? about muster drills

[hawkfanI]

We've been on Celebrity cruises where they have everyone grab their lifejacket and congregate at the lifeboats. On the Princess cruise we were on, they just had everyone gather at an assigned public area such as a restaurant or bar. How does RCI do their muster drills?

[sptrout]

We've been on Celebrity cruises where they have everyone grab their lifejacket and congregate at the lifeboats. On the Princess cruise we were on, they just had everyone gather at an assigned public area such as a restaurant or bar. How does RCI do their muster drills?

 

Very similar to Celebrity - - out to the life boats!

[NorbertsNiece]

On Independence they had us gather at prearranged places on a specific deck, think it was 4 by the lifeboats.

[cb at sea]

It depends what station you're assigned to, as to whether you are by the lifeboat or in one of the lounges. They will tell you where to go.

[tuff2]

On Independence they had us gather at prearranged places on a specific deck, think it was 4 by the lifeboats.

 

 

WHAT? You don't remember what deck. What if there was a valid emergency? Would you even know where to go? You are supposed to pay attention to the drill IE: where to report and what to do. The drill is important to you.

[suekay]

WHAT? You don't remember what deck. What if there was a valid emergency? Would you even know where to go? You are supposed to pay attention to the drill IE: where to report and what to do. The drill is important to you.

Some info you only need to retain while onboard......after that I file it under "rubbish":) I can't even remember the number of the cabin I was in in July let alone the lifeboat station:o

[NorbertsNiece]

WHAT? You don't remember what deck. What if there was a valid emergency? Would you even know where to go? You are supposed to pay attention to the drill IE: where to report and what to do. The drill is important to you.

 

Sowwy.

I don't remember it NOW.

Of course I knew it then.

I think I knew it then.

I learnt all the words to the muster song though and did the harmonies and everything.

[nanfromatlanta]

On Royal, not every Muster Station is out on deck near the lifeboats. Some of the muster stations are in the dining rooms or one of the lounges, as mine was the last time I sailed on the Radiance. ;)

 

It varies by cabin number. The exact location of your Muster Station will be posted on the back of your cabin door. ;)

[madforcruising]

On RCCL it depends as some Muster stations are inside, but most are outside on the promenade deck under the life boats.

 

When I sailed on Celebrity (Infinity) they had the Muster drill completely inside.

 

On Cunards QM2 they did the drill inside as well and there was one thing I especially liked about their approach. They did not make you wer the life jacket all the time and stumbling the stairs up/down while wearing the life jacket. They explicitly told you not to wear it, but sit down and make yourself comfortable. After the Roll call they then explained the emergency procedures and showed how to put the life vest on by crew members. Only at that point they asked you to put yours on and that was the end of the drill, so you spent minimal time in it and they have been able to see if you are able to put it on correctly.

I thought this was a much better way then make you put on your life jacket for the way to the Muster station and then explain how to do it at the Muster Station:confused:. Sorry I guess I got sidetracted here from the topic.

[pcur]

Some muster hints:

 

Go a little late so you aren't in the back sweltering.

 

From another cc poster: wear a wet washcloth from your cabin around the back of your neck to stay cooler. For some reason we always end up facing the setting sun, and in FL departure ports that can be pretty uncomfortable.

 

One person returns the life jackets to the cabin, while the other finds a good spot to watch the sailaway (if you want).

 

Don't try to hide in your cabin: they check, AND your cabin steward gets in trouble if you are in there.

[cruiserbryce]

I think it depends...last time we were on Monarch our muster station was in Boleros...and yes on Princess it was inside as well. Each of the other 5 cruises we have been on have conducted muster by the boats

[Havana Daydreamin]

Some muster hints:

 

Go a little late so you aren't in the back sweltering.

 

 

:eek:But one person's "a little late" might cause someone else to swelter in the back.

 

Have done both though, so I can't call the kettle black.:D

[pcur]

:eek:But one person's "a little late" might cause someone else to swelter in the back.

 

Have done both though, so I can't call the kettle black.:D

 

I agree, but I've done my share of "in the back" standing over the years......it's a rotation thing, you see! :D

[espmass]

I'll be going out of Bayonne 1/23 when it's very likely to be in the single digit temps. Will we still be heading outside? I have only been out of Bayonne in warm weather before.

[luvscruising2007]

When we left from Bayonne our muster station was the dining room. It turned out it was on the same level as our dining assignment. We were able to check our table on the way out.

:)

[negc]

Very similar to Celebrity - - out to the life boats!

Not true on all of their ships and can even vary on a specific ship. On Jewel TA our muster station was out on deck underneath the lifeboats, while on the repo, our muster station was inside in the Schooner Bar and we never left the area until the drill was over. What is more important than where you muster, is listening to the instructions and realizing that in a real emergency you might not even be able to go to your assigned muster station so you need to be able to follow the instructions of the officers and crew who are trained to deal with all sorts of contingencies.:)

[critterchick]

We don't go "late" but we don't leave our cabin iluntil they actually sound the alarm (which is what they tell you to do). We are on time bit among the last to arrive. I don't understand why people go 15 minutes early.

[hawkfanI]

Thanks for all the replys, guess we'll go with the flow when the alarm rings.

[sptrout]

Not true on all of their ships and can even vary on a specific ship. On Jewel TA our muster station was out on deck underneath the lifeboats, while on the repo, our muster station was inside in the Schooner Bar and we never left the area until the drill was over. What is more important than where you muster, is listening to the instructions and realizing that in a real emergency you might not even be able to go to your assigned muster station so you need to be able to follow the instructions of the officers and crew who are trained to deal with all sorts of contingencies.:)

 

What I really meant to say is that you will eventually end-up under the lifeboats, but that the actual muster station location is inside and its location depends on your cabin number. I know that on the VOS we ended-up outside under the lifeboat for the final instruction speech. The entire process matched what we did the last time we were on Celebrity (except the temperatures were a lot different - hot in Florida, cold in Galveston). From your experience, passengers do not necessarily end-up outside. I wonder why the difference? I would think the procedure would be same throughout the fleet of each cruise line.

[readytolose]

We don't go "late" but we don't leave our cabin iluntil they actually sound the alarm (which is what they tell you to do). We are on time bit among the last to arrive. I don't understand why people go 15 minutes early.

 

Our muster station was in the Schooner bar so we grabbed our life jackets and went and had a few drinks before the drill. It worked out nicely! :p

Of course we didn't put our life jackets on until we were actually told to!

[negc]

What I really meant to say is that you will eventually end-up under the lifeboats, but that the actual muster station location is inside and its location depends on your cabin number. I know that on the VOS we ended-up outside under the lifeboat for the final instruction speech. The entire process matched what we did the last time we were on Celebrity (except the temperatures were a lot different - hot in Florida, cold in Galveston). From your experience, passengers do not necessarily end-up outside. I wonder why the difference? I would think the procedure would be same throughout the fleet of each cruise line.

 

I'm not sure why the procedure is different on different lines and even on different ships in the same fleet. The important thing, IMHO,is the information that is provided during the drill and the emphasis on following the instructions of the officers and crew in the event of a real emergency. Sometimes it seems much easier to hear and understand the instructions that are being provided when we are in the relative comfort of one of the ship's lounges than outside being distracted by the elements (hot or cold).:) There are so many things that could happen that might change where you ended up reporting in the event of an actual emergency, that the location of the muster station and whether or not they eventually lead you out to the lifeboats is of only incidental importance and is probably not really necessary.

To expect every ship or every line to conduct the drill in exactly the same fashion may well be a case of a situation where a "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds".:)

[Desert Cruizers]

In our Muster drills between Princess & RCL, we visted the Vista Lounge on Princess, RCL we went to Deck 4 wearing our Life jackets then stood for 30 min with no explanation as to what we all do in the evant of an emergency. At least Princess explains what you will do and how you will be escorted to your stations. I prefer Princess Muster drills for that reason. Overall cruising, prefer RCL. We do enjoy both lines however.

[PH8]

On the Solstice(and the rest of the ships upcoming in that class), they have a new system..........you go to your assigned area and watch a video(its a pre recorded tape of how,where and why kind of info).......

[BuckNakedBooda]

Thanks for all the replys, guess we'll go with the flow when the alarm rings.

 

The wife and I just hide in the bathroom until the steward opens the door and leaves. The hardest part is keeping the wife from talking....

[negc]

In our Muster drills between Princess & RCL, we visted the Vista Lounge on Princess, RCL we went to Deck 4 wearing our Life jackets then stood for 30 min with no explanation as to what we all do in the evant of an emergency. At least Princess explains what you will do and how you will be escorted to your stations. I prefer Princess Muster drills for that reason. Overall cruising, prefer RCL. We do enjoy both lines however.

 

Never on any RCI ship or a ship of any line for that matter, have we not been provided with a detailed narrative of what to do during an emergency. :rolleyes: