another annoying muster

we are taking the Veendam from Ft.L to Montreal this month and after 3 sea days we are in Boston from 10 til 6 pm. Some people are boarding from Boston and I hear that all the passengers will have to do another muster at that port. It doesn't make sense that so many will have to be inconvenienced for a few and since early seating is at 5:30 will those diners have to wait until 6 and the late seating moved from 8 to 8:30? I am sure that they can just log in the new passengers by stateroom for the Boston drill and not screw everyone else.

When we joined a cruise already in progress only the new group of 30 or so people had to do the muster ... but that was not in the US.

They may make the on-board time 4:30 or so and the muster 15 minutes later than that.

.

On the recent 89 day Passage to the Far East, we mustered for each individual segment, sometimes as late as 7:30 PM. Twice, when we were exhausted from a full day touring, we were sent directly from the gangway to muster.

"Boring, inconvenienced, screw everyone".

Used to be HAL did muster drill every week: three week cruise: day 1, day 8, day 15.

Repeat and repeat so it becomes second nature to everyone. Crew have repeated, frequent drills for this reason: it becomes second nature.

In a true emergency, you rely on doing what you have to do without having to think about it.

These muster drills could save my life: I've been through perhaps 75 drills on HAL but I don't complain about them.

"Boring, inconvenienced, screw everyone".

 

Used to be HAL did muster drill every week: three week cruise: day 1, day 8, day 15.

 

Repeat and repeat so it becomes second nature to everyone. Crew have repeated, frequent drills for this reason: it becomes second nature.

 

In a true emergency, you rely on doing what you have to do without having to think about it.

 

These muster drills could save my life: I've been through perhaps 75 drills on HAL but I don't complain about them.

I second your response. The ones that complain are the ones who would probably lose it if an actual emergency occurred. It is done for your safety!

I second your response. The ones that complain are the ones who would probably lose it if an actual emergency occurred. It is done for your safety!

Agree. It happens!

It is possible that you may be required to attend a second lifeboat drill.

We attend all drills. Always want to be on top of things.

Every time a new voyage commences all are REQUIRED to attend the muster drill

Every time a new voyage commences all are REQUIRED to attend the muster drill

That was our experience. We did Boston to San Diego, and the ship also boarded new passengers in Ft Lauderdale. Had muster drills in Boston, and Ft Lauderdale for everyone onboard. Even the people who stayed on for a B2B from the previous cruise that ended in Boston. So they had 3 musters on their cruise.

We do not mind the muster drills. They are for everyone's safety. We have a " go" bag ready in out cabin just in case a real incident occurs

It might be helpful to think about the Costa Concordia while you are inconvenienced. Some passengers were boarded and went to dinner prior to having a safety drill, and of course then never had that opportunity before it sank.

we are taking the Veendam from Ft.L to Montreal this month and after 3 sea days we are in Boston from 10 til 6 pm. Some people are boarding from Boston and I hear that all the passengers will have to do another muster at that port. It doesn't make sense that so many will have to be inconvenienced for a few and since early seating is at 5:30 will those diners have to wait until 6 and the late seating moved from 8 to 8:30? I am sure that they can just log in the new passengers by stateroom for the Boston drill and not screw everyone else.

HAL isn't trying to screw you.. They are adhering to the Law when they have another Muster Drill.. I agree with the other posters, your safety, your fellow Passengers & the Crews safety is at stake!

Suggest you read "Burning Cold", By H.Paul Jeffers, when HAL's old Prinsendam sank off the coast of Alaska in 1980.. It was the greatest Sea Rescue of all time & IMO should be required reading in all high schools & colleges..

You might change your mind about the extra drill, after reading this true story..

"Boring, inconvenienced, screw everyone".

 

Used to be HAL did muster drill every week: three week cruise: day 1, day 8, day 15.

 

Repeat and repeat so it becomes second nature to everyone. Crew have repeated, frequent drills for this reason: it becomes second nature.

 

In a true emergency, you rely on doing what you have to do without having to think about it.

 

These muster drills could save my life: I've been through perhaps 75 drills on HAL but I don't complain about them.

Where oh where is that "Like" button. Totally agree.:)

Suggest you read "Burning Cold", By H.Paul Jeffers, when HAL's old Prinsendam sank off the coast of Alaska in 1980.. It was the greatest Sea Rescue of all time & IMO should be required reading in all high schools & colleges..

 

You might change your mind about the extra drill, after reading this true story..

I'd never heard of that incident, so I'm off to see if I can find a copy. I read waaaay to much :-D

Two muster drills in three days is too many.

Two muster drills in three days is too many.

Not if they have the potential to save your life.

I'd never heard of that incident, so I'm off to see if I can find a copy. I read waaaay to much :-D

Just purchased it on Amazon. Sounds like an interesting read.

Rockfan2

I'm totally looking up the story too!

im all for safety drills, but i often walk away feeling like i didn't actually learn anything. i would LIKE to know what to do in case of an emergency. so in that sense, i wish they had more clarity. maybe HAL is different! better

Not if they have the potential to save your life.

It's the same drill as 2 days ago. So much drama.

where to go and what to day for 3 days.

HAL isn't trying to screw you.. They are adhering to the Law when they have another Muster Drill.. I agree with the other posters, your safety, your fellow Passengers & the Crews safety is at stake!

 

Suggest you read "Burning Cold", By H.Paul Jeffers, when HAL's old Prinsendam sank off the coast of Alaska in 1980.. It was the greatest Sea Rescue of all time & IMO should be required reading in all high schools & colleges..

 

You might change your mind about the extra drill, after reading this true story..

While I agree that the OP is whining over a minor inconvenience that may in fact be important to his/her life, and I feel that untrained passengers should get as much exposure to their safety duties as possible, I can't let a few nits not be picked here.

There is no law that says that all passengers have to be mustered more than once. Provided that a muster is accomplished before sailing, every passenger only needs to do it once for the entire time onboard. I believe that there was a requirement to do a muster every 10 days, but I can't be sure if this is still in the current SOLAS (haven't looked recently). HAL is being pro-active in exceeding the safety requirements of SOLAS.

While the Prinsendam rescue was unusual in the scope of distance involved, and is the top USCG rescue of all time, the 600+ people rescued from the ship pale in comparison to other numbers of people rescued from maritime disasters, fair enough many from WWII.

There is no law that says that all passengers have to be mustered more than once. Provided that a muster is accomplished before sailing, every passenger only needs to do it once for the entire time onboard. I believe that there was a requirement to do a muster every 10 days, but I can't be sure if this is still in the current SOLAS (haven't looked recently). HAL is being pro-active in exceeding the safety requirements of SOLAS.

I also wonder about potential differences between USGC, where they have jurisdiction, and SOLAS requirements mixed with company policy. Most of our recent experience has been in the Med where we were required and went to initial muster drills. One cruise was an 18-day continuous cruise and we didn't have another drills on if there was a 10-day requirement it wasn't enforced. Another cruise was 16 days but actually was a 9-day and 7-day back-to-back and while there was a muster drill for newly boarding passengers we were not required to attend. In fact the midpoint was Venice and we were actually out and about in Venice when they held the muster. There was a voicemail on the phone in our cabin basically saying if we wanted they'd arrange a refresher for us but it wasn't required. Our third cruise was a 14-day, actually two 7-day back-to-back cruises, and we attended the second muster as we were on the ship at the changeover and friends had just joined us so we went with them.

I also wonder about potential differences between USGC, where they have jurisdiction, and SOLAS requirements mixed with company policy. Most of our recent experience has been in the Med where we were required and went to initial muster drills. One cruise was an 18-day continuous cruise and we didn't have another drills on if there was a 10-day requirement it wasn't enforced. Another cruise was 16 days but actually was a 9-day and 7-day back-to-back and while there was a muster drill for newly boarding passengers we were not required to attend. In fact the midpoint was Venice and we were actually out and about in Venice when they held the muster. There was a voicemail on the phone in our cabin basically saying if we wanted they'd arrange a refresher for us but it wasn't required. Our third cruise was a 14-day, actually two 7-day back-to-back cruises, and we attended the second muster as we were on the ship at the changeover and friends had just joined us so we went with them.

Even ships that "homeport" out of the US are not under USCG "jurisdiction". As foreign flag ships, the USCG can only enforce SOLAS requirements on the cruise ships. I don't believe the 10 day limit is in the current SOLAS requirements, having had a quick peek, not a thorough investigation. Company policy can exceed SOLAS, just not be less than. Even for the NCL POA, as a US flag ship, I don't believe the USCG requires repetitive drills, even though they have more stringent rules for crew drills and mandatory inspections.

Some B2B cruises we've been on have required us to attend a second muster drill. But most have not. For example in Barcelona where 1,000 guests boarded/departed; we had a second muster drill after the original one in Civitavecchia. On another from Seattle to Singapore, only the passengers that got on in Vancouver, BC had to do a muster drill. I'm looking forward to experiencing the new style muster on the K-dam in a few weeks.

We were on a 21 day cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale on 2-19-16 that had a 10 segment and a 11 day segment. The day we got back to FLL we received In-Transit documents that had the following information about "Passenger Safety Emergency Drill":

"Current procedure requires guests who are sailing for periods in excess of one month to attend at a minimum, one passenger safety emergency drill each month while on board. For this reason, you are not required to attend the next drill in Fort Lauderdale."

I checked with Front Desk to clarify and were told that the statement was correct, we did not have to attend.