Muster Drill

[chengkp75]

43 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

Interesting article in the Street.com suggesting that Celebrity may have found a better way to muster.

https://www.thestreet.com/travel/royal-caribbean-has-a-passenger-friendly-solution-to-muster-problem?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

 

Transcription attached:

Celebrity Muster.docx 13.31 kB · 2 downloads

However it is presented, the e-muster format is only conditionally approved by the IMO, who will decide whether to permanently approve the e-muster or return to the old format.

[slidebite]

I too agree that an in person muster is probably a good thing. If nothing else it might help me get acquainted with the ship if I haven't been on it before/some time. But we're also people that actually listen to the flight attendants and read the emergency sheet in the seat back when we fly so we're kinda weird 😕

 

It's only a few minutes, it's not ruining the trip and might save your life.

[CDR Benson]

On our cruise last September, it was the watch-the-video-then-amble-down-to-your-muster-station-at-your-leisure type of muster.  In the event of an actual disaster, it wouldn't have been a problem for me.  I had studied the deck plans of Joy from stem to stern and knew exactly where we'd have to go.  But I guarantee the Good Mrs. Benson, from that one brief visit where a crewman scanned her boarding card, wouldn't have been able to find our station again.  Especially in the throes of an emergency.  I imagine most of the passengers were like that.

 

Requiring the pax to actually respond to the alarm, make their way to their muster stations, and go through the motions of preparation imprints much more effectively on their memories.  Even better if the muster drill were done two or three times per each week of a cruise.  

 

But I imagine a captain who did that wouldn't have many friends among the paying guests.

 

 

[GOARMY]

CDR Benson:  

 

Army sends its regards to Navy.  

 

Considering your military background, cannot resist responding to your Post #28.  

 

Hmmm. A Captain who ordered two or three weekly Muster Drills on a cruise ship would be about as popular as:   

 

Captain Queeg.  Harked back to the first serious "historical" novel I read in the early '50s.  That was Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny".  Then, the great 1954 movie by the same name featuring Humprey Bogart as Queeg.  Ah, that search for the imaginary "duplicate key" to the locker containing those purloined strawberries.  

 

For my money, the best actor in the movie was Jose' Ferrer portraying the Navy lawyer somewhat reluctantly assigned to defend those officers who were involved in removing Queeg from command. 

 

Based on this history, I always look for a Captain aboard a cruise ship who, in a nervous moment, might reach into a jacket pocket and produce:  two or three marbles. 

 

Best, 

 

COL Jim

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

[CDR Benson]

1 hour ago, GOARMY said:

For my money, the best actor in [The Caine Mutiny] was Jose' Ferrer portraying the Navy lawyer somewhat reluctantly assigned to defend those officers who were involved in removing Queeg from command.

 

To be sure, colonel, Ferrer, as Lieutenant Greenwald, stole the film.  Of his two best moments, the first was when he undercut the protest that he was accusing Lieutenant Commander Queeg of cowardice with:

 

It is not the defence's contention that Lieutenant Commander Queeg is a coward.  Quite the contrary.  The defence assumes that no man who rises to command a United States naval ship can possibly be a coward.  And that, therefore, if he commits questionable acts under fire, the explanation must be elsewhere.

 

Thus, LT Greenwald not only disarmed the iminent ire of the court-martial board, he subtly introduced the basis for LCDR Queeg's mental instability.

 

But, of course, Greenwald's best scene is in his near-diatribe at the party celebrating Lieutenant Maryk's acquittal, in which the lawyer explains his reasons for defending Maryk:  his acclamation of military men who defended this country unappreciated, before World War II made serving in uniform popular; his insistence that "you don't work with a captain because you like the way he parts his hair---you work with him because he's got the job or you're no good!"; and his final, bitter indictment of "the real author of the Caine mutiny," Lieutenant Keefer.

 

Definitely the second-best film about the U. S. Navy ever made, and José Ferrer makes it.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by CDR Benson

[GOARMY]

Commander:  

 

I realize we are, again, veering off the intent of this Thread.  But--

 

I would bet your top award would go to:  "The Hunt for Red October".  Again, based on a great book.  No?

 

In the interim, spouse and self called-up that movie for review.  The almost-last scene at the San Francisco hotel is riveting.  Particularly when Van Johnson's character acknowledges Keefer.  "I didn't think you would have the guts to show up."  Response:  "I didn't have the guts not to."   

 

We will now return to our normal programming.  

 

GOARMY!

 

[CDR Benson]

1 minute ago, GOARMY said:

We will now return to our normal programming.  

 

. . . As soon as I answer the colonel's question.

 

My top award for a film about the Navy goes to:

 

The Enemy Below (20th Century Fox, 1957)

 

O. K., now back to cruise stuff.

 

 

[BackseatCruiser]

15 hours ago, CDR Benson said:

My top award for a film about the Navy goes to:

 

The Enemy Below (20th Century Fox, 1957)

 

 

Different navy but "Das Boot," especially the long version, is awesome!

[daetchief]

I went to sea one day on a submarine [USS CAVALA].  I discovered two important truths:

 

1.  Submariners Earn their Pay!

2. I'll never be that hard up for Cash!

 

Hats Off to those who sail in Sewer Pipes!

Edited January 27, 2023 by daetchief
Fmt

[GOARMY]

Way, way back in the day--over 55 years ago:

 

Had the opportunity to spend three days (and portions of three nights) on a Sub in the 'Carib.  A series of training exercises for us Army 'grunts as baggage being transported here and there. 

 

All expenses paid. 

 

Great respect for "The Silent Service". 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

[CJANDH]

Not to force anyone back to the intended topic, but the article below is a good review of how the major cruise lines and the coast guard are thinking about muster drills.

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/cruise-ship-muster-drill-changes-reasons/

[KenzSailing]

On 1/26/2023 at 3:34 PM, CDR Benson said:

 

. . . As soon as I answer the colonel's question.

 

My top award for a film about the Navy goes to:

 

The Enemy Below (20th Century Fox, 1957)

 

O. K., now back to cruise stuff.

 

 

 

Agreed.  Have the various contributors to this thread read Ian Toll's trilogy on WWII in the Pacific?  Highly recommended. 

[chengkp75]

13 hours ago, CJANDH said:

Not to force anyone back to the intended topic, but the article below is a good review of how the major cruise lines and the coast guard are thinking about muster drills.

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/cruise-ship-muster-drill-changes-reasons/

Interesting that the author did not contact the USCG for attribution of the comments about positive feedback on e-muster.  And, ultimately, it is not the USCG that would make the decision on whether to approve the e-muster for permanent use, but the IMO.

[CJANDH]

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Interesting that the author did not contact the USCG for attribution of the comments about positive feedback on e-muster.  And, ultimately, it is not the USCG that would make the decision on whether to approve the e-muster for permanent use, but the IMO.

But I would hope they talk to each other!

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, CJANDH said:

But I would hope they talk to each other!

But, they are just one voice out of the 174 members of the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO, which has to propose any changes to SOLAS, and then only one vote out of 174 in the IMO Council which has to approve any changes.  

[CJANDH]

24 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

But, they are just one voice out of the 174 members of the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO, which has to propose any changes to SOLAS, and then only one vote out of 174 in the IMO Council which has to approve any changes.  

Sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. I bet they get a lot done. 😄

[CJANDH]

Well, at least for now the choice is: book Regent and enjoy a mass muster or book Silversea or Seabourn and E-muster. Time will tell where it all finishes up.

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, CJANDH said:

Sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. I bet they get a lot done. 😄

While they are not quick, they have done quite a lot, including reducing sulfur emissions from ship's fuel by 85%, enacting MARPOL (marine pollution requirements), enacting STCW (training and competency requirements for ship's crew), the MLC 2006 (protecting crew working conditions and pay), and, of course SOLAS.

[CJANDH]

18 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

While they are not quick, they have done quite a lot, including reducing sulfur emissions from ship's fuel by 85%, enacting MARPOL (marine pollution requirements), enacting STCW (training and competency requirements for ship's crew), the MLC 2006 (protecting crew working conditions and pay), and, of course SOLAS.

And I bet that deciding between two versions of the muster drill on cruise ships is high on their priority list. 

[slidebite]

I can honestly say a muster drill has absolutely zero impact on how much I enjoy my holiday.

[papaflamingo]

22 hours ago, slidebite said:

I can honestly say a muster drill has absolutely zero impact on how much I enjoy my holiday.

I agree. In fact, when having to attend a Muster Drill, for me, meant the ship was getting ready to sail and sort of was a "ritual start" to the actual cruise. 😎

[flossie009]

Joining Explorer yesterday, we were pleased to see in the daily Passages:

Approx 5pm - Compulsory guest safety briefing via ships PA system.

We thought this meant that we could stay in our suite for the briefing ………. but no, in the event we were all herded to our muster stations. Ours was in the balcony of the theatre so, being Explorer, we could not see anything.

Thus we simply had a briefing over the PA, but in a crowded, non socially distanced environment.

 

We still had to watch the safety video during on-line check-in, twice more the week before the cruise and then the longer version in our suite after boarding.

 

So we now seem to have the the e-muster in addition to the traditional muster. 

Not sure that this enhances the health, safety or wellbeing of guests or crew.

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by flossie009

[Lonedaddy]

I didn't really mind the muster but agree that I don't need to watch the video twice before then again in my suite and again at the muster.  

 

The one thing I didn't like was having to wait until everyone checked in before we started and of course there were some that were 10 minutes late.    Perhaps they should have a raffle or offer regent points to encourage those to be on time.  Nothing like the stampede of folks heading to trivia on time... like the Serengeti (said it jest)

[CDR Benson]

5 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

The one thing I didn't like was having to wait until everyone checked in before we started and of course there were some that were 10 minutes late.    

 

That's the one thing that irritates me about the in-person muster drill:  those who are too clueless and/or inconsiderate to get where they're supposed to be in a timely fashion.

 

I remember our first cruise, several years ago, when, for the drill, the passengers actually had to muster on the weather deck at the locations of their assigned lifeboats. (Which is an excellent training practise.)  It was some fifteen or twenty minutes into the evolution, a complete shipwide muster had not been obtained yet, and here comes some fellow ambling along as if he had no especial place to be.  He was looking for his muster station, but wasn't too concerned about it, evidently.

 

The crewman assigned to our station checked his boarding card and told "Mr. C." where his muster station was.  And the fellow strolled away with all the urgency of a man out for a walk in the park looking for a hot dog stand.

 

I can't attest to how the rest of the folks standing there in ranks felt, but I wanted to make that guy the subject of a man-overboard drill.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by CDR Benson

[Portolan]

We were on Splendor last month when they restarted the muster drill.  First, I have no problem with this change for all the safety reasons cited.  However, the crew were checking people in by scanning their keycards and it became apparent that there were issues with the hand-held scanners or possibly in the ability for that data to be collated.  There was an uncomfortably long period of time where they'd call a cabin whose occupants were in the theater and (overheard several times) said they'd been scanned and when they were scanned again it still didn't register.  I expect that this was the first use of the scanning system since, as mentioned earlier by a B2B cruiser, it was the first in-person muster held on the Splendor.  The crux of the issue seemed to be no backup plan for manually collecting the information and integrating it with that captured by the scanners.

 

We'll be on Explorer in 4 weeks so it'll be interesting to see if it is smoother.  But, again, not complaining about the intent.