Muster Drill

[John Cruise]

Just watch the new 3D Titanic movie for a look at

reality.

[flossie009]

On 2/14/2023 at 1:30 PM, flossie009 said:

Joining Explorer yesterday, we were pleased to see in the daily Passages:

Approx 5pm - Compulsory guest safety briefing via ships PA system.

We thought this meant that we could stay in our suite for the briefing ………. but no, in the event we were all herded to our muster stations. Ours was in the balcony of the theatre so, being Explorer, we could not see anything.

Thus we simply had a briefing over the PA, but in a crowded, non socially distanced environment.

 

We still had to watch the safety video during on-line check-in, twice more the week before the cruise and then the longer version in our suite after boarding.

 

So we now seem to have the the e-muster in addition to the traditional muster. 

Not sure that this enhances the health, safety or wellbeing of guests or crew.

 

 

 

So today is the start of a new segment on Explorer with a changeover of about 50% of guests.

For this segment there was no requirement to all attend the muster station at the same time - simply a safety briefing over the PA …………… and we had to run the safety video again to “unlock” the TV.

 

Not sure whether this signals the (sensible) return to the e-muster 🙂

Maybe others can post their experiences on other Regent ships.

 

 

[Kwaj girl]

2 hours ago, flossie009 said:

So today is the start of a new segment on Explorer with a changeover of about 50% of guests.

For this segment there was no requirement to all attend the muster station at the same time - simply a safety briefing over the PA …………… and we had to run the safety video again to “unlock” the TV.

 

Not sure whether this signals the (sensible) return to the e-muster 🙂

Maybe others can post their experiences on other Regent ships.

 

 

How would that be "sensible?"  

[flossie009]

1 hour ago, Kwaj girl said:

How would that be "sensible?"  

See post #47

 

[Kwaj girl]

6 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

See post #47

 

 

I think most are beyond the "social distancing" thing these days.

 

You are correct about unusable views on upper deck of theatre, but wouldn't you want to know for sure exactly WHERE to report in the event of an emergency, and know what to do?  You and I may be seasoned travelers but many out there are not.....

[flossie009]

11 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

but wouldn't you want to know for sure exactly WHERE to report in the event of an emergency, and know what to do?

Everyone has to attend the muster station, just not at the same time.

Everyone receives the safety briefing over the PA and sees the comprehensive video.

 

[chengkp75]

8 hours ago, flossie009 said:

Not sure whether this signals the (sensible) return to the e-muster 

Did the new passengers have to muster at the same time?  Typically, for back to back segments, you only need to do one drill a month, so those remaining onboard would normally not have to do a second drill.

[travlr21]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Typically, for back to back segments, you only need to do one drill a month

Curious to know when that was the case. In 2017 we were on 4 segments B2B and we had to attend the drill for each of the 4 segments. In addition, 2 of the segments were more than 14 days long so we also had to attend a refresher drill in the theatre, though we did not go to the lifeboats for those.

[flossie009]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Did the new passengers have to muster at the same time?  Typically, for back to back segments, you only need to do one drill a month, so those remaining onboard would normally not have to do a second drill.

No one had to attend together at their muster station during the safety briefing at the start of this segment (neither new or existing passengers). This segment is 16 nights; about 300 new guests joined the ship and each was directed to their muster station on boarding and checked off by an officer.

 

3 hours ago, travlr21 said:

though we did not go to the lifeboats for those.

I am not sure that we have ever been led out to our lifeboat station on either Explorer or Splendor; you cannot access the lifeboat deck on those ships until the boats have been deployed.

[travlr21]

17 hours ago, flossie009 said:

on either Explorer or Splendor; you cannot access the lifeboat deck on those ships until the boats have been deployed.

Good to know, we are on the Explorer in May. We have only been on the Voyager so far. We trooped out to the lifeboats, hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us.

[Pcardad]

2 hours ago, travlr21 said:

Good to know, we are on the Explorer in May. We have only been on the Voyager so far. We trooped out to the lifeboats, hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us.

Pass on touching strangers thanks

[Kwaj girl]

10 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Pass on touching strangers thanks

 

I don't think you'd be worried about that in low-illumination situations as could happen in a true emergency.  You'd be grateful to be in contact with that next person to be sure you get to your lifeboat!

[Pcardad]

9 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

I don't think you'd be worried about that in low-illumination situations as could happen in a true emergency.  You'd be grateful to be in contact with that next person to be sure you get to your lifeboat!

Perhaps but not in a drill...I have no idea where you people have been. 😃 

 

[Kwaj girl]

Just now, Pcardad said:

Perhaps but not in a drill...I have no idea where you people have been. 😃 

 

 

The drill is to PRACTICE...to BE PREPARED....(and we have been the same places as you) 🤣

[SWFLAOK]

On 2/26/2023 at 4:16 PM, travlr21 said:

Curious to know when that was the case. In 2017 we were on 4 segments B2B and we had to attend the drill for each of the 4 segments. In addition, 2 of the segments were more than 14 days long so we also had to attend a refresher drill in the theatre, though we did not go to the lifeboats for those.

In 2019, we were on B2B segments in December. We were not required to attend a refresher drill, nor show up at the lifeboat muster station. It was optional.

[SWFLAOK]

2 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

The drill is to PRACTICE...to BE PREPARED....(and we have been the same places as you) 🤣

On our first day onboard a ship, we always make ourselves totally familiar with the layout of the ship first thing. We walk every deck and stairway. Once in our cabin, we locate our life jackets, and prepare a ditch bag, ready to go. We keep it next to the safe containing our passports.

During a muster drill, we have followed the directions of the sales lady from the boutique to stand in line, single file, and wait for an extended period of time before heading to the life boats. It isn't something I find useful at all.

If you sail on those huge cruise ships, where it will take longer to learn your way around the ship than the length of the cruise, then participating in the muster drill might be worthwhile. Just remember that you may not be in your cabin when an emergency occurs, and then the muster drill is worthless if you aren't totally familiar with the layout of the ship. We have never sailed on a ship that accommodates more than 950 passengers, and never plan to.

[BBWC]

On the world cruise right now. On the first two segments, everybody had to go through the whole muster drill, including returning WCers. Just starting the third segment, and only requirement, including for new guests, is to watch video, listen to announcement, and stop at muster station in the afternoon.

[red1head]

1 hour ago, SWFLAOK said:

On our first day onboard a ship, we always make ourselves totally familiar with the layout of the ship first thing. We walk every deck and stairway. Once in our cabin, we locate our life jackets, and prepare a ditch bag, ready to go. We keep it next to the safe containing our passports.

During a muster drill, we have followed the directions of the sales lady from the boutique to stand in line, single file, and wait for an extended period of time before heading to the life boats. It isn't something I find useful at all.

If you sail on those huge cruise ships, where it will take longer to learn your way around the ship than the length of the cruise, then participating in the muster drill might be worthwhile. Just remember that you may not be in your cabin when an emergency occurs, and then the muster drill is worthless if you aren't totally familiar with the layout of the ship. We have never sailed on a ship that accommodates more than 950 passengers, and never plan to.

Thank you for your perspective. What do you put in a ditch bag? 

[flossie009]

On 2/27/2023 at 8:01 AM, flossie009 said:

I am not sure that we have ever been led out to our lifeboat station on either Explorer or Splendor; you cannot access the lifeboat deck on those ships until the boats have been deployed.

Correction:

The lifeboats are accessible, and in a emergency would be loaded, prior to being deployed.

 

 

However we still do not recall ever being led out from muster station to lifeboat location on either Splendor or Explorer.

We do remember it on the other ships pre pandemic.

[chengkp75]

10 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

During a muster drill, we have followed the directions of the sales lady from the boutique to stand in line, single file, and wait for an extended period of time before heading to the life boats. It isn't something I find useful at all.

You do realize that this is what would happen in a real emergency?  The muster, whether a drill or an actual emergency, is not about getting to the lifeboats, it is about passenger accountability.  The muster should be signaled long before any thought is given to actually evacuating the ship, and is to remove the passengers from the area of the emergency, put them in known, controlled locations, and provide accountability (knowing that everyone is accounted for).  That frees up the emergency response teams to deal with the emergency without having to look for stray passengers who may or may not be casualties.  Just read about the Star Princess fire, where the passengers were mustered for several hours, yet the Captain had no inclination to evacuate the ship at any time.  The muster drill is to get the passengers and crew used to working as a team, with the passengers following instructions from the crew.  It provides as realistic a training scenario as possible, for both passengers and crew.

[Kwaj girl]

@chengkp75  WELL-SAID!  👍

[DeepFreeze63]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

You do realize that this is what would happen in a real emergency?  The muster, whether a drill or an actual emergency, is not about getting to the lifeboats, it is about passenger accountability.  The muster should be signaled long before any thought is given to actually evacuating the ship, and is to remove the passengers from the area of the emergency, put them in known, controlled locations, and provide accountability (knowing that everyone is accounted for).  That frees up the emergency response teams to deal with the emergency without having to look for stray passengers who may or may not be casualties.  Just read about the Star Princess fire, where the passengers were mustered for several hours, yet the Captain had no inclination to evacuate the ship at any time.  The muster drill is to get the passengers and crew used to working as a team, with the passengers following instructions from the crew.  It provides as realistic a training scenario as possible, for both passengers and crew.

Thanks! Hope you will post whenever you see us "amateurs'" not fully grasping something nautical.

[Pcardad]

Lets just hope it is never necessary on a Regent ship...

[CDR Benson]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

You do realize that this is what would happen in a real emergency?  The muster, whether a drill or an actual emergency, is not about getting to the lifeboats, it is about passenger accountability.  The muster should be signaled long before any thought is given to actually evacuating the ship, and is to remove the passengers from the area of the emergency, put them in known, controlled locations, and provide accountability (knowing that everyone is accounted for).  That frees up the emergency response teams to deal with the emergency without having to look for stray passengers who may or may not be casualties.  Just read about the Star Princess fire, where the passengers were mustered for several hours, yet the Captain had no inclination to evacuate the ship at any time.  The muster drill is to get the passengers and crew used to working as a team, with the passengers following instructions from the crew.  It provides as realistic a training scenario as possible, for both passengers and crew.

 

 

BZ.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by CDR Benson

[GOARMY]

chengpk75 (and CDR Benson):

 

Another thank-you for reminding us of the obvious--rationale behind the Muster protocol. I have provided a perspective in several earlier Posts on this Thread prompted by having experiencing a real-life 0015H Bridge "THIS IS NOT A DRILL!" announcement a few years back when aboard Cunard in the South Atlantic.  

 

GOARMY!