Boat Drill

[Pontius Navigator]

Go to Cruise Blogs and Websites and read "A ship that went "bump" in the night."

 

?

 

Means nothing to me.

[scamper]

I have looked to see if I could validate my assumption. There is a fair bit on the web but nothing definitive.

 

Clearly with over 3000 on board and 14x120 and 4x150 lifeboats that still only comes to 2280 and some of those boats may not be 120 seaters. This means they need to lower all boats and also sufficient life rafts for a further 1000.

 

Now read this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_van_Oldenbarnevelt_(ship)

 

Then ask Justin again :)

 

Dutch statesman...I'm lost...?

[Pontius Navigator]

Dutch statesman...I'm lost...?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_van_Oldenbarnevelt_(ship)

 

The problem is in the link. For some reason that last ')' is omitted if you click the link.

 

Copy the shortcut, paste to the browser, then add the bracket. This will take you to the article on the Lakonia.

 

Incidentally I believe we had a fire on the Constellation on the Baltic cruise. I can't remember whether we were in port or at sea. Anyway I took the forrad elevator to deck 3 and cut down the starboard corridor to Guest Services. There was a smell of burning like burnt paper.

 

About half way down were a couple of deck officers and a steward and possibly a seaman all in the corridor and there were no dorrs open just a stronger smell of burnt paper. There was no smoke, no fire applicances, and the corridor had not been roped off. It may have been no more than a single piece of burning paper.

[larronry]

Of the lines I've sailed with (Celebrity, RCI, Princess, HAL, and NCL), I feel Princess does it the best. You carry your jacket with you to your muster station. Their muster stations are lounges so they have you "sit" while you listen to instructions on how to put the jacket on and then they have everyone put the jacket on properly with staff walking through and checking jackets and offering assistance. I haven't sailed Princess in more than a year so I'm a littly foggy on whether they then escort you to your lifeboats.

 

I do believe in following whatever rule the cruise line we are on has. But that doesn't mean we can't question the rule in hopes that they make a bad one better.

 

Just my thoughts.

I have to agree with you on Princess. Last year when our cruise on the Millie was canceled we ended up on a Princess cruise. The muster drill was the most amazing one I've been through (I've done Celebrity, Carnival, and NCL). Carried our Life Vests to the Theater where we were very clearly shown how to put it on. I put mine on then had to help my husband on with his (he's not good at following directions). Then we were told which to to exit to the lifeboats and it was over and we could take them off.

 

My biggest fear this time is that we will be carrying a two year old and there is no way my husband nor myself can wear a vest and carry our son through those crowded stairwells. I think I'm going to try and be at our muster station with Life Vest in hand a head of time or at least have my son and one of us their and the other in the cabin getting all the Life Vests.

[Pontius Navigator]

The muster drill was the most amazing one I've been through (I've done Celebrity, Carnival, and NCL). Carried our Life Vests to the Theater where we were very clearly shown how to put it on. I put mine on then had to help my husband on with his (he's not good at following directions). Then we were told which to to exit to the lifeboats and it was over and we could take them off.

 

And that was what I had expected when I made the first post! It almost seemed as if I was being flamed for suggesting that Constellation's drill was like a greek farce with the competition of music and instructions over the speakers.

[Karynanne]

Short and simple....Celebrity does their Muster drills differently than Princess does their's. No right or wrong...just different.

 

After all our cruises, I had never given Muster much thought, as to if it was done correctly or incorrectly. It was only 30 minutes of time...

[jaybee]

karynanne, "Short and simple"...and succinctly said. Bravo!

[Jade13]

Our first cruise was on the old Westerdam in 2000. I was really impressed with the muster drill. They even went around and checked every cabin to make sure everyone was on deck AND checked off your name on their list while you were at the muster station. I don't know if they still do all of this but to this day I am still impressed by it.

 

Kathleen

 

This is the way HAL does it (as well as other small ships we have been on), simple and painless. You walk right out to the deck. They check your name off and check that you have your life vest on properly on while you are there.

 

This sounds like a longer than necessary process if other lines have you go to a lounge or other station and then out to the decks for further instruction.

[Lois R]

This is the way HAL does it (as well as other small ships we have been on), simple and painless. You walk right out to the deck. They check your name off and check that you have your life vest on properly on while you are there.

 

This sounds like a longer than necessary process if other lines have you go to a lounge or other station and then out to the decks for further instruction.

 

Hi Jade, longer? In all my cruises (except for the one where the Capt

was dismissed:rolleyes: ) muster took all of 30 mintues.

No names are checked off. You go to one place..then you go outside.

I don't feel like a 1/2 hour is very long, that is just my opinion.

[Kapricorn]

Hi Jade, longer? In all my cruises (except for the one where the Capt

was dismissed:rolleyes: ) muster took all of 30 mintues.

No names are checked off. You go to one place..then you go outside.

I don't feel like a 1/2 hour is very long, that is just my opinion.

 

Lois, I think that Jade was referring to the fact that Holland America doesn't require their passengers to first go to muster stations and later to the lifeboats. Skipping the muster stations (casinos, theatres, etc.) would probably cut the amount of time involved in the drill. I will find out how long the drill is on the Zaandam when I am on her later this month (gonna bring my stopwatch!). :D

 

Donald.

[Karynanne]

Lois, I think that Jade was referring to the fact that Holland America doesn't require their passengers to first go to muster stations and later to the lifeboats. Skipping the muster stations (casinos, theatres, etc.) would probably cut the amount of time involved in the drill. I will find out how long the drill is on the Zaandam when I am on her later this month (gonna bring my stopwatch!). :D

 

Donald.

 

 

Am I missing something here? Why does it matter if one goes FIRST to their Muster Station, and then taken to the lifeboats for the drill? It's only 30 min. of time, and it's the procedure that Celebrity uses. Different cruiselines, use different procedures. Pretty soon, people are going to start commenting on whether the toilet tissue rolls over the roll....or under the roll...

 

Karyn

[Kapricorn]

Am I missing something here? Why does it matter if one goes FIRST to their Muster Station, and then taken to the lifeboats for the drill? It's only 30 min. of time, and it's the procedure that Celebrity uses. Different cruiselines, use different procedures. Pretty soon, people are going to start commenting on whether the toilet tissue rolls over the roll....or under the roll...

 

Karyn

 

Hundreds or thousands of passengers who are gathered in the Muster Station must then file out down the stairs to the lifeboats. This adds several moments to the procedure. Holland America has their passengers go directly to their lifeboat stations. Could be 30 minutes for Celebrity, 20 minutes for Holland America.

 

I was not complaining or blasting or whining, just commenting with other posters about the differences in the lifeboat drills. As you said, the cruise lines have their own procedures. There is no right way or wrong way. It is no difference for me if it is 30 minutes for Celebrity and 20 minutes for Holland America - I accept whatever they have us do.

 

Donald.

[Pontius Navigator]

Holland America has their passengers go directly to their lifeboat stations.

 

- I accept whatever they have us do.

 

However the P&O and Cunard approach is that passengers may be at muster stations for some considerable time and that the conditions at lifeboat stations may be inclement.

 

They say it is better to keep us in one place fed, watered, and warm. Remember also the sea may be rough etc.

 

My initial point again is that aircraft emergency drills are standard whereas ship drills vary widely. There is something called 'best practice.' It certainly seems that collection at the muster station, a proper briefing, and escort to the lifeboat station would be best practice. In my opinion Celebrity followed this best practice except that the brief at the muster station was non-existent and the brief at the life-boat station was poor given the self-generated background music.

[Jade13]

Just because I had nothing better to do, I fired off a quick note to Celebrity asking what happens in the event half the lifesaving flotational apparati were unavailable in the event of an emergency. This is what I got back from Justin:

 

"In regards to your e-mail, half of the lifeboats will not accommodate

all guest on the cruise if the ship is at full capacity. ***However, should

a situation arise where the ship is on its side, none of the lifeboats

will be usable.*** (Emphasis mine) We assure you that appropriate measures will be taking before the ship gets to this point."

 

Well, we can only hope.

 

Don't they legally need enough Life Boats for all passengers?

[Jade13]

Hundreds or thousands of passengers who are gathered in the Muster Station must then file out down the stairs to the lifeboats. This adds several moments to the procedure. Holland America has their passengers go directly to their lifeboat stations. Could be 30 minutes for Celebrity, 20 minutes for Holland America.

 

I was not complaining or blasting or whining, just commenting with other posters about the differences in the lifeboat drills. As you said, the cruise lines have their own procedures. There is no right way or wrong way. It is no difference for me if it is 30 minutes for Celebrity and 20 minutes for Holland America - I accept whatever they have us do.

 

Donald.

 

Donald, I agree with you. I was really responding to someone saying that with Princess they first go to a lounge where they sit, and then out to the life boats. Seems more efficient to me to go to one place. It sounds like Celebrity does the same. The entire process on the Westerdam this summer was maybe 15 minutes, and that included check off everyones names.

 

So, if Celebrity does not check off names or cabins, how do they know if you showed up??

[Kapricorn]

So, if Celebrity does not check off names or cabins, how do they know if you showed up??

 

It seems that cabin stewards check each cabin to make sure that there are no occupants, and deck staff similarly checks the public rooms and washrooms. At each muster station, there is someone with a counter who clicks off each passenger as they depart for the lifeboat stations. I suppose that the totals from each counter are then added up to determine if the total number of passengers at the drill match those who are on board.

 

Donald.

[hb1491]

I've always disliked the muster drills where you must put your life jacket on before you get to your muster station.

 

First, if you pick up your life jacket as is when you receive it in your cabin, the straps are securely wrapped around the jacket and don't dangle causing a safety (tripping) hazard. It becomes a hazard when people begin messing with the jackets.

 

Second, I think it's more of a hazard walking down several flights of steps with the jackets ON. You can't see where you are going wth a life jacket on, making it dangerous walking steps (particularly down).

 

I'm a tad claustrophobic (got stuck in an elevator - not on a ship - several years ago for an extended period of time and that did it for me). The newer jackets that have an extended back collar designed to keep head straight (and probably out of the water) are particularly claustrophobic for me. The second the drill is over, I have to get out of the jacket so I can breathe (I'd probably have a very difficult time in one long term in a real emergency). I always remove my jacket, re-wrap the straps correctly so that none of them dangle, before heading back to our cabin.

 

I've always wondered about the insistence to put your life jacket on before you arrive at your muster station when you have yet to be instructed how to do so.

 

Of the lines I've sailed with (Celebrity, RCI, Princess, HAL, and NCL), I feel Princess does it the best. You carry your jacket with you to your muster station. Their muster stations are lounges so they have you "sit" while you listen to instructions on how to put the jacket on and then they have everyone put the jacket on properly with staff walking through and checking jackets and offering assistance. I haven't sailed Princess in more than a year so I'm a littly foggy on whether they then escort you to your lifeboats.

 

I do believe in following whatever rule the cruise line we are on has. But that doesn't mean we can't question the rule in hopes that they make a bad one better.

 

Just my thoughts.

I agree with you about Princess, also you dont go to the lifeboots,just go back to your cabin.

[Lois R]

It seems that cabin stewards check each cabin to make sure that there are no occupants, and deck staff similarly checks the public rooms and washrooms. At each muster station, there is someone with a counter who clicks off each passenger as they depart for the lifeboat stations. I suppose that the totals from each counter are then added up to determine if the total number of passengers at the drill match those who are on board.

 

Donald.

 

Hi Donald:) you are probably correct...as I have seen those counters.

But I also figure they think most folks do as they are supposed to

and show up for Muster;)

Though to be honest, I have spoken with people who, over the years

choose not to attend:rolleyes:. I guess they get away with it too since

Muster is not usually held up for "lack of passengers".

[scamper]

Don't they legally need enough Life Boats for all passengers?

 

After that little adventure in the North Atlantic in 1912 that all the movies have been made about...yeah. :)

[scamper]

Donald, I agree with you. I was really responding to someone saying that with Princess they first go to a lounge where they sit, and then out to the life boats. Seems more efficient to me to go to one place. It sounds like Celebrity does the same. The entire process on the Westerdam this summer was maybe 15 minutes, and that included check off everyones names.

 

So, if Celebrity does not check off names or cabins, how do they know if you showed up??

 

No, no...the actual muster station is the lounge or other public room that you report to for the drill. They don't take you to the lifeboats from there unless they are planning to put you in them and then lower away.

[raudacruise]

No, no...the actual muster station is the lounge or other public room that you report to for the drill. They don't take you to the lifeboats from there unless they are planning to put you in them and then lower away.

 

They took everyone out to the lifeboats from the muster station during our drill this march.

[scamper]

Hi Donald:) you are probably correct...as I have seen those counters.

But I also figure they think most folks do as they are supposed to

and show up for Muster;)

Though to be honest, I have spoken with people who, over the years

choose not to attend:rolleyes:. I guess they get away with it too since

Muster is not usually held up for "lack of passengers".

 

That's just irresponsible. Not showing up for the muster is like not participating in a fire drill. They just gonna wait until there's a fire???

 

You know, the thing is, ships still sink. They also burn. Maybe not every other month like they did a hundred years ago, but it still happens. And the reason (besides the law) that ship operators have lifeboat drills is to give people even a vague idea of where to go and what to do if that horn starts blasting seven times in the middle of the night. Everyone should take this stuff seriously. It's all of 30 minutes max out of your vacation...the freakin' margarita can wait! Frankly, only a fool skips it.

[Kapricorn]

No, no...the actual muster station is the lounge or other public room that you report to for the drill. They don't take you to the lifeboats from there unless they are planning to put you in them and then lower away.

 

Celebrity does both during each drill ... they have all of the passengers gather first in the muster station, and then herd them to the lifeboats. Apparently Princess does the same thing.

 

Other cruise lines do it differently ... on some, passengers go to their muster stations, and after the drill is over, return to their cabins. On others, passengers go to their lifeboat stations, and then return to their cabins.

 

It's interesting about the differences. On whatever cruise lines, I do whatever I am instructed to do so.

 

Donald.

[Lois R]

Huh?:confused: They always take everyone outside....you meet at your particular

station, whether it be the theater, Lounge, etc.....are told how to

put the lifejackets on and then you go outside......another few minutes

out there and then its over.

Every cruise I have taken on X we have been to 2 spots.....one

inside, then outside.

[raudacruise]

Celebrity does both during each drill ... they have all of the passengers gather first in the muster station, and then herd them to the lifeboats. Apparently Princess does the same thing.

 

Other cruise lines do it differently ... on some, passengers go to their muster stations, and after the drill is over, return to their cabins. On others, passengers go to their lifeboat stations, and then return to their cabins.

 

It's interesting about the differences. On whatever cruise lines, I do whatever I am instructed to do so.

 

Donald.

 

No, Princess dismisses folks from the muster stations. You are not required to go to out to the lifeboats.