NCL dropping the e-muster??

[MarkusToe]

From my point of view, easy going.

All guest not signed in by time: drill not complete will be announced by name using PA system. (MSC is doing that)

Timeframe let's say 1 h.

Last announcement,  if not done....ok you don't like to cruise. Pax will be removed from ship 

[julig22]

2 hours ago, Cruising Lynne said:

The e-muster seemed to tie up some of the crew for a longer period of time than just doing it for everyone all at once. When we did the e-muster muster, we did it right away upon boarding. We reported to our muster station and got our cards swiped. I remember wondering how long crew would be standing around waiting for everyone else to get around to doing it. 

Been on 9 cruises post covid, each one was different. From a brief spiel/ demo to just a sign-in to nobody there when I was late boarding (NCL's fault, not mine!)

On the cruise where I wasn't checked in I went to guest services and they couldn't have cared less - never did get checked in. On my last cruise they kept calling names over the intercom.

[cruiseny4life]

12 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

I am sorry to read this, but, if true, I understand this. I think many complied with the emuster, but there were probably always more than a few that didn't check in, didn't watch the video, etc thereby forcing the crew to invest time trying to herd everyone in. I know on a recent cruise (not NCL) the cruise director had to make at least 10 announcements begging people to check in so we could depart. I think when they have the mass muster drill at a designated time, it is easier to force people to comply. The bars close, the buffet closes, the stewards can check staterooms, deck staff can tell anyone loitering around to go to their muster station etc.

Can one hide out in a restroom or does the crew have to check those for scofflaws as well?

[happytotravel]

Hi All,

Although edrills might be easier do you really think in an real emergency folks will know where their muster station is?    It might seem like a nuisance to have to go to a "real muster drill"  but you will be grateful if the real need arrives.  Also putting on your life preserver in real time is extremely helpful even if you have done it pre-pandemic.

All this takes very little time and you can then go on to enjoying the rest of your cruise afterwards.

happytotravel

[chengkp75]

23 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Can one hide out in a restroom or does the crew have to check those for scofflaws as well?

All cabins and public spaces (including restrooms) are "cleared" by designated crew during the muster.  Some of the things passengers don't see happening during the drill.

[phoenix1181]

I don't enjoy hanging out waiting for stragglers to show up for muster but, I really think it's a better way to do it.

 

As easy as the edrill was, I went looking for my muster station on my last cruise because I had no idea where it was!  I boarded & was told to go to deck whatever to check in to my muster station.  Did that then went to meet up with others in my group for lunch.  I'm sure I'm not the only that really wasn't paying attention to anything other than getting onboard & starting my vacation.

 

 

 

[Markanddonna]

We had the "watch the video" and then report with your cell phone to your muster area inside the ship on Nov 3, 2022 on the NCL Epic.

 

[RocketMan275]

49 minutes ago, happytotravel said:

Hi All,

Although edrills might be easier do you really think in an real emergency folks will know where their muster station is?    It might seem like a nuisance to have to go to a "real muster drill"  but you will be grateful if the real need arrives.  Also putting on your life preserver in real time is extremely helpful even if you have done it pre-pandemic.

If they have to find their Emuster station to check in, then they know where it is.

It's not just that a real muster station drill is a nuisance, it is useless.  You can't hear.  You can't see.  Why bother.  And, BTW, putting on a life jacket isn't all that helpful.  Consider also that standing shoulder to shoulder with a hundred other passengers is an invitation for disease as well as putting on the life perserver that has been handled by a dozen other passenger.

Quite frankly, returning to the old real muster drills is a power trip very much like the supervisors pushing for all their reports to be in the office so they can supervise them.

[DaisyGoldberg]

I hope at the very least they would stagger times for those who have to muster in the showrooms - 8 bazillion people in there AND then everybody leaves at the same time and block the elevators for the next half hour.  Hell, have a drawing and let people leave in smaller groups to speed things up! People would get into it if they made it a contest, and the room is already divided into subgroups. 

[Laszlo]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

If they have to find their Emuster station to check in, then they know where it is.

It's not just that a real muster station drill is a nuisance, it is useless.  You can't hear.  You can't see.  Why bother.  And, BTW, putting on a life jacket isn't all that helpful.  Consider also that standing shoulder to shoulder with a hundred other passengers is an invitation for disease as well as putting on the life perserver that has been handled by a dozen other passenger.

Quite frankly, returning to the old real muster drills is a power trip very much like the supervisors pushing for all their reports to be in the office so they can supervise them.

I wouldn't go that far but I agree the instructions given out at most of them are not great, it makes it worse when people are talking and you can't hear things.

 

However as a boat owner and one who is responsible for the people on my boat to know what to do, where life jackets and other things are located I take each muster drill pretty seriously. I know exactly where our life jackets are in the cabin, I know how the go on and fit and I know exactly where our station is located. I bet 80% of passengers on any given cruise are clueless about all three

[RocketMan275]

24 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I wouldn't go that far but I agree the instructions given out at most of them are not great, it makes it worse when people are talking and you can't hear things.

 

However as a boat owner and one who is responsible for the people on my boat to know what to do, where life jackets and other things are located I take each muster drill pretty seriously. I know exactly where our life jackets are in the cabin, I know how the go on and fit and I know exactly where our station is located. I bet 80% of passengers on any given cruise are clueless about all three

I bet that a regular muster does not cure their clulessness.

 

My beef with the standard muster drill isn't that safety isn't important, I seriously doubt that the standard drill does little, almost nothing, to correct that lack of knowledge.

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by RocketMan275

[graphicguy]

Did it before.  Will do it, again.  

 

Silly, but given the number of passengers who think the muster drill doesn't pertain to them and are incensed at the thought they have to participate, I don't see this going well.  Some people just remain clueless about how their cruise behavior negatively affects others on board.

 

Based on the number of people whose name was announced on my last few cruises who didn't check in at their muster station, as easy as that is, I would not want to be a Capt trying to collectively gather cruisers en masse to their stations

 

Curious, did some requirement change regarding the muster drill procedure?  I understand the COVID part of the equation, but haven't heard of anything changing that would require everyone to gather for the muster drill.

 

Last Spring I did a Royal Cruise.  I liked how they did it.  if you hadn't watched the safety video in your cabin and showed up at the muster station to get your key card scanned, your key card was blocked from buying drinks.  Seemed to work,  great.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by graphicguy

[newbe dave]

9 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I bet that a regular muster does not cure their clulessness.

 

My beef with the standard muster drill isn't that safety isn't important, I seriously doubt that the standard drill does little, almost nothing, to correct that lack of knowledge.

 

The muster drill does one other thing. It checks the box with whatever regulating authority that has power stating the drill was completed for all passengers for that cruise. My guess is that the requirement was relaxed during Covid and now has been reinstated (or NCL thinks it will be). Either way, having every passenger gather at their muster station at 3:45PM with all ship services stopped for a 4PM departure cruise makes sense as it fulfills a requirement for sailing. Nothing in the requirement states that any passenger has any knowledge at all. Educating the public is a futile attempt in most cases.

 

Muster drill is just like the safety presentation every flight attendant gives before every flight. You are not required to listen, just experience it. 

[scooter6139]

I can't recall if it was Princess or NCL, but both had an easy e-muster.  Watch video and then GO to the muster station to get your card/medallion scanned.  Easy peasy.  I think they turned off all purchasing (bar etc) until you completed e-muster.  

 

At least on Princess it was easy to track down guests with their medallions.

[di T]

17 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

If they are going to return to having the drill at the muster stations in the theatre and restaurants, etc., they need to make those drills meaningful.  They need to get everyone to STFU and pay attention. And they need to make sure that the crew who are doing the demonstrations can be seen and heard.  Otherwise, it's a waste of time. 

I really agree with what you are saying, so many times we have had the drill with rude people blaming away all the way through it! Not to mention the ones who rock up late. The emuster was because of the covid social distance thing, thought we would eventually go back to the old way.

[phillygwm]

1 hour ago, phoenix1181 said:

As easy as the edrill was, I went looking for my muster station on my last cruise because I had no idea where it was!  I boarded & was told to go to deck whatever to check in to my muster station.  Did that then went to meet up with others in my group for lunch.  I'm sure I'm not the only that really wasn't paying attention to anything other than getting onboard & starting my vacation.

If I've checked in at the muster station, it's safe to assume I'll know where it is.

 

Of course, if we hear the 7 short and one long horn blast, who knows how many people will be thinking clearly enough to get to the correct station anyway, regardless of what kind of muster drill we've had.

Edited November 23, 2022 by phillygwm

[chengkp75]

35 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

My beef with the standard muster drill isn't that safety isn't important, I seriously doubt that the standard drill does little, almost nothing, to correct that lack of knowledge.

As I've stated many times in the past regarding the new muster drill, what the old muster drill provides is "muscle memory" for the passengers.  Not only for where the muster station is, but also how to handle hundreds or thousands of people all moving (some reluctantly, some clueless) towards their muster station, just as it would be for a real emergency.  The mantra of "train as if your life depended on it" or "train the way you'd respond" holds true for cruise ship passengers just as much as for military and first responders.

 

Secondly, the drill allows the crew to learn how to deal with recalcitrant passengers (which would translate to frightened passengers during an emergency) en masse.  Crowd and crisis management is a skill best taught practically.  Further, the lack of a time when every passenger is in known locations removes the training of those crew who passengers never see during the muster drill, which is the searching, clearing, and marking of every cabin and public space, collapsing down from the upper decks towards the muster locations.  When could this be accomplished without the in person muster drill?

[RocketMan275]

33 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

As I've stated many times in the past regarding the new muster drill, what the old muster drill provides is "muscle memory" for the passengers.  Not only for where the muster station is, but also how to handle hundreds or thousands of people all moving (some reluctantly, some clueless) towards their muster station, just as it would be for a real emergency.  The mantra of "train as if your life depended on it" or "train the way you'd respond" holds true for cruise ship passengers just as much as for military and first responders.

 

Secondly, the drill allows the crew to learn how to deal with recalcitrant passengers (which would translate to frightened passengers during an emergency) en masse.  Crowd and crisis management is a skill best taught practically.  Further, the lack of a time when every passenger is in known locations removes the training of those crew who passengers never see during the muster drill, which is the searching, clearing, and marking of every cabin and public space, collapsing down from the upper decks towards the muster locations.  When could this be accomplished without the in person muster drill?

OK, then I expect some compensation for my assistance in crew training.  I rather doubt the old fashioned muster drill accomplished little in training the crew in dealing with crisis management.

 

My last old style muster was on Holland.  We were in place in front of a large blower which made hearing impossible.  We were in six rows which made seeing impossible.  Nothing accomplished but a waste of time.  Not only that but the crew routed everyone to the starboard side regardless of where the assigned station was.  We were supposed to travel down the side until we found a way to cross over to  the correct side.  There were doors which lead directly to the other side but they were closed even though they were to be open during a real emergency.

 

 

[greenie082756]

Well, if they are going to return to the old muster regime, that must mean that those little sheets of paper saying we were in good health will return as well. Gosh I hope not 😉

[JGmf]

Sigh.

 

Muscle-memory aside, in my opinion, the old way of showing up in the showroom, The Local, dining room, etc. for a loud mess of a time while waiting for others to show-up (and shut-up!) was a giant pain.

 

The new covid-universe way of visiting the station to scan your card and seeing the demonstration of the life jacket was a more efficient improvement in time and passenger satisfaction.

 

[ontheweb]

12 minutes ago, JGmf said:

Sigh.

 

Muscle-memory aside, in my opinion, the old way of showing up in the showroom, The Local, dining room, etc. for a loud mess of a time while waiting for others to show-up (and shut-up!) was a giant pain.

 

The new covid-universe way of visiting the station to scan your card and seeing the demonstration of the life jacket was a more efficient improvement in time and passenger satisfaction.

 

The muster drill is not supposed to be about passenger satisfaction. It is about training, even more for the crew than the passengers.

[chengkp75]

37 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

OK, then I expect some compensation for my assistance in crew training. 

Fair enough, if you're willing to compensate the crew for their many hours of unpaid training to save your life.

 

39 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

We were in place in front of a large blower which made hearing impossible.

There is really nothing to hear.  The "safety briefing" is merely to fill the time.  Your job is to "show up, shut up, and listen up"

 

40 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Not only that but the crew routed everyone to the starboard side regardless of where the assigned station was.  We were supposed to travel down the side until we found a way to cross over to  the correct side.  There were doors which lead directly to the other side but they were closed even though they were to be open during a real emergency.

And, I will confidently say that this was further crew training in directing passengers around a fire zone.  Something else that folks never take into consideration:  how do I get there if there is a fire between me and my muster station.

 

25 minutes ago, JGmf said:

The new covid-universe way of visiting the station to scan your card and seeing the demonstration of the life jacket was a more efficient improvement in time and passenger satisfaction.

And, fortunately, the maritime safety experts at the IMO don't care about "passenger satisfaction", and certainly less efficient in time required by crew.

[Laszlo]

53 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

OK, then I expect some compensation for my assistance in crew training.  I rather doubt the old fashioned muster drill accomplished little in training the crew in dealing with crisis management.

 

My last old style muster was on Holland.  We were in place in front of a large blower which made hearing impossible.  We were in six rows which made seeing impossible.  Nothing accomplished but a waste of time.  Not only that but the crew routed everyone to the starboard side regardless of where the assigned station was.  We were supposed to travel down the side until we found a way to cross over to  the correct side.  There were doors which lead directly to the other side but they were closed even though they were to be open during a real emergency.

 

53 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Sometimes life is a little uncomfortable....  

 

 

[RocketMan275]

21 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Fair enough, if you're willing to compensate the crew for their many hours of unpaid training to save your life.

 

There is really nothing to hear.  The "safety briefing" is merely to fill the time.  Your job is to "show up, shut up, and listen up"

 

And, I will confidently say that this was further crew training in directing passengers around a fire zone.  Something else that folks never take into consideration:  how do I get there if there is a fire between me and my muster station.

I've already compensated the crew through the cruise fare and the DSC.

Listen to what?  A very loud noisy blower?  If the safety briefing is merely a time filler (another word for a waste of time), then why have it?

 

Perhaps it was a fire zone.  I could buy that except one should always practice the way things should be.  This 'fire zone', if that was it, was confusing for the passengers.

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by RocketMan275

[RocketMan275]

11 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

 

 

Life may be uncomfortable but the old fashioned muster is unnecessary discomfort accomplishing nothing except for a safety bureaucrat to put a check mark in a box.  Makes him feel good while wasting my time.