Safety drill with young toddler

[Sandbtwmytoes]

Hi everyone,
Can you tell me a little about the safety drill. We will be on the Wonder with our 16 month old. With my luck, I think the drill falls during DDs nap time. Do we have to wake her to go? She loves to run around and will not sit still for long. What have other toddlers done during the drill?

Thanks!

 

[tinkerone]

everyone must go. there are everything from babies to elderly people who need help. depending on where your station is you may get lucky and be some where you can sit however there is always a chance your station could be on deck. be prepared. it gets pretty loud to, they do horn blasts so you know what to expect in case of emergencies.

 

[DressmakerJ]

I have seen lots of infants and toddlers in carriers (Boba, Ergo, Bjorn, sling, etc...) will your daughter be content to be worn for a little while? When my son was 18 months, I wore him in a Boba carrier. The next year, when he was 2 1/2, we had to pick him up for part of the drill--he was too big to be worn--when he wouldn't stand still. Unfortunately, you will have to interrupt nap time. (Frustrating, I know, but necessary.) The crew has to account for every single passenger assigned to each of the lifeboat stations. Strollers aren't really an option. You must take stairs to get to your station for the drill. (And if a real emergency occurred, strollers still wouldn't be an option to take on the life boats, anyway.) Also, my husband just reminded me, the alarm and announcements for the drill are quite loud. If your daughter is asleep, it's very possible the alarms will startle her when they wake her up. All this said, the crew doesn't try to extend the drill longer than necessary, and there will be lots of restless kids--and adults!--around you.

 

[bumbershoot]

She loves to run around and will not sit still for long. What have other toddlers done during the drill?

Few toddlers want to sit/stand still for long. But everyone has to be at the muster drill, and the noise of it isn't going to let anyone sleep. I recommend ear protection (for adults, too).

We've been on deck for 3/4 of the safety drills on DCL, and for those everyone had to stand very close to each other, in many single file lines, until it's done. Not fun for anyone, really, but you have to do it.

 

[Dave2425]

Our 18 month old fell asleep at the start of the muster drill and they let us leave before it was over. Another family close to us had a toddler who was not very happy and they were also allowed to leave early.

 

[tinkerone]

Our 18 month old fell asleep at the start of the muster drill and they let us leave before it was over. Another family close to us had a toddler who was acting up and they were also allowed to eave early.

and not something I would suggest. god forbid there was a real emergency but I would not want to be wandering around with a toddler at that time wondering what to do. they do give instructions during the drill, its not only standing about and the instructions are not only for your protection but for every ones. they allow you to leave as soon as they explain what to expect so if everyone were to get there on time and it began on time you are only looking at a ten minute drill. my life is worth that.
jmo.

 

[xlxo]

Everything is over in 15 - 20 minutes.... then it's play time!

 

[Sandbtwmytoes]

Everything is over in 15 - 20 minutes.... then it's play time!

That's doable! I was thinking it was an hour or so!

 

[Sandbtwmytoes]

I have seen lots of infants and toddlers in carriers (Boba, Ergo, Bjorn, sling, etc...) will your daughter be content to be worn for a little while? When my son was 18 months, I wore him in a Boba carrier. The next year, when he was 2 1/2, we had to pick him up for part of the drill--he was too big to be worn--when he wouldn't stand still. Unfortunately, you will have to interrupt nap time. (Frustrating, I know, but necessary.) The crew has to account for every single passenger assigned to each of the lifeboat stations. Strollers aren't really an option. You must take stairs to get to your station for the drill. (And if a real emergency occurred, strollers still wouldn't be an option to take on the life boats, anyway.) Also, my husband just reminded me, the alarm and announcements for the drill are quite loud. If your daughter is asleep, it's very possible the alarms will startle her when they wake her up. All this said, the crew doesn't try to extend the drill longer than necessary, and there will be lots of restless kids--and adults!--around you.

Thanks for the input! I was wondering about a stroller too.

 

[Sandbtwmytoes]

Thanks everyone! I've only been on one cruise (not disney) and the safety drill lasted forever and was very inefficient! I figured if any cruise could make it easy for kids, it would be disney who would think of a way. I had heard something about one parent checking in with a CM while the other parent goes on the drill. But it doesn't sound like this happens.

 

[VbChristy]

I would just try and put him to sleep in the stroller- then if he's sleeing, they will let you take that. We would cover my sons ears during the drill (the beginning warning). I would do this even if he's sleeping. In January our speaker in our cabin wasn't very loud so it wouldn't have woken him. We were on the magic. Do on the Magic we were in a dining room- it wasn't a big deal. On the fantasy last year we were outside. They had us off to the side and let us be together. I think my son fell to sleep in my husbands arms. Have fun.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks for the input! I was wondering about a stroller too.

I wouldn't. If you are on deck it is crowded. If you are in the theatre there really isn't stroller parking.

In the event of an emergency I don't think there would be room for the stroller in the life boat anyway - they make a point of saying leave your luggage.

 

[professorandmom]

...they let us leave before it was over.

Don't count on that...last Wonder cruise in December I was on (deck four muster station) there was an disable adult (autism, I think) who was struggling with the concept of being crowded together in the heat but the family was not permitted to leave. Much of the time is spent as the CM is calling out room numbers of those missing...it does seem endless but isn't

If you want to know more, do some googling and you can determine the muster station for your cabin...that will tell you whether you are squished together on deck four or sitting in ac in the theater or other inside venue

No matter how your child is behaving, there will be another child elsewhere on deck who is louder and more upset...
Have a great cruise
Barb

 

[lisamarie12]

Our DD is now 4 and has been on 3 cruises and 3 muster drills. She was 15 months, 2 years 3 months, and 3 1/2. I do not remember them being particularly amazing experiences, but nothing overly traumatic either. I know at least one of the cruises (maybe the most recent), she feel asleep in DH's arms. We have not cruised with Disney but have been on Carnival (with DD) and Celebrity (w/o her) and once or twice was indoors, the rest of the time was on deck with 2 or 3 single file lines of people, elbow to elbow. Its crowded and hot sometimes, so be prepared. But its usually not very long (15-20 minutes).

 

[Trera]

We got lucky last time and out muster drill station was one of the night clubs, so we got to sit on bar stools in the air conditioning!!!

 

[E ticket rider]

That's doable! I was thinking it was an hour or so!

The crew does a great job keeping everything moving along. Unfortunately, the drill can not end until all passengers on the ship are accounted for. If everyone shows up and checks in properly, the drill will end quickly.

Years ago, my wife went on a "girls cruise" with my mom and sister. The flight her and my sister were on was delayed and they were pulling up to the ship as the muster drill was going on. They were sailing on RCCL's Sovereign of the Seas and needless to say, they missed the drill. One of the safety officers on the ship stopped by their cabin later in the day to escort them to their muster station and personally brief them on what they missed.

The Coast Guard sees to it that all US-based ships follow SOLAS laws to the letter. I once heard a DCL CM tell someone who asked "What if those people don't show up?" when they were calling out cabin number, "It's up to the Captain, but he can have them removed from the ship if they don't present themselves." She also said, that most people they end up calling out are actually at their muster station, they just didn't get checked in. And 99% of the one's not at their station are at the wrong station (ie- their travelling party all went as a group to one station, but based on cabin locations, they should be at multiple stations). I've never been to a muster drill that lasted more than 20 minutes. The worst part of the drill, to me, is leaving. 4000 people all hit the stairwells and elevators at the same time. They show you the nearest stairwell to your room going to the drill and in some cases, it's a crew area stairwell. But when you leave, everyone has to use the public area stairwells.

One tip, if you have some form or hearing protection for the little one, take it. They will sound the ship's whistle and all the internal alarms, just as if it were an actual emergency. Unlike in an actual emergency, they will give you a heads up and announce the alarms before they are sounded for the drill. If your muster station is inside, you won't really hear the ship's whistle, but the internal alarms are deafening.

 

[lbgraves]

Definitely plan on being at your station before the alarm sounds. It is much worse in the staterooms. When we started cruising everyone had to wear their life jackets to the drill. DD3's nose & eyes peeked out over the top of the jacket and she didn't care for it at all. Consider that when you are standing there like sardines. Definitely take your life jackets out in the room and make sure they are the right sizes you need for everyone, as well as put them on to make sure you can do it properly.

 

[bumbershoot]

In January our speaker in our cabin wasn't very loud so it wouldn't have woken him.

That's really scary! As horrid as the sound is inside a stateroom, you want it to be loud! I don't want to sleep through an emergency. I hope the problem was reported and fixed.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Please follow lb Graves suggestions on lifevests

If you do not have the right size for the little one just ask the cabin Steward

.learn how the straps connect. A few minutes doing this could save lives.

AKK

 

[Dug720]

Please follow lb Graves suggestions on lifevests

If you do not have the right size for the little one just ask the cabin Steward

.learn how the straps connect. A few minutes doing this could save lives.

AKK

Yep. Even if you are all adults, make sure that you have enough ADULT vests for everyone. Our first DCL cruise we were 4 adults but when we opened the closet we found 3 adult vests and 1 child vest. Oops! It wasn't a problem at all when we told our stateroom host - we had an adult one before Muster.