Newbie question; Muster drill

I have just booked for Oceana in September, departing from Genoa. What time would the muster drill be as I was hoping to see some of the city. And how do you do the muster drill on P&O, is it everyone in lifejackets all lined up at the lifeboats or something else? :D

Something else. It will be announced at what time muster drill is and at that time the emergency signal will sound and you carry, not wear, your life jacket and go to your designated muster station as designated on the cabin door. You will then listen to an announcement by the Captain and will then don your life jackets when happy you take them off and carry them back to your cabin.

I have just booked for Oceana in September, departing from Genoa. What time would the muster drill be as I was hoping to see some of the city. And how do you do the muster drill on P&O, is it everyone in lifejackets all lined up at the lifeboats or something else? :D

I can only comment on the way Princess do things, as our forthcoming cruise will be our first with P&O.

I'm afraid I can't remember exactly when the muster drill was, but I'm fairly sure it was around an hour after sailing. You will find a card/letter in your cabin detailing where your muster drill will take place. If there is no card/letter then check the fire drill instructions on the back of your stateroom door. It will be in a public area (ie in a theatre, showbar or restaurant). People will tell you that your cruise card will be scanned at the drill to ensure attendance but we haven't had our cards scanned in our previous two cruises.

Do not put on your lifejacket until you are told to do so, do not blow the whistle and make sure that any straps do not drag on the floor creating a trip hazard.

Hope you have a lovely cruise :D

Whatever time muster is, you would need to be on board one hour at least before sailing time.

P&O do the muster as the ship is ready to sail, so they like everyone to be on board an hour before sailing.

As long as you're on board by the specified "all aboard" time, you won't need to adjust your schedule for the lifeboat drill. If it's early enough that you're still ashore, they'll do an extra one for you and other 'latecomers'.

On P&O, you don't (at least not unless they've changed since I was there) head for the lifeboats. You go to an inside muster point and listen to the captain, then put your lifejacket on, then take it off again and leave.

P&O do the muster as the ship is ready to sail, so they like everyone to be on board an hour before sailing.

Our muster was 5.30pm and we didn't sail until 10.30pm!!! :(

This weekend our muster was 4:15 and we sailed at 5:00. It's as ever one else has said your cruise card isn't scanned though on princess it is to ensure everyone attends

P&O always have the muster drill before you sail.

staff do check cabins to make sure people are not there and have taken their life jackets ( saw them doing this on Azura a couple of weeks ago).

Anyone who doesn't attend is a fool. Boring and repetitive they may be but an essential part of cruising.

Anyone who doesn't attend is a fool. Boring and repetitive they may be but an essential part of cruising.

I concur

I must admit I am a fool !! If I have sailed on the ship before which in most cases I have I tend not to attend the muster drill I check the muster station on the back of the Cabin door and bobs your uncle.

If its your 1st time on-board always do it.........or else

I have always been a naughty boy

I must admit I am a fool !! If I have sailed on the ship before which in most cases I have I tend not to attend the muster drill I check the muster station on the back of the Cabin door and bobs your uncle.

 

If its your 1st time on-board always do it.........or else

 

I have always been a naughty boy

I have to say I think that it very wrong to skip muster. You are making the assumption that things do not change. Over the 12 years I have been cruising a lot has changed as to the instructions for emergency drill. ON HAL they will disembark any passenger who does not attend, and rightly so IMO as they may endanger others.

Some cruise lines have a roll call of all passengers at their given muster station and they are inspected by senior staff before being dismissed. I would much rather have a strict code adhered to than the very lax and sloppy drills we've attended on some ships. In some venues the passengers were crammed in like sardines. Last cruise we could neither see or properly hear the crew member giving instructions! Not good. If there was an emergency I would want things to be far tighter than the approach at some drills would indicate.

Some cruise lines have a roll call of all passengers at their given muster station and they are inspected by senior staff before being dismissed.

That's what we had and I do believe that the passengers that did not attend ,had their cruise cards froze until they did report

preventing use of them in the bars and shops.

On the P&O Ventura our muster point was the Tammarind Club and as others have said we listened to the captain over the PA system,

then put your lifejacket on, then took it off again. One of the show girls asked if everyone had put them on OK and if not see her for help.

Apart from that we could leave .

Other venues around the ship held muster drills at the same time, about a hour before we sailed .

The only thing that remained the same whoever we have cruised with ,is the captains and the in-cabin safety video message is ...

It is a Mandatory requirement that all persons in your cabin must attend the Muster Drill .

Unless you had already attended a muster drill on that cruise.

I also thought it was now mandatory to attend the muster drill. People have been removed from ships for not attending (although I haven't heard that specifically about p&o). Certainly on some cruise lines they check your cabin card and tick you off a list.

I imagine the reason they did the muster drill at 5.30pm on a 10.30pm is sailing is because after this point people will be at dinner or in shows so would be a big interruption to the evening. Also children will start to be put to be bed by 6.30/7 so it means parents would be forced to keep them awake or not attend. Grumpy kids at the muster drill would be a bad idea [emoji6]

It is mandatory to attend muster drills and I really can't understand those who don't go. It's only a few minutes out of your cruise and it's for the benefit of everyone.

Our muster was 5.30pm and we didn't sail until 10.30pm!!! :(

Our muster was the same time - we thought it was because they needed to avoid the evening meals which start at 6 / 6.30pm ish. We were lucky and arrived by noon at the ship and had plenty of time to go into Venice on the water shuttle and back in time for the muster drill. Loved it as when we booked we didn't think we'd have the chance to see Venice properly at all.

It is mandatory to attend muster drills and I really can't understand those who don't go. It's only a few minutes out of your cruise and it's for the benefit of everyone.

I can understand why people don't want to go. It's because all you learn at lifeboat drill is that you haven't to sit on the rails, you haven't to throw anything over the side, and in an emergency (7 short, 1 long on the hooter) you go to the restaurant, theatre or lounge as appropriate. The reason I go is because I have to and it's much less hassle to go than to miss it; not because I expect to learn anything useful.

My mother has even less reason to go because she's deaf and can't hear a word. She also goes because it's easier than not going.

When I had the good fortune of being on a 10-week cruise, there were several drills as new people arrived on board. I did not take the opportunity of a refresher course; I only went the first time.

I can understand why people don't want to go. It's because all you learn at lifeboat drill is that you haven't to sit on the rails, you haven't to throw anything over the side, and in an emergency (7 short, 1 long on the hooter) you go to the restaurant, theatre or lounge as appropriate. The reason I go is because I have to and it's much less hassle to go than to miss it; not because I expect to learn anything useful.

 

My mother has even less reason to go because she's deaf and can't hear a word. She also goes because it's easier than not going.

 

When I had the good fortune of being on a 10-week cruise, there were several drills as new people arrived on board. I did not take the opportunity of a refresher course; I only went the first time.

I think that the lifeboat drills are vitally important. If nothing else it gives you an idea of where your will go and what routes you can take if the worst happens. Re your mother ---- don't you think it is probably more important for her to follow the route and know what to do as she won't be able to follow verbal instructions should there be an emergency?

It may seem like a waste of time, but if it only saves one life then it is worth the hassle.

Re the only things you learn re not throwing things over board and not sitting on the rails. I think they are pretty important ----- they can cause a fire or fatality. Why is that not really important? :confused:

I think that the lifeboat drills are vitally important. If nothing else it gives you an idea of where your will go and what routes you can take if the worst happens. Re your mother ---- don't you think it is probably more important for her to follow the route and know what to do as she won't be able to follow verbal instructions should there be an emergency?

 

It may seem like a waste of time, but if it only saves one life then it is worth the hassle.

 

Re the only things you learn re not throwing things over board and not sitting on the rails. I think they are pretty important ----- they can cause a fire or fatality. Why is that not really important? :confused:

Why is it not really important to be told not to sit on the rails? Because I'm not a half-wit, so I wouldn't do it; and because I have been told that several dozen times before. There are other, equally vital safety rules which are not mentioned - don't use a hair dryer in the shower, don't scratch your tonsils with a steak knife, don't see how long you can hold your breath under water while swimming on your own. I don't learn anything by having really obvious safety rules repeated again and again. I already have that message.

My mother knows how to find whichever of lounge/theatre/dining room we are using. All she has to learn is which one. That doesn't take half an hour. Besides, P&O's lifeboat drill is entirely tailored to the Concordia-like scenario when there is time to gather inside the ship and make a leisurely exit to the lifeboats if needed. It is no practice at all for sudden Estonia-like emergencies.

Why is it not really important to be told not to sit on the rails? Because I'm not a half-wit, so I wouldn't do it; and because I have been told that several dozen times before. There are other, equally vital safety rules which are not mentioned - don't use a hair dryer in the shower, don't scratch your tonsils with a steak knife, don't see how long you can hold your breath under water while swimming on your own. I don't learn anything by having really obvious safety rules repeated again and again. I already have that message.

 

My mother knows how to find whichever of lounge/theatre/dining room we are using. All she has to learn is which one. That doesn't take half an hour. Besides, P&O's lifeboat drill is entirely tailored to the Concordia-like scenario when there is time to gather inside the ship and make a leisurely exit to the lifeboats if needed. It is no practice at all for sudden Estonia-like emergencies.

I am pretty sure that I know the above issues as well but I am more than happy to be reminded - but then again I am one of those people who studies the safety cards and watches the emergency drill on an aeroplane before take off. No one really knows that they would do in an emergency but having had a recent reminder may help.

If it is the one thing that helps you to survive then why be so antagonistic about it??? It is there to help save your life --- as we said, if it saves one life then it is worth it ------ that one life could be yours.

I'm not opposed to lifeboat drill, and as you say it might save one life. I'm just pointing out why some people, me included, feel it adds nothing to their own safety.

Obviously there comes a point where the lifeboat drill has taught you all it can. Otherwise they'd have it every week, or every day. The only issue is at what point the lifeboat drill loses its usefulness; I think it's at an earlier stage than you. That's all it is.

P&O's lifeboat drill is entirely tailored to the Concordia-like scenario when there is time to gather inside the ship and make a leisurely exit to the lifeboats if needed. It is no practice at all for sudden Estonia-like emergencies.

If you read interviews from the people who survived Estonia, many did so because they ignored the instructions to go to muster stations, but got off the ship as fast as possible.

I find it odd that a cruise ship requires a mandatory lifeboat drill, but an overnight ferry crossing with people in cabins does not.

I'm not opposed to lifeboat drill, and as you say it might save one life. I'm just pointing out why some people, me included, feel it adds nothing to their own safety.

 

Obviously there comes a point where the lifeboat drill has taught you all it can. Otherwise they'd have it every week, or every day. The only issue is at what point the lifeboat drill loses its usefulness; I think it's at an earlier stage than you. That's all it is.

I suppose we are relatively new cruisers compared to many of you on CC. Having thought about your comments I can see what you mean and if I am honest I can imagine thinking "Here we go again" if we'd done loads of cruises with the same cruise line and heard the same message over and over. I can see what you mean and sort of understand your frustration ....

To be fair, having replied to your comments it got us thinking that when we did a Muster Drill recently we were not allowed to use our primary routes as on the cabin doors that would take us down the staff stair way. Instead we were sent down the main stairs with everyone else against the fire signs and our instructions which caused a bottle neck and huge congestion

Strangely, we used the staff stairways on Oceana in 2010.... it was so much quicker.

Has anyone any ideas why we don't do a muster drill re the signs and cabin routes anymore??

Has anyone any ideas why we don't do a muster drill re the signs and cabin routes anymore??

Because they legally have to tick the box, so they do no more than is absolutely required.