Muster Drill

[foft]

Hello everyone,

 

We'll be sailing on the Caribbean Princess in September. Does anyone know if the Muster Drills are held on deck, with everyone standing out in the heat until its over?

 

We recently went on a NCL cruise, and the Muster Drill was held inside in various parts of the ship (i.e. the restaurants, cafes, etc.), so everything was nicely air conditioned, and people had chairs to sit in, etc. Best Muster Drill I've ever experienced.

 

FOFT

[Druke I]

Princess muster stations are inside, various lounges, etc.

[foft]

Princess muster stations are inside, various lounges, etc.

 

Thanks! That's great news!

 

FOFT

[mii]

Yes it really is nice to be in the lounges, theatres etc to go through muster drill. I also have been outside on a Celebrity ship; not too bad but a pain in the you nowhere. Now it does all depend on the weather. On our last Celebrity cruise it was raining so it was inside.

 

Marilyn

[cruzkitty]

We were inside last year on the CB Muster Drill, but had to stand up in the Photo area/hall. And, man, was it HOT!! Even though it was inside, I guess with all the people, it was unbearably hot to me-couldn't wait for it to be over!! Everybody was trying to fan themselves somehow. But it's still better than being outside in the heat!!

[cruisingpeople]

IMHO, being inside also seems to be more coordinated than when I did a Celebrity Muster Drill.

 

Another nice thing about the Muster Drills on Princess is that your are NOT required to put your life jacket on until after the drill is over. And that is done just to make sure that you know how to put it on without a lot of difficulty.

 

It is a lot easier to carry it than trying to walk around heading for your Station with this bulky sucker around your neck.

[Desert Cruizers]

We usually end up in the Vista Lounge on our Princess Cruises, some go to the Royal Theater. You don't wear your life jackets, bring them, they run you thru the proceedure of putting them on.

[bdjam]

This isn't just a passenger convenience - there are safety reasons for mustering passengers in the lounges rather than out on deck.

[Tater1800]

I don't mean to be ugly but a thirty minute Muster Drill even outside in the hot sun is a small inconvenience. The drill is for passenger safety not just a Coast Guard regulation. We spent 7 hours at Muster in March '06 on the Star. The ventilation was off. Smoke filled the lounge. Drinking water came after about 3 hours. The crew did an excellent job and take Muster very seriously as I do!

 

[Desert Cruizers]

If your inside Muster Drills are well organized, then passengers during an emergency will be taken to their proper locations. By having them outside for the shortime we are there, then we know exactly where we need to go rather then wonderfing the ship aimlessly. Inside, Outside, really doesn't matter to me, its done to save lives.

[Plant]

Hello everyone,

 

We recently went on a NCL cruise, and the Muster Drill was held inside in various parts of the ship (i.e. the restaurants, cafes, etc.), so everything was nicely air conditioned, and people had chairs to sit in, etc. Best Muster Drill I've ever experienced.

 

FOFT

 

That's interesting! On both of our NCL cruises the Muster Drill was held outside. It was HOT and we had to wear our life jackets for the whole thing! I don't like being crowded together with others and found it very uncomfortable :( . I think it's up to the Safety Officer, but it would be great to be inside like we were on our Princess cruises :) . On Princess they explain that after you meet at your inside location you'll be taken to your outside Muster area.

[chasetf]

........On Princess they explain that after you meet at your inside location you'll be taken to your outside Muster area.

That is right. As mentioned above, during the Star fire the passengers were held at their muster stations (which is where we go to during the drill) and only when it is necessary to man the lifeboats does Princess take passengers to the Promenade deck to load the lifeboats.

 

I have been on other lines such as NCL, where we were mustered at the lifeboats. I do not think that is the best safety wise because as in the Star fire, the passengers muster station would have been right under the fire.