Anyone ever successful in skipping the life jacket drill?

[English_in_Spain]

I have problems walking up and down stairs but, in my 18 cruises, I have only ever skipped one muster drill. It was the third leg of a B2B2B (ie I had done it the 2 previous cruises).

 

We checked if we needed to go. We were told because we had done it twice before only one of us need attend so DH went and answered when our cabin number was called so no-one was held up.

 

Apart from this I would never consider skipping even though for me it is quite difficult.

[ocnlvr3]

Well I'm not much of a rule breaker(chicken) anyway on my Tahiti cruise March 07 I was in the cabin bed sicker then a dog major flu. When it was time for the muster by DH helped me get there to attend. Don't worry I kept away from everyone else till I was better.

 

Andrea

[Chill Out]

I like to muster. I take my camera, usually.

 

Also, if there's a clever wisecrack you'll hear during the cruise, this is where you'll hear it.

[abb4k]

I would love a **muenster** drill, personally. Cheesy, I know.

 

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

[GlendaleCruiser]

I LOVE the lifeboat drill!

 

In case of emergency, I want to know where my lifeboat is, how to get there pronto and who is driving it. :eek:

[GlendaleCruiser]

 

I refer you to the fire on Princess a few years back...and a few others.

 

.

 

 

Yes, like the Ecstasy in the late 90s. My daughter was on that ship on her honeymoon 2 weeks before that fire.

[CrossMyHeart]

the steward wanted to know if we were alright.. we said just exhausted..He said we could skip the "life boat drill"..

I am surprised he told you that.

[leaveitallbehind]

I would question anyone who claims they skip the drill. Cabins are checked, security cameras are monitored, groups are counted, etc. Not only is it a maritime law to participate, the ships look for idiots who try to skip it (as though no one has ever thougth of that before!) and will hold the ship in port until all are out there looking cute in their life jackets. Why try to show the rest of the ship how stupid you can be by trying to skip it - just take it as part of the cruise and enjoy. (You won't get away with it anyway).

[Gathina]

Because there are simply some people who are self absorbed, selfish, and think they are above the rules. Anyone can find an excuse to always defend why THEY are right or why THEY "don't have to attend". I know that there are elderly and disabled people who may have special needs, but if I were one of those people, that would make me want to do participate all the more in case there really was an accident. Plenty of people who are old and have diabilities are able to make the drills. Some people need to just suck it up and do what is asked of them, it's not going to kill them.

 

 

I would question anyone who claims they skip the drill. Cabins are checked, security cameras are monitored, groups are counted, etc. Not only is it a maritime law to participate, the ships look for idiots who try to skip it (as though no one has ever thougth of that before!) and will hold the ship in port until all are out there looking cute in their life jackets. Why try to show the rest of the ship how stupid you can be by trying to skip it - just take it as part of the cruise and enjoy. (You won't get away with it anyway).

[HulaGirl@Heart]

I wish they didn't hold the drill during sail away! This was my first cruise and I thought I would be on deck drinking and waving to people on shore as we sailed away. Instead, my family and a bunch of people that were talking (I have no idea if the crew person said anything due to their conversation) stood in the heat with a life preserver on for what seemed an eternity.

 

I did not get anything out of it besides a work out climbing the stairs to and from the drill.

[Gathina]

Well, to those of share my belief that it is wrong for people to skp the lifeboat drill, remember this, "Yes, they too, vote" :eek:

[sopo pirates]

I look at lifeboat drills the same as airline emergency drills. Something you need to attend AND pay attention to, each and every time. Wonder if the folks who try to skip lifeboat drills are the same ones who talk over the flight attendants with their presentation. So what if you've done it once or twice or twenty times before. The person in the muster station next to you might be a cruise novice and you can share your expertise on which show to see or avoid, which port tour is worth the time, etc.

 

Unfortunately they didn't show lifeboat drills on the "Love Boat" so folks don't think it should be part of a cruise. DH is a merchant sailor on a container ship and they have to have regular lifeboat drills - and there are no paying passengers on board.

 

And like so many others who've posted, bring the camera. It's one of those "special moments" you won't want to forget. We've had "Mae West" jackets which made us look like mutant ninja turtles, to the starndard horse collar which seem to be made out of 2x4s. If you're wearing one of these and stuck in the back row, lean back against the wall and see how far forward you can get the jacket to go without using your hands. Bonus points if you can get the bottom of yours to touch the neck of the person in front of you.

[yakdaddy42]

the dim bulbs that skip the life boat drill are going to be the same people that cut in line to get off the ship. in the buffet line, and i going to bet complaine the loudest and longest to the puser.

 

on my last cruise i had one lady cut in between wife and i in line. i got pissed and bumped her out of the way. she called me rude. i said to her i was in line with my wife and she was not my wife.

 

the wife thought is was one of the funnys things i had ever done on a cruise

 

i bring my own booze on a ship so i guess im guilty of other cruise ships sins besides this one, BUT nobody is standing on deck in a lifejacket waiting on me

[NieuwMariner]

...the starndard horse collar which seem to be made out of 2x4s. If you're wearing one of these and stuck in the back row, lean back against the wall and see how far forward you can get the jacket to go without using your hands. Bonus points if you can get the bottom of yours to touch the neck of the person in front of you.

 

I don't care who you are. That right there is funny! And I am SO going to try that come January!

 

Question for those traveling with mobility impaired companions (or yourselves).... how do you contend with this issue?

 

DH and I just took our first cruise in September. When the whistle blew for muster, I packed him up and it never dawned on me they would lock the elevators. He can walk, but he cannot go down stairs due to a fused ankle. Not to mention, there were 12 flights.....needless to say, I left him so that I was present to represent the room.......he eventually showed up, as a steward let him sneak on the elevator.

 

Don't they plan on contending with folks in wheelchairs?

[Katie100]

For the people who don't want to stand in the hot sun with a bunch of other people - then why are you selecting a warm-weather cruise for your vacation? A cruise is nothing BUT hot sun and a bunch of other people you can't get away from.

 

Just curious.

[KULPN]

God protects fools & children. All others are responsible for themselves. Go to muster.

[TjUnknown]

My cousin and i decided to stay in the stateroom. There was constant banging on the door for about twenty minutes until someone finally slid a piece of paper with the life jacket info on it under the door.

[SoFLCruiser]

on my last Carnival Cruise last year, they sat us in the theatre for the muster drill.....

no pain!

[RickEk]

I have read this thread with interest. Of course, no one should miss the muster drill, it's only a few minutes out of your life and it is an opportunity to meet new folks and, depending on the crewmember giving the drill, can be a hoot.

 

I'm also glad, from what everyone else has mentioned, that I've only sailed on Princess. Muster stations are inside, not on deck. There is no roll call (they say they have a method that allows them to verify everyone faster than a roll call) and you don't have to actually wear the lifejacket until the final moments of the drill. That makes it all very easy and muster usually only takes about a half hour. Plenty of time to stow the jackets afterward and get up on deck for sailaway! :D

[momofmeg]

On every ship I have been on they marked down my stateroom number and name. I have noticed also in the daily paper that they have a make up drill the next day for those who missed. Since they take down your name and stateroom number, they know who missed-and those are required to do the make up drill.

[momofmeg]

I don't care who you are. That right there is funny! And I am SO going to try that come January!

 

Question for those traveling with mobility impaired companions (or yourselves).... how do you contend with this issue?

 

DH and I just took our first cruise in September. When the whistle blew for muster, I packed him up and it never dawned on me they would lock the elevators. He can walk, but he cannot go down stairs due to a fused ankle. Not to mention, there were 12 flights.....needless to say, I left him so that I was present to represent the room.......he eventually showed up, as a steward let him sneak on the elevator.

 

Don't they plan on contending with folks in wheelchairs?

 

I know they let my sister out of it once, because of her bad back-but the rest of us had to go so we would know where to go-and of course in an emergency-we would have had to get her there somehow.