How long SHOULD muster drill take?

[cruzincurt]

Funny how some will pay extra to get on the ship ahead of everyone and then gripe about the muster taking some time out of their vacation.

 

Having stood at muster once wearing a life jacket during a real ship emergency, it is well worth the time to understand the process. I want to know where my lifeboat is located rather than sitting in the casino or theater watching a video. So that if our singer/dancer/waiter turned lifeboat crew leaders aren't up to the task, I'll know where to go.

Edited May 12, 2014 by cruzincurt

[Sue Do-Over]

Never had them ask our cabin number on Carnival, or do more than count heads. However, there are tags inserted in the cabin door locks that indicate that the room was checked (usually they've been collected again before we get back). Personally, I prefer the drills where we are on the deck next to the lifeboats, as opposed to a lounge or dining room.

 

Think about it... they'd load those already on deck load first, get them clear, then swing other boats into place and inflate the smaller ones that you see stored in barrels on deck. Those waiting in dining rooms and lounges would be the LAST to go to the lifeboats, not the first. Maybe those with physical disabilities get held back, so as not to be trampled in the first mad rush?

 

I'd even like them to open the cover and railing/gate to show us how we'd actually board, and even to demonstrate how the cranks/davits work. What if your crew person was injured/burned/unable to get there? We'd rather (offer to) help than stand around staring.

 

The cabin TV reel could also show a video a lifeboat being loaded, and then fully loaded, so that pax would see how important it is to leave luggage behind and to wear decent shoes, a jacket, and to put your ID and meds in a pocket (not a bag/purse).

[Need-a-vacation]

Maybe it's a Texas thing because our muster on RCL in Galveston was awful. September and it was crazy muggy and not a breath of air. We were lined up about 10-12 deep and shoulder to shoulder. And it lasted freaking forever. They took attendance and were insistent that everyone stayed in their proper place in line for the entire time wearing their life vest. Then they had a crew member give some sort of speech that nobody could hear or understand. And everyone was so hot and tired and miserable that nobody even tried to really listen.

Obviously, I preferred the drills where we hung out in a lounge. One benefit is that we could actually hear and understand the instructions and weren't in danger of passing out.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[pattimelt]

double post

Edited May 12, 2014 by pattimelt

[pattimelt]

When I have been on a fantasy class ship, our normal muster station is the main showroom. It does NOT suck to have it there, because at least there is AC there- and once the speech is over, they take everyone up to the lifeboats to show us where they are for our station. Takes probably 20 minutes.

 

On the Miracle, we were actually on deck. I have problems with stairs, and standing for a long period, and we were stuck out there for about 45 minutes, and it was HOT and sweaty. I'm actually diabetic, too, and they wouldn't even allow me to keep my water bottle with me. I wonder what they would have done if I passed out??

 

I DID see something on the Miracle that I've never seen before, though. They must have had a new crew member, and they were teaching him how to lower a lifeboat. I sat out on my balcony and watched him (it was right outside my balcony!!) and I was VERY glad that he was practicing-- because if I was in that boat, I would have been puking for all I was worth!! It was jerky, and he made it swing side to side, and all I could think about was "if that boat was full of people, we would have LOST half of them overboard!"

[kona_wahine]

I'm a bit claustrophobic and having it out on the deck almost sent me into panic mode. We were along the wall shoulder to shoulder about 4 people deep. Just too close and too many people. I get anxiety just thinking about it. :eek:

[chengkp75]

Those who cannot use stairs well, or cannot stand long periods, or have a medical condition related to heat, can check with the front desk upon boarding, and get assigned to the special needs muster station. This is indoors, generally near the atrium, and will have additional crew assigned there, and many times a nurse as well.

 

Most ships take a cabin count at muster. If Carnival doesn't, that makes getting true accountability in an emergency more difficult. Yes, most ships will check cabins and public spaces for "hide outs". What most likely happened to the OP is that the muster station head count came up short, and they were waiting for others to show up. The stations dismissed earlier had reached their full head count.

 

Muster stations are linked to the cabin, but as above, there will be a special needs station.

 

At NCL, we always had one boat lowered to the rail, so that after drill was dismissed, anyone interested could come by and ask questions of the deck officer stationed there. If Carnival doesn't do this, I think it is a disservice to their guests, as many, many people were curious about conditions in the boats.

There are crew assigned as boat crew for each lifeboat, and other crew assigned to prep and lower the boats. The crew conducting the muster will generally also not be the crew of the boat. The deck crew assigned to prep and lower the boats will move from one to the next if needed, and the boats will most likely be lowered and ready by the time the muster is just getting underway. They are designed to be prepped quickly and are lowered by gravity. In extremis, there are international pictograms posted as to how to use the equipment.

 

The inflatable liferafts you see in the "barrels" are only for crew. Because they are generally intermingled with the boats, it requires all the lifeboats to be loaded, lowered, and away from the ship before the rafts can be deployed. The signal that passengers think means "abandon ship" is really the alarm for "general emergency", and just because you are being mustered does not mean you will automatically be boarding the boats. Once the Captain decides to disembark the passengers, and all are loaded and launched, he will then signal "abandon ship", and the crew will leave their emergency stations to muster on deck for boarding the liferafts.

 

From the time the alarm sounds, muster drill should take about 20-30 minutes, provided that everyone shows up.

[YB Nrml]

Never had them ask our cabin number on Carnival, or do more than count heads. However, there are tags inserted in the cabin door locks that indicate that the room was checked (usually they've been collected again before we get back). Personally, I prefer the drills where we are on the deck next to the lifeboats, as opposed to a lounge or dining room.

 

Think about it... they'd load those already on deck load first, get them clear, then swing other boats into place and inflate the smaller ones that you see stored in barrels on deck. Those waiting in dining rooms and lounges would be the LAST to go to the lifeboats, not the first. Maybe those with physical disabilities get held back, so as not to be trampled in the first mad rush?

 

I'd even like them to open the cover and railing/gate to show us how we'd actually board, and even to demonstrate how the cranks/davits work. What if your crew person was injured/burned/unable to get there? We'd rather (offer to) help than stand around staring.

 

The cabin TV reel could also show a video a lifeboat being loaded, and then fully loaded, so that pax would see how important it is to leave luggage behind and to wear decent shoes, a jacket, and to put your ID and meds in a pocket (not a bag/purse).

 

Good ideas!

[Redcat]

I have noticed on last couple of cruises some people are getting personel invites to muster over PA and others show up 10 minutes late giggling about it. I would love to see some of these people of the the ship and it shown on one of empty tv chanels on a loop for all to see.:mad:

[Scotch Mist]

When we were on the Breeze last September, muster drill over ran and the ship began moving! At that point everyone got up and walked out of the dining room. Who wants to miss sailaway!?

 

I have no issue with muster drill but what really annoys me is the amount of people that turn up late! I'm not talking 10 - 15 minutes.......I'm talking 30+minutes! This happened on our Splendor cruise in January (outside in sub zero temperatures). Numerous people turned up late, therefore holding up everyone! From arriving (on time) it took over an hour before we were all dismissed!

 

Freedom b2b Sept 2014

Splendor Jan 2014

Breeze Sept 2013

Imagination Sept 2013

Triumph Sept 2008

Pride Sept 2007

Miracle Sept 2006

[cruzincurt]

 

Once the Captain decides to disembark the passengers, and all are loaded and launched, he will then signal "abandon ship", and the crew will leave their emergency stations to muster on deck for boarding the liferafts.

Seems like on a couple of recent ship disasters, the Captain was the first off.:mad:

[Spincognito]

Longest one we encountered was several years ago (can't remember which ship), but it lasted close to an hour mainly due to the fact that there was a large group (500+) of Germans on board and every single announcement was repeated in German. While slightly annoying, I found amusment listening to that funky language. I remember eavesdropping on other German to German conversations on that cruise just for the same amusment factor...

[chengkp75]

Seems like on a couple of recent ship disasters, the Captain was the first off.:mad:

 

Just more fuel for my personal crusade for US flag cruise ships homeported out of US ports.

[beachbum53]

How long SHOULD muster drill take?

 

Well, obviously an hour would be stretching it.:eek::rolleyes: I think 20 minutes is reasonable. Instead of making those who show up on time wait until the stragglers show up, the late-comers should be made to report to a specific area, like down in the bottom of the ship where the garbage area is, and stay there until everyone else has gone through the drill. Then, there would be a seperate (but still mandatory) muster drill for the late-comers. Yeah, I know, Carnival would never actually do this, but there ought to be some way of punishing the guilty without making everyone else suffer.

[maldenmusic]

Lately ours have been lasting way too long-about 45 minutes. The biggest prob I see is that they wait and wait and don't start on time. I make an effort to be punctual but there are tons who don't and hold it up.

[Need-a-vacation]

I wonder if the heat issue is why some have started doing it inside? You don't need to have a medical problem to be at risk of heat exhaustion standing on deck in the tropical ports. Our embarkation in Galveston was a cluster and we had already been standing in the warehouse/terminal for a couple hours with inadequate cooling and limited access to water. We didn't have time to get anything to eat or drink and had barely cooled off before time for muster drill. We certainly weren't the last people to board and so I'm sure there were lots of people in the same situation. Possibly even some of the stragglers who were holding us up.

[mrstriceasnice]

Just off Sensation. Longest muster drill out of 17 cruises. It took about 30-40 minutes. They walked all the groups from the indoor lounges out to their lifeboats. Took forever!! :mad:

 

I am so dreading this part of my upcoming cruise and was wondering how it was handled on the Sensation. We are getting married on embarkation day and they usually do the wedding pictures after the muster drill. I need less heat and sweat for better make up staying power... Yikes!

[chengkp75]

I wonder if the heat issue is why some have started doing it inside? You don't need to have a medical problem to be at risk of heat exhaustion standing on deck in the tropical ports. Our embarkation in Galveston was a cluster and we had already been standing in the warehouse/terminal for a couple hours with inadequate cooling and limited access to water. We didn't have time to get anything to eat or drink and had barely cooled off before time for muster drill. We certainly weren't the last people to board and so I'm sure there were lots of people in the same situation. Possibly even some of the stragglers who were holding us up.

 

Most ships don't change muster stations after being built, because it requires a tremendous amount of paperwork to get the changes approved, and then all the onboard lists, as well as all the huge station bills posted in crew areas and the individual cabin station bills need to be renewed. Most that do the muster inside were designed that way, as I've said, due to limited space under the boats, but if they did change from outside to inside, it is most likely due to using videos of lifejacket donning, etc, rather than crew lectures.

[chengkp75]

I am so dreading this part of my upcoming cruise and was wondering how it was handled on the Sensation. We are getting married on embarkation day and they usually do the wedding pictures after the muster drill. I need less heat and sweat for better make up staying power... Yikes!

 

I would check with the Carnival wedding coordinator, but what I have seen in the past is that the wedding party (likely in gown and suits) would be at the special needs muster in the atrium.

[Krissica]

Lately ours have been lasting way too long-about 45 minutes. The biggest prob I see is that they wait and wait and don't start on time. I make an effort to be punctual but there are tons who don't and hold it up.

 

This is what happened on our last cruise. We were down there on time, but it did not start on time. It started about 20 minutes after the posted time and it was so frustrating.

[Carnival_Brides]

I would check with the Carnival wedding coordinator, but what I have seen in the past is that the wedding party (likely in gown and suits) would be at the special needs muster in the atrium.

 

Sometimes it depends on the ship. When we booked our wedding we were told to expect to be outside during muster (in January, in Baltimore) :eek:. Others have gotten lucky and just had to hang back enough to hear the announcements and see the muster station.

[GTO-Girl]

This is what happened on our last cruise. We were down there on time, but it did not start on time. It started about 20 minutes after the posted time and it was so frustrating.

 

If you are frustrated with Carnival because it started late you can thank some of your tardy fellow passengers for that. I agree with some of the other posters that it makes me angry to be where I am supposed to be and see the late comers come strolling in 20-30 min late and laughing about it.

 

On our last cruise they got boo'ed all the way down the deck......didn't make any difference but it did wipe some of the smiles off their faces and made us feel terrific.......:p

Edited May 12, 2014 by GTO-Girl

[crusinpsychRN]

On Legend in April they called out cabin numbers of those unaccounted. Staff at the drill when it was over whom I asked didn't know how they knew which cabins were no shows. We stood outside until every late comer showed...drinks in hand, smiling ear to ear. :mad:

[cruisin2ccu]

On the Liberty a couple of years back I had just bought a bucket of beers minutes before they announced muster. They told me that I couldn't take them to my muster station or take them back to my cabin, so I asked if I would be refunded for having to give up what I had just paid for. They put me in the special needs muster and allowed me to take them with me there...

[bunchesofun]

Pride muster wasn't very long at all. Valor was longer because of having to do all the announcements in English AND Spanish due to her sailing from Puerto Rico.