P&O Muster Drill

[jody75]

How do P&O organise Muster drill.

Do you have to take your lifejackets?

Is it on the open Deck or more civilised and held indoor?

[the english lady]

How do P&O organise Muster drill.

Do you have to take your lifejackets?

Is it on the open Deck or more civilised and held indoor?

 

You take your lifejackets (that are in your cabin). You carry them, not wear them. You meet in a designated place...usually one of the numerous lounges (so inside, not outside). There is a safety talk. They show you how to put the lifejacket on. You put the lifejacket on, then take it off and return to your cabin, making sure that you are not trailing any straps on the ground. That is all there is to it.

[Scorpio41]

It's normally around 5pm first night on board.

You CARRY your life jackets to the muster station.

It's inside you are directed by crew via the escape route to your muster station. This depends on which part of the ship you are on.

 

You have a safety talk are shown how to put on your life jackets. You then put on your jacket, this is checked to make sure you've done it right.

When it's over, remove and return to cabin.

 

Hope this helps.

[smj777]

You take your lifejackets (that are in your cabin). You carry them, not wear them. You meet in a designated place...usually one of the numerous lounges (so inside, not outside). YOU WAIT FOR THE LATECOMERS AND WAIT....AND WAIT....20 minutes later after the last dozy passengers arrive. There is a safety talk. They show you how to put the lifejacket on. You put the lifejacket on, then take it off and return to your cabin, making sure that you are not trailing any straps on the ground. That is all there is to it.

[insanemagnet]

It is organised as a pointless tick box event that would make no difference if the worst were to happen.

[daisymay1960]

And they dont even check if everyone is there ! Last year we started off in Venice , I know of at least one couple who were having too much of a good time to get back in time for it lol

[insanemagnet]

That is true, unlike other companies that take their responsibility more seriously and scan cruise cards to ensure passengers attend (and send them to catch up sessions if they don't).

[LondonTowner]

I was surprised on P&O that they did not tick off people's names and not even go outside beside the lifeboats. However, as already said, if there was a real emergency panic would reign.

[Eglesbrech]

All a pointless waste of time to tick a box for SOLAS.

 

Having been involved in a real evacuation, it was nothing like the drill!

[jody75]

Glad you have the benefit of an indoor location. HAL still march people to a packed promenade deck but at least without lifejackets. Celebrity probably the best, no lifejackets, inside location but agree it is simply unnecessary box ticking which does little to enhance safety. If their took safety seriously, all smoking at sea would be prohibited but we must remember they 'chase the dolar'.

[kalos]

Whilst waiting for the late comers you get the " Lets bow our life jacket whistles "

that have been in possibly no end of other peoples mouths that had the same mind set as them.

They must think someone goes around the ship sanitizing them before the drill.;)

[Mysticalmother]

And they dont even check if everyone is there ! Last year we started off in Venice , I know of at least one couple who were having too much of a good time to get back in time for it lol

 

If you are doing a back to back cruise you do not have to attend the second drill....are you sure that couple were not doing that? We did this once and were very rudely told by another passenger that we were very irresponsible not to have gone to the (second) muster drill :D we ignored him but I was very tempted to say something else!

Edited March 17, 2016 by Mysticalmother

[Florry]

If you are doing a back to back cruise you do not have to attend the second drill....are you sure that couple were not doing that? We did this once and were very rudely told by another passenger that we were very irresponsible not to have gone to the (second) muster drill :D we ignored him but I was very tempted to say something else!

 

 

How annoying, some people think they know it all [emoji16]

[Gamepie22]

To be honest it should be an adults responsibility to attend the drill as at the end of the day it is your own life which could be at stake and if you cannot be bothered to attend or when you do talk all the way through then is it the companies fault, unfortunately this happens to often. Even had people on NCL Spirit taking photos despite being asked 3 times to take the drill seriously and put the camera away. Unfortunately no drill will ever replicate a real emergency.

[the english lady]

To be honest it should be an adults responsibility to attend the drill as at the end of the day it is your own life which could be at stake and if you cannot be bothered to attend or when you do talk all the way through then is it the companies fault, unfortunately this happens to often. Even had people on NCL Spirit taking photos despite being asked 3 times to take the drill seriously and put the camera away. Unfortunately no drill will ever replicate a real emergency.

 

I was going to say if there was a real emergency it would not be like the drill, but I hope enough of the info would have entered the brain, that they at least remembered where the muster station was they went to.

It also depends of course how good the crew are in an emergency. Passengers

may be headless chickens ,but the crew have to know what they are doing. I would hope they do.

[john watson]

I have heard reports of passengers hiding in cabins instead of attending and being disembarked by the captain. This was not on P&O

 

Regards John

[cruisefan2012]

I dont know about the other ships but a word to the wise Ladies, the new lifejacket on Britannia requires a strap to go between your legs meaning that the new life jacket goes over your head, clips in place around your waist and under your legs.

 

On Day 1 of your cruise to avoid embarrassment possibly wear trousers...

 

I have attended every single on of my 6 muster drills, It`s a mandatory safety requirement - I know a couple who have done a LOT of cruises who refuse to attend the muster drill - to quote "been once dont need to go again"... I was shocked...

 

I have to change the subject slightly and ask how many people watch the cabin crew perform the safety demo on a plane? I have sat next to many people on planes who are either asleep or head down in a book, drives me mad, because if anything were to happen...

Edited March 17, 2016 by cruisefan2012

[Florry]

I dont know about the other ships but a word to the wise Ladies, the new lifejacket on Britannia requires a strap to go between your legs meaning that the new life jacket goes over your head, clips in place around your waist and under your legs.

 

On Day 1 of your cruise to avoid embarrassment possibly wear trousers...

 

I have attended every single on of my 6 muster drills, It`s a mandatory safety requirement - I know a couple who have done a LOT of cruises who refuse to attend the muster drill - to quote "been once dont need to go again"... I was shocked...

 

I have to change the subject slightly and ask how many people watch the cabin crew perform the safety demo on a plane? I have sat next to many people on planes who are either asleep or head down in a book, drives me mad, because if anything were to happen...

 

 

Good tip about Britannia!

[dsrdsrdsr]

I have to change the subject slightly and ask how many people watch the cabin crew perform the safety demo on a plane? I have sat next to many people on planes who are either asleep or head down in a book, drives me mad, because if anything were to happen...

 

And isn't just sod's law that the one time you don't listen to the plane safety drill, that'll be the day that they keep the lifejackets in a locker in the middle of the plane, and tell you to leave by the furthest door, not the nearest one ... :)

 

I do listen to plane safety announcements, but I never really feel to have learned anything new. Most airlines have much the same drill - nearest door, follow the lights, don't take hand luggage etc.

[Eglesbrech]

I listen on the plane and in spite of the fact I learn nothing new I also always attend all the boat drills (on time, latecomers who waste everyone's time annoy me as well).

 

Having been through it for real, my husband and I also check out all the exits and routes on the first day (we do that in hotels as well). The hallways are so congested when the drill is on that you are more likely to see and remember your routes if you do it when the corridors and stair wells are quieter. We never intrude on the crew areas but I always also know exactly where the crew stairs are should they be needed in a real emergency.

 

Sometimes the passengers don't take the drills seriously because the staff set the tone that it is all a lark. On some lines photographers even come along and take pictures of people in their life jacket making it a commercial enterprise rather than a serious safety drill. For 15 minutes during a drill we could all do without the cheesy jokes and dance routines that some of those in charge inflict on a captive audience.

[ascot2012]

We always attend the drill, I was under the impression that cabins were checked for passengers trying to miss the drill.

We did a RCI cruise (Brilliance of the Sea) we had to go to our assigned life boat position and our cruise cards were scanned to prove we attended, on P&O we have just had to go to our muster station.

Not sure how much you would remember in a real emergency but remembering something is got to be better than nothing, we just hope that we never need to remember anything

[Scorpio41]

If you are doing a back to back cruise you do not have to attend the second drill....are you sure that couple were not doing that? We did this once and were very rudely told by another passenger that we were very irresponsible not to have gone to the (second) muster drill :D we ignored him but I was very tempted to say something else!

 

 

This is okay if your staying in the same cabin or area of the ship with the same muster station and escape route.

You do need to attend again if you move to a different area of the ship with a different muster station.

[peteukmcr]

If you are doing a back to back cruise you do not have to attend the second drill....are you sure that couple were not doing that? We did this once and were very rudely told by another passenger that we were very irresponsible not to have gone to the (second) muster drill :D we ignored him but I was very tempted to say something else!

Shows the difference in process on different lines. On RCI regardless of how many times you've sailed with them, you need to attend every single muster drill. All cabins are checked and room keys scanned and names and cabin numbers called out at the muster station. If the passengers are still not accounted for, public announcements are made after the drill has completed for them to attend guest services.

[Mysticalmother]

Shows the difference in process on different lines. On RCI regardless of how many times you've sailed with them, you need to attend every single muster drill. All cabins are checked and room keys scanned and names and cabin numbers called out at the muster station. If the passengers are still not accounted for, public announcements are made after the drill has completed for them to attend guest services.

 

Not sure you read my post properly. On P & O you have to attend muster drill no matter how many times you have sailed with them. No different to RCI.

 

My post was specifically referring to a back to back cruise - 2 segments of a 3 segmented cruise - actually on Cunard - but its the same for P &O.

 

If you are staying on the ship AND in the same cabin then it is not compulsory to attend the second muster drill. If you change cabins, then you do have to attend.

[balf]

On many ships the main muster point is in the theatre. Seems a recipe for disaster in a real emergency panic wise. Muster points used to be along side your allocated life boat which always seemed reassuring to me. Also there is never proper instruction for wheelchair users except not to use the lifts. If you look at the physical shape of some of the "stairway guides" you do wonder how they would ope with manhandling chairs up or down stairs.

 

As has been said, it's box ticking minimum angled to disrupt the passengers as little as possible.

 

I keep remembering the Concordia videos.

 

David.