Bright star announcement in room

[jrabbit]

What do they announce if it's something that guests are required to take action or is it just a 'battle stations' tone?

Seven Short Blasts from the Horn, Followed by a Looooong Blast, followed by instructions from the Bridge.

I've paid attention to the Safety Drill on all 16 of my cruises.

 

[Dug720]

Seven Short Blasts from the Horn, Followed by a Looooong Blast, followed by instructions from the Bridge.

I've paid attention to the Safety Drill on all 16 of my cruises.

Thumbs up!! I even paid attention to the drill when I was in 6th grade and we cruised on the Emerald Seas and had to wear the life jackets to drill!!

I guess we are learning here who pays attention and who doesn't.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thumbs up!! I even paid attention to the drill when I was in 6th grade and we cruised on the Emerald Seas and had to wear the life jackets to drill!!

I guess we are learning here who pays attention and who doesn't.

 

[Sytrace]

Seven Short Blasts from the Horn, Followed by a Looooong Blast, followed by instructions from the Bridge.

I've paid attention to the Safety Drill on all 16 of my cruises.

Thumbs up!! I even paid attention to the drill when I was in 6th grade and we cruised on the Emerald Seas and had to wear the life jackets to drill!!

I guess we are learning here who pays attention and who doesn't.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure Figment Spark has yet to take her 1st Disney cruise. So therefore, she would not have experienced the Safety drill.

 

[Jennifer777]

I wondered the same thing, and I assume like the OP, it's out of curiosity, not insensitivity - what is the purpose of sounding the bright star alarm in every room on the entire ship, even in the middle of the night when workers shouldn't be in the staterooms? My biggest concern with this was that it could bring out the gawkers who could interfere with providing aid. The answer I've come to is that in the event of a life and death emergency, every second counts and they need to reach every single CM on the ship right away. The only way to be sure they've done that is to play the message in every room. At that point, no CM can say they didn't hear it because they were in a stateroom cleaning up a late night mess or in the restroom. Everyone, regardless of the time of day or their location gets the message and is expected to respond. We had one on our floor during our last cruise and it was a little scary watching CMs running as fast as they could toward the room. It really showed how serious they take those calls and hearing the room number and seeing it was close by caused us to make the choice to stay in our room so we wouldn't get in anyone's way until it was over. We prayed too.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

Does anyone know if guests who are medical personnel are informed about Bright Stars? Perhaps that is why it's sounded in staterooms as well?

 

[ImprovGal]

Seven Short Blasts from the Horn, Followed by a Looooong Blast, followed by instructions from the Bridge.

I've paid attention to the Safety Drill on all 16 of my cruises.

I really think they should say it's 7 short blasts, one for each dwarf. And then a single long blast for snow white.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure Figment Spark has yet to take her 1st Disney cruise. So therefore, she would not have experienced the Safety drill.

You are correct, Sytrace. I had visions of hearing something in code and my family wondering if we were supposed to be doing something at that time.

Many years ago, my husband and I had a bit of an adventure. We were in Russia and going by train from Moscow to Kazan (about 15 hours). We had a sleeping car, which we were sharing with one other person. This train looked like it had seen duty bringing troops to the front during WWII, but it ran and did the job. Anyway, about 1 in the morning, the train stopped. We looked out and there wasn't a station anywhere. We wondered why it would be stopping. We don't speak Russian and our cabin mate (and translator) was obliviously asleep. Then we heard men talking in the hall and going to all the doors and trying them. DH and I were scared, because, well, we didn't know what was going on. Eventually the train got back on it's way and it was a non-event for us, but the wondering and the fear made it really hard to get back to sleep.

So, I know if there are random codes over an intercom system at 1am, at very least, we will all be wondering if we're supposed to be evacuating the ship. But, if they make it clear what the correct actionable message is, I know my family will sleep better, although there will be prayers said, if the message is Bright Star.

 

[Sytrace]

You are correct, Sytrace. I had visions of hearing something in code and my family wondering if we were supposed to be doing something at that time.

Many years ago, my husband and I had a bit of an adventure. We were in Russia and going by train from Moscow to Kazan (about 15 hours). We had a sleeping car, which we were sharing with one other person. This train looked like it had seen duty bringing troops to the front during WWII, but it ran and did the job. Anyway, about 1 in the morning, the train stopped. We looked out and there wasn't a station anywhere. We wondered why it would be stopping. We don't speak Russian and our cabin mate (and translator) was obliviously asleep. Then we heard men talking in the hall and going to all the doors and trying them. DH and I were scared, because, well, we didn't know what was going on. Eventually the train got back on it's way and it was a non-event for us, but the wondering and the fear made it really hard to get back to sleep.

So, I know if there are random codes over an intercom system at 1am, at very least, we will all be wondering if we're supposed to be evacuating the ship. But, if they make it clear what the correct actionable message is, I know my family will sleep better, although there will be prayers said, if the message is Bright Star.

That would have made me anxious as well!
Have no worries though, Disney will run the guest drill before you leave port and before the sailaway party. And there will be Cast and Crew only drills in port. The announcement will be made that those drills are just for the crew and that guests are encouraged to go about their day.
Your cruise is coming soon if I recall correctly. I know you will have a fantastic time!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thanks, Sytrace. We're in the spring, but I am so ready!

 

[Dug720]

One other note... It is rare, but there ARE times when crew - usually officers, which would include the medical team - ARE housed in staterooms for a cruise or two. Probably another reason the announcements are broadcast in the staterooms - easier to click one button and make the announcement than punch in digits for a cabin phone or crew wave phone (which like guests are usually put on vibrate).

 

[jdb in AZ]

Does anyone know if guests who are medical personnel are informed about Bright Stars? Perhaps that is why it's sounded in staterooms as well?

I doubt it. DCL has its own medical staff -- including a doctor onboard -- and usually doesn't need the guests to do back-up. My dad was a doctor and usually didn't include his title on any paperwork when we were on vacation.

 

[JW9DVC]

On a recent cruise, they made a "Bright Star" announcement shipwide, including our stateroom. It was around 11 o'clock at night. Our 3 kids were asleep and luckily stayed asleep through the announcement. I know what the announcement means, but why would they announce it in the staterooms that late at night?

Why not?

That's like telling police and medical responders along with fire to be quite and not use sirens or heck even bright lights because, well you know. People might be asleep.

JW

 

[DisneyWonder'09]

Its not just the doctor who attends but also a stretcher team and security for crowd control

 

[Sytrace]

I know that during the drills they do with cast and crew only, they have various teams that are called one by one before the drill is over.
For example, Alpha team , report to Deck 4 Starboard. A short time late, Bravo team, report to Deck 4 Port and so on.

That leads me to think that the teams are made up of people who do a specific job within that team and so that the one team would be called in a medical emergency situation. Maybe Bravo team is made up of cast members who specialize in that area and could be anywhere on the ship. And for expedience they would just have a shipwide announcement to gather the team needed.

Just a thought.

 

[DisneyWonder'09]

You are correct, Sytrace. I had visions of hearing something in code and my family wondering if we were supposed to be doing something at that time.

The only coded announcements you will hear are for crew to respond to not the passengers. Another one is Mr MOB (some people think they hear Mr MOP lol!) which is man over board. And I think there is a blue parties call as well as the red parties.
Any commands for the passengers will be announced clearly telling you what to do so relax

 

[PrincessShmoo]

but why would they announce it in the staterooms that late at night?

The "mom" in me is coming out, sorry - because that's the way they do it.

 

[Sydnerella]

Just returned on Fantasy today and had what I think were two different Bright Star announcements (different nights) now that I read this thread. It was middle of night and hard to decipher the voice over the speaker while half asleep. May have used a different term though, but the person did list a state room number each time.

Further, two days before the first of these "bright star" or similar announcements occurred we made an emergency stop in Miami to disembark someone in need of medical attention. This was the morning of the first Sea day, Sunday 10/16.

Sad events for some cruisers, making the stingray adventure cancellation on CC due to wind pretty minor for us. Still sunny and warm, just windy and no medical emergencies... just DS's projectile vomit from the top bunk one night at 2am... thank you Rafi for your help!!

 

[jrabbit]

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure Figment Spark has yet to take her 1st Disney cruise. So therefore, she would not have experienced the Safety drill.

I was not trying to be snarky (and not now either).
the question was ...
---> What do they announce if it's something that guests are required to take action or is it just a 'battle stations' tone? <---

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

We just got off the Fantasy yesterday and we had the Bright Star announcement twice - last 2 nights.
First night I thought a stateroom # was said in the announcement but after talking to a cast member the next morning he said it wasn't a stateroom # it was a code which meant it was a crew member emergency on deck B.
The cast member didn't give me details of course, I just asked if the crew member was ok and he is ok.
Then last night of our cruise the bright star involved a guest who collapsed in the elevator lobby on one of the decks.
Hopefully that guest is also ok.
I didn't know what bright star meant before this cruise which is why I asked the cast member. He also told me the reason the announcement is made in everyone's stateroom is so everyone that is supposed to attend the emergency is notified all at once instead of calling different crew members who are scattered around different rooms and decks.
I must say it was a little scary hearing the Bright Star in the middle of the night - but I was only worried about those involved.