Carnival conquest - extended muster drill 😒

Just leaving now

on the Jan 29th sailing. Muster drill lasted over an hour standing at the lifeboats. They took "mandatory roll call" for each and every cabin. Quite the *****. People started raging and one guy finally just left screaming. Is this mandatory for all carnival sailings now? Is it a test? Not a great way to start a cruise. I'm all for safety but after having back surgery a few months ago, there's a huge difference between standing for 15-20 minutes and standing for over an hour.

Don't blame Carnival, blame the people who think they do not have to show up. They think that they do not have to follow the rules and do what is required. I could name all kinds of things on a cruise that people feel they do not have to follow but I won't.

Oh I agree, but this is my 30th cruise with carnival, and the first time they took roll call. Even if everyone had been there (which they weren't). It still added a substantial amount of standing time. I know I'm whining, but I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has physical trouble standing for an hour packed like sardines. (Believe me, I wish I could stand that long comfortably.)

I noticed ours was MUCH longer than normal on the Elation in December. They walked us out to the boats, etc. They didn't do a roll call, though. I can understand if they feel they need to do roll call, but they should just scan the sign & sail cards in the way in to the muster location.

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I always think about how awful this will be with my 2 and 4 year olds when they last long.

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They should just start scanning sign and sail cards. Those who don't show up go to naughty room. Princess and Disney do it this way.

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I am totally with you on this issue. I can stand up barely long enough to make a pie. That's one of the reasons FTTF is worth the cost to me.

On both the Magic and the Breeze muster drills were held in interior locations with seating. In those conditions no-shows are a minor irritant. I understand the importance of muster but think the late comers rather than the rule-following crowd should be penalized.

This is a great example of rewarding bad behavior.

they should just scan the sign & sail cards on the way in to the muster location.

 

 

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Ahh.... Love this idea !! Send it to John Heald

This is why I am so glad they have a special area for those with special needs. My child would never be able to stand outside crammed in with all those people. I feel so bad for those with little ones that have to stand out there.

They should just start scanning sign and sail cards. Those who don't show up go to naughty room. Princess and Disney do it this way.

 

 

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They did scan sign and sail cards on the Splendor on the 30 October sailing.

That's a really long Mister drill. Just when I thought 40 minutes was long.

On the recent.Breeze sailing we were on (1/22), they scanned each person's SnS card as they entered their muster station (ours was in the Blush restaurant). Took about 25 minutes total for the drill... we did have a few no-shows, whom they paged a couple times.

I just got off the January 21 Conquest and muster drill was not long at all maybe 20 minutes, I would not like to be in one as long as you experienced.

Might be a trial or the result of an issue. I have read here a number of times of people has said it was okay to skip muster for various reasons even after being told there is no exception for attending.

January 2017 on the Fantasy and they were scanning cards for the muster drill. They were calling out for the people that were missing in those stations, and some were present (they must have come in late). After the muster began, they called for the missing ones. They announced that they would be required to attend a second muster at 5pm. I worried that our sailing would be delayed til after the 2nd muster, but we left shortly after the main muster drill.

When I was on the Jubilee, the muster drill lasted for over two hours. Our muster station was the Lido deck. We had to stand the entire time, and I am pretty sure we were never given a reason for the delay. Back then you had to wear your life jacket to the muster drill. I was 13 and bipolar. To make matters worse, it was June in Tampa, and I forgot to put my hair up.

Oh I agree, but this is my 30th cruise with carnival, and the first time they took roll call. Even if everyone had been there (which they weren't). It still added a substantial amount of standing time. I know I'm whining, but I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has physical trouble standing for an hour packed like sardines. (Believe me, I wish I could stand that long comfortably.)

I agree I have had 2 back surgeries and cannot stand long either. They need to find a quicker way to do the muster drill. Maybe do it before you leave port and throw the people who do not show up off the ship LOL. Then they would understand it is mandatory.

They should just start scanning sign and sail cards. Those who don't show up go to naughty room. Princess and Disney do it this way.

Absolutely agree!

Fortunately I was able to sit for my last muster drill. I can't stand for even 10-15 minutes anymore.

I don't understand why they still hold the muster drills outside in the hot sun on every class but the Dream Class. If it works fine to stay inside on the Dream Class, why haven't they changed it to the other classes too.

Our last cruise, someone passed out from the heat and we all had to stand there in the hot sun while they attended to her. Not that we complained about them attending to her but it held up the muster for quite a while. At least we knew what was going on. The passengers on the other side of the ship didn't even know why it was stopped.

To me it just makes more sense to hold them inside and to scan their cards as they enter the room.

I don't understand why they still hold the muster drills outside in the hot sun on every class but the Dream Class. If it works fine to stay inside on the Dream Class, why haven't they changed it to the other classes too.

 

 

 

To me it just makes more sense to hold them inside and to scan their cards as they enter the room.

Scanning cards is certainly the way to go. Princess has done it for years.

The Dream class ships hold their muster indoors, not for passenger comfort and convenience, but because the ship was designed this way. The cruise lines have reduced the size of the open promenade decks to maximize the indoor, revenue generating space. Therefore, the outside deck is no longer large enough to sustain the full passenger muster.

SOLAS rules would prefer that the muster take place on the open deck, since you are then by definition outdoors, and not potentially trapped inside by the emergency. However, when ships are designed with inadequate outdoor deck space, the ships can designate indoor spaces.

No ship that I am aware of has ever "changed" their muster locations once they are built. The muster locations are proposed when the ship is designed, and the class society then submits the design to various crowd and crisis management paradigm software scenarios to determine if the proposed spaces , either indoors or outdoors, meets the requirements of volume, ingress, egress, and distance to the actual boat loading location.

The Dream class ships hold their muster indoors, not for passenger comfort and convenience, but because the ship was designed this way. The cruise lines have reduced the size of the open promenade decks to maximize the indoor, revenue generating space. Therefore, the outside deck is no longer large enough to sustain the full passenger muster.

 

SOLAS rules would prefer that the muster take place on the open deck, since you are then by definition outdoors, and not potentially trapped inside by the emergency. However, when ships are designed with inadequate outdoor deck space, the ships can designate indoor spaces.

 

No ship that I am aware of has ever "changed" their muster locations once they are built. The muster locations are proposed when the ship is designed, and the class society then submits the design to various crowd and crisis management paradigm software scenarios to determine if the proposed spaces , either indoors or outdoors, meets the requirements of volume, ingress, egress, and distance to the actual boat loading location.

I truly appreciate your factual posts. I have wondered why other ships didn't simply move their muster stations indoors.

I always learn something interesting when you join the discussion. Thank you!

On the Sunshine those with health issues were allowed (with one person accompanying them) to do muster drill in the comedy club. DH's name was on the list for wheelchair assistance embarking (he walks slowly but can't stand for more that 10 minutes or make it up the ramps) so he was ok.

Best part was they dismissed the handicapped muster 5 minutes before the outside folks so the wheelchair and walker folks could actually get on an elevator without being crowded out.

Personally I think that those who don't attend should be removed from the ship before sailing as in a real emergency they would be the ones confused in the way and putting everyone else at risk.

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