Muster Drill..Do You Have To Attend?

[ShipShapeinFL]

Is the Muster Drill mandatory every time you take a cruise?

[Toto2Kansas]

Unless you are sailing on a Back to Back on the same ship, YES, the muster drill is mandatory. The second leg of a B2B you are not required to attend. It is for your one safety so you would know where to go during an emergency and is required by Maritime law!

[billet]

Originally Posted by Toto2Kansas

Unless you are sailing on a Back to Back on the same ship, YES, the muster drill is mandatory. The second leg of a B2B you are not required to attend. It is for your one safety so you would know where to go during an emergency and is required by Maritime law!

As Toto says absolutely - definitively YES. The only other exception is if you are mobility challenged you can inform your steward, stay in your cabin and list to it on the TV.

[Pam in CA]

Originally Posted by ShipShapeinFL

Is the Muster Drill mandatory every time you take a cruise?

Yes, by law. And yes, they really do check to see if someone has attended or not, even if they don't take attendance.

Last year on the Prinsendam, we were on a 28-day cruise and were required to attend a second Muster after 14 days. A few days later, the emergency alarm went off at 1:55am. People were running around in their night clothes, asking what they should do. On HAL, you go directly to your lifeboat and some people raced there in their jammies, totally unprepared. It's as if they completely tuned out the instructions and the Captain, who got on the PA and told everyone to remain in their cabins. It was pretty funny. As it turned out, the fire was in the cooler (industrial refrigerator) in the buffet and was put out within minutes, but if it had been a more serious fire, it wouldn't have been funny at all the way people reacted.

I've been on 19 Princess cruises, 3 HAL, and 4 Royal Caribbean and still feel it's important to attend the Muster.

[brenderlou]

You will probably get all the politically correct answers to your question but I can tell you that my brother has been sailing Princess for many, many years and can't remember the last time they attended a muster drill.
They stay in their cabin and enjoy a cocktail.....planning on doing the same....Please, no flaming. I know others opinion about attending muster drill.

[maxamuus]

Originally Posted by brenderlou

You will probably get all the politically correct answers to your question but I can tell you that my brother has been sailing Princess for many, many years and can't remember the last time they attended a muster drill.
They stay in their cabin and enjoy a cocktail.....planning on doing the same....Please, no flaming. I know others opinion about attending muster drill.

There is always a few that the rules dont apply too.

[ShipShapeinFL]

I didn't mean to start a fire here. Don't get me wrong, we have no intention of NOT attending the muster drill, just wondering if they are mandatory. I actually enjoyed the muster drill on our last cruise. I thought it was very informative and entertaining and we got to meet some nice people.

[luvtocook]

OK, Princess newbie here. We are Celebrity loyals (10+ cruises) and booked on Star next November. On X's new Solstice class ships they have done away with making you report to Muster with life jackets on. What does Princess require?

[billet]

Originally Posted by brenderlou

You will probably get all the politically correct answers to your question but I can tell you that my brother has been sailing Princess for many, many years and can't remember the last time they attended a muster drill.
They stay in their cabin and enjoy a cocktail.....planning on doing the same....Please, no flaming. I know others opinion about attending muster drill.

If you apply your logic then you must agree then that it is fine for the crew to only attend once in their whole career since they obviously know what they are doing and every ship is exactly the same .

After over 22 years at sea and 3 full scale emergency stations I consider it foolish of anyone on board to presume they know what to do if they have not attended a current briefing for that particular ship with that particular crew. There is a legal requirement to attend.

[LHT28]

Originally Posted by brenderlou

You will probably get all the politically correct answers to your question but I can tell you that my brother has been sailing Princess for many, many years and can't remember the last time they attended a muster drill.
They stay in their cabin and enjoy a cocktail.....planning on doing the same....Please, no flaming. I know others opinion about attending muster drill.

And that is why people are standing around for extra time in the hot sun with life jackets on while they look for those in their cabins

[rcacace]

It is strange that if you're doing a back to back cruise & sitting at the pool or Horizon court that no one will say a word that you have to go to the drill.

[EAGLESLOVER]

On our first cruise we missed the drill. We honestly did not realize we were missing it as we snoozed, unbothered by anyone at the pool. Our Cabin Steward was furious as he apparently got grief that we were absent.I don't know how they knew, but they did. We have never again missed it. So yes , by all means DO THE DRILL.

[Thumper69]

I enjoy the muster and it can be a lot of fun if you have the right attitude. I think it's all part of the cruise experience. Also as previously posted everything is not the same on every ship and over time procedures do change.

Anthony

[G'ma]

Originally Posted by maxamuus

There is always a few that the rules dont apply too.

Yep.

And, they are usually the ones who will panic at the first sign of a problem, throw on their lifejackets and run around the hallways dragging their luggage.

They won't wait for any announcements as instructed, won't stay in their cabins as instructed and will cause mayhem.

It's irresponsible and puts everyone else on the ship at risk.

[sultan_sfo]

On Princess, the Muster gatherings are in the lounges and one just carries the life jacket. After the demo, one purs on the life jacket and then removes it and carries it back to the cabin or walk with it to the nearest bar. Princess now shuts down all the bars, buffets, etc. when the drill emergency signal is broadcast. They re-open after the Muster ends.

Originally Posted by LHT28

And that is why people are standing around for extra time in the hot sun with life jackets on while they look for those in their cabins

[uppitycats]

Yes, they're mandatory. Just like listening to the flight attendant at the beginning of every flight, and yes...following along with the card, and actually looking to be sure you know where the exits are. It's for your own safety.

Sure, some folks might get away with not going, hanging out in their cabin, inconveniencing everyone else. They likely break all kinds of laws because somehow they think they're above the law. They're not. Just "lucky" they haven't gotten caught yet...or been in an emergency situation.

[graycottag]

I will be travelling with a friend who has some heart issues and cannot do stairs. As I remember from prior cruises, the elevators are shut down at the time of the drill. Has anyone here had that issue? I was told that we simply need to let the steward know and he will still be permitted to use the elevator - with others who are in the same situation.

[peterv]

Originally Posted by rcacace

It is strange that if you're doing a back to back cruise & sitting at the pool or Horizon court that no one will say a word that you have to go to the drill.

Funny, I was going to post the same thing. We missed 3 of them that way. Not a soul asked as we were going through the buffet line at the time or sitting out at the pool the other times.

Cheers,
Peter

[billet]

Originally Posted by graycottag

I will be travelling with a friend who has some heart issues and cannot do stairs. As I remember from prior cruises, the elevators are shut down at the time of the drill. Has anyone here had that issue? I was told that we simply need to let the steward know and he will still be permitted to use the elevator - with others who are in the same situation.

If you let your steward know then your firend can stay in their cabin during the muster and listen on the TV. The steward can also arrange with the pursers desk to note that your cabin will need assistance during a real emergency.

[DrivesLikeMario]

My mother cannot do stairs very well either. I told her to ask if they would allow her to ride the elevator up and down to muster, but she struggled with the stairs instead.