New Princess Muster Procedure

Just home from the Grand one night re-positioning and we had a new version of the muster drill yesterday. I apologize if this is old news but it was a first for me. On the Grand the room steward informed us taking our life jackets to the drill was optional. This was repeated with the announcements from the bridge, stating they understood many people have previously cruised so the new procedure is life jackets are optional. They recommend if it's your first cruise you should take them to try on. In the muster station the drill proceeds as normal, and the crew demonstrates how to put on the life jacket, then you can leave if you want or stay and try on your life jacket if you brought it. I thought it was really great, faster, safer for passengers (some of which can't help but drag the belt) and hope this is the new standard procedure. ;-)

Wouldn't that be nice? Then I wouldn't have to embarrass myself by putting the thing on wrong. :o

This is news to me. This great news if it fleet wide for all cruises.

The recent Diamond Princess cruise I had the jackets were compulsory, however a new procedure they did scan your cruise card as you entered the muster station.

What I would like to see is that regular cruises can be eventually given some sort of accreditation that recognises them as regulars and knowledgeable in evacuation procedures. Going to the muster station to prove you know where it is should be enough. It gets rather annoying listening to the same recorded announcement every cruise.

I can see not worrying about life jackets since most people can't handle them in an emergency anyway. That said, procedures do change, so everyone should pay attention to the announcements even if you have heard them 100 times before.

Then again, I am one of the few people who pays attention to the flight attendants. Every time.

The recent Diamond Princess cruise I had the jackets were compulsory, however a new procedure they did scan your cruise card as you entered the muster station.

 

What I would like to see is that regular cruises can be eventually given some sort of accreditation that recognises them as regulars and knowledgeable in evacuation procedures. Going to the muster station to prove you know where it is should be enough. It gets rather annoying listening to the same recorded announcement every cruise.

That would be nice to see fleet wide. The muster drills are important but having people traipse around with the life jackets seems somewhat unnecessary EXCEPT for purposes of forcing a sanity check on the number of vests being in the right places.

Carnival had started doing something similar telling people to leave the life jackets in the cabins, etc. just before the Costa Concordia sinking.

News to me! Hope it will be fleet wide! How nice it would be not to have to take life jackets to the muster drill! :D

LuLu

Great idea. I hope it spreads to the other ships real soon although some people can't put them on right no matter how many times they've been shown. :p

I was just off the seven-day Caribbean Princess on Saturday and that was the case. No life jackets were required for those who had sailed in the past; the muster was still mandatory for all. It was recommended that first-time cruisers should take them to the drill.

It was so nice not to have to dodge trailing straps from hundreds of life jackets. My cabin mate who was on her first cruise took her life jacket and practiced putting it on after instructed in the procedure.

I'm wondering if this was just because the cruise was a 1-nighter. :confused: As of just 3 months ago, we had to bring our life jackets to muster.

They've been scanning the cruise cards for years now. They started with just a few ships, then went fleet wide with that program.

Carnival had started doing something similar telling people to leave the life jackets in the cabins, etc. just before the Costa Concordia sinking.

Amazingly, Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruises are separate lines. :rolleyes:

Also just off the Caribbean Princess for 2 weeks. Both weeks the announcement was made just before muster that if you have been to muster before on any previous cruise and are comfortable with how to put on your life vest, then you do not need to take it with you to muster. And of course, after you attend muster the first week, it is not necessary at all the second. I think this is a great idea.

Amazingly, Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruises are separate lines. :rolleyes:

Yes, but they have the same parent company and after the Costa Concordia incident it seems like all the lines tightened up on muster drills and safety procedures.

Wouldn't that be nice? Then I wouldn't have to embarrass myself by putting the thing on wrong. :o

Perhaps you should continue to take your life jacket with you until you have learned to do it correctly... :eek:

I'm amazed by the people who totally ignore the instructions and are busy putting the things on a fiddling with them when the person doing the demonstration is saying over and over to NOT put them on yet.

Perhaps you should continue to take your life jacket with you until you have learned to do it correctly... :eek:

 

LOL. :) I am competent with most things, but that silly thing always defeats me. I will doubtless drown. :p (I guess there is always the trip-and-fall-into-the-lifeboat method, though.) ;)

Living on and around water most of my life I think I know how to put on a life jacket. Frankly I am delighted to learn that I may not have drag that bulky thing to muster drill.

Yes, but they have the same parent company and after the Costa Concordia incident it seems like all the lines tightened up on muster drills and safety procedures.

Princess has even tightened up more in recent months. Although they've been scanning cards for years, they really did nothing with the gathered information but are now checking the numbers to see how many people actually skipped out. You'd be surprised how many still skip the drill & get called for a make up. There must have been around at least 3 dozen.

We still needed them three weeks ago on the Regal for muster. Would be nice not to traipse around the ship with them.

This would be very welcome news, particularly on the newest ships. On the Royal Princess, people were still waiting 25 minutes after muster ended for an elevator to take to their cabin to return their life jacket. I waited that long just for the stairs to clear enough to climb the stairs. Not having to return a life jacket to a cabin prior to sail away will disperse people significantly at a time of greatest congestion.

Perhaps you should continue to take your life jacket with you until you have learned to do it correctly... :eek:

 

I'm amazed by the people who totally ignore the instructions and are busy putting the things on a fiddling with them when the person doing the demonstration is saying over and over to NOT put them on yet.

Part of the fun of going for us is guessing the number of people that will put the life jacket on before they are told.

I'm amazed by the people who totally ignore the instructions and are busy putting the things on a fiddling with them when the person doing the demonstration is saying over and over to NOT put them on yet.

Don't forget about those that cannot resist the urge to blow on the norovirus laden emergency whistle.

Part of the fun of going for us is guessing the number of people that will put the life jacket on before they are told.

I always hear a few who actually blow the whistle! Germ City!

I always hear a few who actually blow the whistle! Germ City!

Hepatitis B can live outside the body for up to a week.

I guess only blow the whistle following longer cruises...

This would be very welcome news, particularly on the newest ships. On the Royal Princess, people were still waiting 25 minutes after muster ended for an elevator to take to their cabin to return their life jacket. I waited that long just for the stairs to clear enough to climb the stairs. Not having to return a life jacket to a cabin prior to sail away will disperse people significantly at a time of greatest congestion.

Agreed that it good news but we're still have to use the stairs to get to the upper deck for sail away. It might save a little time because they can now pack more people in the elevator.