Rethinking Muster Drills

[Luckiestmanonearth]

To me the answer is simple.  
1) you make a muster drill 5 min video that people have to watch before they get to the cruise ship (cruise line can give an access code that they can use to verify people watched it).  You don’t watch it, you don’t get on the ship

2) when you get on the ship and before sailing, you need to go to your assigned muster station and scan your sail and sign card at a card reader at the station. 

3) the ship doesn’t sail until everyone scans their card at the muster station

 

Its that simple.  It just takes a little innovation to achieve the same means (People have sat through the safety briefing and know where to go in case of emergency)
 

Other ideas ?

[Essiesmom]

This has been suggested many times on these boards over the last three months.  The cruise lines don't make the rules for muster drills.  things aren't going to change.  EM

[ColeThornton]

If everyone is going to the muster station anyway, why would you change the way it's currently done?

[cruisemom42]

9 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

This has been suggested many times on these boards over the last three months.  The cruise lines don't make the rules for muster drills.  things aren't going to change.  EM

 

Actually I think one line (I forget whether it was Carnival or RCCL) have submitted plans for an "in-cabin" virtual muster drill. It was posted here on CC.  I'm not sure what came of it....

[Roz]

22 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

This has been suggested many times on these boards over the last three months.  The cruise lines don't make the rules for muster drills.  things aren't going to change.  EM

 

Does SOLAS say passengers have to be smashed together during the drill so that you're so hot you feel like you can't breathe and are sweaty?  That's what I object to, not the drill itself.

[spookwife]

5 minutes ago, Roz said:

 

Does SOLAS say passengers have to be smashed together during the drill so that you're so hot you feel like you can't breathe and are sweaty?  That's what I object to, not the drill itself.

Many muster stations are indoors now.  I have mustered in the MDR, the Casino, the theater and a lounge.  

[Roz]

Where are these indoor muster stations?  I've only had outdoor stations on HAL and Carnival.  The one indoor station was on Princess.  

[d9704011]

4 minutes ago, Roz said:

Where are these indoor muster stations?  I've only had outdoor stations on HAL and Carnival.  The one indoor station was on Princess.  

I’ve never been on HAL or Carnival but I can tell you that Celebrity has their muster drills inside.  At least the six ships I’ve been on.

Edited May 23, 2020 by d9704011

[Roz]

My last cruise on Carnival was Feb. 1, 2020, a hot day in San Diego, and the drill was outside.  Last cruise on HAL was April of 2019 in San Diego.  Outdoor muster drill.

[ed01106]

The muster drill is NOT the only time social distancing protocols are comprised.  If a muster drill can’t safely  be held in its current form, then it is too premature to begin cruising.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

To me the answer is simple.  
1) you make a muster drill 5 min video that people have to watch before they get to the cruise ship (cruise line can give an access code that they can use to verify people watched it).  You don’t watch it, you don’t get on the ship

2) when you get on the ship and before sailing, you need to go to your assigned muster station and scan your sail and sign card at a card reader at the station. 

3) the ship doesn’t sail until everyone scans their card at the muster station

 

Its that simple.  It just takes a little innovation to achieve the same means (People have sat through the safety briefing and know where to go in case of emergency)
 

Other ideas ?

Watch the video in your cabin .There should be a way for the crew members who do the drill to know that you watched it.

[LHT28]

People do not even listen when at the actual drill so  how many do you think will watch  it at home or in their cabin?

🙄

[clo]

When we sailed on Hurtigruten last year, we had videos in a couple of lounges with a staff member there. At the end they scanned our cards and, as mentioned above, if everyone didn't scan they called for them on the PA. But that's a Norwegian line and the ship only had 100 pax. 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Roz said:

Where are these indoor muster stations?  I've only had outdoor stations on HAL and Carnival.  The one indoor station was on Princess.  

On HAL, Koningsdam and N. Statendam muster inside now.

[mammajamma2013]

1 hour ago, Roz said:

Where are these indoor muster stations?  I've only had outdoor stations on HAL and Carnival.  The one indoor station was on Princess.  

Granted I've only sailed Carnival once, but that drill on the Vista was in one of the lounges. Maybe on select Carnival ships?

[calliopecruiser]

On my last cruise (Crystal), there were "required" videos in our cabin, and then gatherings at indoor muster stations where some of the information (like securing the flotation device) was repeated and demonstrated by crew members, and where passengers who hadn't been scanned in were called.  

 

I put "required" in quotes because you couldn't use the video screen unless you'd seen the video, but I don't think there was any verification as to whether or not you actually ran the video - you might have chosen not to watch, and also not to use the video system for anything else, either. 

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

To me the answer is simple.  
1) you make a muster drill 5 min video that people have to watch before they get to the cruise ship (cruise line can give an access code that they can use to verify people watched it).  You don’t watch it, you don’t get on the ship

2) when you get on the ship and before sailing, you need to go to your assigned muster station and scan your sail and sign card at a card reader at the station. 

3) the ship doesn’t sail until everyone scans their card at the muster station

 

Its that simple.  It just takes a little innovation to achieve the same means (People have sat through the safety briefing and know where to go in case of emergency)
 

Other ideas ?

 

How are you going to verify that the people actually watched the video as opposed to turning on the TV and just ignoring what is on?  

 

DON

[mammajamma2013]

15 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

How are you going to verify that the people actually watched the video as opposed to turning on the TV and just ignoring what is on?  

 

DON

That's actually been the recommendation from a few posters, let it run while you unpack (or eat lunch, or...) then it's out of the way.

[ed01106]

15 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

How are you going to verify that the people actually watched the video as opposed to turning on the TV and just ignoring what is on?  

 

DON

How do you verify people pay attention during the muster drill or airline safety briefing now?  You don’t.  At some point people need to take responsibility for themselves.

 

 

[calliopecruiser]

19 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

How are you going to verify that the people actually watched the video as opposed to turning on the TV and just ignoring what is on?

You can't......just like you can't verify someone doesn't ignore classes in school, a meeting at work, or even an airplane safety video   And you can't verify they don't ignore a muster drill done in person, either

[Aquahound]

Sorry, but if a muster drill needs to be changed in order to create social distancing, the cruise itself probably shouldn't be running at all.  Sacrificing safety in the name of safety doesn't seem to make much sense.  

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, calliopecruiser said:

On my last cruise (Crystal), there were "required" videos in our cabin, and then gatherings at indoor muster stations where some of the information (like securing the flotation device) was repeated and demonstrated by crew members, and where passengers who hadn't been scanned in were called.  

 

I put "required" in quotes because you couldn't use the video screen unless you'd seen the video, but I don't think there was any verification as to whether or not you actually ran the video - you might have chosen not to watch, and also not to use the video system for anything else, either. 

Was this new?

 We sailed in Dec   never saw the video in the cabin

No problem seeing other things on the TV screen

 

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

People do not even listen when at the actual drill so  how many do you think will watch  it at home or in their cabin?

🙄

There could be a written test afterward.

[calliopecruiser]

47 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

We sailed in Dec   never saw the video in the cabin

I can't say when it arrived; I boarded Serenity in mid-January.  I remember it distinctly because of the stiff acting out the parts about gathering clothes, eyeglasses, and medications before leaving the cabin. 

[Heidi13]

Watching films, etc are only acceptable as an added training aid, in addition to the Muster Drill. One of the key objectives of the Muster Drill is to condition people that on hearing the General Emergency Signal they go to their Muster Station.

 

I can only comment about the marine industry, but our drills were as realistic as possible, as it is proven that crew and pax will respond in a real emergency similar to how they drill. Hence the need for pax to hear the GES and go to a Muster Station, especially as in a real emergency the ship could be listing, with no lights except the Emergency Lights and IMO way-finding signage.

 

If physical distancing is an issue during the Muster Drill, then I can think of numerous other times it will also be an issue, so to ensure safety and regulatory compliance, cruises should not go.