Muster Drills Description Please of How it Works

[Lerin]

Cruise line is Celebrity on Summit. Thanks!

We did Celebrity with a 1 year old and he was not afraid. No one is, it's really not a big deal, or even that memorable. I think you are worried over nothing.

I can't remember if there was an alarm or not but our muster station was in the cigar lounge. Our family we went with (and who had a cabin down the hall) were mustered in the foyer right outside the cigar bar. We made faces at each other through the windows.

The time and location was listed in our cabin and possibly somewhere else.

The captain made an announcement right before and all the crew were standing in stairwells and halls directing everyone where to go.

We walked there with drinks in our hands.

Oh most large lines no longer require life jackets.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Lerin

[NMLady]

We did Celebrity with a 1 year old and he was not afraid. No one is, it's really not a big deal, or even that memorable. I think you are worried over nothing.

I can't remember if there was an alarm or not but our muster station was in the cigar lounge. Our family we went with (and who had a cabin down the hall) were mustered in the foyer right outside the cigar bar. We made faces at each other through the windows.

The time and location was listed in our cabin and possibly somewhere else.

The captain made an announcement right before and all the crew were standing in stairwells and halls directing everyone where to go.

We walked there with drinks in our hands.

Oh most large lines no longer require life jackets.

 

Many ships no longer allow any kind of drinks or food at the drills.

Ever since Costa Concordia tragedy the muster drill is taken much more seriously.

[SuitCaseBears]

Unless you convey your concerns to your 11 year olds, they will think it's a blast.

 

When I first read your post I thought 11 month olds - then it would be a chore for you and they might be upset by so many people all going in the same direction. But 11 year olds? It will be fun, exciting and your problem will be keeping them quiet.

 

Many lines don't require that you wear the life jackets to the drill any more - and some don't even have you bring them.

 

Other than sounding the alarm - which they announce OVER and OVER before it happens, and the fact that it takes longer than the safety info on a plane flight - it's no scarier than that.

[Cuizer2]

Here are some more recent muster drills ...

 

Allure of the Seas - Sept 2013 ...

 

 

Carnival Inspiration - September 2013 ...

 

 

Carnival Splendor - January 2013 ...

 

 

And of course the abandon ship drill - June 2011 ...

 

 

[elstyne]

My daughter is 11 now. Her first muster drill was wen she was 5. Make it fun. Meet new people. Bring your camera. As you can see it makes for a fun pictur

Ps. Make sure that you are at the correct station location and on time. The crew has to account dr everyone and there is a role call. When someone was jot at our mustar station they announced it over the ship intercom It was embarrassing for that family. Everyone was calling for them. The ship has to take a head count of everyone Just like they do in school. It is a fun time. Remember you are on a cruise ship. Have fun

[JustCruiseMe]

Our Muster was nothing memorable but they didn't check who we were to see if we were there which I thought was odd. It was on Carnival. I was hoping we were to wear our life jacket for some fun pictures but we didn't have to.

[EdmPair]

I find the muster drills fun and get what information I can from them. I also walk the deck from which the life boats are dispatched. (It is often called the Promenade Deck but that might not be universal.) If you are mechanical like me, you can see all kinds of things over time. I saw mechanic guys moving compressed gas cylinders and had to look up the name which was on them. (It was Europe and my guess was right it was nitrogen. I think the label said azote.) Since I had done some welding, I just thought this was an inert carrier gas but then noticed there were these green tanks at EVERY crane which sets out a lifeboat. I later found out the crane was called a divot but you do live to learn. It turns out they are powered by electricity but should that fail, the compressed gas can run the mechanics to deploy a life boat.

 

I also found out the barrels which house the life rafts can be deployed by kicking one from its mounts and the tied rope will inflate it and hold it next to the ship. There is a safety knife in the raft to cut the rope to get away from the ship. I know they are mostly for crew but if that is my last choice, I wanna know how it works.

 

As to the OP not saying which boat it is, I am sympathetic. The safety of your house when you go away is partly dependent on not saying all over the internet that you will be away any particular time. Giving the boat and which port it leaves from sometimes amounts to the same thing. I work in security as a locksmith and information is best carefully controlled. Of course, if you live in a high rise condo with on-site security 24/7 then you can speak more freely. These things are variable.

 

I have a cruise booked next year. I am lurking on the boards for info but am a long ways from saying when or where. After, you may not be able to get me to shut up.

 

M

[notentirelynormal]

As to the OP not saying which boat it is, I am sympathetic. The safety of your house when you go away is partly dependent on not saying all over the internet that you will be away any particular time. Giving the boat and which port it leaves from sometimes amounts to the same thing.

 

OMG.. you have GOT to be kidding. So if I tell you I'm going on a cruise in December on a certain ship you think that dishonest people can track me down from that and rob my house? Ummm, but wouldn't they have to actually know what city I live in? And my address? So, I'm going on a cruise in December on XX ship - so now that you know you can rob my house even though you haven't a clue where my house is?

[Lerin]

Many ships no longer allow any kind of drinks or food at the drills.

Ever since Costa Concordia tragedy the muster drill is taken much more seriously.

That's good to hear some lines have regulations. The last 2 cruises I took were both after Concordia and people had drinks and were not taking things too seriously.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I later found out the crane was called a divot but you do live to learn.

Davit, actually. A divot is what you make on a golf course (unless you're good).

[ducklite]

That's good to hear some lines have regulations. The last 2 cruises I took were both after Concordia and people had drinks and were not taking things too seriously.

 

We cruised out of Italy five months after the Concordia disaster. We were in a small ship, muster was held in the lounge. We had to bring our life vests, and there was some levity, and most of us had a drink in our hand, but believe me, everyone paid attention and took the drill very seriously. It was the first time ever that I heard people ask questions just to be sure they understood what they needed to do and where they needed to go should there be an emergency in board. We had only been in the ship for an hour or so prior to muster (shortly after boarding began) so the most anyone had consumed by then was a glass of wine or so--maybe that's the difference between that cruise and some of the "party boats" the sail the Bahamas and Caribbean where many people seem to have to goal of getting on and getting drunk.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

[creativecarriet]

Someone explain the abandon ship photos above!!

[notentirelynormal]

Someone explain the abandon ship photos above!!

 

One of the things people will tell you "in the unlikely event that ship sinks and there are no life boats... you should step into the water not dive". The people in the above pictures are on a yacht not a gigantic cruise ship. It was a joke.

[creativecarriet]

Oh haha!! Little slow here.

 

Carrie

[Cuizer2]

One of the things people will tell you "in the unlikely event that ship sinks and there are no life boats... you should step into the water not dive". The people in the above pictures are on a yacht not a gigantic cruise ship. It was a joke.

 

You are half right. It was a tour boat (Stingray City) not a yacht. However, it was a joke.

[notentirelynormal]

You are half right. It was a tour boat (Stingray City) not a yacht. However, it was a joke.

 

LOL... I just knew it was much smaller than jumping off a 16 story ship. It did look fun though.

[Cuizer2]

LOL... I just knew it was much smaller than jumping off a 16 story ship. It did look fun though.

 

The captain stopped on the way back and offered to let anyone who wanted to jump, jump. Several took him up on it.