Muster drill difficulties

[GE Mom]

Is there any way to avoid having to stand outside in the heat during muster drill? On our last (Carnival) cruise, we ended up having to stand outside for almost an hour and I nearly fainted and threw up. It's really difficult for me to stand for that long. I was crowded by much taller people and it was extremely unpleasant. I have no problem with doing the safety drill, but it lasted WAY too long and was full of trivial, non-safety related drivel. Can I get a chair to sit in? Is there any way to better endure this?

[LoveHAL]

HAL's drill normally only takes about 30 minutes.

[OVgirl]

You could talk to the medical staff if you have some medical issues that prevent you from standing out on deck for that length of time.

But the drills have never taken an hour when we have been on the ships.

Edited January 26, 2016 by OVgirl

[1884Vic]

Muster drills would take a lot less time if people would stop talking and just listen. I swear it's like being in high school again. At our last drill the woman in front of us complained for a solid 15 minutes about how long it was taking. Her number was called three times but she never answered because she was too busy complaining. It wasn't until another passenger told her to hush did she stop.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly there are only loungers out on the deck and they will not allow you to open them as that takes up too much space. It is very crowded at each life boat station.

The longest we have been outdoors with HAL's new 1-2-3 system is 35 minutes.

[Lizzie68]

If you are unable to stand due to a medical condition, you should talk to the front office. There is an alternative for those genuinely unable to stand for muster drill. Having said that, I have never experienced on that lasted longer than about 20 minutes.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Muster drills would take a lot less time if people would stop talking and just listen. I swear it's like being in high school again. At our last drill the woman in front of us complained for a solid 15 minutes about how long it was taking. Her number was called three times but she never answered because she was too busy complaining. It wasn't until another passenger told her to hush did she stop.

 

 

Another reason it takes longer than it used to is because of HAL's new 1-2-3 system.

You are told to go back to your cabin and wait for #3 set of alarms and then report to your life boat. I am one of those people who like quite a few others use a Rollator (others have scooters) and thus have to use an elevator. And only a couple of us can get into elevator at a time. Thus many of us arrive late to the drill.

[KirkNC]

If you stand in the back you might also find something to lean on. Plus in the back you will likely be out of the sun.

[RuthC]

I agree that the muster drills have never lasted as long as an hour, in my experience. The longest they have ever gone is 1/2 hour, but even that can be too long for some people.

No, you won't be able to bring a chair. There are a few stations with a built in bench by the bulkhead, but you can't count on there being one at your station. When there is one, they do fill up fast!

 

Here's a few other thoughts on the matter:

One time I was well past my standing tolerance, so I spoke with the person in charge of my station. He excused me from the rest of the drill. You can't count on being excused, though.

Depending on the ship, you should be able to attend a muster station inside. There has been one on every cruise that I've needed it, except one. It should be in the atrium area, on the same deck as the muster stations, and has plenty of seating. Check in with the nurse.

If you cannot attend an indoor muster, make arrangements at the Front Desk for wheelchair assistance. Someone will come to your cabin, push you to your muster station, then return to bring you back to your cabin.

 

Hope this helps.

[blueboro]

So HAL requires all to stand out on deck? I know many other lines have you go to one of the indoor public areas.

[RuthC]

So HAL requires all to stand out on deck? I know many other lines have you go to one of the indoor public areas.

For most of the HAL ships, there are no, or insufficient, public areas on the same deck as the lifeboats.

[dawei]

I recall an indoor muster on a Carnival ship. My impression was that there was not enough room for all the passengers out on the lifeboat deck, so we wound up being directed to seating in the show room.

[RuthC]

I recall an indoor muster on a Carnival ship. My impression was that there was not enough room for all the passengers out on the lifeboat deck, so we wound up being directed to seating in the show room.

Every HAL ship has room for everyone on the outside deck, under that person's lifeboat. People stand close together, but there's room.

[KirkNC]

So HAL requires all to stand out on deck? I know many other lines have you go to one of the indoor public areas.

 

I believe a drill is more effective if you have to actually go to your lifeboat. That means you will know where it is if you need to find it in the middle of the night. Meeting in the casino has always seemed some what useless to me. Just go back to the Costa sinking, the more real life a drill is the better chance people have in a real emergency.

 

Now having said all that, the drills should be all business and should be over in a reasonably short time.

[joepeka]

Above there were a couple of references to the 1-2-3 procedure for the muster drill. It appears that #3 is to go back to your cabin and wait for the alarm then return to your lifeboat station. What are #1 and #2?

[RuthC]

#1 There is an emergency. We are working on it. Stay where you are, and we will keep you advised.

#2 Return to your cabin and await further instructions. Prepare your medications, and personal papers in case of evacuation. Dress in warm clothes.

#3 Don your lifejacket and report to your muster station.

 

On my last cruise we got as far as Step one when there was a fire during dinner. The Captain kept us well advised.

Boy, the noise level in the dining room went right down!

[tamsno]

Koningsdam will need to have an entirely different plan as most of the outside promenade deck appears to be quite narrow, like Celebrity Solstice class, not the lovely wide deck space on all the other Dams.

[joepeka]

#1 There is an emergency. We are working on it. Stay where you are, and we will keep you advised.

#2 Return to your cabin and await further instructions. Prepare your medications, and personal papers in case of evacuation. Dress in warm clothes.

#3 Don your lifejacket and report to your muster station.

 

On my last cruise we got as far as Step one when there was a fire during dinner. The Captain kept us well advised.

Boy, the noise level in the dining room went right down!

So those steps are actually what occurs during the pre-departure drill?

[POA1]

So those steps are actually what occurs during the pre-departure drill?

There's no donning of the life jackets for the drill.

 

Other than that, yes. However, if someone has difficulties getting to the muster station or deck, there's nothing to stop them from leaving early. You don't really have to be in your cabin. You'll hear the announcements on the PA from any public area.

Edited January 26, 2016 by POA1

[sail7seas]

Koningsdam will need to have an entirely different plan as most of the outside promenade deck appears to be quite narrow, like Celebrity Solstice class, not the lovely wide deck space on all the other Dams.

 

Good point.

 

[Vict0riann]

We do follow what we are told to do, and proceed to our life boat station at #3 - we usually find we are almost the last people there. I prefer that, actually, don't like to be squished at the back of the crowd and have to wait for all the ones who are doing the right thing! We also go up to the person in charge of our station and give them our room number, saves having to be called.

 

The best thing is for the Captain to announce "Silence on Deck" - then they can get on with the drill!

[Lizzie68]

We do follow what we are told to do, and proceed to our life boat station at #3 - we usually find we are almost the last people there. I prefer that, actually, don't like to be squished at the back of the crowd and have to wait for all the ones who are doing the right thing! We also go up to the person in charge of our station and give them our room number, saves having to be called.

 

The best thing is for the Captain to announce "Silence on Deck" - then they can get on with the drill!

 

Absolutely! Captain Van Eerten literally silenced everyone when he boomed that out with utmost authority! Drill went by quite smoothly after that.:D

 

As my DH uses a wheelchair for muster drill, having difficulty standing for any length of time, we usually wait in the elevator lobby at our deck, and then proceed for the final stage down to the lifeboat station. We are assigned to the front, which can be a little warm in the sun. At the end, we hang back and wait until the crowd has cleared before heading back to our cabin.

[chengkp75]

Once onboard, go to the Front Desk, and ask for the Special Needs muster station. They will move your name there, and one other member of your party. It is indoors, with seating, and normally a nurse is assigned there as well.

 

The differences between indoor and outdoor muster stations is one that is determined at the design stage of the ship, and will not change during the life of the ship, unless some very large modifications are made, and some very expensive forensic studies are made.

 

Remember, the muster is not about the lifeboats. The muster is so that all passengers are collected from everywhere on the ship, and accounted for. In good practice, the muster should be called early (without doing it in minor emergencies), and should be done even when there is no consideration of launching boats. In a fire, this gets all the passengers out of the danger or adjacent areas, and when counted, the fire teams know whether they need to do searches or not.

 

As for the Concordia, the muster stations were at the boats. The main cause of loss of life was that the muster was not called until 1 hour after the ship started flooding, which is completely inexcusable.

[SeaBands]

I was on one and passed out even though I was leaning aginst the bulk head and was taken to the infirmary. That was several years ago and no problem since but on my last cruise a man in front of me fainted and had to be taken away in a wheel chair. I am sure that these are not the only occurances. By scanning cards at the muster station and directing you back to a meeting room or even your cabin to watch the tv about how it works would be much simpliar and safer especially for those with wheel chairs or scooters. Princess seems to make it easier.

[DaveOKC]

I was on one and passed out even though I was leaning aginst the bulk head and was taken to the infirmary. That was several years ago and no problem since but on my last cruise a man in front of me fainted and had to be taken away in a wheel chair. I am sure that these are not the only occurances. By scanning cards at the muster station and directing you back to a meeting room or even your cabin to watch the tv about how it works would be much simpliar and safer especially for those with wheel chairs or scooters. Princess seems to make it easier.

 

It seems to happen fairly often - someone fainting (or worse) during the muster drill, especially when it is a hot day.