed try to accommodate me ("someone will come for you") I'm also realistic enough to fully understand that, in the case of a true emergency, there will be a "triage" taking place -- and those most easily evacuated will come first. That wouldn't be me. That's life. Not pleasant, but a reality.

[JoKen1]

I would never stay in my cabin in hopes that someone would come to help me nor would I allow someone I know to do that. I do believe that most people would help if they saw a person in a WC not being able to get down or up the stairs. I believe that most people are good and would help others out. However, being locked away in a room would keep most people from even knowing you are there.

 

Going out to the hall and by the stairs would be the best way to get help. If I had to drag someone out of the WC and carry them down myself I would if it were a real emergency. I know that I would not be able to walk down the stairs knowing that someone unable to walk was left behind.

[uppitycats]

I would never stay in my cabin in hopes that someone would come to help me nor would I allow someone I know to do that. I do believe that most people would help if they saw a person in a WC not being able to get down or up the stairs. I believe that most people are good and would help others out. However, being locked away in a room would keep most people from even knowing you are there.

 

Going out to the hall and by the stairs would be the best way to get help. If I had to drag someone out of the WC and carry them down myself I would if it were a real emergency. I know that I would not be able to walk down the stairs knowing that someone unable to walk was left behind.

 

When 9/11 happened, there were several stories about people who either did just that -- drag someone down the stairs and out of the towers...or indeed, stayed behind with them...and perished together. :(

[Arwenmark]

Just to be clear, I was not saying that in an emergency that is what I would DO, only that, that is what the cruise line has TOLD me to do. As others say I would be out in the hall or whereever trying my darndest to get where I needed to go.

[nanatink]

I travel with a rollator, which is a rolling walker with a seat. When I get tired I can jut sit down. In a wheelchair you are dependent on someone to push you. With this mobility assist device you can be independent. I got mine from a medical supply store on Ebay for less than I could buy it locally. I selected one with the larger wheels for use in the ports.

 

Has anyone used one of these to go on shore excursions on a Mediterranean cruise?

[sandy toes]

In the Greek Isles' the streets are old and narrow. A family member used one with LARGE wheels that were made for rough terrain. I would suggest looking into that type of wheels if you are going to be anywhere that does not have smooth as glass side walks...wow, that sounds like my home town neighborhood! :D

[katisdale]

Yes, I have used my rollator in Europe both the Med area and in England and northern France. I tend to book private tours because I also walk slowly and hate not being able to keep up with the group. Also I have found that the big bus tours sponsored by the ships tend to park a great distance from the sites you wish to see and you have to walk where you want to go. On private tours you get much closer to the sites and no one has to wait on you. I have taken a few "easy" tours sponsored by the ship. These do have much less walking and you may want to look into these.

[robinsnestnc]

I don't know what line you are going on...some make muster easier than others, but when I cruise with my brother, who is a full time wheelchair user, I usually talk to the steward and get "excused" from drill. We just sit quietly in our cabin and listen to the announcements.

 

p.s. Dont tell the Coast Guard.....;)

At our first muster drill many years ago on RCCL, my DW and I attended the drill, with the bottle of champagne I had pre-arranged for our room. Our muster captain, cautioned us before the drill started in her very British accent, "We mustn't drink during the drill...can you GUZZLE? :)

[Lady_Jag]

Sorry, I didn't read all the previous replies, but I wanted to let you know I just got off the Carnival Glory this past weekend, and my mom can't stand for long periods of time either.

 

I had filled out the special needs form for her a few weeks prior, and for the muster drill, she and her cabin mate were escorted to the library, where they sat in comfy chairs and waited while the rest of us packed in on deck and stood and sweated for quite a while.

 

So yeah, at least on Carnival, if you let them know that standing for a long time period isn't doable for you, they will make special accommodations.