Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Muster Drill

esther e

By esther e,
in Celebrity Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

OnTheJourney

OnTheJourney

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, 39august said:

Only a very short video on  your cabin TV or on the app. Then report to your muster station to show you have watched it and can find the muster station. Easy peasy. 

Total waste of time if a cruise line is not going to do a real drill. Disservice not only to the pax but also to the crew who needs the practice in case of the real event. I’ve been on a ship that went through the real deal during an actual emergency and subsequent general alarm. The alarm was followed by helicopter evacuation of over half the ship. Situation was so bad that the boats couldn’t even be launched. Nothing can prepare you for something like that adequately enough. Surely just watching a video is a joke and is inadequate. When that alarm goes off you’re lucky if you even remember where to go let alone how to put on the vest. Believe me. I’ve been there and will never take another drill lightly. 

Edited by OnTheJourney
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
OnTheJourney

OnTheJourney

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, EatonDoolittle said:

 

Glad you mentioned this - I was about to post that I read on the RC board that many were able to do this at home,  or in the hotel room the evening before or that morning. 

 

UNbelievable and unconscionable. I was lucky to even survive an actual emergency. Take the drill seriously folks!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DCPIV "Live from...." Rare

DCPIV

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

UNbelievable and unconscionable. I was lucky to even survive an actual emergency. Take the drill seriously folks!!

 

Don't get too wound up.  You still need to report to your muster station, and that is by far the most important part of the drill.  It's just not all done as a crowd. 

 

In many ways, it's actually a good deal more effective than piling everyone out on the deck.  Unless you were up at the front of one of those lines, you couldn't see the life vest demonstration.  Now, it's right in front of you as a video or a personal demonstration (or both, if you like).  The information remains with you on the app, if you so desire to review it.

 

The crew still do their drill.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
davekathy

davekathy

Posted
Posted
39 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

Don't get too wound up.  You still need to report to your muster station, and that is by far the most important part of the drill.  It's just not all done as a crowd. 

 

In many ways, it's actually a good deal more effective than piling everyone out on the deck.  Unless you were up at the front of one of those lines, you couldn't see the life vest demonstration.  Now, it's right in front of you as a video or a personal demonstration (or both, if you like).  The information remains with you on the app, if you so desire to review it.

 

The crew still do their drill.

The current muster procedure/process sounds a lot better than what we experienced in the past where we sat in the theater and watched some lame boring video and then watched a few crew members on stage demonstrate how to put on the life vest. But even that was still better than standing outside at the actual muster station watching the life vest demonstration and listening to people complain not being able to see because the person in front of them is to tall. Sorry. 😉 At least we didn't have to drag the life vest with us. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DCPIV "Live from...." Rare

DCPIV

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, davekathy said:

At least we didn't have to drag the life vest with us. 

 

Those days were not fun, especially with a couple of preschool aged kids. Even though they were well behaved, that still was a heck of a lot to handle with all that crowd. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OnTheJourney

OnTheJourney

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, DCPIV said:

You still need to report to your muster station, and that is by far the most important part of the drill.

should have to actually put a vest on. I realize the logistical issues associated with that, but, as I said, in the actual emergency situation, a bit of 'brain fog' comes into play. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jagoffee

jagoffee

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

In US you can watch the short video on TV or App.   Then you go to muster station snd they scan your card.   Each cruise they have had about 100 who did not follow the simple instructions and are required to attend an in person drill before the ship can depart. 

We found out that you must have to sign in somehow when you watch it on your TV.  We watched it and then went to our station.  When they scanned our cards, they said they did not show us as watching the video.  It was no big deal as they took about 5 minutes to demonstrate how to put on your life jacket, then we were good.  We will use the AP next time.  
 

The bottom line it that it is a much better process IMO.  During an actual emergency one meets inside at the muster station anyway.  Most important to know where you need to meet.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OnTheJourney

OnTheJourney

Posted
Posted (edited)
21 hours ago, davekathy said:

I didn't see this published on Celebrity's website as an onboard activity. 

Yeah...it sure wasn't something I'd ever have thought would happen!  I suppose some people would pay to do it were it not under the conditions that we were experiencing. We were within a ship's length of running into the rocky lee shore. It was said by several experienced officials that, had the anchor not held us in position, there could have well been a thousand dead had we grounded and who knows what else. The big problem was that all 4 engines went down so we were at the mercy of the sea and wind. Shades of the Oct. 1991 storm and the Andrea Gail. That cruise was a memorable one to be sure. At least we had several sightings of the Northern Lights. 

Edited by OnTheJourney
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
davekathy

davekathy

Posted
Posted (edited)

@OnTheJourney...I get what your saying that muster drills should be taken seriously. Some will and some won't. Nature of the beast. But I also don't believe the muster drills of the past were any better compared to the new current muster drill procedure. Not speaking from experience, yet. 

Edited by davekathy
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Saturngrl

Saturngrl

Posted
Posted

I agree this new muster drill process is preferable to the old "crowd them in for 30 minutes" in-person format.   Very few people in the prior in-person muster drill process paid attention to the videos and crew instructions.   I'm sure the same people will do their "time" viewing the videos and checking in at their muster stations.   Same as on airplanes.   I have a lot of disaster management experience and know the most important thing is to be able to follow the directions of the crew.  (Yes, I watch the video every time and pay more attention than most passengers.) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ExArkie

ExArkie

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, davekathy said:

@OnTheJourney...I get what your saying that muster drills should be taken seriously. Some will and some won't. Nature of the beast. But I also don't believe the muster drills of the past were any better compared to the new current muster drill procedure. Not speaking from experience, yet. 

Having spent a good portion of my working life planning response to and responding to land-based emergencies of various types, I usually find that any drill, no matter how well constructed or realistic, does not adequately prepare you for what may happen. Muster drills need to - and generally do - focus on (1) where your station is and how to get there, (2) how to put on the life vest, and (3) listening to people giving instructions in an actual emergency (i.e., please stop talking and put away your phone). Not sure anything more can be accomplished with a crowd of 2,000 or more people in an hour or so.

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DCPIV "Live from...." Rare

DCPIV

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, davekathy said:

@OnTheJourney...I get what your saying that muster drills should be taken seriously. Some will and some won't. Nature of the beast. But I also don't believe the muster drills of the past were any better compared to the new current muster drill procedure. Not speaking from experience, yet. 

 

4 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

Having spent a good portion of my working life planning response to and responding to land-based emergencies of various types, I usually find that any drill, no matter how well constructed or realistic, does not adequately prepare you for what may happen. Muster drills need to - and generally do - focus on (1) where your station is and how to get there, (2) how to put on the life vest, and (3) listening to people giving instructions in an actual emergency (i.e., please stop talking and put away your phone). Not sure anything more can be accomplished with a crowd of 2,000 or more people in an hour or so.

 

I agree completely.  I'm all for emergency preparedness, but I never felt that the muster drills did much of anything to prepare us beyond knowing what the alarm horn sounds like and where to go when we hear it.  Many folks would show up drunk.  Many more wouldn't pay the slightest attention.  Many of the rest of us couldn't see what was going on.  The current system may not be ideal, but it's no worse than the old system and better in a number of ways.

 

I even recall that, in the -very- old days when we had to bring our life vests to the station, that they had a number of incidents.  We even saw one.  A lady fell on the stairs on the way back to dropping her vest off. I don't remember if she tripped on a strap or someone else or what (it's been a good 20 years or so).  It wasn't long after that we no longer needed to report with vests.  At the very least, that did a little to help relieve the crowds on the stairs.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 year later...
wowzers

wowzers

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi, we have a cruise later this month on Celebrity Millennium. The cruise departs San Juan at 8:30 pm.

 

Is Celebrity still doing Muster 2.0? If so, after we watch the video on the app, do we have to report to the muster station at a specific time?

 

How does validation work these days?

Is there still a specific 4-hour window when we have to watch the video?

 

Edited by wowzers
correction & clarity
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DaKahuna Great Review Rare

DaKahuna

Posted
Posted
On 10/24/2021 at 11:19 PM, OnTheJourney said:

Total waste of time if a cruise line is not going to do a real drill. Disservice not only to the pax but also to the crew who needs the practice in case of the real event. I’ve been on a ship that went through the real deal during an actual emergency and subsequent general alarm. The alarm was followed by helicopter evacuation of over half the ship. Situation was so bad that the boats couldn’t even be launched. Nothing can prepare you for something like that adequately enough. Surely just watching a video is a joke and is inadequate. When that alarm goes off you’re lucky if you even remember where to go let alone how to put on the vest. Believe me. I’ve been there and will never take another drill lightly. 

 

One my last three sailings, the crew practiced emergency evacuation drills on inport days.  To include actually using some crew members as passengers and launching the lifeboats. 

 

While I agree that it's going to be chaos for many if it ever happens, the new form of muster is no worse than the old form in preparing passengers.  Noting is going to go right 100% of the time no matter how prepared you think you may be.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Alakegirl

Alakegirl

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, wowzers said:

Hi, we have a cruise later this month on Celebrity Millennium. The cruise departs San Juan at 8:30 pm.

 

Is Celebrity still doing Muster 2.0? If so, after we watch the video on the app, do we have to report to the muster station at a specific time?

 

How does validation work these days?

Is there still a specific 4-hour window when we have to watch the video?

 

Yes they are doing the new muster, and you check in prior to sailing.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Texed Holiday Sharing Rare

Texed

Posted
Posted
On 10/25/2021 at 10:37 AM, OnTheJourney said:

should have to actually put a vest on.

 

Do you think we should put on a life vest during the plane safety briefing also?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...