Muster

[eddie11]

Does anyone have any brilliant ideas for improving the muster exercise, both in terms of conveying information and passenger comfort.

 

My recent experience on Ventura was poor.  The venue was overcrowded, with staff asking pax who had arrived in good time to give up seats to people who arrived late.  The sound system was not terribly good and it wasn’t really possible to hear the captain over the sound of pax who arrived late, people looking for seats etc.  And, as usual, the lift lobbies/stairs were mayhem once we were dismissed.

 

i was cross enough to mention this in the two-day-in “how’s your cruise going” flyer but received pretty much a fob-off - comments gratefully received/will be taken on board etc.

 

I genuinely think that if there had been an emergency many of the passengers on that cruise were not properly informed and would have been a danger to themselves and others.

 

So - what brilliant ideas?

 

Easy ones from me - more muster stations used, so everyone can sit quietly and listen

                                   - more clarity on timing.  Should we be at the station @ the expected time, or wait for the signal

                                   - staff assistance with lifts after, to ensure mobility-restricted passengers get away easily

 

Over to you ...

[AndyMichelle]

I think they should incorporate it into the great British sail away... 😊

 

Aurora seemed well(ish) organised with every venue used and well monitored by the crew, better than our other cruises. 

 

Andy 

[eddie11]

This was Ventura, half term week.  I think the size doesn’t help

 

However, we were on Azura or Ventura immediately after the Costa Concordia disaster.  Our muster station was Sindhu, everyone had a seat, with seats to spare, and it was the quietest, most attentive muster I’ve ever attended.  It can be done.

 

 

[ToxM]

Has it got easier now you don’t have to take life jackets with you? 

 

Worst muster I ever had to do was on Britannia, so I am guessing it is something to do with the size of the ship. 

[eddie11]

It’s a little better sans lifejackets.  People move more freely etc

 

I think you’re right about size.  
 

I’ve experienced worse on other lines btw.

 

It’s never going to be fun but I still think it could be tweaked to make it easier all round and give everyone a better start to their cruise

[Harry Peterson]

Much the same on Azura

58 minutes ago, eddie11 said:

Does anyone have any brilliant ideas for improving the muster exercise, both in terms of conveying information and passenger comfort.

 

My recent experience on Ventura was poor.  The venue was overcrowded, with staff asking pax who had arrived in good time to give up seats to people who arrived late.  The sound system was not terribly good and it wasn’t really possible to hear the captain over the sound of pax who arrived late, people looking for seats etc.  And, as usual, the lift lobbies/stairs were mayhem once we were dismissed.

Much the same on Azura and Ventura - somewhat chaotic, though I haven't yet experienced it without lifejackets.  Not sure that's really sensible, given how cackhanded some people (including me) are, but let's hope.....

 

Unimpressive organisation, and you do wonder just how well a real emergency would be handled.

[Selbourne]

I haven’t been on this site for a while, so can I ask when the policy changed that you don’t have to take life jackets to the muster drill and is this fleet wide? We still had to take our life jackets to the muster drill in the Spring on Aurora, but we are on our next cruise shortly and it will be very helpful not to have to take them. My wife is a wheelchair user and I end up having to leave my wife in order to return them to our cabin via the stairs (as I am able to use my legs) due to being unable to get a lift, in spite of the Captains request to give priority to disabled passengers!

[AndyMichelle]

4 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I haven’t been on this site for a while, so can I ask when the policy changed that you don’t have to take life jackets to the muster drill and is this fleet wide? We still had to take our life jackets to the muster drill in the Spring on Aurora, but we are on our next cruise shortly and it will be very helpful not to have to take them. My wife is a wheelchair user and I end up having to leave my wife in order to return them to our cabin via the stairs (as I am able to use my legs) due to being unable to get a lift, in spite of the Captains request to give priority to disabled passengers!

It's a recent thing that was trialled on Ventura I believe then fleet wide. 

I will find out for definite tomorrow... 

Did I mention I'm going on a cruise... 😊

Andy 

[Hols4]

Hols4

We didn't have to take our lifejacks to muster on Aurora last month.

[happy v]

We didn't have to take them on Oceana a few weeks ago. The drill was the quickest we have ever had. The crew demonstrated how to put on, and that was it. Great!

[john watson]

In terms of being moved to accommodate elderly infirm passengers or whatever.  I always recommend children particularly to sit on settee/sofa type seats and not individual arm chairs as on the former you can budge up to let an extra person in and go deep into the venue.  Arrive early to get a seat.

 

People with mobiles are a nuisance particularly if they treat it as a light-hearted affair lengthening the process.

 

Regards John

Edited November 9, 2019 by john watson

[Selbourne]

Thanks all. Hopefully the fact that passengers will no longer have to fetch their life jackets may now encourage people to turn up to the muster on time. I find that the most frustrating thing about muster drills is turning up on time, only to then have to wait for what seems like an eternity until the damned thing starts. Also, by the time I have returned the life jackets to our cabin and returned to my wife, the ship is often underway. Although the departure from Southampton is an anti-climax these days compared to the  days of brass bands and streamers, we still like to see the departure!

[john watson]

24 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

By the time I have returned the life jackets to our cabin and returned to my wife, the ship is often underway. 

 

Not taking life-jackets to the muster station helps enormously with avoiding overcrowding at the end because it should cut out one journey for each passenger.

 

Regards John

[jeanlyon]

Our recent muster on Aurora was without lifejackets.  The volume from the microphone on the stage was deafening and they repeat the same stuff over and over, rather than wait for everyone to arrive.  It's as though they have to perform all the time.  We got in the theatre early and were the first out, so that was a bonus.  Captains announcement was much quieter and people talked right through it.  totally useless.

[mercury7289]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I haven’t been on this site for a while, so can I ask when the policy changed that you don’t have to take life jackets to the muster drill and is this fleet wide? We still had to take our life jackets to the muster drill in the Spring on Aurora, but we are on our next cruise shortly and it will be very helpful not to have to take them. My wife is a wheelchair user and I end up having to leave my wife in order to return them to our cabin via the stairs (as I am able to use my legs) due to being unable to get a lift, in spite of the Captains request to give priority to disabled passengers!

Selbourne Hi

 

Arcadia to Canada in September no life jackets

 

[Thejuggler]

It is generally accepted that the Grand class ships are a very poor design from the passengers perspective

 

They have a very low level of public space (no crows nest bar compounds this issue) and they are difficult to get around.  Muster simply demonstrates this to be the case.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Thejuggler

[dgs1956]

The muster drill is a pain but has to be done. We always wait until we are called to go to the muster station and when we get there we find its full. We're not slow on our feet so the only explanation is that the majority of people have arrived well before the call goes out.

[Selbourne]

13 minutes ago, dgs1956 said:

The muster drill is a pain but has to be done. We always wait until we are called to go to the muster station and when we get there we find its full. We're not slow on our feet so the only explanation is that the majority of people have arrived well before the call goes out.

Yes, I think that is the cause of the delays that I referred to in my previous post. If we have been told in several announcements and in Horizon that the muster is at, say, 4.15pm, then we make sure that we are in our muster venue by 4.15pm. We don’t wait for the alarm to sound before we start to make our way there. Perhaps that also explains why passengers stroll in to shows up to ten minutes after they start as well ;)

[Eglesbrech]

If people turned up on time it could be over and done with in 15 minutes. I think that clarity about when to turn up would help with this.

 

I know it is required by law but I question how useful the muster drill, having been in a real evacuation it had no resemblance whatsoever to the drill! 

[AndyMichelle]

11 hours ago, john watson said:

 

Not taking life-jackets to the muster station helps enormously with avoiding overcrowding at the end because it should cut out one journey for each passenger.

 

Regards John

Shame though John, I look good in orange😊

Andy 

[terrierjohn]

29 minutes ago, dgs1956 said:

The muster drill is a pain but has to be done. We always wait until we are called to go to the muster station and when we get there we find its full. We're not slow on our feet so the only explanation is that the majority of people have arrived well before the call goes out.

With a wheelchair setting off well in advance is essential, otherwise we have no chance of not being very late arrivals.

[crompton21]

54 minutes ago, Thejuggler said:

It is generally accepted that the Grand class ships are a very poor design from the passengers perspective

 

They have a very low level of public space (no crows nest bar compounds this issue) and they are difficult to get around.  Muster simply demonstrates this to be the case.

is the crows nest used as a muster station? (on Aurora for example).  I have a perception that people are mustered somewhere closer to where lifeboats would be boarded and where in difficult situations the ships movement would be less.

[AndyMichelle]

43 minutes ago, crompton21 said:

is the crows nest used as a muster station? (on Aurora for example).  I have a perception that people are mustered somewhere closer to where lifeboats would be boarded and where in difficult situations the ships movement would be less.

Good question.

On our last 2 Aurora cruises, our muster station was the theatre and Andersons, both close to lifeboats. 

The theatre worked much better as everyone entering was encouraged to take the next seats in a row, leaving no gaps, then when leaving, first row in, first out etc

Andersons was a free for all... Absolute mayhem.. 

Andy 

[crompton21]

4 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Good question.

On our last 2 Aurora cruises, our muster station was the theatre and Andersons, both close to lifeboats. 

The theatre worked much better as everyone entering was encouraged to take the next seats in a row, leaving no gaps, then when leaving, first row in, first out etc

Andersons was a free for all... Absolute mayhem.. 

Andy 

 

I don't remember ever being mustered anywhere other than mid ships.

 

If that is the case, it probably is an unavoidable situation because all passengers are congregated over 2/3 decks, quite possibly because that is the safest (though uncomfortable) option in a real emergency.

 

Had the crows nest been a muster station on the Viking Sky, there would have been some nasty flying furniture and flying pianos to deal with, as well as the general chaos that was taking place.  Having said that, water did enter in to one of the muster stations midships....and people were evacuated from the top of the ship.

[daiB]

2 hours ago, crompton21 said:

is the crows nest used as a muster station? (on Aurora for example).  I have a perception that people are mustered somewhere closer to where lifeboats would be boarded and where in difficult situations the ships movement would be less.

No, all muster stations are on decks 6/7, or the equivalent. This is to be near the evacuation equipment.