Safety Drill on Nieuw Amsterdam

[Djptcp]

HAL used to take attendance at the lifeboats - do they still do that? DH and I know we do not have to bring our life jackets to the drill. Does the drill occur at our lifeboat station? Or, do we meet somewhere first for the actual lecture and then proceed to our assigned lifeboats and finish the drill there?I find it difficult to stand for so long by the lifeboat, especially if I'm stuck in between lots of people and it's hot. On Carnival, we meet in a lounge or theatre first for the lecture and then go to our lifeboat - aren't standing so long then there.

[sail7seas]

HAL is very serious about Life Boat Drill though they now call it something else.

 

You MUST be present, on time, attendance is taken and we have witnessed and read of reports of people who did not attend being disembarked and not allowed to sail.

 

You are correct that HAL now says to not bring life jackets to the drill. You will report to life boat station, on deck, and that station number is written on your ID card, on the back of your cabin door and on the life jackets stored in your cabin.

Edited May 14, 2014 by sail7seas

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our Nieuw Amsterdam cruises in November and March/April, the entire process took only 15 minutes.

There was also an announcement for passengers not to report until the alarm sounded.

[doublebzz]

sail7seas is correct. The drill takes about 20 minutes and I know it can be grueling particularly if you have mobility problems or tend to be claustrophobic like myself. The only alternative I can suggest is to try to arrive late and hopefully get a spot in the front row which gives you some breathing room.

[johnmik1]

We took the transatlantic on NA on 4/6 and we had to report and check in.

[cbr663]

When we were on the NA in December the Muster Drill wasn't that bad. It is a very crowded event and I really like the idea noted above - arrive a little later so you are not standing around so long. Just make sure though that you do attend as anyone in non attendance is escorted off the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our Nieuw Amsterdam cruises, the drill was held at 3:45 in November for a 4 PM sailing. It was over at 4 -- in fact we ran out onto the verandah and just barely made the "wave" as the ship was already in the channel. There were several cabins that they kept calling over and over. Have no idea what happened to these people as we were underway when the drill ended.

In March/April, the drill was at 3:40 - 5 minutes early but it was the same scenario as I mentioned above.

Those lifeboat drills were the latest we ever had.

[Typhoon1]

Many cruise lines are now scanning your key card as a way of taking attendance. It speeds up the roll call and attendance taking.

 

HAL needs to utilize this method also.

[sail7seas]

When we were on the NA in December the Muster Drill wasn't that bad. It is a very crowded event and I really like the idea noted above - arrive a little later so you are not standing around so long. Just make sure though that you do attend as anyone in non attendance is escorted off the ship.

 

 

Please forgive me but I must comment.........

 

For those who think it is a good idea to arrive late and you can stand in front, please keep in mind you are keeping everyone else standing there while you purposely come late. You then plan to take the spot of someone who had been standing in front waiting for the late comers to arrive. I don't think it right they should be expected to step back for someone who did not come when instructed.

 

Sorry if this ruffles any feathers but we are all told to report at a given time and that is when we should be there. No one Wants to stand there any longer than necessary and coming late makes it necessary for literally hundreds and hundreds of people to wait for you.

 

Please do not do that.

Thank you.

 

Edited May 14, 2014 by sail7seas

[cbr663]

Actually Sail, no one has to wait for anyone who is late. It has been my experience that the Muster Drill will start on time. Attendance isn't taken until the drill commences and the drill starts when the Captain starts it.

 

The challenge is that many people arrive early, some people arrive for the stated time and others wait for the ship's horn to arrive. My comment to arrive a little late is so that a person who has trouble standing, and needs a simple accommodation, can minimize the length of time that they are expected to stand.

 

If you have to make room for someone, you have to do it whether they are early, on time or a little late. The passengers have to be there and everyone has to make room.

[Shmoo here]

We actually like being a little early. That way, being in the back of the group, we can lean against the bulkhead as the wait gets longer and longer. :rolleyes:

 

Our last Alaska cruise, the captain came on the PA and announced that everyone needed to SHUT UP!!!! Yes, there were many late arrivals to muster (drinks in hand) who felt the whole thing was just a big party. And he didn't start the drill until he was told everything was quiet. So that drill took a bit longer.

[sail7seas]

Actually Sail, no one has to wait for anyone who is late. It has been my experience that the Muster Drill will start on time. Attendance isn't taken until the drill commences and the drill starts when the Captain starts it.

 

The challenge is that many people arrive early, some people arrive for the stated time and others wait for the ship's horn to arrive. My comment to arrive a little late is so that a person who has trouble standing, and needs a simple accommodation, can minimize the length of time that they are expected to stand.

 

If you have to make room for someone, you have to do it whether they are early, on time or a little late. The passengers have to be there and everyone has to make room.

 

 

That has not been my experience. Apparently, yours has been different. On HAL ships?

We have stood and waited, waited and waited so many times for the stragglers. By no means do they begin until attendance taking has finished and it isn't finished until the stragglers manage to get their sorry selves to their lifeboat station. The crew person in charge or each station calls the cabin numbers again and again and we all stand and wait.

 

We have stood in the heat in the days we wore the life jackets and there is no way under that hot sun they started on time. I have never been to a life boat drill when there weren't some late comers.

That has been my experience.

 

Edited May 15, 2014 by sail7seas

[POA1]

That has not been my experience. Apparently, yours has been different. On HAL ships?

We have stood and waited, waited and waited so many times for the stragglers. By no means do they begin until attendance taking has finished and it isn't finished until the stragglers manage to get their sorry selves to their lifeboat station. The crew person in charge or each station calls the cabin numbers again and again and we all stand and wait.

 

We have stood in the heat in the days we wore the life jackets and there is no way under that hot sun they started on time. I have never been to a life boat drill when there weren't some late comers.

That has been my experience.

 

 

Ditto what she said. Really lucked out on the Noordam though. Everyone was on time.

[doublebzz]

Actually Sail, no one has to wait for anyone who is late. It has been my experience that the Muster Drill will start on time. Attendance isn't taken until the drill commences and the drill starts when the Captain starts it.

 

The challenge is that many people arrive early, some people arrive for the stated time and others wait for the ship's horn to arrive. My comment to arrive a little late is so that a person who has trouble standing, and needs a simple accommodation, can minimize the length of time that they are expected to stand.

 

If you have to make room for someone, you have to do it whether they are early, on time or a little late. The passengers have to be there and everyone has to make room.

 

This has been my experience as well. We don't anticipate the drill and wait until the alarm is sounded. By the time we get to the muster stations, it seems that 90% of the folks are already there.

[Crew News]

It is obvious that our experiences since the Concordia incident are different.

 

We have remained standing for nearly 30 additional minutes while the ship's crew rounded up those we were avoiding the drill. Nearly every muster drill has been delayed until every effort had been made to find those missing.

 

Many with prolonged standing issues suffer so a few can take their time making their way to the drill. Sad.

[KirkNC]

Our experience is similar to Sail's. The attendance part starts but the actual drill will not until everyone is present.

[ellieanne]

Our experience is similar to Sail's. The attendance part starts but the actual drill will not until everyone is present.

 

This has been my experience as well. My mother has difficulty standing for any length of time, and still manages to arrive on time, but then has to stand longer for the late-comers.

 

Original Poster, Please have consideration for others with similar situations and arrive on time. It really does make it much faster for everyone!

[3dashers]

If you have a minor with you they are often given a wrist band at this time also. The wrist band has their station on it and is important bc it will help the crew get the minor to the correct spot if needed.

 

We have yet to complete a muster drill without someone doing what we call the walk of shame while we wait.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Many cruise lines are now scanning your key card as a way of taking attendance. It speeds up the roll call and attendance taking.

 

HAL needs to utilize this method also.

 

 

I wish HAL would do this as well.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we were on the NA in December the Muster Drill wasn't that bad. It is a very crowded event and I really like the idea noted above - arrive a little later so you are not standing around so long. Just make sure though that you do attend as anyone in non attendance is escorted off the ship.

 

 

I don't know what time your lifeboat drill was on the Nieuw Amsterdam, but as I noted in a couple of posts here, ours started very close to sailing time and there was no way that anyone could have been escorted off the ship since the drills were not over by the time the ship was sailing.

[Djptcp]

I appreciate all of your responses. Even after 33 cruises, I'll never understand why people think they don't need to go to the safety drill. They are the ones running around without a clue if there is an emergency. Rules apply to others........people who come with drinks and/or keep talking when they are specifically told not to bring drinks and to be silent. That happened all the time on the many Carnival cruises we have taken.

 

Thanks again for the HAL refresher on the drill - haven't sailed on HAL since 2009 and so looking forward to it.

[sail7seas]

I wish HAL would do this as well.

 

 

I agree. Scanning ID cards seems a more efficient, faster system.

 

[POA1]

I agree. Scanning ID cards seems a more efficient, faster system.

 

 

Until someone forgets and leaves their card in the room because "the other person carries the keys because I have no pockets."

 

The problem with idiot proofing something is that as soon as you do, someone invents a better idiot. :D

[sail7seas]

I don't know what time your lifeboat drill was on the Nieuw Amsterdam, but as I noted in a couple of posts here, ours started very close to sailing time and there was no way that anyone could have been escorted off the ship since the drills were not over by the time the ship was sailing.

 

We were on a cruise when at least one couple (I think it may have been two couples) did not report for life boat drill. Their names and cabin numbers were called several times and that was the last we heard at that time.

 

The ship sailed and it was just about time for early seating dinner. The Captain made an annoucement for those people to report to a named location and if they were at dinner, he hoped they enjoyed it as it would be the only dinner they had that cruise as they would be disembarked in the morning.

 

As hard as it would have been for these people to make their way home if disembarked before the ship sailed, it got more expensive and perhaps even harder (if they did not have passports) to be disembarked in a non-U.S. port. :eek:

 

 

 

[/b]

[Typhoon1]

I wish HAL would do this as well.

 

It is amazingly efficient, Doing this leaves no doubt as to who attended.