Anyone ever successful in skipping the life jacket drill?

[donaldsc]

I realize that you are not planning to skip the drill so this is not directed to you. However, IMHO, anyone who is caught skipping the drill should be kicked off the ship.

 

DON

[MonaCK]

The only time that I have skipped the lifeboat drill was when they held it at 9am, the first morning we were at sea. We were incredibly late leaving the pier because of a horrible experience at checkin, and we were literally the last 2 passengers on the ship because of rude folks pushing ahead of us who had also been waiting for 4 hours to check in.

 

We slept through the warnings of the drill, and by the time the alarms sounded, we were just waking up, and there was no way that we could have made it on time. No one came to check on us either.

 

Generally, yes, the lifeboat drill is a bit of a pain, but it's a necessity. Just do it. It's 15 minutes of your life, but then you can enjoy the rest of the cruise, and hope that you'll not have to put on the ugly orange vest again (or at least, until the next cruise ;) )

[Rula]

Attending the lifeboat drill is also a good way to eyeball who will be on that boat with you if you need to evacuate. You can decide you would do anything to avoid sitting by some yahoo or other. Also who you think you would WANT to sit near. :rolleyes:

[SouthernGem09]

On my first cruise I was dragging my feet about going, and the movie Titanic had just come out, my dad said something to the effect of calling it a "titanic drill" that snapped me out of my teenager stubborness, lol, even though we were in the Carribean the thought of the Titanic mess scared the living day lights out of me, haha . . . just a humorus story, alrighty then, lol

[Gathina]

Well I can see skipping it if there is some medical reason but then what does that person do if there really was a emergency?

 

For most people (those who don't have a medical reason) it seems that some people feel it's just beneath them to do something everybody else. Those would be the self professed "rebels" who come across as being better than anyone else. God forbid it interfere with their precious vacation.

 

Rula's got a point..you can use the drill as a way of eyeballing who you want to share a boat with....or in this case, who didn't go to the drill and who should sink with the ship ;)

[docBarb]

Hi,

I've been to over 40 of these drills and I feel that I now qualify for the advanced drill where they teach one how to actually lower the boats! LOL

[bobnatt]

Skip the lifeboat drill? You gotta be kidding. How else will you get that silly picture of all your friends in bright orange life jackets?

[TeeMarie]

Skip the lifeboat drill? You gotta be kidding. How else will you get that silly picture of all your friends in bright orange life jackets?

 

That's what I'm thinking! Sure they're smelly, uncomfortable, and germ ridden...but that means you're crusing! I can't wait!

[nickie218]

Angie....the best way to avoid a lifeboat drill is to hide in the bathroom or under the bed, the room steward will more than likely knock on your door once and maybe even open it to check that you are gone. Once he has done this its free sailing right thru the drill Call me careless, but I have sailed on close to 20 cruises and I know how to put on a life vest, I can read a map to see where my muster station is. Perhaps I am breaking the law but to stand side by side next to a few hundred people for what seems like an hour is not my kind of fun and not how I want to start off my cruise. I know many people who do the same thing but are probably too scared to admit it on hear and endure the bashing......

[yakdaddy42]

I'm changing my opinion on this topic. I think NICKIE 218 has a great plan I never thought of and a great way to start my vacation.

 

" SKIP THE LIFEBOAT DRILL AND HIDE UNDER THE BED FOR 20 OR 30 MIN.

 

What a concept this seems like way more fun than meeting you new cruise mates. Seeing who all the fun people are going to be. One thing I have found is the ones late to the boat drill are the same ones running down the dock late for the ship you can almost bet on it, we do. But that is a diffrent thread.

 

Wait I cant hide under the bed, all my snuck on booze is hideing under the bed. opps thats a diffrent thread too.

 

I know I will sent the booze to the lifeboat drill.

[bigdougw3999]

well on this regent cruise we just went to our muster staion the constelation theater sat in those orange life vest and heard all info no standing on deck in hot sun. so had it easy this time.

[Patrickfromchicopee]

DO IT DO IT DO IT. Yeah there havent been many recent cruise ships sunk, but do you really want to be the one going .. oh crap what do i do. Hey how many times do you get in an accident with your car, Hey I dont use this stupid airbag everyday , just get rid of it. My point being just go be on time dont delay and SHUT UP .. when there talking. The quicker they get to show you what to do the quicker you get back to fun. I think anyone who refuses should be FINED, better yet... make an announcement ... ROOM 2306 ect.. REFUSED TO MUSTER, NOW WE ALL HAVE TO DO IT OVER. YOU MAY THANK ROOM 2306.

[Gathina]

So what makes you such a unique passenger that you are exempt from the same rules that apply to everyone else?? Is an hour really going to ruin your vacation? So sorry, must be tough to be you.

 

Angie....the best way to avoid a lifeboat drill is to hide in the bathroom or under the bed, the room steward will more than likely knock on your door once and maybe even open it to check that you are gone. Once he has done this its free sailing right thru the drill Call me careless, but I have sailed on close to 20 cruises and I know how to put on a life vest, I can read a map to see where my muster station is. Perhaps I am breaking the law but to stand side by side next to a few hundred people for what seems like an hour is not my kind of fun and not how I want to start off my cruise. I know many people who do the same thing but are probably too scared to admit it on hear and endure the bashing......

[nickie218]

20 or 30 minutes under a bed...no, its more like a minute, no biggy. The room steward knocks once, checks the room and then does not come back again.......I have never had an issue with this. Ever!

 

I've sailed on close to 20 cruises, nothing has changed since my first cruise. I make it a point to note where the life vests are and I KNOW (its on the back of every door and 99.9% of the time it is printed on the life vest)where my muenster station is so I am not ignorant.

 

I am not quite sure why everyone is so upset, I have never delayed anyone while I am busy breaking the law. I usually travel with a group of 20+ and we are all on the same floor so if I needed to be at the drill and everyone was waiting on me I would know it. Its my life on the line, I guess I choose to live dangerously.....lol

[debihen]

Angie....the best way to avoid a lifeboat drill is to hide in the bathroom or under the bed, the room steward will more than likely knock on your door once and maybe even open it to check that you are gone. Once he has done this its free sailing right thru the drill Call me careless, but I have sailed on close to 20 cruises and I know how to put on a life vest, I can read a map to see where my muster station is. Perhaps I am breaking the law but to stand side by side next to a few hundred people for what seems like an hour is not my kind of fun and not how I want to start off my cruise. I know many people who do the same thing but are probably too scared to admit it on hear and endure the bashing......

 

So, let me get this straight. Skipping the muster drill and hiding under your bed is your idea of fun? This is how you want to start off your cruise??? I think I'll stick with the muster drill...less crowded, less dark and smelly, and certainly less stressful!

[Gathina]

You can't even make this up. You have to laugh at her otherwise you'd cry.

 

So, let me get this straight. Skipping the muster drill and hiding under your bed is your idea of fun? This is how you want to start off your cruise??? I think I'll stick with the muster drill...less crowded, less dark and smelly, and certainly less stressful!

[squirrelgardens]

My thought is to attend the drill and get it over as quickly as possible, I despise the late comers. There are the select few that think that they deem themselves so important that they can keep the other 2000 to 3000 waiting while the take their leisurely time getting to their station. My first thought when I see these morons is to stick that whistle hanging from the vest into their posterior.

 

 

Well said....but I do wish the cocktail servers would come around as we wait for these self importants.

[nickie218]

Well first all of thanks for the warm welcome, I am a new member here and all of you have made me feel right at home ;) This is the last post I will make on this subject. Just to clarify, the original poster asked how to avoid the drill, I gave her my advice, and whether you agree or not, I dont think her intent was to start a flaming war. Luckily I am a big girl and can handle it.:p

 

Also I do not hide under the bed the entire drill,in fact I have never hidden under a bed but have seen some funny pics from friends who have, I am usually in the bathroom putting my toiletries away and making better use of my time then sitting next to people in the hot sun who smell like they could use a bath....

 

Also, Angie, another piece of advice that I want to share is that a generous tip to the room steward BEFORE the cruise even starts aids in skipping the drill & getting awesome service while aboard. I am generally a big tipper and we do this to everyone(room steward, waiter, bus boy...ect) the very first day and of course on the last day as well. We have found this to work out well and I have never had a service issue on any cruise line.

 

The bottom line is that I am one of those horrible, self centered people who uses the drill to unpack and settle in..... I have no malicious intent and have never delayed anyone while being selfish. So the rest of you law abiding citizens can rest assured that in the case of a real life boat drill I will be sure to run out of the cabin like a mad woman and jump on the first boat I see while grabbing a hold of every life jacket that I can find along the way :p

[Gathina]

Hey, you get credit for being honest!

 

Well first all of thanks for the warm welcome, I am a new member here and all of you have made me feel right at home ;) This is the last post I will make on this subject. Just to clarify, the original poster asked how to avoid the drill, I gave her my advice, and whether you agree or not, I dont think her intent was to start a flaming war. Luckily I am a big girl and can handle it.:p

 

Also I do not hide under the bed the entire drill,in fact I have never hidden under a bed but have seen some funny pics from friends who have, I am usually in the bathroom putting my toiletries away and making better use of my time then sitting next to people in the hot sun who smell like they could use a bath....

 

Also, Angie, another piece of advice that I want to share is that a generous tip to the room steward BEFORE the cruise even starts aids in skipping the drill & getting awesome service while aboard. I am generally a big tipper and we do this to everyone(room steward, waiter, bus boy...ect) the very first day and of course on the last day as well. We have found this to work out well and I have never had a service issue on any cruise line.

 

The bottom line is that I am one of those horrible, self centered people who uses the drill to unpack and settle in..... I have no malicious intent and have never delayed anyone while being selfish. So the rest of you law abiding citizens can rest assured that in the case of a real life boat drill I will be sure to run out of the cabin like a mad woman and jump on the first boat I see while grabbing a hold of every life jacket that I can find along the way :p

[debihen]

I cannot help but wonder how if one skips the original drill; how does one get out of the make up drill that they have for those who miss the original drill? I have yet to cruise wherein those who miss the first 15 to 30 minute drill are required to attend the drill held on the next day (I heard one person on our last cruise who missed the first drill complain because the make up drill lasted an hour). And, it must be noted, that during the original drill, nothing is open (spa, bars, etc.) so really you miss nothing. Now, having to attend a muster meeting the next day (where it absolutely will be interfering with many more fun things I could be doing) is enough to get me on deck, life jacket on with the rest of my fellow passengers.

[Gathina]

The way I see it is that they forfeit their right to complain by doing what they should have done in the first place.

 

Again, some think they are so unique that the rules don't apply to them. Same category as the idiots who bomb down the highway weaving in and out and other reckless driving..the rules don't apply to them either.

 

I cannot help but wonder how if one skips the original drill; how does one get out of the make up drill that they have for those who miss the original drill? I have yet to cruise wherein those who miss the first 15 to 30 minute drill are required to attend the drill held on the next day (I heard one person on our last cruise who missed the first drill complain because the make up drill lasted an hour). And, it must be noted, that during the original drill, nothing is open (spa, bars, etc.) so really you miss nothing. Now, having to attend a muster meeting the next day (where it absolutely will be interfering with many more fun things I could be doing) is enough to get me on deck, life jacket on with the rest of my fellow passengers.

[Jeanie821]

For those who would consider skipping the muster drill... keep in mind that in recent years two ships sank and the Star Princess suffered a fire. If that happened on your cruise and you didn't know what to do or where to go, what would you do?

[debihen]

For those who would consider skipping the muster drill... keep in mind that in recent years two ships sank and the Star Princess suffered a fire. If that happened on your cruise and you didn't know what to do or where to go, what would you do?

 

Ah, but we have been informed that somehow, those who skip the drill are somehow better prepared for an emergency; they know where things are, they truly have an upper hand on those of us who waste our time at a muster drill. Skipping the muster is a sure sign of superiority and intelligence above and beyond mere mortals:rolleyes:;) :rolleyes: ;)

[4x4bob]

Me, I am very helpful fellow. During a real emergency if I saw a fellow passenger running back and forth in the hallway hollering "what do I do, Where do I go?" I would take a second out of my planned and practiced evacuation to give this advice. Do the same thing you did during the Muster Drill. Go hide in your Cabin until the emergency is over.:rolleyes:

Bob

[kamfan]

Well first all of thanks for the warm welcome, I am a new member here and all of you have made me feel right at home ;) This is the last post I will make on this subject. Just to clarify, the original poster asked how to avoid the drill, I gave her my advice, and whether you agree or not, I dont think her intent was to start a flaming war. Luckily I am a big girl and can handle it.:p

 

Also I do not hide under the bed the entire drill,in fact I have never hidden under a bed but have seen some funny pics from friends who have, I am usually in the bathroom putting my toiletries away and making better use of my time then sitting next to people in the hot sun who smell like they could use a bath....

 

Also, Angie, another piece of advice that I want to share is that a generous tip to the room steward BEFORE the cruise even starts aids in skipping the drill & getting awesome service while aboard. I am generally a big tipper and we do this to everyone(room steward, waiter, bus boy...ect) the very first day and of course on the last day as well. We have found this to work out well and I have never had a service issue on any cruise line.

 

The bottom line is that I am one of those horrible, self centered people who uses the drill to unpack and settle in..... I have no malicious intent and have never delayed anyone while being selfish. So the rest of you law abiding citizens can rest assured that in the case of a real life boat drill I will be sure to run out of the cabin like a mad woman and jump on the first boat I see while grabbing a hold of every life jacket that I can find along the way :p

 

The problem I have with you statement is the second to last line above. While you may very well have no malicious intent, you have definately delayed everyone with your selfish behaviour. I too would also like to add, at least you are relatively honest about your statement, although in my opinion, mistaken.