NCL to return to E Muster Drills April 1

[mmouse37]

That’s why they should just move the video to watch as part of your health questionnaire. Can’t access the questionnaire without the video.

And then have everyone check in at the station once they board. Have someone there with a scanner like they do now and only scan one KTTW per person they have in front of them.

Edit: Also freezing rain is worse than sun, that happened to me in Vancouver the first time I sailed DCL and it was absolutely miserable.

I really like the idea of having to watch the video first and then getting access to the health questionnaire. I never really minded the in person muster but have to admit the emuster was a much easier process.

We just sailed March 4th and had our muster in the WDT and while it was nice that we were seated I felt so bad for the woman next to me. She had an infant and a toddler that she was trying to keep calm, quiet and contained and the kids were just not having it. It was nap time and that first day is exhausting for everyone since many people were up early traveling. I tried to tell her that we have been there/done that and not to worry but she was so anxious that people would be upset around her because of the kids. Her husband did not lift a finger to help with the kids. I couldn't believe it. He just sat there. She said it was the longest 20 minutes of her life. You could not understand anything that was being said over the speaker.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Woo hoo! Sail May 7th on the Encore. Best news!

 

[kiford]

From reports of the E-Muster on Celebrity, you're still not learning how to get from your stateroom to your spot as you can watch the video anywhere (some people have even watched it at their hotel before going to the port) and then go to your station to check in.

The only way to guarantee people know how to get from their stateroom to their station is to ONLY play the video on the television in the stateroom (I mean both that you'd only watch it in the stateroom AND that the television would ONLY play that until you'd checked in). Then you'd go to your station to check in. And THEN they could take the video only off your television - maybe give you a code to input of something.

That seems more complicated and time-consuming than just going down when the alarm sounds with everybody else.

 

[Jsoenning]

For virtual drills 100%! Carnival last year had us immediately go to our muster station, scan all of our keys, watch how to don a life jacket with around 4-5 other families (where you could actually hear and see) and then go about our merry way.

The comment on here about the sun in the face and not hearing anything reflects about 90% of the in person muster experiences. I'm tall so am always crammed into the back.

For in person, I'd like to see Disney do the drill at the stated time and anyone that misses gets to have their own drill during the sail away party or some other event that makes them regret skipping.

 

[Dug720]

muster in the WDT and while it was nice that we were seated

Ooh. That brings to mind my biggest pet peeve.

The stations that are indoors with cloth seats. I've learned the hard way to feel a seat in the theater (or a cloth seat in a lounge) before sitting down since some people go directly from pool to Muster Station and plop wet bottoms in those seats.

 

[kiford]

The comment on here about the sun in the face and not hearing anything reflects about 90% of the in person muster experiences. I'm tall so am always crammed into the back.

I've only had two (maybe 3?) out of 12 cruises where our muster station was outside. All of the others have been in the theatre or one of the restaurants. But, yes, most people keep yapping and not listening which is annoying because I always listen. You can ask for clarification or additional information afterwards if you need it.

For in person, I'd like to see Disney do the drill at the stated time and anyone that misses gets to have their own drill during the sail away party or some other event that makes them regret skipping.

Technically, that's what they're supposed to do, but I don't know if, in practice, any cruise lines actually enforce it. In the days prior to scanning cards at the muster drill, we went to one, and they somehow didn't mark us down as attending (even though I was standing right in FRONT of the crew member wearing my life jacket WITH my stateroom number on it and they never even called our stateroom number as not being there - I was so glad when they started swiping room cards cuz I'm still annoyed by that). We got a letter later that night saying that we were supposed to contact them to arrange another drill unless we were receiving the letter in error - which we were - so we ignored it. No follow-up. That's a problem IMO that should be fixed industry-wide.

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

For virtual drills 100%! Carnival last year had us immediately go to our muster station, scan all of our keys, watch how to don a life jacket with around 4-5 other families (where you could actually hear and see) and then go about our merry way.

The comment on here about the sun in the face and not hearing anything reflects about 90% of the in person muster experiences. I'm tall so am always crammed into the back.

For in person, I'd like to see Disney do the drill at the stated time and anyone that misses gets to have their own drill during the sail away party or some other event that makes them regret skipping.

We went on our first cruise over spring break. Our muster was outside no seating around and yes due to a foot problem I can handle walking but not standing in one place any extended time. We immediately went at our time only to be one of the last groups to start/end as there was a missing family member of some other family who they were waiting on to show up. By the time they started, a migraine had triggered and my foot was excruciating so I was not able to pay attention at all. I would have paid attention if I could sit and watch a video out of the sun. At the very least if doing in person they need to start within 5 minutes, as I felt like I was being punished for being on time by having to wait in the heat with no seating in sight. And that's not even touching on the fact they kept telling us to get closer together, there was a kid (clearly ill with a very bad cough)being pushed closer to my daughter than i would have preferred.

 

[Uncwmark]

We went on our first cruise over spring break. Our muster was outside no seating around and yes due to a foot problem I can handle walking but not standing in one place any extended time. We immediately went at our time only to be one of the last groups to start/end as there was a missing family member of some other family who they were waiting on to show up. By the time they started, a migraine had triggered and my foot was excruciating so I was not able to pay attention at all. I would have paid attention if I could sit and watch a video out of the sun. At the very least if doing in person they need to start within 5 minutes, as I felt like I was being punished for being on time by having to wait in the heat with no seating in sight. And that's not even touching on the fact they kept telling us to get closer together, there was a kid (clearly ill with a very bad cough)being pushed closer to my daughter than i would have preferred.

Again, there is absolutely no reason for Disney to continue this arcane way of handling muster. Despite the Disney cheerleaders on this thread who will blindly support their beloved cruise line, the reality is that there is a much better way to handle muster that all major cruise lines have adopted.

I don’t buy for one minute that there’s anybody who TRULY and genuinely prefers this “old” mister drill (despite what they may post publicly on this site). Those that do are predisposed and indoctrinated into the idea that if Disney does it a certain way it must be the “right” way to do it.

Get with the program already, DCL!! Go back to e-Muster!!

 

[Kwami]

Again, there is absolutely no reason for Disney to continue this arcane way of handling muster. Despite the Disney cheerleaders on this thread who will blindly support their beloved cruise line, the reality is that there is a much better way to handle muster that all major cruise lines have adopted.

I don’t buy for one minute that there’s anybody who TRULY and genuinely prefers this “old” mister drill (despite what they may post publicly on this site). Those that do are predisposed and indoctrinated into the idea that if Disney does it a certain way it must be the “right” way to do it.

Get with the program already, DCL!! Go back to e-Muster!!

It's not blind defense. I TRULY and genuinely prefer this "old" mister drill.

Get over it.

 

[Karin1984]

They say that Covid sped up how we interact with technology with 7 years.

It makes sense that the muster drills change as well. If it wasnt for Covid we would have done in person muster drills for much longer.

 

[Uncwmark]

It's not blind defense. I TRULY and genuinely prefer this "old" mister drill.

Get over it.

 

[Sanchez]

It's not blind defense. I TRULY and genuinely prefer this "old" mister drill.

Get over it.

There is no need to be so rude.

I would take issue with your blind defense assertion. You have argued that the new drills are useless and unsafe. I don't see where you have experienced one on another line and are competent to comment.

One of your complaints seems to be that DCL can't verify whether people watch the video. This seems to be another shortcoming in DCL's lagging technology that could easily be resolved. I can tell you that on Princess the stateroom TV prompts you to verify that each person watches the video. You then have to walk to the designated muster station and scan your medallion. I can make the case that this process makes you more aware of safety procedures. Undoubtedly it is more efficient.

In this case I think blind defense is appropriate.

 

[Kwami]

There is no need to be so rude.

I would take issue with your blind defense assertion. You have argued that the new drills are useless and unsafe. I don't see where you have experienced one on another line and are competent to comment.

One of your complaints seems to be that DCL can't verify whether people watch the video. This seems to be another shortcoming in DCL's lagging technology that could easily be resolved. I can tell you that on Princess the stateroom TV prompts you to verify that each person watches the video. You then have to walk to the designated muster station and scan your medallion. I can make the case that this process makes you more aware of safety procedures. Undoubtedly it is more efficient.

In this case I think blind defense is appropriate.

The poster that I quoted was rude. How dare he insist that everyone thinks the way that he does and that anyone who disagrees must be a blind, loyal fanboy? Absurd!

I've written numerous times that if Disney restructured the virtual drill to ensure that everyone went to the muster station and that everyone watched the video, I'd be OK with it. But until they do so, I prefer the in-person, old-style drills. There's nothing blind about this.

And, "on Princess the stateroom TV prompts you to verify that each person watches the video" is not sufficient. That doesn't verify anything at all. You could acknowledge the prompt and just leave the room without anybody watching the video.

 

[RedHead0186]

We went on our first cruise over spring break. Our muster was outside no seating around and yes due to a foot problem I can handle walking but not standing in one place any extended time. We immediately went at our time only to be one of the last groups to start/end as there was a missing family member of some other family who they were waiting on to show up. By the time they started, a migraine had triggered and my foot was excruciating so I was not able to pay attention at all. I would have paid attention if I could sit and watch a video out of the sun. At the very least if doing in person they need to start within 5 minutes, as I felt like I was being punished for being on time by having to wait in the heat with no seating in sight. And that's not even touching on the fact they kept telling us to get closer together, there was a kid (clearly ill with a very bad cough)being pushed closer to my daughter than i would have preferred.

And this is my frustration with the current muster drills. I had a similar experience once. We had an outside muster station and were all crammed in there. I too do not do well with standing for long periods of time and also (apparently, as I learned on that trip) don't like being packed in in large crowds. We definitely got stuck waiting for some lollygaggers, and of course since we were on time to the drill we too felt like we were being 'punished' for being on time. Yes I know that's not Disney's fault, but it was pretty not fun going through that. We stood there for quite a while doing absolutely nothing (then they did the actual drill once the latecomers showed up), so what is the point?

 

[Uncwmark]

if only there was a (much) easier way… oh wait, there is!

 

[holula]

And, "on Princess the stateroom TV prompts you to verify that each person watches the video" is not sufficient. That doesn't verify anything at all. You could acknowledge the prompt and just leave the room without anybody watching the video.

This is why all they need to do is put it before the health questionnaire on boarding day and you can’t complete the questionnaire without watching the video.

At least one person in the stateroom will have watched the video.

Then don’t allow one person to bring five KTTW cards to the muster station, make everyone turn up.

Problem solved.

 

[71 Truck]

Wow, five pages of some people still going back and forth about this.

It's simple, this is the way Disney wants to do the muster drill, if you want to cruise with Disney this is the way you are going to have to do it.

Disney unofficially said the reason they went back to the old muster drill was because they saw a lack of sufficient participation on the part of the guest. So as I have said in the past some have ruined it for others.

The four keys that Disney promotes are
1. Safety
2. Courtesy
3. Show
4. Efficiency

To Disney safety number one and if they can't verify that everyone has done the muster drill virtually because maybe some people were cheating, then to error on the side of safety they are going to do the in person muster drill.

Disney does not care what other cruise lines are doing. Disney is in charge of their guest safety and if they think this the best way to do the muster drill than that's what they will do.

And yes at one time many years ago I worked for Disney.

 

[Uncwmark]

Wow, five pages of some people still going back and forth about this.

It's simple, this is the way Disney wants to do the muster drill, if you want to cruise with Disney this is the way you are going to have to do it.

Disney unofficially said the reason they went back to the old muster drill was because they saw a lack of sufficient participation on the part of the guest. So as I have said in the past some have ruined it for others.

The four keys that Disney promotes are
1. Safety
2. Courtesy
3. Show
4. Efficiency

To Disney safety number one and if they can't verify that everyone has done the muster drill virtually because maybe some people were cheating, then to error on the side of safety they are going to do the in person muster drill.

Disney does not care what other cruise lines are doing. Disney is in charge of their guest safety and if they think this the best way to do the muster drill than that's what they will do.

And yes at one time many years ago I worked for Disney.

There is one reason Disney made the move back…. to save money on staffing. Travel press figured it out pretty quickly and saw through the “safety” cloud. Coast Guard says e-muster is fine. They know more about marine safety than Disney.

I know it’s hard to believe Disney would allow financials dictate a decision… oh wait… it’s not… at all.

 

[71 Truck]

.

 

[71 Truck]

There is one reason Disney made the move back…. to save money on staffing. Travel press figured it out pretty quickly and saw through the “safety” cloud. Coast Guard says e-muster is fine. They know more about marine safety than Disney.

I know it’s hard to believe Disney would allow financials dictate a decision… oh wait… it’s not… at all.

I am not sure who Travel Press is, if you have the article I would like to read it.

As far as a financial decision for Disney maybe it could be a little of both safety and financial.

Like I said in the past it is not only a good drill for the passengers but it is also good training for the crew.