The Future of the Muster Drill?

[SingleSciGuy]

I'm surprised that everyone keeps talking about having to "go back" to their cabins in time of emergency to get their life vests and how much better to go straight to the muster station. It seems almost everyone is assuming an emergency will take place during the day and so replicate the drill.

 

Surely this is a false assumption. Most of us spend at least a third of our time on board in our cabins and emergencies by their nature tend to happen more often at night when that is where we will be. So the scenario would be leaving your cabin, in the dark without your life vest, to find your way down or up a number of decks (with the ship maybe listing) to get to your life vest at the muster station. Personally, in that scenario, I would like to wake up and be able to reach out and put my life vest on before I had to negotiate my way around the ship.

 

Life vests in both places - cabin and muster station - would be the sensible solution.

 

 

Agreed - but I doubt the line would do this because of cost. They want to reduce costs - not increase them by having more lifejackets than passengers.

Having lifejackets in both locations also negates one of the "selling points" - a little bit of extra room in the cabin. Obviously if the jackets are in both locations, that space is not freed up.

 

No, I think the real reason the new approach is being pushed is for convenience for the cruise line. Also, liability from people tripping over straps as they make their way to the muster areas using the old system.

 

I'd hate to become a victim of some cruise line lawyer's calculus.

 

Hopefully they will do the right thing for the passengers, even if it's inconvenient. Or, lacking that, perhaps their competition will do the right thing . :)

[marielco]

Marielco ..... there are currently lifevests/jackets in both locations on ship! .... to remove them from cabins would i believe be a backward step.... after all when you consider say 1000 people trying to put on lifejackets on a promenade deck while the ship is listing or on fire will only serve to cause more panic.

 

I thought the new policy as per the OP was to stop having life vests in the cabins. If they leave them there then I would be happy with whatever new system they put in for the muster drill :)

[sidari]

They want to reduce costs - not increase them by having more lifejackets than passengers.

 

 

If that is the case then they should have thought about that when spending money on such a large ship!!!

 

And they do have more lifejackets than passengers..... :) ie Cabins and Lifeboat/Tender stations.

[uksimonusa]

just got bacfrom Liberty, where they use the new system, your seapass card is swiped when you enter the muster area, the normal drill is performed and then you leave, they have always had enough life jackets at the muster stations for all the passengers, and these will be handed out by crew in an emergency, just the same as before, if you came without a jacket in an emergency

[Archsister]

Since we spend so much time in our cabins, I believe that the life jackets should either stay only in the cabins or have them in both places. I feel much more secure knowing that if there is an emergency and I'm in my cabin, I can grab a life jacket before a huge crowd of people swarm the muster station.

[CruisinManiac]

I agree with the last few post on this thread. After reading the blog, my first thought was of a stampede up on deck. I had images of large groups of passengers pushing and shoving to get to the life vest bin. :eek: In a real emergency, this would be the case...kind of like the stampede when the cattle (uhmmm cruisers) are "heading to the trough" in the Windjammer on the first cruise day! :rolleyes:

 

I would also feel more comfortable have my life jacket in the cabin with me. The last two times there has been an alarm, I was in my cabin...both at night. One alarm was for a small fire in the air conditioning unit, and the other was a false alarm.

[intothevoid]

Since we spend so much time in our cabins, I believe that the life jackets should either stay only in the cabins or have them in both places. I feel much more secure knowing that if there is an emergency and I'm in my cabin, I can grab a life jacket before a huge crowd of people swarm the muster station.

I don't know about you but the cabin is where I spend the LEAST amount of time. I am only there when I need to change and when I need to sleep, other than that I am out and about.

God forbid anything should happen but if anything were wouldn't you rather just run to your station instead of making a mad dash for your room and trying to get to your room through all the other frantic passengers?

 

Good move by Royal to have the jackets by the lifeboats.

[trivia nut]

When you are trying to safely plan for 5,000 people plus getting off a ship ASAP, this sounds like a good plan. The two important things are knowing where your muster station is and knowing how to put on your jacket properly.

 

Also we hear that if you can't make it back to your cabin in a real emergency, there are jackets already at the stations and in the lifeboats, so this really isn't anything that hasn't been thought of before.

 

I like how NCL invites you to your station between 4 and 4:30. It is usually in a public area. You are checked off and someone is doing an on going jacket demo. It takes 5 minutes, everyone is educated, then off to have a great vacation with this piece of insurance tucked away.

[negc]

When you are trying to safely plan for 5,000 people plus getting off a ship ASAP, this sounds like a good plan. The two important things are knowing where your muster station is and knowing how to put on your jacket properly.

 

Also we hear that if you can't make it back to your cabin in a real emergency, there are jackets already at the stations and in the lifeboats, so this really isn't anything that hasn't been thought of before.

 

I like how NCL invites you to your station between 4 and 4:30. It is usually in a public area. You are checked off and someone is doing an on going jacket demo. It takes 5 minutes, everyone is educated, then off to have a great vacation with this piece of insurance tucked away.

 

Sounds great but on the NCL Spirit in May, our muster drill was held in the traditional way, out on deck below the life boats, wearing our life jackets. The process took more like twenty minutes than five. Perhaps some NCL ships operate as you describe but it definitely isn't fleetwide. On some RCI ships some muster stations are inside, while on others they are all outside. Just goes to show that generalizations can be dangerous.:)

[catnt2]

Just read a "live" post from the Liberty.

 

The muster drill went as planned without the life jackets!

[RetireeWannabee]

This appears to be a great idea. No more lugging the life jacket up and down the stairs. Now if RCI only allowed you to muster at specific locations inside the ship like NCL and Cunard rather than standing on deck under the life boats, they'd really have me totally satisfied. My family will see this in action as we are booked on the Maiden Voyage of the Oasis on 12/1/09.

but then how would you find your lifeboat in an emergency? pretty sure they won't be hauling it indoors for you.

[RetireeWannabee]

And yet when the US Airways plane ditched in the Hudson River several months ago, those passengers and crew were able to overcome any inclination towards panic. Perhaps you should give people a little more credit for being able to rise to the occasion and perform better than expected when faced with a real emergency.:)

Crew x Pax ratio has to be radically different. A few hundred on an airliner vs few thousand on a ship? tall order. Outcome woudl not be the same in my estimation. But as soon as a cruise ship ditches in the Hudson with no loss of life, I will credit crew and pax.

[RetireeWannabee]

Regardless of where the lifejackets are stored, in an actual emergency passengers will still need to go to thier cabins for medications and additional clothing.

I agree with the meds, but extra clothing? If we have to abandon ship to life boats, first thing I toss overboard is the suitcase the fashion maven dragged on with us. Please, do not fetch back more than the essentials.

[RetireeWannabee]

I don't know about you but the cabin is where I spend the LEAST amount of time. I am only there when I need to change and when I need to sleep, other than that I am out and about.

God forbid anything should happen but if anything were wouldn't you rather just run to your station instead of making a mad dash for your room and trying to get to your room through all the other frantic passengers?

 

Good move by Royal to have the jackets by the lifeboats.

Yep. Ships are large. If a fire blocked my path back to my cabin, I'm not getting back to the cabin.

 

In a true emergency, anything could happen. including loss of options.

[DeepWaterMariner]

but then how would you find your lifeboat in an emergency? pretty sure they won't be hauling it indoors for you.

 

In muster systems where you muster indoors, you don't have an assigned lifeboat. If the situation requires evacuation you are led to a launch able life boat. That system makes more sense to me but others like to think they have a reservation on a particular life boat. Either system works.

[Cruising Photographer]

This sounds good to me, 4K people lugging life vests around does not sound ideal. :)

 

Regarding muster drills, for me, Princess still does it the best. I really like the comfort and convenience of being able to assemble in an air conditioned location with seats vs. being out on deck in a small place with dozens of other people all crowding around.

 

Definitely Agree with this. I love the fact that, on Princess, we sit in confortable chairs in air conditioning. I hate Royal Caribbean making me stand for 30+ minutes (I get to the station on time or a few minutes early) in the HOT sun in July. Not comfortable.

RC, please make this change as well for a much better cruise experience.

[mycruisedirector]

Great idea having them available at the muster stations. People spend so much time fiddling with them during the muster none of them are paying any attention to what is being said.

We were on a Holland America cruise year before last and had 2 muster drills, one of them at 10:00 am. Talk about a pain in the ass! Try being awakened by the alarm horns going off and showing up in a bathrobe! By the time we got on deck we were extremely thankful it was only a another muster drill. Not happy we had to get out of bed for it , but happy it was not an emergency.

[RetireeWannabee]

In muster systems where you muster indoors, you don't have an assigned lifeboat. If the situation requires evacuation you are led to a launch able life boat. That system makes more sense to me but others like to think they have a reservation on a particular life boat. Either system works.

Oh, Thank God! Last cruise had muster in the theater and I don't think that was clear, about where to go (and theater just doesn't seem like the place to go in an emergency?), but there was a diagram on our cabin door that showed us where to go, assigned lifeboat. being quite directionally impaired, it will be more helpful to me to show up and be pointed in a direction. OR, for muster, go to where the lifeboats are. once I've found it once, I can typically get there again.

[Lives2cruz]

Makes perfect sense. Do you honestly believe 5000 passengers are going to make a mad dash to their staterooms FIRST in an emergency?? Nice job, RCI.

[negc]

Crew x Pax ratio has to be radically different. A few hundred on an airliner vs few thousand on a ship? tall order. Outcome woudl not be the same in my estimation. But as soon as a cruise ship ditches in the Hudson with no loss of life, I will credit crew and pax.

While the numbers are vastly different I believe the crew/passenger ratio works out better for the cruise ship. Regardless of the number of passengers involved ( a few hundred is still a significant number of people who have to deal with an emergency), I think that they might react similarly on a plane or on a cruise ship, and in many instances the critical time involved mght be considerably shorter on an airplane than on a cruise ship. Let's hope that we never have to encounter a situation where our theories are put to the test.:)

[skipp_r1]

This is a great idea as many people are out and about, then have to return to the cabin don the life jacket go to their muster station. Then they have to return to their cabin and put the jacket back then go to the sail away party. This will save steps, the only question I have, will the passengers be issued life jackets during the drill , have to put them on, take them off and return them after the drill? If so I think the drill wll take longer and many passengers will be upset if the turn in takes a long time. especially on hot and humid days.

 

If this works and the powers that be (Coast Guard) don't have a problem with it, other lines should take a closer look at the new procedure.

[patrickc]

I think they should be in both places. Aren't they in both places today? At lifeboats & in rooms? I think I want to be able to get my hands on one when I need one vs being at the mercy of someone opening a locker or something on deck.

[JCity156]

Yes, it is an inconvenience to have to go back to your cabin to return the life vest, but what if something happens when you are in your cabin and cannot make it to the muster station in time. I think it is a two-way street as far as getting access to a life vest especially if an emergency happens at night while you are asleep in your cabin. At least if there was no time, you could hopefully put your life vest on while still in your cabin especially with a ship of Oasis size. Hopefully, none of us will face that situation. I've been on ships that hold the muster drill in a lounge where you can sit more comfortably, but if a situation arose, I think it would be better to have had the muster drill "where you would actually meet" --not in the lounge. This way you would know where to go in an actual situation and have a feel for the process. I think it is a necessary inconvenience.

[BUG1955]

I just got back form the Freedom, and the life jacket were in the rooms but you did not have to take them with you. I think it is a great idea not having to carry them with you. I have seen so many times where people

come close of tripping.

[Crusin' from Fl]

Gosh, whoever thought of that gets a medal! You had to wear them, you had to strap them on, then you always had to use some steps...it was like having a 52DD Bust! Geesh! Thank you rccl. I was recently on a ship and I loved that system!