Life Boat Drill

[Jewelfine]

Hi there

I was wondering if anyone knew the locations for the muster drills? we have cabin 6098 on the Zuiderdam and were wondering if it will be inside or outside.

When we were on the disney cruise we were lined up outside and it was really hot to where my daugther started crying(which isn't like her at all)

where as the last time on RCCL we were inside in a lounge.
Haven't done HAL yet - looking forward to it

Thanx

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

There are instructions on the back of your cabin door as to what lifeboat you are assigned to.

In the daily program there will be a time listed as to when to report to your lifeboat.

Announcements will be made over the PA system about 15 minutes before the actual drill.

You will put on your life jacket before you report to your assigned lifeboat on the promenade deck.

Everyone reports to their assigned lifeboat.

All drills are held outside.

There have been times when we have had to stand out in the sun and heat but it isn't for a long period of time.

Someone will be there to check off your name indicating that you reported.

:)

[Terri Lee]

Welcome to HAL!!

All the boat drills on HAL are on deck.You will find the instructions as to where to go,'written' on the back of the cabin door(hopefully it is the same place on the Zuiderdam).When you first reach your cabin,there will be a special channel on the TV which goes through the boat drill procedure.Your boat number is printed on the 'door instructions' as well as on your life-jackets.
I think you will find that this very important safety drill will be efficiently done and will be over within about 20 minutes or even less.

Have a lovely cruise with smooth seas!

Terri;)

[sail7seas]

HAL does the best life boat drill of all the lines we have sailed on IMO


It is not necessarily the most comfortable as all pax stand outside on Promendade Deck at their life boat station wearing their life jackets.

But, IMO, HAL does the best job of "educating" pax what we should do in the event of an emergency.

Attendance is mandatory and all names are called and checked off. as being present.....or not.

I don't think there is anything about life boat drill that would cause any children to cry.

[ASM]

Take a bottle of water or something in case your DD gets overheated. The Zuiderdam runs muster very efficiently but there can be a wait if some pax don't show up.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Welcome to HAL!!

Your boat number is printed on the 'door instructions' as well as on your life-jackets.

Terri;)

Your lifeboat number is also printed on your ship card as well. :)

[peaches from georgia]

We did the same thing on RCCI- lifeboat drill in a lounge. Made no sense then and makes no sense now. In case of an emergency I want to know where my lifeboat is before we sail. :rolleyes:

[Pincus]

Hi there

I was wondering if anyone knew the locations for the muster drills? we have cabin 6098 on the Zuiderdam and were wondering if it will be inside or outside.

When we were on the disney cruise we were lined up outside and it was really hot to where my daugther started crying(which isn't like her at all)

where as the last time on RCCL we were inside in a lounge.
Haven't done HAL yet - looking forward to it

Thanx

Agree with the previous posters. HAL takes passenger safety very seriously, and all lifeboat drills are held outside near your life boat. Makes sense to me!

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

Another thing I do when we get on the ship is to check where the emergency exit is in relation to our cabin incase we aren't able to use the regular stairs.

[Cruiseoften]

Considering that lifeboat drill must be held before or very soon after sailing, having it in a lounge makes no sense to me - we did it once, forget which ship. We and many others couldn't find the lounge and arrived as people were leaving so we missed the whole thing.

HAL's way of doing things makes much more sense. I like the fact that everyone is required to attend and names called and marked off. Oh, it's true that it may be cold, wet and windy or hot and sticky on deck but at least I know what my lifeboat looks like.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we used to sail on Princess, we had to report to a lounge. If I remember corretly, passengers assigned to several lifeboats were assigned to the same lounge. Very crowded and noisy. There was a lot of confusion. People "playing" around with their life jackets - not taking things to seriously.

I can't remember what we did on NCL - it has been a long time since we were on them.

[kryos]

[QUOTE]Someone will be there to check off your name indicating that you reported]
Not trying to be a smarta** here ... but ...

What happens if you don't report? Like if you are in your cabin sawing wood because you've been working since 10:00 p.m. the night before and just didn't hear the announcements? What happens? They throw you overboard? :)

I ask this because I missed the ship on my last cruise and had to pick it up two days later in Costa Rica. Obviously, I didn't attend lifeboat drill and nobody mentioned a make-up. Being my first cruise, I wouldn't have known muster drill from brown mustard, so I certainly didn't mention it.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[localady]

rita-

They will find you eventually!!! We had an acquaintance have to go to muster the 3rd day of our 17 day South America cruise, because he had missed the first 2 musters! The note he received was quite terse, and we all suggested that if he didn't make it to muster that they'd make him "walk the plank"!! :eek:

In all seriousness, in this day and age it is critical to know what emergency procedures are, and I applaud HAL for their requiring folks to attend the muster or a make up of the muster!!!:cool:

[KSCnCA]

Yes bring water with you, but if you bring a mixed drink to a Carnival muster they will take it away from you! (I assume HAL will have the same policy.) It was pretty hot in our Carnival muster - everyone was packed in rows, and since we got there on time we were in the back. I wish I had water, but when muster was finished they found me quickly and gave me my drink back! :) Please encourage everyone to get there on time and get it done! The waiting for stragglers was tedious, at best.

[MeAbFab]

Yes bring water with you, but if you bring a mixed drink to a Carnival muster they will take it away from you! I'm glad to hear that someone else had a "serious" Carnival muster. So many times I read about the drunken antics on the Carnival ships, but I found it quite serious in tone, going to our assigned lifeboats, not a lounge. In fact, the (legendary) Cruise Director John Heald conducted the drill in a very profesional and formal manner, which I found contrasted nicely with the Welcome Aboard Show later that night with "passengers" Wille Banger and Dick Wooden. :-)

[RISKMGR]

I have been on numerous cruises and I have spent the last 10 musters in my cabin. No one ever called my stateroom or did anything to let me know that I was missing on RCCL, CARNIVAL, NCL, PRINCESS, or CELEBRITY.

I was never asked to do a "make up". Is HAL really that strict in muster enforcement?:eek:

[sail7seas]

Yes....they mean it.


As potentially a fellow pax of yours, it disappoints me to hear you do not take these drills seriously enough to attend.

If there were a true emergency, I would like to think that all pax would know where to go and how to get there.

I would not like to think that someone would be risking their safety, survival to assist you because you stayed in your cabin during the drill.

HAL will contact you and you will have the dubious pleasure and (presumably) embarrassment of doing a makeup drill.

I am not judging....just asking. Why is everyone except you expected to attend the drill?

We have been on over 40 HAL cruises on almost all of the "dam" ships.....We have never failed to attend a drill. Seeing as we are always in the same category cabin and always in the same area as previously (which means we go to the same life boat station each time we cruise), we ALWAYS go to the drill and pay attention. (We are not slow learners!!! We just think it that important.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL is very strict about life boat drill.

There was a couple assigned to our life boat station and she had gone down to the infirmary because she didn't feel well. The nurse didn't have time to see her because of the drill and reminded them that they had to report to their lifeboat station.

We have seen a few people that were summoned to a drill the next morning because they had missed the one the evening before. They got a note as to which lifeboat they are to report to. They didn't go their assigned life boat for that drill.

[Roadwork]

I must agree the muster drill is very important and it should not be taken lightly.

On my last Hal cruise, we became friends with 3 new cruisers. They did not realize this was something that sould be taken seriously and they did not attend.

They were NOT contacted by anyone about missing it. We were very suprised when we heard this because we always thought Hal contacted the missing parties.

[sail7seas]

Hopefully ?? that was a case of "they slipped through the cracks" and it is not usual.

[glrounds]

A young couple I met while standing in line for embarcation on the Carnival PRIDE later during the cruise told me that their cabin steward came into their cabin to get them for "muster" while checking to see if the cabin was empty(just as they would in a real emergency).

As a previous poster stated, I think S7S, these people are prepared to risk their lives to make sure you are safe in a real emergency, the least any pax can do is make their job a little easier by learning, through practice, what is expected of them in a real emergency. :(

[Cruiseoften]

When it comes to people who ignore Muster/Life Boat drill, chatter and make cell phone calls and then boast about it, I'm pretty sure I'd ignore them in a real emergency.

We're not "I, Me, My Mine people" and normally go out of our way to offer assistance when we see the need. Many times I've been quite cross with my DH when he's assisted someone who could easily have called a porter but was too cheap to do so.

It surprises me that HAL did not follow up with those who skipped but then nothing is ever always perfect.

[kryos]

They were NOT contacted by anyone about missing it. We were very suprised when we heard this because we always thought Hal contacted the missing parties.
That's the same as it was with me. I missed muster because I missed the ship at embarkation on Wednesday. I boarded at Puerto Limon on Friday, and since I was one of six people who all encountered the same airline problem and all boarded in Costa Rica, HAL was aware of our plight and was expecting us on Saturday. Other than a hold-up with Customs in Puerto Limon, we had a smooth embarkation and the front desk had all of our paperwork ready for us ... room cards, etc. ... and by the time I headed to my cabin, my bag was already sitting on the bed waiting for me.

Later that evening, I found a nice letter under my door ... from Ship Services, I believe ... extending their regrets that we missed the boat in Fort Lauderdale, and inviting me to a cocktail reception hosted by the captain. No mention of anything about a muster drill, however ... and like I said, I wouldn't have even known to ask about such a thing since this was my first cruise.

It was only a couple of days later, when my cabinmate happened to mention ... "oh, you missed muster drill" ... that I even found out about such a thing.

So, I guess HAL wasn't that particularly concerned about the drill ... at least on this sailing ... and they knew that there were six of us who joined the ship late in Puerto Limon.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[sail7seas]

Rita....they care. Do not be mistaken about that. They care.

Under the circumstances you describe, it was not your fault. Of course, when your cabinmate mentioned it, you could have asked for "instruction" but I do not truly expect you (or most people) would do that. Nor would I....probably.

Someone messed up.....there most assuredly should have been a "private session" for the six of you. It does not take very long for the entire ship to do it. For six, it would be very fast.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I can't imagine not taking the lifeboat drill seriously. I fear a lot of people cruising these days are somewhat unaware that they are going to be out in the middle of the ocean with the lifeboats being the one and only exit from the ship if an emergency occurs.

But I'm particularly surprised about the RCCL lounge drill. On Celebrity you go first to a lounge or casino depending on your munster station and remain there for quite some time. But from there you are directed out to your assigned station. Perhaps these people thought it was over and "cut out" prior to the end of the drill?

Celebrity being part of RCCL (RCI) I can't imagine why their procedure would be any different.

[NJsharon]

Yes, on the Zuiderdam you are required to go to the muster drill & it is outside. I would suggest bringing a sunhat for your daughter to wear, maybe a bottle of water, and a fan or piece of paper to use as a fan. I know I felt a little faint standing outside in the heat (I get low blood pressure) & one elderly lady collapsed & they had to get medics over.

HAL did seem to take it very seriously, calling off all the cabin numbers (but not separate names though) to check who was present. I also took my camera out to get a few photos (as I scrapbook) & was promptly told "no photos, please stand back". They were NOT happy with me! But I must say it made me feel safe that they were taking it so seriously.

So yes, they do a great drill, but be prepared to stand in the heat. Have fun on the Zuiderdam, we loved it. :)

~Sharon~

[kryos]

[i]A young couple I met while standing in line for embarcation on the Carnival PRIDE later during the cruise told me that their cabin steward came into their cabin to get them for "muster" while checking to see if the cabin was empty(just as they would in a real emergency).

This is exactly what I was hoping for on this cruise. In fact, I was planning to "grease his palm" to get specifically that service. :)

I certainly agree that muster drill is very important, and I do want to attend ... but I will be flying down to Miami at 6:00 a.m. in the morning, leaving Philly immediately AFTER working about a six-hour shift. Needless to say, if I wanna have any hope of enjoying dinner and some of the night activities, I'm gonna need a "recharge" nap.

My plan upon gaining access to my cabin was to take a quick shower and then a nap until muster drill. Just in case I don't hear the alarms (if I'm sleeping on my good ear, a distinct possibility), I was gonna ask the cabin steward if he would mind making sure I was up.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[jazzsea]

I had a friend that sailed with her three year old (now seven). She planned her participation in the life boat drill really well. She arrived at the muster station just as the Cruise Director was starting his lecture over the PA system. She heard everything and saw everything but limited her exposure to the ten or fifteen minutes that the drill took. By the time her daughter got really fussy the drill was over.

I don't recommend that other people arrive at the last minute but I think it is good idea for families with babies or small children.

[boards]

We agree that Hal were very serious about the life boat drill and did a great job. We have been on the NCL (The Norway and the Sea) and they also take it very serious. The first time on the Carnival (Mari Gras) they also did a good job, but later on the Holiday and the first time on the Festivale, it was a joke. My wife's straps were missing (Holiday 1990) and we told them and they did nothing was done to fix it. The second time on the Festivale the drill was very improved and I hope has continued to improve. We also take the drills very serious and of course hope to never have to make of use of them. Anyway happy cruising.

[peaches from georgia]

I agree that HAL takes life boat drill seriously, but I wish they did mean 'No Photos'. Maybe they do mean it as far as pax' cameras, but they sure don't when it comes to the ship's photographers.

On the Oosterdam last Dec. they were taking pictures as you went out onto the deck and absolutely would not let you out on the deck until you had your photo taken. Boy, did it back up in the hallways with people jammed up and pushing to get out on deck, all in their life jackets. It was ridiculous. Here we are being told how important it is to proceed to our life boat stations as if it were an emergency so we will be prepared, yet we have to stop and smile for the camera. Why do I think they would be there snapping away in a real emergency, too.

On our recent Maasdam cruise the photographers were on deck taking pictures of everyone all during the drill and of course everyone was a captive audience. :(

[KBC]

Can anyone advise me what the procedure is with wheelchair users during lifeboat drills. We are on HAL Westerdam next month with my parents who are quite worried about this. They are in a 'disabled' cabin. :confused:

[sail7seas]

Please assure your parents there is no need for them to be concerned.


Of all the cruiselines, HAL is the best about assisting persons with physical limitations. All people in wheelchairs are listed as folks who would need assisance in the event of an emergency and specific crew people are assigned as being available to help them.

For the lifeboat drill, they will be permitted to use the elevators while able bodied persons are told to walk the stairs.

They have no reason to be concerned either for the life boat drill or, heaven forbid, if there was a real emergency.

HAL does it best.....they have been doing it for over 130 years.

[Jewelfine]

Thanx guys! The sun hat, and water is a great idea - I think we try to get there "last" - I want to teach her it is important and to take it seriously but if she gets really upset then she will be afraid of it - although she is older now.
Thanx again!

[sail7seas]

How old is she?

[npeters]

You should bring a battery-powered mini fan with mister. That would keep her cool and also make it more fun.

[KBC]

Dear Sail7seas - Thank you for your re-assurance regarding my disabled parents and the life boat drill. I am hoping to be able to remain with them during the drill. As I am only two doors down, this may be possible. Thanks again.;)

[cactuslady]

In my experience, HAL is also serious about the seagoing tradition of "women and children first," and will ask the gentlemen to stand at the back, farthest from the boats. Not all of the men are happy about this, of course. Heaven forbid we should have a real lifeboat emergency and see who actually makes it into the boats.

[ekerr19]

In my experience, HAL is also serious about the seagoing tradition of "women and children first," and will ask the gentlemen to stand at the back, farthest from the boats. Not all of the men are happy about this, of course. Heaven forbid we should have a real lifeboat emergency and see who actually makes it into the boats.

Some of the men we've cruised with just didn't get it. My DH & son always go right to the back - but many are just standing flapping their gums - life vest not even tied or let alone put on, straps trailing on the deck - unbelievable.

How hard can it be? It is a very serious matter and needs only take a few minutes. It is all those who are "special" - thinking rules don't apply to them - that make it a long, hot, tedious afternoon.

I have been known to "shshhh" people when the roll-call starts. I've gotten some nasty looks and I couldn't care less.

This is a pet peeve of mine. :mad:

How someone can remain in their cabin and ignore lifeboat drill is beyond me.

[Jewelfine]

I agree that the drill is soooo important - My daughter is 9 so I think she will be ok - just wanted to know what to prepare for.

Thanx

[RevNeal]

Regarding photographs at the Lifeboat Drill ... for several years, now, the videoographer has been out on the deck videotaping it. You'll see views from it again and again and again and again, on the TV, during the cruise ... trying to get you to buy the cruise video. :)

Stills are also taken, but I've never seen traffic flow upset by the photographers -- except when people have been trying to avoid them. ;)

As for passengers not taking photographs ... well ... I'm guilty of doing that on the mid-cruise life-boat drill during our Hawaii cruise. I brought my camera with me to take pictures of some of the port we were pulling out of, and I ended up taking a few during the drill itself.

[the2ofus]

I think it depends on when you take the pictures. We have never been told not to take pics, but we usually arrive early at the drill and take the pictures of our travelling companions, etc. before the actual lifeboat drill begins.

[Astra2825138]

On one of my Carnival cruises, my husband and I were so tired that we crashed as soon as we got into our room. We are both heavy sleepers and I do remember someone knocking at our door saying "hello?", but I didn't think much of it. When we woke up we both realized that we missed our drill! No one said anything to us...but we made sure on our own that we knew what to do in case of an exmergency. I just can't belive that we slept through it.

[Kami's pal]

Not attend a lifeboat drill? Not pay attention during the drill? I know teenagers are accused of living in mythical "it will never happen to me" land, but adults have no excuse. Heavy sleepers, late arrivals etc. owe their fellow passengers and themselves a muster drill, properly attended, with quiet respectful attention and practice. I've never had to be removed from a sinking ship, but I expect that conditions are far worse than we experience during the practice. The least we can do is to attend the drill, be quiet during instruction, make certain we have an intact Personal Flotation Device that fits for every member of our family. Babies and young children need specially designed PFDs If we miss the drill, it is our responsibility to drill ourselves and children.
Take pictures after drill is over!
And, if someone is talking while I am trying to listen, I have no problem with asking them to be quiet and to ask that portion of drill be repeated.
This isn't a game. HAL is remiss and should be reported to Coast Guard if they don't hold proper drills. They must fulfill the letter of the law and the SPIRIT of the law.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Not attend a lifeboat drill? Not pat attention during the drill? I know teenagers are accused of living in mythical "it will never happen to me" land, but adults have no excuse. Heavy sleepers, late arrivals etc. owe their fellow pax and themselves a muster drill, properly attended, with quiet respectful attention and practice. I've never had to be removed from a sinking ship, but I expect that conditions are far worse than we experience during the practice. The least we can do is to attend the drill, be quiet during instruction, make certain we have an intact Personal Flotation Device that fits for every member of our family. Babies and young children need specially designed PFDs If we miss the drill, it is our responsibility to drill ourselves and children.
Take pictures after drill is over!
And, if someone is talking while I am trying to listen, I have no problem with them to be quiet and to ask that portion of drill be repeated.
This isn't a game. HAL is remiss and should be reported to Coast Guard if they don't hold proper drills. They must fulfill the letter of the law and the SPIRIT of the law.I couldn't agree with you more and echo your sentiments exactly!

The truth is (and I will be strongly flamed for this) there are a lot of people on cruises these days who just shouldn't be there. They seem to think they're on land. They think lifeboats are a joke, they don't want to rock, vibrate or feel any motion, and who knows what else?

Maybe a mandatory viewing of "Titanic" would be in order before even embarking on a ship of any kind.

If something happens on that ship in the middle of the ocean (especially during these terrifying times) and people don't know where to go, how to put on a life vest, etc., etc., they put everyone on that ship in jeopardy. There's no excuse for that.

The lifeboats are a lifeline and we may need them one day. There are no excuses whatsoever for not attending ... none ... IMHO.

[Nasmas]

I've never been on a ship that didn't have the drill. I think its very important. HAL takes names. I'm not sure what they do if you don't come, but I'll bet that list is kept handy and if something happens, you won't be looked kindly on for missing the drill. The thinking may be that if you don't get out, its your own fault. Plus, it takes longer for us that do go because they keep calling cabin numbers if no one answers. :eek:

[dakrewser]

The truth is (and I will be strongly flamed for this) there are a lot of people on cruises these days who just shouldn't be there. They seem to think they're on land. They think lifeboats are a joke, they don't want to rock, vibrate or feel any motion, and who knows what else?
Hear! Hear!! But the cruise lines, unfortunately, foster this mis-conception with their advertising.

[ryansmemom]

I couldn't agree with you more and echo your sentiments exactly!

The truth is (and I will be strongly flamed for this) there are a lot of people on cruises these days who just shouldn't be there. They seem to think they're on land. They think lifeboats are a joke, they don't want to rock, vibrate or feel any motion, and who knows what else?

Maybe a mandatory viewing of "Titanic" would be in order before even embarking on a ship of any kind.

If something happens on that ship in the middle of the ocean (especially during these terrifying times) and people don't know where to go, how to put on a life vest, etc., etc., they put everyone on that ship in jeopardy. There's no excuse for that.

The lifeboats are a lifeline and we may need them one day. There are no excuses whatsoever for not attending ... none ... IMHO.

Heather ,I am definitly not flaming you. I am agreeing with you. There are many people on a ship these days who do not seem to be aware of the fact that they are isolated on a relatively small vessel and vulnerable to the forces of man and nature. Yes, we are much safer today than ever before. However we are not invincible and tragedies can occur.

We all need to pay attention to lifeboat drills, fire hazards, and other saftey concerns. The cruise lines need to act responsibly in this matter. I do not understand the practice of holding a lifeboat drill in a lounge. It may be more comfortable, but how does that actually teach people where they are supposed to go in case of an emergency. They are on a ship that may be unfamiliar to them. If the drill takes place at the muster station, at least they know where that muster station is and how to get there.


Also, as ships get bigger and bigger and more like resorts than ships, people will tend to become less aware that they are on a ship and not on land and lose sight of the inherent possible problems of being in this situation and the need for the necessary precautions.

Linda

[wander]

Sometime ago (like years) a HAL ship ran into trouble in Alaska and folks had to evacuate the ship.

Since then I met a woman who was on the ship. We asked her about the experience, how the crew was, etc. She said that the crew was wonderful! but that the main problem was with some of the passengers. She said many of them had obviously either NOT attended the drill or had paid NO attention during the drill. She said that enough of them were just running around in a panic, having no idea what to do, where to go, etc. She said they were fortunate that the ship was not sinking (too shallow to sink far) as these folks would have probably precluded others from making it off safely.

She said that despite all her cruising experiences and knowing what to do, she vowed to take even more seriously what they said at drills in the future.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I do not understand the practice of holding a lifeboat drill in a lounge. It may be more comfortable, but how does that actually teach people where they are supposed to go in case of an emergency. They are on a ship that may be unfamiliar to them. If the drill takes place at the muster station, at least they know where that muster station is and how to get there.

LindaI've only been on 12 cruises, but on all different lines and I have never had a drill in a lounge so this puzzles me! I did read on this board about that happening but thought maybe she didn't realize it continued at the muster station and left before it was over.

On many lines we initially go to a lounge where they gather everyone so they can then go to the muster station. I think some people cut out from there thinking that's all there is which would mean they're not paying attention anyway.

In any case, I'm so happy so many seem to agree with me. Thank you.

[Orcrone]

Last year we were on the Carnival Inspiration. The first part of the lifeboat drill was held in a lounge, and the second part was at the lifeboat. I believe the PAX assigned to multiple lifeboats were at each lounge. If I'm not mistaken (and I very well could be wrong) I believe that in case of an emergency we were supposed to muster at the lounge (which was not far from the lifeboats) and await instructions there. I do remember them making announcements in the lounge several times to make sure that only people assigned to that lounge were there, and then later taking attendance at the lifeboats. Don't know whether anyone was missing from my muster station and if there were if there was any follow on.

Is the lifeboat drill fun? Not really. But I look at the lifeboat drill as the last "chore" to do before the fun really begins.:) Of course, depending how long I've been on the ship, the fun has probably already started.:D

[the2ofus]

Our muster station was in one section of the show lounge. There were various other muster stations in areas of the show lounge, plus muster stations in other indoor venues on the ship. At our muster station we were told where our lifeboat was located, had the use of the life vest demonstrated and told how an emergency evacuation would be done. A make-up drill was scheduled for the next day. These muster drills were NOT listed as mandatory in the daily program.

I firmly believe that the only way to ensure that people will do what needs to be done in an emergency is to practice the drill beforehand. (Remember all those grade and high school fire drills? Also, every medical facility I ever worked in had frequent fire drills as a requirement for licensure/certification.)

I'm glad HAL makes us go out on deck and stand where our lifeboat is located, wearing the life vest. We're more likely to act correctly in emergency. I am also glad the crew has extra emergency drills throughout each voyage.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Orcrone, that's exactly what I experienced last year on the Celebrity Millenium and on other ships in previous years.

[Mary Ellen]

Sometime ago (like years) a HAL ship ran into trouble in Alaska and folks had to evacuate the ship.
We were on the cruise prior to this one (Sept. 1980). We saw many of the passengers waiting to board, as we were several hours late in arriving in Vancouver. Since that cruise was about a month long (Vancouver to Indonesia via Alaska), the passengers were elderly (seemed 80+, I was in my 20s :rolleyes: ). When we heard about the evacuation (all over the Seattle papers as one can imagine), DH and I were very impressed that everyone was safely off the ship.

You bet we pay attention at the lifeboat drills.

[Peggy Sue]

Disney cruise line - 2 cruises, both musters were in one of the dining rooms. You were asked to proceed to the dining room, look for a staff member holding up a sign with your muster station number, and take a seat at a table. The tables were set for dinner, with the table cloths brough up and over the dishes. Several muster stations were in the dining room with us. Each time they called out some of the cabin numbers, but not all. In both instances, our cabin number was not called. We had a brief explaination of where to go in case of an emergency..and then we were dismissed. Many arrived carrying their life vests..crew made a feeble attempt to ask people to put them on..many ignored their request and just sat there holding their jackets. I was quite dismayed how informal their drill was. This was on a 3 day and a 4 day cruise.

All other cruise lines we've been on muster has been outside, next to our lifeboat..and everyone had to have their jacket on and properly secured.

It is indeed amazing how some people believe this drill does not pertain to them and they can dismiss it and hold the rest of us up..these have to be the same people who do not report to immigration on time in St. Thomas, or to the front desk to pay their bill on the final cruise morning.

I want to know where to go in case of an emergency....I've seen the titanic too many times, and, sad to say, but with the state of our world today we all need to take the necessary percautions to know what do do in the event of an emergency.

[Annecrs]

My husband and I have cruised for over 35 years on various lines. We have always had the life Boat drills where you went to the assigned area that is clearly marked on your cabin door or your room stewart can tell you the location when you board. When you use the word Muster Station it reminds me of a very bad experience we had just June 5th of this year on Celebrity lines, ship the Century. The ship did not have good directions, the crew members who where to direct you in the halls to the correct station had to have maps, you would think they would know the ship better than anyone else, We went to the Casino lounge with some 400 other passengers, No one checked the life vest, you could not hear the directions given or see the person who was giving the directions, They took 25 min. for this portion then they had you line up and go down the stairs to your assigned life boat, the only problem was that when you got there they told you that if this was a real emergency this boat might not be the one you would be assigned to. I wanted to know which boat I was on, not whether there was going to be a boat for us when a real emergency came up. The whole process took over 40 min.

Now let me tell you why I am so particular about these fire drills and why HOLLAND AMERICAN LINES are one of the very BEST!!

We went on the maiden voyage of the Zanndam, Sept of 2001. It is a beautiful ship. We had our Boat drill that took approx 15 min, it was on the prominade deck, a little hot, but on the shadey side of the ship. Two Crew officers took roll call for each cabin for our designated life boat and then checked each life vest to make sure you knew how to put it on properly.

All was fine, We had the first seating for dinner at around 6 pm, before going down to dinner, my husband who is a Coast Guard Master Captain, said that the boat was turning, that we were headed back to Ft. Lauderdale. I thought he must be mistaken. We no sooner got seated and served our drinks when the Captain came on to the loud speaker and said we were to proceed to our cabins, get our life vests and wait for further instructions, All passengers went in a very calm and orderly manner to their cabins, and crew members were at ever 100 feet or so to give you directions if you got lost. We no sooner got our life vest on, this is approx 7 min time has lapsed , that they told us to go immediately to our life boat stations. When we got to our life boat, we looked out into the water, and sure enough the ship had turned around and we could see Ft. Lauderdale, but we were not moving, The Ship was surrounded by Coast Guard, Police Boats all with blue lights flashing, but they were about 600 yards away from the ship. The crew took Roll and if a member of your cabin was not there they sent a runner to find them. All of this was coodinated within 15 min. All done with our safety in mind. It turned out that there had been a Bomb scare from a disgruntal employee that made the call from the pier. All was fine, handled expertly and handled quickly!, Can you imagine if this had happened on the Century cruise, the ship would have sunk before we even got to the first meeting room.

Sorry to be so long but the life boat drills are important and a little discomfort is little to pay for your safty. Enjoy your cruise .
Anne CRS

[anjan]

I can't imagine not taking the lifeboat drill seriously. I fear a lot of people cruising these days are somewhat unaware that they are going to be out in the middle of the ocean with the lifeboats being the one and only exit from the ship if an emergency occurs.

But I'm particularly surprised about the RCCL lounge drill. On Celebrity you go first to a lounge or casino depending on your munster station and remain there for quite some time. But from there you are directed out to your assigned station. Perhaps these people thought it was over and "cut out" prior to the end of the drill?

Celebrity being part of RCCL (RCI) I can't imagine why their procedure would be any different.
I have sailed 3 times on RCCL and each time we were required to go to our lifeboat and attendance was taken. The only cruise that I had to go to a lounge was on Carnival. I haven't sailed with HAL yet, but am looking forward to my HAL cruise next month.

[kryos]

In my experience, HAL is also serious about the seagoing tradition of "women and children first," and will ask the gentlemen to stand at the back, farthest from the boats. Not all of the men are happy about this, of course. Heaven forbid we should have a real lifeboat emergency and see who actually makes it into the boats.
I don't know if I entirely agree with that somewhat "outdated" policy. I think a better policy would be the handicapped and elderly (both sexes) first. Then women and children, etc.

Were there ... God forbid ... an emergency requiring abandoning ship, I would think it would be these folks who would have the least chance of survival if they did not make it into a life boat. The younger passengers would presumably be stronger and healthier, and thus would have a better chance of surviving a couple of hours in the drink, if necessary.

Just my opinion ...

Blue skies ...

--rita

[sail7seas]

Annecrs......


Thank you for sharing that story re: Zaandam. That must have been very frightening. When I got to the part where you indicated the Coast Guard was surrounding the ship, I was speculating.....Ohhhh, this must have been a safety drill the Coast Guard wanted performed because Zaandam was a new ship just entering service.

Sure didn't guess the real reason for the 'drill'.

So thankful that, obviously, all ended well.

I so agree that (per my personal cruising experience) HAL has the most thorough, most useful and most professional of all the lifeboat drills we have attended.

[Roboat]

Sorry to be so long but the life boat drills are important and a little discomfort is little to pay for your safty. Enjoy your cruise .
Anne CRS
Thank you for taking the time to share your alarming experience and illustrating so well the effect of proper drills.

I'm sure there are many here who have gone through some sort of emergency training and found out later how helpful it was to have that "hands on" experience we thought we'd never use.

[Esme]

Sometime ago (like years) a HAL ship ran into trouble in Alaska and folks had to evacuate the ship.



That would have been the PRINSENDAM - I believe it was in 1981, just before we started sailing with HAL. We knew the Hotel Manager who was on that ship and he told us many stories. Fortunately no lives were lost.

[Randyk47]

We've only been on two cruiselines Carnival and HAL. We've always gone to the drills and can say without a doubt that the HAL drills are well organized. Yep...it can get uncomfortable, especially if you happen to get a station on the west side of the ship when the sun is setting....thought my wife was going to pass out during that drill. For pure confusion and frustration I'd recommend Carnival...the drill was more of a carnival or maybe a zoo would be more appropriate. Will say that was several years ago, and maybe they've become more organized, but my gut feeling was half of us would not make it based on the drill on the Fantasy if there'd been a problem. That particular drill got so confusing that 4 or 5 of us went to the guy that was trying to explain what to do and ask him to just explain it to us. He did and we went back and explained it to the collected group. Finished the drill up pretty quick after that. What a mess! :eek:

[Annecrs]

In response to the comment about the men having to go to the back and to allow the children and woman first. On that Real Fire drill that was a bomb scare and the real thing. We had a gentleman who was very loud and saying all sorts of stupid things in a time of a real emergency. He wanted everyone to demand free wine with dinner and a free hotel when we returned. I remember turning to the man and telling him to be quiet, that he should be worrying about if he was even going to be alive in the next few seconds, to try and start a problem is just not called for in these situations. The ships Captain made a public announcement about the incedent and they did serve wine at dinner and they gave us a beautiful book with a personal signed letter in it from the Captain again expressing his concern for our safety. The Young might be stronger but they also have a lot of living also, if the rules are followed everyone will be safe.

[Bill S]

In 2002, we were on the Statendam when it had a fire which shut down the engines and electical distribution system. It was the real deal, and although we were not directed to put on life vests, it was reassuring to know what we were to do and where we were to go in event things had gotten worse. When you see crew members in fire fighting gear running through the corridors, with fire extinguishers, and smoke-blackened faces, you are glad that HAL takes their lifeboat drills seriously! We do likewise, even if it is uncomfortable during the process.

[HeatherInFlorida]

The Young might be stronger but they also have a lot of living also, if the rules are followed everyone will be safe.
This is so true and when I read earlier that the old people should be taken off first (and I'm old so I can say this), I quickly thought that wasn't entirely fair either because the youth, if anyone, should survive because they've hardly begun to live their lives!

There can easily be an argument why any age group or either sex should be the first on the lifeboats, but in the end as long as it's handled well and people do what they're told, everyone will be safe. That's why there are enough lifeboats, now, for everyone. This was not so with the Titanic.