Assembly Drill Advice please!

[disneymomma76]

July 2019 we were on the Fantasy and had Muster Drill station L, which is outside on Deck 4 midship. The assembly drill went smoothly and time passed more quickly than expected. The issue?!?! We were literally the LAST ones off of Deck 4. I think it took longer to clear the area than the actual assembly drill. People were waiting for elevators and some were taking the stairs. We decided to take the stairs up to deck 11 and to our surprise the Sail Away party had already begun. We walked around and went up to deck 12 trying to find a spot to watch, but since we were so late, we ended up missing most of it. Well......we booked the Fantasy for this July and loved our stateroom so much that we booked the exact same room. My question......is there a trick to getting up to Deck 11/12 faster? Could they have started the Sail Away Party early? Or is this just what happens when your muster station is on deck 4?

 

[Adventurelawyer]

I think just about every muster station is deck 3 or 4. Last cruise I had to force my way out onto deck 4 because I mustered in the theatre balcony. Very uncomfortable crush of slow moving people, and even though I was moving against them, I felt infinitely better for having done so. I don’t care about Sail Awave at all, so I took a lap on deck 4 to get some air and calm myself down, but what I did notice, was that everyone was crowded around that midship area. By the time I had walked through the breezeways, the forward srairwell was essentially vacant. I walked right up to deck 13 and planted myself at Currents. No waiting, no crowds, no lines.
So my suggestion is, giving it a minute will save you a minute. Head forward or aft and use the staircase.

 

[mcd2745]

be the last to the muster drill...usually means you're one of the first to escape. take the stairs to deck 5 and hit the down button for the elevator. should be empty when it comes. you'll have to go down first, and it will fill up, but that should get you to deck 11/12 quicker.

 

[disneymomma76]

I think just about every muster station is deck 3 or 4. Last cruise I had to force my way out onto deck 4 because I mustered in the theatre balcony. Very uncomfortable crush of slow moving people, and even though I was moving against them, I felt infinitely better for having done so. I don’t care about Sail Awave at all, so I took a lap on deck 4 to get some air and calm myself down, but what I did notice, was that everyone was crowded around that midship area. By the time I had walked through the breezeways, the forward srairwell was essentially vacant. I walked right up to deck 13 and planted myself at Currents. No waiting, no crowds, no lines.
So my suggestion is, giving it a minute will save you a minute. Head forward or aft and use the staircase.

Yeah.....we were forced forward away from midship. We tried to move aside, but it was like herding cattle.

be the last to the muster drill...usually means you're one of the first to escape. take the stairs to deck 5 and hit the down button for the elevator. should be empty when it comes. you'll have to go down first, and it will fill up, but that should get you to deck 11/12 quicker.

Being our first cruise we were kind of early to the drill so we will definitely have to try being a little later this time. I love the "down" trick for the elevator.

I'm hoping that since our kids are older they won't really care about seeing the Sail Away this year. I just want to avoid the massive crowds and being pushed and herded.

 

[kiford]

I wonder if they started the party a little early. Last month we were mustered outside on deck 4 and we had time to get up to Meridian and sit outside before we heard the party start.