What is the idea format for a muster drill on a typical cruise ship?

[Canuker]

Hint: chengkp75: your wisdom would be most welcome.

1. Open or enclosed deck?
2. Lower or higher decks?
3. With or without lifejacket?
4. Aptitude of crew in an emergency
5. Communication.
6......

 

 

[MCC retired]

Muster station will always be on the deck that loads the lifeboats.

Inside  without bringing the lifejackets is my preference .

80 + cruises and I never doubted the crew would be okay in an emergency.

Communications at times is too drawn out and excessive.

[donaldsc]

I do not care.  Only takes 30 minutes out of the first day of the cruise.  A big fuss about nothing in my opinion.

 

DON

[Philob]

How about passengers shutting up and listening to the instructions and watching the demos?

 

I was on NCL's Pride of Aloha the junior officer handling the muster drill called out two ladies talking in the back, "you in the blue t-shirt and you in the green mu-mu, front and center."   He made them do the life jacket demo.

Edited December 30, 2018 by Philob

[Elaine5715]

That the information given will be used by the passengers in case of a real emergency.  

[donaldsc]

3 hours ago, Philob said:

How about passengers shutting up and listening to the instructions and watching the demos?

 

I was on NCL's Pride of Aloha the junior officer handling the muster drill called out two ladies talking in the back, "you in the blue t-shirt and you in the green mu-mu, front and center."   He made them do the life jacket demo.

 

Did they get it right? 

 

DON

[Hlitner]

There are various reasons for how it is done on different ships.  For example, most of the HAL ships still have passengers muster at their outdoor lifeboat stations.  But a few of the newer ships have a much smaller promenade deck so they find it makes more sense to have it at inside lounges.  As to life jackets. over the years the cruise lines have had too many passenger injuries from tripping/fall injuries as the result of one or more passengers letting their life jacket straps drag.  Hence, many cruise lines now tell passengers to NOT bring life jackets.  A senior crew member told us another benefit was less wear and tear on the lifejackets since they just sit on a shelf or under the bed.  Our most recent muster drill was our first on MSC (Divina) and might have been the worst of the 100+ we have attended over the years.  Mustering was done at indoor lounges with life jackets.  But they did not even ask passengers to put on those life jackets....so why have folks bring them to the drill?  And there was a lot of talking, cell phone action, etc. during the drill. Nobody from the crew did anything to get folks to settle down...nor did any of the related shipwide announcements mention anything about no-talking.  It was near impossible to hear any of the instructions.  We have had similar experiences on some Celebrity drills were we were herded to areas that were out of sight of the instructional video.  Celebrity's answer to that issue is that the instructional video is also available on the cabin TVs.  While this might satisfy the letter of the regulation, we wonder how many folks later took the time to view the video in their cabin.  My bet would be on ZERO.

 

Hank

[bob brown]

Some ships now do not even place life jackets in individual cabins....they tell passenger's that the crew will supply them at muster station's if they are needed....

[cruisemom42]

As long as the crew is well trained and well drilled, and the muster plan meets with the regulations and requirements, I don't really care how it is carried out. 

 

From previous events and disasters, it seems to me that while muster plans are important, there is also a need on the part of officers and crew to assess the threats and respond quickly and to react to the situation as it actually presents itself, not necessarily according to a preordained plan. (This caused some of the issues on the Concordia).

 

Just out of curiosity, which lines no longer have life jackets in the cabins?  Not sure how I would feel about that....

[Philob]

4 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Did they get it right? 

 

DON

 

I recall they did it, but I at the end I overheard one of them complaining to the junior officer and that they will report this to the Captain.  The junior officer basically said to "go ahead."

Edited December 31, 2018 by Philob

[OCruisers]

How the Muster Drill is done totally depends on the cruise line/ship you are sailing.  

[bob brown]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Just out of curiosity, which lines no longer have life jackets in the cabins?  Not sure how I would feel about that....

I do not recall seeing any in the closet of my cabin on the NCL Breakaway last month...unless they were elsewhere that I didn't notice them...I think I remember them saying something or read that they would be provided by the crew at the muster stations if necessary.

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, Canuker said:

Hint: chengkp75: your wisdom would be most welcome.

1. Open or enclosed deck?
2. Lower or higher decks?
3. With or without lifejacket?
4. Aptitude of crew in an emergency
5. Communication.
6......

 

 

 

I'm not sure I'm completely following your question, but #4 would seem to trump everything else.  

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, Canuker said:

Hint: chengkp75: your wisdom would be most welcome.

1. Open or enclosed deck?
2. Lower or higher decks?
3. With or without lifejacket?
4. Aptitude of crew in an emergency
5. Communication.
6......

 

 

A very interesting question, as it is one of many questions I have used for officers being trained for command, while checking their knowledge of emergency procedures and ship construction standards. This is a highly complex subject, which could expand into many pages, so my response will be fairly brief.

 

Firstly, as a general rule, modern day human factors training indicates that in an emergency situation, we will perform how we performed during drills, training, etc. Having completed audits of many crew drill throughout a large fleet of passenger carrying vessels, I have first hand experience that this is factual.

 

# 1 - Should passengers muster on the open decks (Embarkation Station) or a muster lounge (Assembly Station). Both models are used by cruise lines, with those in favour of the Embarkation Stations saying they want to have an assigned Survival Craft and it is easier to board, when Captain issues the order to, "Abandon Ship". Both points are reasonably valid, but their are also significant negatives - mainly passengers out in the elements for possibly many hours.

 

On boarding a vessel, passengers are advised to disregard any bells, whistles, etc except for "At least 7 short + 1 long" (General Emergency Signal) at which time you should proceed to the point indicated on the cabin door. I note some ships may be different, but in 40 years on passenger ships, this is my experience. Prior to sounding the GES, the crew most likely will have been busy dealing with a situation, during which time the Captain is continuously monitoring the situation and determining the risk to passengers.

 

If the Assembly Stations are inside, as Captain, I will have no hesitation going to this stage, as passengers may be comfortable for many hours. The Assembly Stations are rated for the number of people they hold and have structural fire protection. Memory is hazy since 2006, but I believe passengers were mustered for up to 7 hours during the Star Princess fire.

 

Where muster is at the Evacuation Station, as Captain, while safety is # 1 concern, I would also have to consider passenger comfort. As a passenger, who would want to stand by a lifeboat on an open deck for 7 hours.

 

Human factors also suggest passengers will be calmer in a internal lounge, rather than standing on an open deck looking at Survival Craft. At Assembly Stations, you can easily be provided with instructions and provided activities, which are effective crowd control measures, not so easy on open deck. Some many voice concern that the route from Assembly Stations to Evacuation Stations might be blocked, while it is possible to have 1 or even more routes blocked, many options using crew spaces are available.

 

Summary - Assembly Stations in interior lounges are a vastly superior option.

 

# 2 - Survival Craft will generally be on a lower deck, therefore Assembly Stations should normally be on the same deck, or within one, or at most a couple of decks.

 

# 3 - With or without a lifejacket

Again human factors suggests that if we actually practice putting it on during a drill, we are more likely to don it correctly during an emergency. However, many additional factors are also considered during a risk analysis. Potential damage to the L/J's from repeated use, trips/falls due to straps, crush of people post drill, etc. During an emergency, many crew are assigned to passengers control and in many situations, passengers will be mustered for some time before an Abandon Ship order is issued. Therefore, from a risk perspective, it may be better to not bring L/J's to the Muster Drill.

 

Personally, I am in favour of not bringing L/J's, provided the crew do provide a live demo and provide an opportunity for any passenger who wants to try.

 

Viking Ocean have NO lifejackets in the cabin, as new SOLAS recommendations require Flag States to require a  percentage of L/J at Assembly/Evacuation Stations.

 

# 4 - Aptitude of Crew

That starts with the Captain, as he/she has the ability to set and maintain the required standards. Where officers/crew don't shape up, they are shipped out.

 

# 5 - Communications

Communications is a critical component of emergency management/crowd control. During an emergency we all want to hear the confident and reassuring voice of the Captain providing regular updates, but is this the best use of his/her time. The Captain is on the Bridge maintaining situational awareness, ensuring the vessel is both navigated safely and maintains acceptable stability, while issuing orders and monitoring reports from Department Heads and Team Leaders. Communications is a critical component of any emergency and I can assure you the number of radios/phones on the Bridge is incredible. Passenger communications are critical, as without them Alpha Males tend to assert authority and numerous rumours get started. However, the Captain is also dealing with external communications - company, local authorities, etc and internal communications - managing/coordinating the various departments and response teams.

 

Therefore, while timely passenger communications are critical, it may be delegated to a Junior Officer,at least until the situation stabalises.

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

A very interesting question, as it is one of many questions I have used for officers being trained for command, while checking their knowledge of emergency procedures and ship construction standards. This is a highly complex subject, which could expand into many pages, so my response will be fairly brief.

 

Firstly, as a general rule, modern day human factors training indicates that in an emergency situation, we will perform how we performed during drills, training, etc. Having completed audits of many crew drill throughout a large fleet of passenger carrying vessels, I have first hand experience that this is factual.

 

# 1 - Should passengers muster on the open decks (Embarkation Station) or a muster lounge (Assembly Station). Both models are used by cruise lines, with those in favour of the Embarkation Stations saying they want to have an assigned Survival Craft and it is easier to board, when Captain issues the order to, "Abandon Ship". Both points are reasonably valid, but their are also significant negatives - mainly passengers out in the elements for possibly many hours.

 

On boarding a vessel, passengers are advised to disregard any bells, whistles, etc except for "At least 7 short + 1 long" (General Emergency Signal) at which time you should proceed to the point indicated on the cabin door. I note some ships may be different, but in 40 years on passenger ships, this is my experience. Prior to sounding the GES, the crew most likely will have been busy dealing with a situation, during which time the Captain is continuously monitoring the situation and determining the risk to passengers.

 

If the Assembly Stations are inside, as Captain, I will have no hesitation going to this stage, as passengers may be comfortable for many hours. The Assembly Stations are rated for the number of people they hold and have structural fire protection. Memory is hazy since 2006, but I believe passengers were mustered for up to 7 hours during the Star Princess fire.

 

Where muster is at the Evacuation Station, as Captain, while safety is # 1 concern, I would also have to consider passenger comfort. As a passenger, who would want to stand by a lifeboat on an open deck for 7 hours.

 

Human factors also suggest passengers will be calmer in a internal lounge, rather than standing on an open deck looking at Survival Craft. At Assembly Stations, you can easily be provided with instructions and provided activities, which are effective crowd control measures, not so easy on open deck. Some many voice concern that the route from Assembly Stations to Evacuation Stations might be blocked, while it is possible to have 1 or even more routes blocked, many options using crew spaces are available.

 

Summary - Assembly Stations in interior lounges are a vastly superior option.

 

# 2 - Survival Craft will generally be on a lower deck, therefore Assembly Stations should normally be on the same deck, or within one, or at most a couple of decks.

 

# 3 - With or without a lifejacket

Again human factors suggests that if we actually practice putting it on during a drill, we are more likely to don it correctly during an emergency. However, many additional factors are also considered during a risk analysis. Potential damage to the L/J's from repeated use, trips/falls due to straps, crush of people post drill, etc. During an emergency, many crew are assigned to passengers control and in many situations, passengers will be mustered for some time before an Abandon Ship order is issued. Therefore, from a risk perspective, it may be better to not bring L/J's to the Muster Drill.

 

Personally, I am in favour of not bringing L/J's, provided the crew do provide a live demo and provide an opportunity for any passenger who wants to try.

 

Viking Ocean have NO lifejackets in the cabin, as new SOLAS recommendations require Flag States to require a  percentage of L/J at Assembly/Evacuation Stations.

 

# 4 - Aptitude of Crew

That starts with the Captain, as he/she has the ability to set and maintain the required standards. Where officers/crew don't shape up, they are shipped out.

 

# 5 - Communications

Communications is a critical component of emergency management/crowd control. During an emergency we all want to hear the confident and reassuring voice of the Captain providing regular updates, but is this the best use of his/her time. The Captain is on the Bridge maintaining situational awareness, ensuring the vessel is both navigated safely and maintains acceptable stability, while issuing orders and monitoring reports from Department Heads and Team Leaders. Communications is a critical component of any emergency and I can assure you the number of radios/phones on the Bridge is incredible. Passenger communications are critical, as without them Alpha Males tend to assert authority and numerous rumours get started. However, the Captain is also dealing with external communications - company, local authorities, etc and internal communications - managing/coordinating the various departments and response teams.

 

Therefore, while timely passenger communications are critical, it may be delegated to a Junior Officer,at least until the situation stabalises.

Thank you for a well thought out and comprehensive answer. 

[Ruxin]

If they really want people to pay attention, maybe they should turn it into a giant game with prizes.  I'm not trying to trivialize the importance of the muster drill - but rather respond to the question someone asked about how many people are actually paying attention.  Deliver all of the usual information, but end with some sort of game that involves questions related to the drill.  I just got off a cruise and all of the game show/trivia events were well attended.  Maybe you would see more people actually digesting the information instead of counting the minutes until they can get to the pool deck if there was a game involved.

[gooch47]

15 hours ago, bob brown said:

I do not recall seeing any in the closet of my cabin on the NCL Breakaway last month...unless they were elsewhere that I didn't notice them...I think I remember them saying something or read that they would be provided by the crew at the muster stations if necessary.

 

There was a tiny glow-in-the-dark sign on the wall next to the closet door in our balcony cabin that said, "Lifejackets are under the bed," or words to that effect.

[Capt_BJ]

As a former Master/Captain and career USCG officer a few points offered:

 

* I can tell A LOT about a cruise-line's operations by how they perform during the muster drill

 

* SOLAS has changed and now says life jax at the boats and not in the cabin are OK and I agree with this. Carrying to the drill probably caused many a twisted ankle! 

 

* When I first went on a cutter and we went to 'war training' a required drill was the abandon ship where we lined up by numbers etc etc.  When I retired we didn't do this anymore (at 'war' training).  Seems someone figured out that when the Captain (in our war scenario) says abandon ship there usually isn't enuf time to line up nor are all the line up spots 'undamaged'.  On the other hand we still DID the drill routinely and especially just b4 a patrol - to VERIFY THE MUSTER LISTS for the boats/rafts.  This is the MOST important thing that is being accomplished during the cruise 'muster drill' ..... VERIFY THE MUSTER LIST which will be used in an actual emergency to account for YOU!

 

* USCG inspects cruise ships that load pass' in the US and they must pass else no loading .... ship can sail, but they can't load people. There is not A plan or A way for the abandon ship / muster must happen.  The ship's plan is reviewed to ensure it is 'reasonable' and then a drill is observed to determine if the plan is being followed.  No right/wrong ..... but is there a viable plan and is the crew trained to execute the plan.

 

* in days of old the plan almost always said you line up folks at the boat loading station, which was typically on a promenade deck (open) where the lifeboat loading stations are.  Today there's WAY more folks on a ship per square foot of deck (and lifeboat)

a) if you muster inside on some ships while others are outside by their boats ..... see those raft canisters???? Yes, today's cruise ships ARE allowed to use rafts for passengers ...... not saying ALL .... but ....

b) When OASIS was being built it was determined that classic life boat size vs number of people on board meant the ship wasn't going to be LONG ENUF to carry the required number of classic lifeboats.  A NEW lifeboat system was proposed and approved by SOLAS.  To get approval a new LOADING SYSTEM was also required. That's what you see on the newest ships where ALL muster is held INSIDE: there are new special doors that go DIRECTLY to boat loading stations (one of the SOLAS 'rules' is the time it will take to load the boats) https://www.rina.org.uk/mega-lifeboat.html  p.s. these new boats carry 370 persons each and have 4 loading stations ..... if you get a chance peak inside one ..... 370 VERY PACKED people!!!

 

 

[Bookish Angel]

Capt_BJ, that was a very informative post. Thanks.

 

 

[donaldsc]

On 12/31/2018 at 7:21 AM, Ruxin said:

If they really want people to pay attention, maybe they should turn it into a giant game with prizes.  I'm not trying to trivialize the importance of the muster drill - but rather respond to the question someone asked about how many people are actually paying attention.  Deliver all of the usual information, but end with some sort of game that involves questions related to the drill.  I just got off a cruise and all of the game show/trivia events were well attended.  Maybe you would see more people actually digesting the information instead of counting the minutes until they can get to the pool deck if there was a game involved.

 

I assume that you are joking.  Muster drill is a serious matter.  You shouldn't make it a game.  A better idea would be to make everyone take a test after the drill is over and kick everyone who fails the test off the ship.

 

DON

[jagsfan]

When I began cruising in ‘84, I, with my friends, thought it was ok to ditch the muster drill. On one cruise, we actually sat in an aft bar and had a good time. The bar did not close. 

I’m amazed looking back that things were looser, at least on that one ship, and that we were such idiots. We weren’t young, either, so should have had more sense. 

If nothing else, the drill implants in our heads where our Assembly Station is, where our life jackets are, and how to put them on. 

An emergency is not the time to find these things out. 

I appreciate not having to stand packed on an open deck in the sun waiting for the captain to walk by checking us out. In our hot life jackets!

 

I’m all in favor of the way Muster Drills are handled now, and appreciate starting a voyage with some knowledge of what to do in an emergency. 

[spookwife]

On 12/30/2018 at 10:25 AM, Canuker said:

Hint: chengkp75: your wisdom would be most welcome.

1. Open or enclosed deck?
2. Lower or higher decks?
3. With or without lifejacket?
4. Aptitude of crew in an emergency
5. Communication.
6......

 

 

many variables.  your muster station is based on your cabin location and can be inside or out.  muster stations are typically all on the same deck( a middle deck such as 5 or 6)  however.  most lines have done away with  requiring you to bring/wear your Lifejacket .

 

the crew train ALL. THE. TIME.   many port calls if you are back on board the ship at the right time of day, the elevators will be out of service as they are conducting crew training.  

 

the in cabin speakers will be activated in case of emergency, and the lines I Sail regularly have done away with the 12 thousand inconsequential announcements.   you just get the Captain's nooner daily and any  announcements about weather or  major changes so it isn't necessary to turn the volume down any more.