Muster Drill change ??

[Lovesatq]

Just heard on Don's Family Vacations Utube channel that all of NCL is returning to the old muster drills.  Hope this isn't true.

[bob brown]

On our cruise on the Insignia, our online check in required us to view a safety video.  Upon entering our cabin, we were required to view it again.

Then for the drill, we we’re required to report to our muster station’s,  (without life jackets), either the theater or main dining room, where our shipcards were scanned.  Once attendance was complete, They gave the safety spiel, and demonstrated the donning of the life jackets.

After that, we were escorted outside to stand beneath our assigned lifeboat. After a final announcement, we were dismissed…

[jonthomas]

yes this was the protocol for riviera too...

 

but now with NCL making again the way it used to be, wont be long before C will also adopt the old style..unless they can be exempt due to smaller ships....less passengers...

[Acrusa]

Sounds like the old days. Back in 2019 just went to GDR heard instructions then back to cabins 

[RetiredLifer]

We are on the Sirena. Four days ago when we embarked in Miami, one hour before departure we had to assemble at our muster station (our’s was the Sirena lounge on deck five.) we had to bring our life jackets, check in, listen to a 15 minute speech, and put on our life jackets.  We were then dismissed. It was just like the old days except we did not have to go to the life boats.  We still had to watch the safety film in our room to unlock the tv. 

[jonthomas]

12 minutes ago, RetiredLifer said:

We are on the Sirena. Four days ago when we embarked in Miami, one hour before departure we had to assemble at our muster station (our’s was the Sirena lounge on deck five.) we had to bring our life jackets, check in, listen to a 15 minute speech, and put on our life jackets.  We were then dismissed. It was just like the old days except we did not have to go to the life boats.  We still had to watch the safety film in our room to unlock the tv. 

 

Oh wow....yes back to the old days....at least it is sitting in the lounge...I remember standing on deck beside the life boats,  in the hot sun for all that....

[LHT28]

I think the  non group drills were during the covid  time frame so  back to normal  muster drills now

[njhorseman]

6 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I think the  non group drills were during the covid  time frame so  back to normal  muster drills now

Correct. The virtual muster drills were never intended to be permanent . They were strictly a temporary COVID era adjustment to minimize passengers' exposure to large, densely packed crowds.

[CJANDH]

59 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Correct. The virtual muster drills were never intended to be permanent . They were strictly a temporary COVID era adjustment to minimize passengers' exposure to large, densely packed crowds.

Still a good idea. Why herd everyone together at the start of a cruise? Whether it is covid, the flu or any other virus, minimizing mass gatherings will help spreading illnesses around the ship. Also, the e-muster was so easy. They just needed to find a way to ensure that everyone executed it. One way would be to deactivate key cards until a pax had visited his/her muster station. No drinks, no reentry to suite.

[Twiga]

2 hours ago, RetiredLifer said:

We are on the Sirena. Four days ago when we embarked in Miami, one hour before departure we had to assemble at our muster station (our’s was the Sirena lounge on deck five.) we had to bring our life jackets, check in, listen to a 15 minute speech, and put on our life jackets.  We were then dismissed. It was just like the old days except we did not have to go to the life boats.  We still had to watch the safety film in our room to unlock the tv. 

We are also on the Sirena now, plus the preceding cruise.  The "muster drill" on the first cruise was a two minute talk by a woman at Baristas.  She recorded our stateroom number and we left. As @RetiredLifersaid, we had a full drill, minus gathering under the lifeboats, on this current cruise.  I was told by a crew member at the drill that this was the first muster drill using the pre-pandemic procedure.  As usual, it was chaotic with many passengers wearing their life jackets or trying to put them on while they walked, instead of carrying them (which made navigating to the correct meeting place difficult). 

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, Twiga said:

As usual, it was chaotic with many passengers wearing their life jackets or trying to put them on while they walked, instead of carrying them (which made navigating to the correct meeting place difficult). 

Can you imagine what it would be like in a REAL emergency 😲

[AMHuntFerry]

Call me a nube (cuz I am one), but I'm looking forward to my first muster drill! Now if I can just get them to let me ride in the lifeboat while the crew are doing their drill, my life will be complete. 🙂

[RetiredLifer]

7 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Call me a nube (cuz I am one), but I'm looking forward to my first muster drill! Now if I can just get them to let me ride in the lifeboat while the crew are doing their drill, my life will be complete. 🙂

You get to ride the lifeboat when you tender ashore.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, RetiredLifer said:

You get to ride the lifeboat when you tender ashore.

I want to ride while it's being lowered 😊wheeee!

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, CJANDH said:

Why herd everyone together at the start of a cruise?

Why? Ask your cruise ship's safety officer. They'll explain that it's important in the event of an actual emergency for you know where to assemble and there's no better way of doing that than making you go to that assembly station for the muster drill.

[bob brown]

14 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

I want to ride while it's being lowered 😊wheeee!

Almost as much fun as sliding down the escape shoots used on some ships to get to life rafts, eh?😁

[MEFIowa]

On 1/23/2023 at 5:18 PM, LHT28 said:

Can you imagine what it would be like in a REAL emergency 😲

Though for the Andrea Doria in 1956, a bit smaller than the R-class but with twice the passengers, "the ship stayed afloat for over 11 hours after the collision." All the deaths were a result of the collision with the other cruise ship.

 

As for the SS Stockholm, amazing she's still sailing today! "MV Astoria is a ship that was constructed as the transatlantic ocean liner Stockholm for Swedish American Line, and rebuilt as a cruise ship in 1993. Ordered in 1944, and commenced service in 1948, at 73 years old, she is the oldest passenger liner still sailing in deep water routes. As Stockholm, she was best known for an accidental collision with Andrea Doria in July 1956, resulting in the sinking of the latter ship and 46 fatalities off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States."