How long SHOULD muster drill take?

Last August, when we were on the Triumph, muster drill was the biggest pain in the rear end I think I've ever experienced outside of waiting in line at the DPS. Nobody was really sure whether our muster drill was going to be inside or outside..it ended up being outside next to the lifeboats.

They had (IIRC) four different muster groups in the same area, so over 100 people smushed into a tiny space that was hot (it's Texas, y'all. It was probably over 100 degrees that day) and fairly airless. You couldn't hear the crew member give instructions and what you could hear, you couldn't understand because of the accent and the fact that there were several other crew members in the same area trying to give the same exact speech about how to put your life jacket on, etc.

That part of muster drill only took about 15 min. What bothered me was that we were forced to stand there for another 30-45 min for reasons nobody really knew about. The groups on either side of ours were dismissed, but we weren't. Hubby was annoyed that we missed getting to watch the Triumph pull out of port because we'd been forced to stand there. DS was getting antsy (yay ADHD and Asperger's!:rolleyes:) and starting to have a meltdown because we were shoved up against a bunch of sweaty, stinky, on their way to getting riproaring drunk college guys. I was having a hard time not pitching a fit because I was exhausted from the drive down and all I really wanted was to be either napping in our cabin or laying by the pool with a drink in my hand.

I got the impression that is NOT how muster usually goes. Should it take that long? Should I expect it to take that long again when we're on the Triumph in about a month? Since my son has special needs is there any way we could get in a muster drill group that meets INSIDE (there were some..mostly populated by old folks who couldn't stand the heat, from what it looked like to me when we passed them on the way to our muster station)?

I remember after it was over and we were headed away from our muster location, I remarked to DH, "Yeah. Now I know why people actively try to skip muster if that's the way it's gonna be. Yeesh!"

Should only take about 15 minutes once it starts.

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That's what I was thinking. When we did our first cruise on the Fascination, our muster drill was actually inside one of the lounges and it only took about 10-15 min.

I wonder why it took so long when we were on the Triumph, then?:confused:

How do they even know if you go to muster drill or not? I mean, if you're hiding out somewhere (in the shower, in the back of the arcade, some hidden nook or cranny of the ship somewhere)..how do they know?

Yuck. My last 4 Musters have been in the dining room not he Magic. I'm not gonna be a happy camper if we are standing outside for 45 minutes in cramped spaces. Definitely have to have a few drinks first...

Yeah, I don't drink either, but I was really wanting a virgin frozen something or other. It would've gone a long way towards making me not so cranky for sure.:D

Skipping muster is one of the big sins that will get you kicked off a ship super quick. I would not advise that course of action.

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But how they know if you skipped it or not?:confused:

Not that I would.;) I'm just curious.

We've had them take anywhere from 15 minutes up to 45 minutes. Our long one was right after the Concordia sinking and they were trying to make sure they had an accurate headcount. They also released muster stations in clumps in order to not crowd the stairwells and elevators.

You mentioned your son has Asperger's and ADHD--have you considered calling Carnival's Special Needs department. They could help you to arrange a quieter space for the muster, so that you're able to get the relevant information. That way if your son had a meltdown again you wouldn't be squished between people.

But how they know if you skipped it or not?:confused:

 

Not that I would.;) I'm just curious.

Can't say from experience because I always go but have been told that staff checks the boat including the staterooms prior to start. If caught they can and will throw you off without refund. I would guess there is somewhere you could hide but I wouldn't try it.

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But how they know if you skipped it or not?:confused:

 

Not that I would.;) I'm just curious.

Some ships are doing a headcount (we had one last year on the Glory and the Pride) and the hotel staff on every ship check the cabins to make sure they're vacated. If you're caught you can be kicked off the ship. I've read about it occurring on both Princess and Seabourn (both Carnival Corp. brands).

You mentioned your son has Asperger's and ADHD--have you considered calling Carnival's Special Needs department. They could help you to arrange a quieter space for the muster, so that you're able to get the relevant information. That way if your son had a meltdown again you wouldn't be squished between people.

I'll have to ask hubby if he's spoken to them about it, since I don't know for sure right this second if he has or not. DS doesn't like being squished up against people (then again..who does?:confused:) and it makes him super anxious to the point he starts having meltdowns. We found that out about that particularly fun bit of his personality the hard way after the Great Ride Queue Meltdown of 2012 at DisneyWorld. :o

*edited because I can't count. LOL*

On pride they announced where to go. We were on deck they lined us up 4 deep all the way down. They talked. And let us go. I'd say all of 15 minutes max. It was painless and informative. None of us had ever been on a big boat and it was a good drill.

I like that they tagged the 4 year old so if she was at camp carnival or we got separated she would be brought to the right station

On the Liberty we were all on the deck by the lifeboats. We were port side. Lucky for us port side was released first. Took a while for us to clear. Then starboard was released.

All I know is for our June cruise, our room is about 4 doors down from the cabin we had last August. Which means the muster station is probably the same.

DH says that our PVP probably can't change our muster station, but he'll ask.

Most of the ships I've been on lately they check off the cabin numbers as you arrive, then call out the missing ones in case you didn't get counted.

Personally, I prefer to muster where the life boats are located.

Sometimes the muster takes longer because some people are slow to show up. They wait until the whistle sounds before heading to the muster station. Last cruise, they did the announcements in three languages, thus took longer. Then the PSA regarding saving the seas.

Your muster station is based on your physical cabin number and is usually printed on your sea pass card, I don't see how anyone could change it. At least we don't have to wear the life jackets.

I wonder if they'd have to have us switch cabins to get a different muster station?

I personally wouldn't mind, as long as we don't get charged more for switching cabins or whatever.

Just off Sensation. Longest muster drill out of 17 cruises. It took about 30-40 minutes. They walked all the groups from the indoor lounges out to their lifeboats. Took forever!! :mad:

 

DH says that our PVP probably can't change our muster station, but he'll ask.

No they cannot as it us based on your room.

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Just off Sensation. Longest muster drill out of 17 cruises. It took about 30-40 minutes. They walked all the groups from the indoor lounges out to their lifeboats. Took forever!! :mad:

Longest muster drills I've experienced were due to people who were late showing up, people bringing drinks and food (not allowed) to the drill, and probably also due to some pax not showing up at all and therefore having the crew search for them.

It may seem to be a PITA, but it's necessary due to safety regs. The quickest way to get it over with is for all pax to show up at the right station on time.

How long the Muster Drills SHOULD take and how long they actually take are two different things. :rolleyes:

LuLu

Your PVP can't change your station. Email specialneeds@carnival.com and explain the circumstances and ask for the alternative station. Also follow up with Guest Services when you get onboard.

All I know is for our June cruise, our room is about 4 doors down from the cabin we had last August. Which means the muster station is probably the same.

 

DH says that our PVP probably can't change our muster station, but he'll ask.

The SPECIAL NEEDS DEPT. has nothing to do with your PVP.

I use them all the time, just call the 800 number & ask for that dept.

Yes they can arrange a lot of different things for you.

Just have your booking number when you call.

Char

I'll let my DH know. He's the one who handles all this stuff although it's usually me who does all the research, etc since I actually LIKE to research stuff. Crazy I know.:D

Had the best muster drill station on the Dream last year, it was in one of the dining rooms so it didn't seem so long waiting for everyone to show up!

How do they know if you don't show up? They count and they check staterooms. My pet peeve has always been the people that show up late.