New Princess Muster Procedure

[west coast cruiser]

I have been on about 25 cruises and I still put it on wrong. I had better take mine with me.

[arizonaperson]

I talked to friends who are on The Crown this week(10-4-14) and they have cruised Princess and other lines and they were required to take their life jackets to the emergency drill. So not all Princess ships are doing away with taking the jackets to muster.

Edited October 10, 2014 by arizonaperson

[bhopal21]

I talked to friends who are on The Crown this week(10-4-14) and they have cruised Princess and other lines and they were required to take their life jackets to the emergency drill. So not all Princess ships are doing away with taking the jackets to muster.

 

I can't see that it is a big deal either way.

 

We will find out week after next.

 

Mike:)

[arizonaperson]

I can't see that it is a big deal either way.

 

We will find out week after next.

 

Mike:)

 

I was just posting my observations based on my friends experience aboard The Crown this week. No, it really doesn't matter either way,we will do what we need to do once onboard. Just wanted to report, not all Princess fleet is participating just yet in the optional - bringing the life vest to muster.

I thought that is what the OP and others since the first post wanted to know??:confused:

Mike, I hope you post after you have muster the week after next, your experience.

[pjslc]

I talked to friends who are on The Crown this week(10-4-14) and they have cruised Princess and other lines and they were required to take their life jackets to the emergency drill. So not all Princess ships are doing away with taking the jackets to muster.

 

Thank you for posting your update! It seems like it's being tested on a few ships. I'll be on the Island in two weeks and the Crown and Golden in November & December so I'll be interested to see what's being done. ;-) I promise to report back. I'll also see if I can find out anything from crew about it being rolled out fleet wide.

[jammen]

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. ;-)

 

Thanks for your post and the information.

[vickie_bernie]

i was on the Crown last week and we had heard that life jackets were not required on other trips so we asked our steward and he said yes we had to take it to the Muster drill as the policy had not been implemented yet on the Crown.

 

It will be going fleet wide but not sure when it will come to the crown.

 

We are on the grand soon so we will see then.

 

I do agree if you feel that it is necessary to learn how to put on the life jacket you should bring it with you.

 

Vickie

[socialworker]

Just off Caribbean Princess and we enjoyed the new muster procedure.

[ggprincess2004]

Just off Caribbean Princess and we enjoyed the new muster procedure.

 

Thank you - that was what I was just wondering. We board on 10/27.

[rtlk]

Just off the Crown the drill with Jackets was required of all passengers, didn't require you put them on (we are Elites) and we were let go early and avoided the crush at the elevators. Better but not where we hoped it would be. With over 20 cruises on Princess I think we know how to put them on, drills should be driven by how many cruise's one has taken, besides as a shareholder I'd rather have folks in the bars spending money than being frustrated at the beginning of the trip waiting for the elevator to return life jackets to the cabin, as the ship sails away...:) Even with the Jackets Princess has it soo much better than Holland America folks although they don't have to take the jackets to the drill have to meet on deck next to the Life Boats and stand around. In watching across the dock in San Diego this week, the folks on the Zaandam who didn't seem real happy to be standing around on deck in the sun we appreciate that, Princess has it right by meeting inside with plenty of seating space.

Edited October 12, 2014 by rtlk

[SeagoingMom]

The reason you blow the whistle in the water is to let the sharks know where you are.

So it functions as a sort of dinner bell, then?

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...Even with the Jackets Princess has it soo much better than Holland America folks although they don't have to take the jackets to the drill have to meet on deck next to the Life Boats and stand around...

 

I understand your reasoning, but HAL passengers know where their life boats are. I'm guessing many Princess passengers have no idea what deck the life boats are even on if they can't get to their muster station in an emergency. I've always felt HAL's way of doing muster is the safest, but, as you indicate, less pleasant in hot or cold weather.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[anthonyy7]

I was just on the Regal and we were told NOT to bring the life jacket by the Steward. Prior to the drill on the intercom, they said it wasn't necessary unless you wanted to practice putting it on. NOBODY brought theirs.

[KruzPrincess]

I understand your reasoning, but HAL passengers know where their life boats are. I'm guessing many Princess passengers have no idea what deck the life boats are even on if they can't get to their muster station in an emergency. I've always felt HAL's way of doing muster is the safest, but, as you indicate, less pleasant in hot or cold weather.

 

I was just on a HAL cruise for the first time in 14 years. It was a B2B cruise and I hated it. It was uncomfortable to be crammed on the deck outdoors while they called people's names over and over again until everyone showed up. I had to do both musters and I never once saw how the life jacket was put on because I couldn't see the crew member who was doing the demonstration. Yep, I knew where the lifeboat was, but I always look to see where my lifeboat is when I check out the muster info on the door of my cabin. The Princess concept is that you don't always lower lifeboats in an emergency. The passengers are indoors safe and away from the elements. In the event that people have to go to the lifeboats the staff will direct everyone. I much prefer the Princess way of doing it.

[caribill]

I understand your reasoning, but HAL passengers know where their life boats are. I'm guessing many Princess passengers have no idea what deck the life boats are even on if they can't get to their muster station in an emergency. I've always felt HAL's way of doing muster is the safest, but, as you indicate, less pleasant in hot or cold weather.

 

Princess does not pre-assign lifeboats because in a real emergency not all of the life-boats may be accessible or practical to use.

 

If use of a lifeboat is necessary, Princess personnel will lead passengers to usable and accessible ones.

 

I do not know how people would react on the other cruise lines if they cannot get to their pre-assigned but now inaccessible or inoperative lifeboat in an emergency.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Princess does not pre-assign lifeboats because in a real emergency not all of the life-boats may be accessible or practical to use.

 

If use of a lifeboat is necessary, Princess personnel will lead passengers to usable and accessible ones.

 

I do not know how people would react on the other cruise lines if they cannot get to their pre-assigned but now inaccessible or inoperative lifeboat in an emergency.

 

Let's just hope both Princess and HAL evacuation models work in the event of an emergency.

[Shogun]

Hi All

When is the last time passengers were ordered to take to the lifeboats from a sinking cruise ship. Costa Concordia does not count as order not really given.

 

Yours Shogun

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Forums mobile app

[Coral]

I understand your reasoning, but HAL passengers know where their life boats are. I'm guessing many Princess passengers have no idea what deck the life boats are even on if they can't get to their muster station in an emergency. I've always felt HAL's way of doing muster is the safest, but, as you indicate, less pleasant in hot or cold weather.

 

I somewhat disagree. For example, if there is a fire on one side of the ship and those life boats are not accessible due to the fire, do HAL passengers know what to do in Plan B?

 

I think each line makes a decision. No line has a solution for every scenario but they do what they think is best.

 

The important part is having the drill. I work at a college and we had some training recently about if there is a gunman on campus. One of the guys in charge made the comment that there has not been a student fatality due to a fire in any US school is many, many years (sorry, don't remember how many but it was a lot). He said the reason why is that schools do drills several times a year and people know what to do. Repeated drills is the key to people surviving.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Coral

[californiacruising]

I was on the Crown at the same time as RTL last week. At our Muster Station we were required to put on the life jackets. They also checked to see if we had them on correctly, that was a first for us. We have no problem following any safety instructions.

[Jasperdo]

Princess does not pre-assign lifeboats because in a real emergency not all of the life-boats may be accessible or practical to use.

 

If use of a lifeboat is necessary, Princess personnel will lead passengers to usable and accessible ones.

 

I do not know how people would react on the other cruise lines if they cannot get to their pre-assigned but now inaccessible or inoperative lifeboat in an emergency.

That's a very good point. Another thing is during a real emergency passengers would remember to go to the Princess Theater much easier than remembering to go to Lifeboat Station 4F. Is it port or starboard, forward or aft? In a panic many passengers wouldn't have a clue where on outside Promenade Deck they were supposed to muster.

[Cedricandsophie]

Disney does not require life jackets. I fact, specifically tells you to leave in room. They do a room by room check to make sure everyone shows up. We have been held linger a couple of times because a cabin party did not show up.

[caribill]

That's a very good point. Another thing is during a real emergency passengers would remember to go to the Princess Theater much easier than remembering to go to Lifeboat Station 4F. Is it port or starboard, forward or aft? In a panic many passengers wouldn't have a clue where on outside Promenade Deck they were supposed to muster.

 

On RCCL, the lifeboat number is on the cruise card. It fact, it is with the largest typeface on the card.

 

Of course, that does not guarantee the lifeboat area is accessible in case of an emergency.

 

Having to abandon ship is a very, very, very rare situation on a cruise ship. Most emergencies do not end up with that scenario.

 

Spending several hours sitting in an inside lounge in an emergency is significantly better than standing outside in cold, rainy weather or a broiling sun for several hours.

Edited October 12, 2014 by caribill

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Hi All

When is the last time passengers were ordered to take to the lifeboats from a sinking cruise ship. Costa Concordia does not count as order not really given...

 

The last time I could come up with after a quick search was the Andrea Doria in 1956. The ship, after colliding with the Stockholm, listed to such a degree that lifeboats on one side could not be lowered at all. The Ile de France was in the area and rescued many of her passengers.

 

Perhaps there have been others since then less well-known.

[dforeigner]

Disney does not require life jackets. I fact, specifically tells you to leave in room. They do a room by room check to make sure everyone shows up. We have been held linger a couple of times because a cabin party did not show up.

 

They also scan your boarding pass at the Muster Stations.

[piper28]

Hi All

When is the last time passengers were ordered to take to the lifeboats from a sinking cruise ship. Costa Concordia does not count as order not really given.

 

Did they send people to life boats on the ship that sank in Santorini a few years back? (Hmm, MS Sea Diamond it appears, back in 2007).

 

I'm not sure how effective the drills that are held on the ships are amongst first time cruisers that really are just looking to get through it to get to the start of their cruise. Only the repeat cruisers are getting the repetition that would be truly necessary. I just don't have the confidence that a lot of people are really going to remember anything from the drill in the event of a true emergency. Of course, that's why the crew trains on it regularly, so that hopefully there's some guidance for the masses if something happens. (Obviously, even that doesn't always work either.)