Costa incident: Return to Professional Muster?

[OceanDreams]

My point of view is this ...... Let's bring back the traditional muster drill that includes our LIFE JACKETS and ROLL CALL. Making sure that this is done before we actually sail away. Those that did not bless us with their attendance will be on the list. They will recieve a call / note from the Captain instructing them to report to an additional muster drill. About 10 minutes before the scheduled time, have an annoucement over the loud speaker asking for "Joe and Joan Last name to report to Station #G for their muster drill.

The important thing is that everyone that does attend actually remember what we were taught and when the time is needed .... we are actully level headed enough to assist others that may need it. We all say how cruising gives us a new group of friends ... and we need to remember to be there for our new group of friends.

My prayers to everyone who sails our beautiful oceans.

OceanDreams

[luvdisney2010]

In November, we sailed out of San Juan on CCL. The muster drill was treated like a joke with even the statement "Duh" recorded into the muster speech. People were not treating it as a drill and were showing up at their convenience. No one marked off cabin numbers. On our January cruise on RCI (our seventh cruise), the difference was remarkable. We didn't take our jackets and some muster groups met in lounges, but the tone was definitely much more serious. As we arrived, our sea passes were checked and marked off. There was no joking. You could tell the crew meant business. DCL has been the only line that we have cruised that has done the full muster drill with life vests. We have met under our lifeboats on other cruises, but DCL is the only one that had us bring the life vest. I do always check that we have enough vests. We travel with our DS 8, so I also check that we have a child's vest. I do have to credit CCL (our room steward) on the November cruise for one thing. Our room steward brought us a child's vest before I had the chance to ask for it. It wasn't there when we arrived. That was before we left the port.

[Blind Squirrel]

I have to disagree. The muster drills are fine. If you can't figure out how to put on a life jacket, well let's just say maybe you shouldn't be on the ship. People that panic are the real problem. Even without a life jacket one could be sitting on the exposed side of the ship high and dry. The ones that paniced and jumped into the water either died of a heart attack from the shock or have some level of hypothermia.

[welshcorgie]

We just got off Ruby Princess Transatlantic a month ago and cruised this same route, scary! Princess does have one of the best muster drills of the cruiselines that we have cruised. For Costa hindsight is always 20/20. I pray for the passengers and crew. Costa has had at least 3 major accidents in the past 5 or so years. In Egypt, 2010, 3 crew members were killed when one of their ships ran aground. I hope Carnival puts back the Professional muster drill, as 20 minutes of my time is worth it in my opinion.

[michelle1836]

Been disheartened over the years with each succeeding cruise how muster seemed to get more and more lax, eventually leading to not needing to bring the life jackets. And where silence was maintained, they started seeming like social events.

 

My thought was, should an incident arise, one should know how to put a jacket on, as well as fully versed as to what to do.

 

I personally hope this is a wake up call. To hear the one eyewitness report of not knowing what to do scares me. Last I need is to find myself behind someone who doesn't know what to do.

 

I agree. however, I think that instead of a life jacket we should all have a Navy SEAL in our closets :D

[vacruizer]

I agree on the drill going back to the old way. As much as it's nice not to have to drag a life jacket and stand there in the heat, it really needs to be done. Most cruisers probably don't even check the closet anymore to see if they have the right number and that they are functional.

 

I've been to some musters where the crew was very professional and kept everyone paying attention - even taking away drinks and cameras until the drill was over. Others, crew stood there looking bored while the pax kept drinking, joking, and making fun of the whole process.

 

I'll add to this - a few years ago we were in Hawaii and joked around the first day about the tsunami evacuation instructions in the information binder in the condo we rented. Lo and behold, our last day there was a tsunami warning after the earthquake in Chile. DH and I were out on a tour and on high ground. But my parents panicked, didn't even remember to check that book for instructions, threw everything we had with us into a car and spent a miserable day sitting in the car on a hillside instead of going to the assigned location for the condos to meet for evacuation. After that, I've started checking hotel evacuation plans and making an effort to remember them.

[toby #1]

Isn't it funny that it takes a disaster for people to think about having the drills and wearing life vests again instead of how to get out of them?

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

DCL has been the only line that we have cruised that has done the full muster drill with life vests. We have met under our lifeboats on other cruises, but DCL is the only one that had us bring the life vest. I do always check that we have enough vests. We travel with our DS 8, so I also check that we have a child's vest. I do have to credit CCL (our room steward) on the November cruise for one thing. Our room steward brought us a child's vest before I had the chance to ask for it. It wasn't there when we arrived. That was before we left the port.

 

I wonder if DCL does the full muster because so many children are on board? I know some of the other lines will have a number of children on board at certain times of the year, but maybe not as much as DCL? I know when we took our kids on CCL, the steward brought the child's vests before we could ask, and then we had the kids put them on so we could adjust the straps. Honestly it was unlikely we would be in the cabin at the time, but at least they knew how they worked. I remember the kid's having bright green muster station bracelets that were to be worn at all times. I don't really worry about myself (although now I will make sure to not only locate my life vest but also try it on in the cabin), but I do have to have faith in the Camp Carnival workers to get my kids in vests and bring them to the muster station if they are at CC (which I do).

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

Actually, some adults may benefit from having to wear the brightly colored muster station bracelets, like the kids have to wear!

[vacruizer]

If some of the news reports are correct, Costa is going to have some major explaining to do regarding their muster procedures. One passenger says she had been on the ship since Jan. 8th and there had never been a muster during that time. (I believe the ship takes on passengers in various ports unlike most cruises done from North America.)

[michelle1836]

If some of the news reports are correct, Costa is going to have some major explaining to do regarding their muster procedures. One passenger says she had been on the ship since Jan. 8th and there had never been a muster during that time. (I believe the ship takes on passengers in various ports unlike most cruises done from North America.)

 

WOW! major explaining to do

[pe4all]

Actually, some adults may benefit from having to wear the brightly colored muster station bracelets, like the kids have to wear!

I cruise with dd23, who is special needs. Since the Splendor incident, I always stop at Guest Relations and get her a muster band to wear with her medic alert bracelet- just in case we get separated, at least I have hope we will be re-united at the lifeboat. As far as mandatory musters - maybe they can have a swipe machine that "pings" people in as they muster - like they have when you leave/enter the ship. Yes, it would take a bit more time - but you can have many hand held scanners that all tie into one computer. I am sending dd23 "alone" with a group of special needs adults on Splendor in April. I am sick to my stomach now over what "could" happen....

[pale lady]

Since it is no longer mandatory to take the jackets to muster, how many of you actually get them out of the wardrobe and check that the straps are actually there and the buckles? Or even if there are a sufficient number of them in your room?

I do. My husband does too!

[jame_g]

On my last cruise on the Carnival Pride, the people around me never stopped talking and taking pictures during the drill. There were so many people talking I could barely make out the instructions, and no one made any serious effort to get people to be quiet and pay attention.

 

On my first cruise on NCL, the muster drill was held an hour before a bus load of us on an NCL arranged flight even landed. And the make up drill was scheduled while most people were off the ship on excursions. Not the best planning.

 

I guess I wish people would pay more attention. But its no different on flights these days. People aren't concerned until something actually happens.

[19snapshot]

I am not sure any type of disaster drill would have helped here. Early reports indicate that she was immediately listing at 20 degrees, enough of an incline for dinnerware to slide off of the table tops. That seems pretty steep to me. Human nature, panic, proximity to their cabins (lifevests) at the time of the accident, confusion about what was going on and poor communication probably all played roles in the casualties here. Passengers reported that the first announcement said there was an electrical problem. I am all for the more complete muster drills. It certainly doesn't hurt, but I am not convinced it would have really mattered in this case.

[BIG_Steve]

Been disheartened over the years with each succeeding cruise how muster seemed to get more and more lax, eventually leading to not needing to bring the life jackets. And where silence was maintained, they started seeming like social events.

 

My thought was, should an incident arise, one should know how to put a jacket on, as well as fully versed as to what to do.

 

I personally hope this is a wake up call. To hear the one eyewitness report of not knowing what to do scares me. Last I need is to find myself behind someone who doesn't know what to do.

 

Agree. On a couple of cruises I was sitting outside the casino or in the theatre while people were guzzling buckets of beer and chatting giddily about the next 7 days. I think the muster drill is important, and it insults me that the cruise lines are becoming so indifferent about it. I also can't believe the USCG allows that. Maybe requirements have changed. But if muster needs to be run, at least make it count.

[Cushing985]

I'm not sure if the reporting is correct but the major news organizations are stating the ship hadn't even had their safety drill at the time of the accident.

 

I'm a real fan of having organized and professional drills...no booze, no talking and a complete accounting of the passengers. I'm not, though, a fan of bringing life jackets to the drill as I find too many people playing with them and blowing the whistles and not paying attention to the person giving the training. These things aren't that difficult to figure out.

[JaniceB]

I have never asked the question or been told where other life jackets are located. I guess theaters, dining room, large public areas should have life jackets stowed somewhere instead of having to return to your room. In the case the lifeboats were not usable, just having a life jacket could have saved a life.

[frito58]

There are reports coming out the crew was in a panic , I have always said if a ship goes down do you really think these young kids are going to calmly standing and pointing you to a lifeboat and now we know.

[big_duck]

I'm not sure if the reporting is correct but the major news organizations are stating the ship hadn't even had their safety drill at the time of the accident.

 

I'm a real fan of having organized and professional drills...no booze, no talking and a complete accounting of the passengers. I'm not, though, a fan of bringing life jackets to the drill as I find too many people playing with them and blowing the whistles and not paying attention to the person giving the training. These things aren't that difficult to figure out.

 

Figuring out how to wear a lifejacket properly is much more complicated the how to wear a seatbelt on a plane ... And yet ...

[H82seaUgo]

I'm not sure if the reporting is correct but the major news organizations are stating the ship hadn't even had their safety drill at the time of the accident.

 

I'm a real fan of having organized and professional drills...no booze, no talking and a complete accounting of the passengers. I'm not, though, a fan of bringing life jackets to the drill as I find too many people playing with them and blowing the whistles and not paying attention to the person giving the training. These things aren't that difficult to figure out.

 

not sure if they still do this, but all 3 of our carnival cruises out of san juan held muster the next morning due to its late departure time.

 

i`m reading this was protocol on the costa run as well.

[tallyho8]

Friday the 13th.

 

Sad. :(

[frito58]

not sure if they still do this, but all 3 of our carnival cruises out of san juan held muster the next morning due to its late departure time.

 

i`m reading this was protocol on the costa run as well.

 

We did ours that evening 6pm but there was no way of knowing everyone was onboard because people could wander arounder OSJ till around 9pm . I heard if you wernt onboard you had to go to a lounge the next morning and go through it then.

[ScottsSweetie]

I agree with most of the posters here. DH and I always take our life vests out, put them on and adjust straps, and place them back with mine always on top. We don't EXPECT anything to happen, but we will try to be prepared if it does. I am one of those persons that does extremely well in the middle of an emergency, and then react later - DH is a little bit of the opposite, so I feel like I need to have all the instructions.

 

I can only hope that in the case of an emergency, the crew on any given ship that I am on reacts like the crew (reportedly) did on the Splendor during their emergency. It obviously was not the same, but from all reports the crew were cool, calm & collected, and were able to keep the passengers the same.

[Cruzface]

I have a feeling that EVERYONE, passengers and cruise staff, will pay more attention to the emergency instruction for a while now.