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When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers.
What's Working with New Digital Muster Drills
By 2019, the muster drill aboard modern big oceangoing ships had become something of a lumbering beast. Passengers were either relegated to hot (or cold) exterior decks, shoulder-to-shoulder, for nearly an hour; or crammed into a myriad of public rooms while hard-to-hear crewmembers made announcements over the public address system. Disney Cruise Line and MSC Cruises are two of the only mainstream cruise lines to require passengers to attend an in-person drill. We used to have to drive home all the safety information in a clunky, disruptive way. With this new program, they can complete the process with more flexibility and speed, so they’ll have more time to visit the pool, hit up a bar for cocktails or surf on the FlowRider. Only smaller and more traditional cruise lines, like Fred Olsen and Azamara, seem to be sticking with the old-style Muster.
Crew muster drills
Some even have basic quizzes at the end of the drill; however, this is not always the case. An emergency siren sound signals a muster drill and is the beginning of the drill itself. For crew members, trying to perform the drill with thousands of guests may create unnecessary confusion or missed opportunities to educate and inform, in light of the ultimate goal. If you're looking to support CruiseHabit.com, check out the CruiseHabit.com shop for cruise accessories and shirts.
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Each passenger gets a specific station based on where they are on the ship. Muster drills are effective because they provide clear, direct instructions. They begin with passengers joining to watch a video about life jackets.
During the pandemic, some cruise lines switched to a virtual format, which allows you to watch safety videos and listen to the ship's emergency horn on your mobile device. Once onboard, you will have to visit your muster station and marked present by scanning your cruise card in order to satisfy all the requirements. Prior to sail away, the ship will still sound the emergency alarm, just so everyone is familiar with it. Guests can complete the drill on their own time thanks to our new eMuster™ technology, which brings the safety information they need to their mobile device via the Royal Caribbean app and stateroom TV.
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Muster Drill Breakdown: Ensuring Cruise Safety for All Passengers
During the muster drill, each individual passenger reports to an assigned muster station—a specific location on the vessel. After reviewing safety information individually, guests will complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station, where a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer questions. Each of the steps will need to be completed prior to the ship’s departure, as required by international maritime law. Safety protocols are essential in the maritime industry, especially for cruise ships. Strict international rules define legal requirements for muster drills. An introduction to muster drills is crucial for passenger safety on cruise ships.
If you are sailing with children then make sure you have been given suitable life jackets for them – do check at reception or guests services if you are unsure what you need. While it may not seem like you need to worry about these safety protocols, especially if you are not a first-time cruiser, it is still both mandatory and necessary for all passengers to participate in a muster drill. That is because reminders of safety protocols and details about the ship you are boarding will help ensure not only your safety, but the safety of all on board.
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The majority of mainstream cruise lines have moved away from this, partly due to the social distancing rules of the covid pandemic. Once onboard the ship, you will be informed of a specific timeframe in which you must complete your e-muster drill. This could be a simple email requesting you to download the cruise line’s e-muster drill app. It is often suggested that you download the app before boarding, making it much easier to complete the drill once you are on board.
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SOLAS covers many aspects of passenger safety, including mandatory muster drills. These drills help crew and passengers know what to do in an emergency. This is critical for a quick evacuation if there’s a problem at sea. They teach how to find and wear life jackets, signals for gathering at muster stations, and how to use the ship’s safety tools and escape paths. As mentioned, all passengers are required to participate in muster drills — even children — under SOLAS regulations. When you meet at your assembly station, a crew member runs a roll call.
Once there, crew members leading the drill will demonstrate how to properly wear a life jacket, instruct on where to locate lifeboats, and point out the evacuation routes. That way, every passenger on the ship will be ready for a smooth and safe evacuation if the need arises. Muster drill and pretty much all things safety are regulated by an international set of guidelines in SOLAS, the Convention for Safety of Life at Sea.
Because e-mustering offers guests more flexibility, it also requires more staffing than traditional mustering, during which a few crew members can provide the required information at a set time to every passenger at the same time. Moreover, an electronic muster drill would potentially allow guests to conduct the safety drill at their leisure during the first day, and while maintaining proper social distancing. Muster stations are sometimes located in lounges, theaters or other indoor public spaces. On many ships some muster stations are located outside on the promenade deck. If you arrive to your muster station to find that the particular location is challenging for you based on mobility issues or other complications, simply let a crew member know and they'll help you make alternative arrangements. If you miss the first muster drill (which is very unlikely given all the reminders) you will be asked to attend another muster drill.
These drills ensure everyone understands cruise ship safety procedures. As part of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), all passenger ships must perform a muster drill within 24 hours of disembarking. Sometimes referred to as "lifeboat drill" or "safety drill" (both lacking that old-world, maritime panache), muster drills are mandatory when you take a cruise. The mandatory muster drills — also known as cruise ship safety drills, safety briefings or lifeboat drills — serve to tell passengers all they need to know to stay safe on a cruise. Cruise ships must conduct muster drills for all passengers on board before they are allowed to set sail.
Prior to the sinking of Costa Concordia, the muster drill could be conducted at any point up to 24 hours after setting sail (although, many ships completed the drill before leaving the port). When the Costa ship sank off the coast of Italy, about 600 guests had yet to complete the muster drill because they had embarked hours earlier. The muster (or safety) drill—a mandatory practice at the beginning of each cruise designed to show guests where they should go in the unlikely event of an emergency, how to put on a life jacket and other safety measures. It’s incredibly important, but it’s also the least favorite part of the cruise for guests since it requires pausing your vacation just when it’s getting started. Today, many cruise lines are developing smart mobile phone and tablet apps. These apps allow passengers to view safety drill demonstrations on their portable devices.
Typically, the e-muster drill will involve watching various safety videos that cover everything from evacuation protocols, meeting points, and how to locate and wear a life jacket properly in the stateroom. The purpose of a cruise safety drill is to familiarize you with your assembly station, where you will gather in case of an emergency. Each passenger is assigned a station based on where their cabin is located, and each station has its own corresponding lifeboat.
During COVID-19, cruise lines created e-drills to accommodate social distancing. These drills just included watching a video within a timeframe upon boarding. Some cruise lines still utilize the e-drill format, while others have reverted back to in-person drills. These apps can send passengers notifications directly to their mobile devices. They can also update the passenger with the closest muster points and other relevant safety information as they navigate the ship. During your muster drill, you will meet at your assigned muster point.
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