skipping the muster drill

[daddowdall]

Our son will be joining us on the second day of the cruise, boarding at the first port of call. How do you think the cruise line will handle muster drill for him? Not a biggie, just curious.

[yarlenna]

Our son will be joining us on the second day of the cruise, boarding at the first port of call. How do you think the cruise line will handle muster drill for him? Not a biggie, just curious.

 

On HAL, they did a muster for everyone who missed the first one. I think it was on the second day.

[G'ma]

Nope, they didn't last week on my CCL cruise. It was a free for all. The crew member at our station didn't have a clip board to write down numbers. They didn't organize people by height, which is usually what I see happening on RCCL ships, so the kids and shorties didn't get up front and were smothered by the taller people.

 

I couldn't imagine skipping one though.

 

Well, that's just not correct.

 

There are crew and staff all over the place taking down cabin numbers which are prominently displayed on the life vests.

 

As to lining people up by height, no that isn't done and isn't necessary. In an emergency, height doesn't matter...getting to the muster station and knowing what to do is primary.

[G'ma]

We rarely go to the muster drill, my FIL talks to the cabin boy before hand and slips him a "few". They usually don't bother us.

But on one last cruise we were having a party in my FIL suite when they tried to make us with that muster drill thing. We told the person we didn't have to go but they insisted. Well things got kind of ugly, we demanded to see the Captain but they said he was "Too Busy". Needless to say, we did attend but we refused to wear those life preservers. Now thay I have been to it, I won't need to go anymore on my next cruise.

 

Of course, NONE of the rules ever apply to you, do they.

 

Our prisons are filled with those that have this at

[G'ma]

We rarely go to the muster drill, my FIL talks to the cabin boy before hand and slips him a "few". They usually don't bother us.

But on one last cruise we were having a party in my FIL suite when they tried to make us with that muster drill thing. We told the person we didn't have to go but they insisted. Well things got kind of ugly, we demanded to see the Captain but they said he was "Too Busy". Needless to say, we did attend but we refused to wear those life preservers. Now thay I have been to it, I won't need to go anymore on my next cruise.

 

Of course, being the very special person you are, NONE of the rules - anywhere - ever apply to you. I get it now.:confused:

 

And, your crack about "cabin boy" shows your character. How admirable.....what a good example you must have shown to your kids if you bothered to have any.

[cruiselvr04]

I do not know why some people make such a big deal out of the muster drill. It is for your safety and those around you. Yes it gets warm in Florida (and probably cold in other ports). Quit whining!!! I am gald we won't have to actually put on our vests as they aren't the cleanest things (I dislike others sweat on me) and I think it was a bit dangerous going down stairs with them on since I couldn't see my feet. However the drill is good no many how many cruises you have been on. We celebrate it like an event - Whee! we are really here on the ship! Then we pay attention so we will remember what to do.

[stephanie1]

I have to admit that I have missed many muster drills. I have hid in the bathroom, been sleeping (faking) and hid in the closet. I just did not want

to be bothered. On 1 cruise my steward said that I did not have to go

(I sware he said that) as I was the senior (I was 50) C&A in his cabin

assignments. Everyone thought that was strange. Maybe he was looking for a little something green.

 

On my last cruise I was in a pretty good mood when they called the drill and I thought that it was time to participate and I threw on my orange life jacket and brought my backside up to the deck. It was

not that bad!!! It did not last but 15 minutes and really no big deal...

 

I will always go. If I can go( and I am really lazy) anyone can go...

[bermuda09]

Of the four cruises I have been on, we have only done one muster drill. This past cruise (last week) we didn't do the muster drill, I don't care that we didn't do it, and we didn't get 'in trouble' that we didn't participate. I am sure, that if a crisis did happen, we would merely exit our room and follow everyone else. No big deal.

[A2Mich]

We rarely go to the muster drill, my FIL talks to the cabin boy before hand and slips him a "few". They usually don't bother us.

But on one last cruise we were having a party in my FIL suite when they tried to make us with that muster drill thing. We told the person we didn't have to go but they insisted. Well things got kind of ugly, we demanded to see the Captain but they said he was "Too Busy". Needless to say, we did attend but we refused to wear those life preservers. Now thay I have been to it, I won't need to go anymore on my next cruise.

 

Here's my opinion......so none of us agree with this person's attitude about the muster drill.....I personally don't like them, but know they are important, as well as mandatory, and don't mind attending as my family's lives could depend on it someday (hopefully not). If RCCLRULES life means nothing to him/her, that's their problem. If they have such a cavalier attitude towards something this important, don't expect me to help them when the ship is going down by the bow! That being said, this tool hasn't been back since their post, so I vote that we drop the whole subject!

[rcacace]

Here's my opinion......so none of us agree with this person's attitude about the muster drill.....I personally don't like them, but know they are important, as well as mandatory, and don't mind attending as my family's lives could depend on it someday (hopefully not). If RCCLRULES life means nothing to him/her, that's their problem. If they have such a cavalier attitude towards something this important, don't expect me to help them when the ship is going down by the bow! That being said, this tool hasn't been back since their post, so I vote that we drop the whole subject!

 

I totally agree that you should know where & what to do for the muster but if you've been to numerous drills on the same ship (even a month prior) it's so repetitive & unnecessary to attend the same thing over & over. If there is a true emergency I'm sure the person wouldn't be relying on your knowledge for where to go and what to do.

[MrPete]

I totally agree that you should know where & what to do for the muster but if you've been to numerous drills on the same ship (even a month prior) it's so repetitive & unnecessary to attend the same thing over & over. If there is a true emergency I'm sure the person wouldn't be relying on your knowledge for where to go and what to do.

 

All while inhaling smoke, with no power to the lights.

 

Gotta love how some think they would react in a panic situation.

 

I guess the schools and the workplace can stop doing them as well. :rolleyes:

[jbond]

If they have such a cavalier attitude towards something this important, don't expect me to help them when the ship is going down by the bow!

I know where you're coming from, but I'd bet you would stop and help them, at least point them in the right direction.

People like RCCLRULES aggravate most people, but he's not for real, he's just a T-R-O-L-L.

[A2Mich]

I know where you're coming from, but I'd bet you would stop and help them, at least point them in the right direction.

People like RCCLRULES aggravate most people, but he's not for real, he's just a T-R-O-L-L.

 

 

You're probably right.....I probably would at least point them in the right direction if I couldn't walk them there myself. Even if you have been on a million cruises, going to each muster is still a good reminder, boring or not.

 

As others have said, rules are rules and are there for a reason....our jails are full of people who didn't think the rules and laws applied to them......

[publicpersona]

The one trolling post notwithstanding, I see in this thread two reasonable schools of thought: 1) Safety is important, and I want to do everything possible to ensure that everyone (not just me) knows what to do in an emergency, and 2) Muster drills are hot, uncomfortable, and people are injured/faint/etc. often enough to consider them a hazard in and off themselves, not to mention a big hassle.

 

What I'd like to be convinced of is a causal relationship between having been through a muster drill and having a better chance of surviving an accident of some sort. I am skeptical. The muster drill gives people some wrong ideas (such as getting the lifevests out of your stateroom in a real emergency), and actual emergencies are already filled with variables that could make a neat and orderly assembly impossible anyway; what if the muster deck is on fire?

 

I'm not saying one way or the other (and do participate in the drill, despite having done it 23 times already), but I do think the cruise industry should conduct surveys/studies/post mortem analyses to determine if their really is value in a muster drill, or could much of the benefit be gained from some other method.

[rcacace]

All while inhaling smoke, with no power to the lights.

 

Gotta love how some think they would react in a panic situation.

 

I guess the schools and the workplace can stop doing them as well. :rolleyes:

 

If there's smoke, you're in the same boat as the rest of us. Do they have a new method of how to breath in those conditions?

I don't much care about anyone else & if they can't find their way to the muster station or how to put on their life jacket- to bad. I'll assure you that I know the away just as good if not better than anyone else in the crowd. Do you pack a flashlight & light sticks for emergency's? I doubt it.

[MrPete]

I don't much care about anyone else

 

I gathered that from reading your first post.

[rcacace]

I gathered that from reading your first post.

 

You can follow me to the muster station, if you can keep up that is.

[OceanDreams]

Mama didn't raise no fool. :rolleyes:

 

Muster Drill ..... Been there...done that...and will again, and again, and again.................Because I AM important to someone.....somewhere. :cool:

 

OceanDreams

[A2Mich]

What a tragedy! the Norway was such a beautiful ship. We were just about to book a second cruise on her when the explosion happened.

 

Unfortunately, the tragedy became greater when she was towed to Alang to be scrapped.........the SS France/SS Norway is gone for good.....such a shame to scrap such a historic ship.......

[A2Mich]

Of the four cruises I have been on, we have only done one muster drill. This past cruise (last week) we didn't do the muster drill, I don't care that we didn't do it, and we didn't get 'in trouble' that we didn't participate. I am sure, that if a crisis did happen, we would merely exit our room and follow everyone else. No big deal.

 

That's fine if you're in your cabin when the crisis arose. Part of the muster drill is for your entire group to know where to go. If you happen to be separated on the ship, and you can't get back to your cabin, do you know where to meet each other? eg: hubby is in the casino and dear wife is in the spa -- a raging inferno breaks out and is out of control -- do you two know where each other are going to go? You may not have time, nor may be allowed to go off looking for each other......that is part of the reason for muster stations....so that all members of a party go to the same place....

 

I understand that the drills can be hot and boring, carrying and/or wearing dirty PFD's, but there is a reason they are held.....SOLAS and Maritime Laws aside.

[megr1125]

Nope, they didn't last week on my CCL cruise. It was a free for all. The crew member at our station didn't have a clip board to write down numbers. They didn't organize people by height, which is usually what I see happening on RCCL ships, so the kids and shorties didn't get up front and were smothered by the taller people.

 

I couldn't imagine skipping one though.

 

 

ditto for us on the Pride...it was total mayhem....and it started about 30 minutes late....the response we got was "well.....it's scheduled for AROUND 5 PM....blah blah....." never did they make an announcement to the contrary..........even the 4 crew members we asked - at 5:15- said it starts at 5! we were told that since my mom had a wheelchair we should get there early......no one was around!

 

better organized on RCCL..........

[xxbrowns]

This poster posted the IDENTICAL post 15 months ago on another muster drill thread.

 

Ignore him. He is either on Cruise Critic to stir the pot (all of his posts are like this) or he is irremedial.

 

This is the same poster, when he first registered, had an outrageous post that was anti-carnival, to stir the pot and get everyone fired up. Well it turns out that in his signature, for all of his RCCL cruises, he had carnival room categories. Someone pointed it out and he changed it, but I remember him to be a big troll. Just ignore this guy (RCCLRULES).

[ruby_tuesday]

Can I say that I am completely for attending the muster drill, but was so annoyed when we sailed on the Vision of the Seas in May. Both myself and my husband attended and had photos in our life jackets (for the old family album :)) yet when I returned to the stateroom later on, I hadn't been ticked off and had the card of shame!

 

I would have been so mad had they made me attend a muster the next day - and would have showed them the evidence of me on deck on the camera! The staff need to be more observant - as I was not happy at being missed off the list. That said, I do not support people not attending the drill, I just think that some staff need to play their part too and keep their eyes open... Apologies for the rant :mad:

[rcacace]

That's fine if you're in your cabin when the crisis arose. Part of the muster drill is for your entire group to know where to go. If you happen to be separated on the ship, and you can't get back to your cabin, do you know where to meet each other? eg: hubby is in the casino and dear wife is in the spa -- a raging inferno breaks out and is out of control -- do you two know where each other are going to go? You may not have time, nor may be allowed to go off looking for each other......that is part of the reason for muster stations....so that all members of a party go to the same place....

 

I understand that the drills can be hot and boring, carrying and/or wearing dirty PFD's, but there is a reason they are held.....SOLAS and Maritime Laws aside.

 

If you know where the muster area is located what's the point? You're obviously both going to go to the same area no matter where you are on the ship. Did I miss something the first 20 times I went to the muster drill?

It is important to know where it's located- no argument about that & it is important to know how to put on your life jacket & make sure it's serviceable.

The whole point of asking everybody to attend is that they don't know who's attended one before & if you know where the muster stations is located.

[MrPete]

If you know where the muster area is located what's the point? You're obviously both going to go to the same area no matter where you are on the ship. Did I miss something the first 20 times I went to the muster drill?

It is important to know where it's located- no argument about that & it is important to know how to put on your life jacket & make sure it's serviceable.

The whole point of asking everybody to attend is that they don't know who's attended one before & if you know where the muster stations is located.

 

Are you in the same cabin every sailing, assigned to same lifeboat??