My minor children have a different muster station!

[doctordi]

This is the first time that I will be sailing with my teenagers (3 teens 19, 17, 16) in a separate but adjacent cabin. Our boarding passes indicate that we have different muster stations. Anyone have experience with this? They are responsible, and experienced cruisers (all platinums) but I would prefer that we all go together. My PVP said it would be fine for them to go with me,  but.... I would like some reassurance from someone who has experienced this.

[cruisingguy007]

I have a similar situation with two cabins having one muster station and another having a different one. They are all side by side and at the end of a row. Very strange and doesn't really make much sense but I too have the same scenario and would like to know why this would be off by one digit.   

[Luckiestmanonearth]

I didn’t realize you would know your muster station on your boarding pass before you got on the ship.

[cruizinisthebest]

1 hour ago, cruisingguy007 said:

I have a similar situation with two cabins having one muster station and another having a different one. They are all side by side and at the end of a row. Very strange and doesn't really make much sense but I too have the same scenario and would like to know why this would be off by one digit.   

Because there has to be a dividing point somewhere. Every cabin is next to another one. Just like the same party in cabins next to each other can have different room stewards. They don't change the muster location based on who's sailing together. 

 

 

 

[teknoge3k]

I wouldn't think they would separate at least the 17 & 16 year old from the parents?I would think they could change it on the ship. I could be wrong. The 19 year old, absolutely can be somewhere else. That's an adult. 

[beachbum53]

8 hours ago, doctordi said:

This is the first time that I will be sailing with my teenagers (3 teens 19, 17, 16) in a separate but adjacent cabin. Our boarding passes indicate that we have different muster stations. Anyone have experience with this? They are responsible, and experienced cruisers (all platinums) but I would prefer that we all go together. My PVP said it would be fine for them to go with me,  but.... I would like some reassurance from someone who has experienced this.

 

Typically, there is a staff member at each muster station with a scanner that is used to scan each person's S&S card as they arrive. I'm not sure what happens if a person shows up at a muster station they're not assigned to. I'm guessing if you let the staff member know that the teenagers with you are your children, then I don't see why it would be a problem. 

[ontheweb]

6 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

 

Typically, there is a staff member at each muster station with a scanner that is used to scan each person's S&S card as they arrive. I'm not sure what happens if a person shows up at a muster station they're not assigned to. I'm guessing if you let the staff member know that the teenagers with you are your children, then I don't see why it would be a problem. 

That sounds reasonable, but I would ask on the ship rather than go by what sounds reasonable or the opinions on this board.

[Sam Ting]

I think the only time it matters would be for the drill.
 

In the event of an actual emergency my guess is that the evacuation would be anything but orderly. 

[2wheelin]

Once on the ship, if you ask to change, there will be no way for them to notify someone else that they need to be changed to accommodate you. Each cabin also has the correct information/directions inside. Attendance is checked at each station so I would assume you need to be at your correct station. You can’t go to a different station for drill planning to go to your correct one in an emergency.. That defeats the purpose of the drill.

Would you be OK with arriving at your muster station in a real emergency to find that the lifeboat was full because people brought their friends next door or their kids?

I hope there is a legitimate way for you to get it changed for kids but there is an adult in their room. Maybe ships are lax about that and have the extra space but switching around because your friends are at a different station—not so much.

[beachbum53]

50 minutes ago, Sam Ting said:

I think the only time it matters would be for the drill.
 

In the event of an actual emergency my guess is that the evacuation would be anything but orderly. 

That's a safe bet.  In an actual emergency, there'd be roughly 3,000 + in panic mode.

[stellarose]

when we did the pride two summers ago- my children 15 and 13 at time of sailing- were with us for the muster drill..

[ray98]

Must have happened to fall on the dividing line.

Edited December 5, 2019 by ray98

[Elaine5715]

48 minutes ago, stellarose said:

when we did the pride two summers ago- my children 15 and 13 at time of sailing- were with us for the muster drill..

It is stateroom that matters not traveling party

[Elaine5715]

12 hours ago, doctordi said:

This is the first time that I will be sailing with my teenagers (3 teens 19, 17, 16) in a separate but adjacent cabin. Our boarding passes indicate that we have different muster stations. Anyone have experience with this? They are responsible, and experienced cruisers (all platinums) but I would prefer that we all go together. My PVP said it would be fine for them to go with me,  but.... I would like some reassurance from someone who has experienced this.

What exactly does it say?

[chengkp75]

Best thing to do is to switch passengers in the booking, so that one adult is in each cabin, and therefore each adult will be with one or two kids at the different muster stations.  Once onboard, get extra keys so the adults can be together and the teens together, but use the original keys for muster.

[MCC retired]

16 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Best thing to do is to switch passengers in the booking, so that one adult is in each cabin, and therefore each adult will be with one or two kids at the different muster stations.  Once onboard, get extra keys so the adults can be together and the teens together, but use the original keys for muster.

 That sounds like a good solution .

Muster Station info is cabin #  dependent with unchangeable directions on door and life vests .

[VentureMan_2000]

Great opportunity to let the kids manage on their own.  I think teens aged 19, 17, and 16 can manage quite nicely.  

[Joe817]

1 hour ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Great opportunity to let the kids manage on their own.  I think teens aged 19, 17, and 16 can manage quite nicely.  

I agree. At that age they are responsible enough to manage through the drill on their own. 

[serene56]

I wonder if the muster stations are side by side. 

 

[Joseph2017China]

Here is the deal.  All the kids are older kids, and by this time in their lives, they have gone to dozens of fire drills at schools without a parent.  The "drill" is just a "drill" and is designed for everyone to know where they should go.  Now in the event of an actual emergency, you would want to make sure they are safe, but the real question is, will they make sure you are safe also, or are they the first on the boat.  So, all you need to do, is let them know that in the event of an actual emergency, you want them to show up their muster station, and than you can make sure they get on their assigned boat.  Than you can panic, run to your boat, and hope it did not leave w/o you.  That's the reality of an emergency.  People get off the ship, as quickly as possible.  You may not even be near them in that event, and the only place to find them would be at the muster point.  So communicate, tell them what to do, and find them at the boats.

[cruisingguy007]

1 hour ago, serene56 said:

I wonder if the muster stations are side by side. 

 

Mine says A4 and A5 so I'd assume so but you know what they say about assumptions. 

[Joe817]

43 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Here is the deal.  All the kids are older kids, and by this time in their lives, they have gone to dozens of fire drills at schools without a parent.  The "drill" is just a "drill" and is designed for everyone to know where they should go.  Now in the event of an actual emergency, you would want to make sure they are safe, but the real question is, will they make sure you are safe also, or are they the first on the boat.  So, all you need to do, is let them know that in the event of an actual emergency, you want them to show up their muster station, and than you can make sure they get on their assigned boat.  Than you can panic, run to your boat, and hope it did not leave w/o you.  That's the reality of an emergency.  People get off the ship, as quickly as possible.  You may not even be near them in that event, and the only place to find them would be at the muster point.  So communicate, tell them what to do, and find them at the boats.

Bravo Joseph. Well put. Thank you.

[jsglow]

Let me actually try to answer the question as this came up once before.  You can ASK at guest services to see if their Muster Station can be changed.  Staff MAY be able to accommodate you but ONLY if the passenger allotment is below the threshold in that particular muster station.  (Think one lifeboat seat per pax.  It's more complicated but you understand.)  IF they can make the change they might.  If they can't, they most certainly will not.  Your alternative is to do what chengkg suggested and place one adult in each room trading keys unofficially..

 

And no, in an actual emergency you will NOT be going wherever you want without regard to your assignment as suggested by some on this thread. 

[chengkp75]

People.  The passenger muster is not about the boats.  Far more times have the passengers been sent to muster stations in an emergency, and never gotten a whiff of the boats, then have they actually boarded the boats.  The passenger muster is all about accountability, so the crew knows where every single passenger is.  Showing up at the wrong muster station will result in the crew there telling you to go to your correct station, but they may not report that they have a couple of extras, and who those are.  However, the muster leader at your correct station will report that you are missing, and crew assets that need to do other duties will have to be dispatched to search for you.

[AmazedByCruising]

56 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

 The passenger muster is not about the boats.

 

This site needs a FAQ. Or actually, we need a book to answer everything for both new and experienced cruises, from musters to salty pools, from PVSA to broken toilets, from stabilizers to pilots. The perfect gift to hint that the family is going on a cruise. The perfect gift for all those people who enjoy and actually pay for visiting a kitchen. The book I'd buy myself in a heartbeat.

 

I'm looking at you Chenkp75. Get a ghost writer, all he has to do is to summarize your posts, but there are probably juicy stories to add, and publish the book that many are waiting for. Just the "..., also known as Chenkp75 on CruiseCritic" is probably enough reason for thousands to buy the book.