NCL Returns to Tradition Muster Drill, Will Royal Follow?

[chengkp75]

And for those who equate land emergencies with shipboard emergencies, let me give a little example.  When I worked cruise ships in Hawaii, at least once a month we would have firefighters from some local department come onboard the ship to learn about the ship and the challenges of shipboard firefighting.  They were always amazed at the organization required, the training required, and the complexity of fighting a fire in a contained "universe" (there is no escaping the ship, unless you want to risk the lifeboats).  Their training is to save lives first (get them out of the building), and then worry about the fire damaging the building.  Our training is that when a fire team finds a victim, they notify command, and continue on fighting the fire, as the "building" is our universe.  Command will send a medical team to get the victim.  If you risk the ship to save one individual, you risk losing the ship and losing thousands.

[nelblu]

On one of my cruises, I learned what the purpose of those looking like barrels are that are located by the lifeboats.  

 

Those are strictly for crews and other members, including performers and entertainers.  In an emergency those barrels open up into chute that leads to a life raft where crew members slide into.  I asked a crew member if they initiate any of them during a training session.  I was told not really, as once one opens/triggered it's very difficult to put them back and need replacements.  I forgot to ask him how they test to be sure that operate properly in an emergency.

 

Question that come to mind, do performers and entertainers go thru a safety drill and identify a location to meet in an emergency, as passengers.

 

Ps.  love to see this in action.

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by nelblu

[not-enough-cruising]

27 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

And for those who equate land emergencies with shipboard emergencies, let me give a little example.  When I worked cruise ships in Hawaii, at least once a month we would have firefighters from some local department come onboard the ship to learn about the ship and the challenges of shipboard firefighting.  They were always amazed at the organization required, the training required, and the complexity of fighting a fire in a contained "universe" (there is no escaping the ship, unless you want to risk the lifeboats).  Their training is to save lives first (get them out of the building), and then worry about the fire damaging the building.  Our training is that when a fire team finds a victim, they notify command, and continue on fighting the fire, as the "building" is our universe.  Command will send a medical team to get the victim.  If you risk the ship to save one individual, you risk losing the ship and losing thousands.

Fascinating,  the differential in thought processes

[smokeybandit]

I can see the headlines now...

 

"Dozens of NCL passengers contract covid from being forced to stand nuts to butt for 30 minutes for muster drill"

[schlimazel_traveler]

This has been a really informative discussion!! Much appreciated.

 

I didn't understand at all what the purpose was of going to stand in the photo studio for a tedious and uncomfortable period of time, as we did once on the Celebrity Summit for muster. My muster experience has primarily been on Vision class ships where we all squish into the outside deck by the life boats, so I didn't grasp that muster wasn't just about preparing to get in life boats, and I certainly didn't appreciate what tasks the crew were practicing other than doing the live vest demo.

 

Question -- could those drill tasks be accomplished after departing passengers leave and before arriving passengers embark, or is it important to have bodies to move out of the way as part of the drill?

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, nelblu said:

On one of my cruises, I learned what the purpose of those looking like barrels are that are located by the lifeboats.  

 

Those are strictly for crews and other members, including performers and entertainers.  In an emergency those barrels open up into chute that leads to a life raft where crew members slide into.  I asked a crew member if they initiate any of them during a training session.  I was told not really, as once one opens/triggered it's very difficult to put them back and need replacements.  I forgot to ask him how they test to be sure that operate properly in an emergency.

 

Question that come to mind, do performers and entertainers go thru a safety drill and identify a location to meet in an emergency, as passengers.

 

Ps.  love to see this in action.

 

Some of the life rafts (in the white barrels) are MES rafts (these fall as a cluster of 4-6, and deploy a chute to guide people into one raft, and are then distributed to the other rafts), or davit launched (much like the lifeboats, they are lowered on a crane arm to the boat deck, inflated, the crew enters, and then lowered to the water), where the davit handles multiple rafts.

 

It requires a license from a flag state authority to be able to repack a life raft into its container.  You also have to renew the CO2 cylinders that inflated it.  Every 12 months, the rafts have to go to an inspection company, where they are inflated, and all equipment checked and food and water renewed as necessary.  They are then repacked and sent back to the ship.  The ship will receive "loaner" rafts while theirs are ashore.  Due to the number of rafts on a cruise ship, this may take several weeks to inspect all of them.

 

The ship will have a "training" raft, that is already out of the barrel, and is used for training the crew in launching the rafts.  It will never be used for an emergency.

 

The status of performers and entertainers determines what they do in an emergency.  Production show entertainers and such, are treated as crew, but during the fire and boat drills, their assigned duty is "report to muster station and assist as directed".  Entertainers who have "guest status" follow what passengers do.

[nelblu]

Possibly for passengers, it should be done continuously in terminal before boarding.  Better control over the attendance of the entire Pax 🛳️population. 

[chengkp75]

8 minutes ago, schlimazel_traveler said:

Question -- could those drill tasks be accomplished after departing passengers leave and before arriving passengers embark, or is it important to have bodies to move out of the way as part of the drill?

While part of the training is the "herding of the cats", using the recalcitrant passengers, there is also the search function, which is done without passengers, so you need both.  Also, since the majority of crew assigned to passenger muster duties are housekeeping, you would either need to wait until the cabins are all serviced, or interrupt that servicing and delay when cabins are ready.

[nelblu]

5 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Some of the life rafts (in the white barrels) are MES rafts (these fall as a cluster of 4-6, and deploy a chute to guide people into one raft, and are then distributed to the other rafts), or davit launched (much like the lifeboats, they are lowered on a crane arm to the boat deck, inflated, the crew enters, and then lowered to the water), where the davit handles multiple rafts.

 

It requires a license from a flag state authority to be able to repack a life raft into its container.  You also have to renew the CO2 cylinders that inflated it.  Every 12 months, the rafts have to go to an inspection company, where they are inflated, and all equipment checked and food and water renewed as necessary.  They are then repacked and sent back to the ship.  The ship will receive "loaner" rafts while theirs are ashore.  Due to the number of rafts on a cruise ship, this may take several weeks to inspect all of them.

 

The ship will have a "training" raft, that is already out of the barrel, and is used for training the crew in launching the rafts.  It will never be used for an emergency.

 

The status of performers and entertainers determines what they do in an emergency.  Production show entertainers and such, are treated as crew, but during the fire and boat drills, their assigned duty is "report to muster station and assist as directed".  Entertainers who have "guest status" follow what passengers do.

Thanks for the insight.  

Edited January 24, 2023 by nelblu

[time4u2go]

11 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Possibly for passengers, it should be done continuously in terminal before boarding.  Better control over the attendance of the entire Pax 🛳️population. 

Are you suggesting the muster drill be done in the terminal?

[schlimazel_traveler]

8 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

... you would either need to wait until the cabins are all serviced, or interrupt that servicing and delay when cabins are ready.

What are they doing to practice that part currently? Nothing? I could probably wait a bit longer for my cabin to be ready for the sake of knowing the crew knew how to handle an emergency.

[nelblu]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

Are you suggesting the muster drill be done in the terminal?

Yes.

[chengkp75]

4 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Yes.

Well, that will surely show them where their muster station is.  For that matter, why not do it at home?

Edited January 24, 2023 by chengkp75

[time4u2go]

Just now, nelblu said:

Yes.

According to the chief's posts, one of the main purposes (if not THE main purpose) of the drill as it relates to passengers is having them know where their muster station is and how to get to it by actually going to it on the ship.  That would be impossible to do in the terminal.

[chengkp75]

2 minutes ago, schlimazel_traveler said:

What are they doing to practice that part currently? Nothing? I could probably wait a bit longer for my cabin to be ready for the sake of knowing the crew knew how to handle an emergency.

Right now, it is done more in simulation during the crew fire and boat drills, but the cabins cannot be searched (don't want to interrupt someone in the shower).  The crew are losing the ability to train realistically for the passenger muster with the new e-muster format.

[Mick B]

Hi,

 

This is a bit of of a tough one!

After covid struck and the muster was changed to the e-muster, I was over the moon as I could now board the ship at say noon, get the e-muster done with, get some lunch in the WJ, go to my room at 2pm and start unpacking (if cases where there) or change into swimwear (from carry on bag) and have a swim whilst the pool area was quiet etc.

 

The old way was to pack loads of people together, sometimes with big/tall people in front of you blocking the view of the demonstration, or people talking loudly around you blocking out the sound.

 

Some cruisers may be repeaters, so you would have a good idea of what is being said anyway, but not good for new cruisers who could hear or see a thing.

 

Would it not be possible or practical to have say the muster take place as you board the ship, right there as you step on board and before going inside, in say groups of 20 passengers at a time, who get the drill done there, but then have to go to their actual muster stations to be signed off by a crew member on the system. Then when they have been given say a card to confirm, then go inside and then start their holiday.

 

I thought the e-muster was the best way but some people didn't get it over and done with when boarding and calls were constantly put out all afternoon to guests who hadn't done it - Why???

 

Shame it couldn't be done in the terminal as you check in! Then go to your muster station on board to get ticked off the list.

 

I don't want it to go back to how it used to be, but it probably will at some point once all/most covid has gone.

 

Mick.

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Mick B

[time4u2go]

7 minutes ago, Mick B said:

Would it not be possible or practical to have say the muster take place as you board the ship, right there as you step on board and before going inside, in say groups of 20 passengers at a time, who get the drill done there, but then have to go to their actual muster stations to be signed off by a crew member on the system. Then when they have been given say a card to confirm, then go inside and then start their holiday.

As has been pointed out in numerous posts, the drill is for the crew as well as the passengers.  Your suggestion would not provide the crew with the opportunity to perform as realistic of a drill as possible, as was done previously.

[Canuker]

15 minutes ago, Mick B said:

The old way was to pack loads of people together...

Excellent practice, I'd say,  for what will come next in a real emergency.

[nelblu]

39 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Well, that will surely show them where their muster station is.  For that matter, why not do it at home?

2 step process.  See safety film and demonstrations, which is quite important.   Also, as part requirement to check in at the muster station.

 

By the way, every cruise that I have sailed there's always some muffled sound, announcing that x # of Paxs have not done muster and warn that sailing will be delayed until all are accounted for.  Has this ever happened, or the recalcitrant ones are punished later with wet noodles.🤣

Edited January 24, 2023 by nelblu

[aubreyc1988]

I wish the e-muster would stay. I understand that maybe it needs to be tweaked, as it was put into motion quickly due to Covid, but I refuse to believe that the only option is to go back to what we were doing before, instead of just improving the e-muster.

[BecciBoo]

Well, whatever is done for whatever reason, I'll be fine with it...but I love it now.  Getting it over and done on my time is lovely. We do it the minute we step on board.  Listen to the app drill as we wait in terminal. But of course, I will comply without grumbling if I'm asked to go back to it.

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

 

Plese refer to my post #26. I have no dog in this race. Why even worry about this when we will have to do whatever the cruise line mandates? It is a moot point to get worked-up about any changes that we will have NO control over except to not purchase the cruise fare.

 

😉

I'm not worried nor worked up....are you?  See pic upper left..........

Edited January 24, 2023 by BecciBoo

[notscb]

12 hours ago, mandyleighflies said:

1. Scan QR code located on the cabinet door where your life vests are located. Watch 1 minute video on use and to verify you have enough for each member of your cabin. 

2. Go to Muster station. Scan QR code with RCL rep. Watch 1 minute video of how you got here and what you bring here and when. 

3. Go to Life Boat station. Scan QR code with RCL rep. Watch 1 minute video of when you come here and what happens here. 

4. FINISHED. Now your card works at the bars and restaurant's and you are free to enjoy vacation.

 

I like that you've improved on the traditional mustering by mandating checks throughout the process and for people to visit the actual locations. I'm sure as a FA, you know there are better ways that airlines should do safety briefings and the routine way of doing it has become mundane, even though it's literally life or death if the practices ever need to be enacted.

 

As another poster pointed out, when people are called to muster it's supposed to be long before the actual emergency has risen to the level of risk of life. Of course, there are unplanned other emergencies that come up, but to have people more familiar with the process is really beneficial to everyone. Kudos to you for suggesting an actual improvement when most on this board would rather just do away with the entire thing.

[neverbeenhere]

Bring it back, I want to see who is on the cruise with us. Also who I need to outrun when the bear is chasing us. 

[vision14k]

As someone else said, if sh** was hitting the fan, nobody would be standing in perfect lines waiting to board a life boat.  They can’t even get everyone to show up for the drills, so what makes you think that it would be some organized process if something real were happening. Face it, if there is a serious emergency requiring a full ship evacuation, you better hope you have some ninja fighting skills and can take out some other passengers! 🙂