Why Disney, WHY??

[randumb0]

I understand exactly why—in the virtual muster, they had to post a CM to each muster station on the ship for several hours from embarkation to sailaway to check people in and help those who couldn’t figure out the app. That’s a lot of staff tied down who could be otherwise occupied helping clear tables at cabanas, cleaning the ship between meals or any number of other useful tasks. Now that the cruise ship staff only need to devote one hour to the muster drill, ship operations can be a lot more efficient on embarkation day.

Now, I will say I do hate it. After a disastrous first cruise muster on deck in the sun in 90 degree heat, I learned to always book an indoor muster station even if it meant compromising room location, so I’ll have to revert to the practice now that muster is the old way. I also have an autistic DS now and am worried how he will handle the loud sounds and crowds and waiting—he was just a toddler last time we had a “real” muster so he was not yet diagnosed, but maybe I’ll contact DCL to see what they advise. But as much ad I hate it, I do understand it.

But I don’t think it makes us any safer. We listened to the videos a lot better in our stateroom where it was comfortable. Last real muster, I recall spending most of the time shushing my kids who were squabbling because they’d been waiting for ages for the last stragglers to show up and were bored.

Other cruise lines would have the same staffing problem so I am not sure if that was the issue as others still use e muster

 

[71 Truck]

Other cruise lines would have the same staffing problem so I am not sure if that was the issue as others still use e muster

I read a couple of articles yesterday and alto Disney would not confirm the reason it was said they were going back to the old muster drill because of the safety of the passengers and a lack of guest participation.

Like I said in an earlier post all it takes is a few people to mess it up for everyone else.

If other cruise lines still do the e muster drill, they must feel their guest are getting the information needed and see the guest participating in the numbers they feel comfortable with.

In all the years my wife and I have been cruising with Disney we did not cruise during the time of the e muster drill.

I am sure if Disney wanted to they could find a way to re do the e muster drill to make it more accountable on the guest part to do what they are suppose to do, but why should they.
My guess is as far as Disney is concerned the old drill made all the passengers accountable to do the drill and in the case of our last cruise it was done in around 20 minutes for most.

 

[RedHead0186]

I am sure if Disney wanted to they could find a way to re do the e muster drill to make it more accountable on the guest part to do what they are suppose to do, but why should they.
My guess is as far as Disney is concerned the old drill made all the passengers accountable to do the drill and in the case of our last cruise it was done in around 20 minutes for most.

When I did an e muster drill on Princess in 2021, each member of the stateroom had to scan their medallion (similar to the KTTW card on DCL). That way, they knew every passenger had visited the muster station (not just one person from each stateroom). Seems like that would be fairly easy for DCL to implement, if they chose to?

 

[71 Truck]

When I did an e muster drill on Princess in 2021, each member of the stateroom had to scan their medallion (similar to the KTTW card on DCL). That way, they knew every passenger had visited the muster station (not just one person from each stateroom). Seems like that would be fairly easy for DCL to implement, if they chose to?

I like that idea, the only thing I would see as an issue is Disney would have to station one person at each scan location to make sure only one card per person was scanned. I could see the abuse of the whole room full of people sending one person sending down with a hand full or room keys and scanning for everyone.

Not having done the e muster drill I am guessing there is a video on the TV everyone has to watch?

 

[brentm77]

I like that idea, the only thing I would see as an issue is Disney would have to station one person at each scan location to make sure only one card per person was scanned. I could see the abuse of the whole room full of people sending one person sending down with a hand full or room keys and scanning for everyone.

Not having done the e muster drill I am guessing there is a video on the TV everyone has to watch?

There was a video. It would play on the TV, and if I remember correctly, was broadcast on the ship-wide speakers. They were very clear about the need to watch it and that you could not be doing anything else. It would have taken effort to avoid it. It was actually a good video and I found it more instructional than a cast member yelling at a hundred of hot guests out on deck which often involves some distraction going on from kids or other adults. I understand the argument for the in-person drill, but I think there is a lot of assumptions being made that it is superior without any real evidence. It would be interesting if cruise lines did a study how well guests retain the location of their muster station and the instruction by the end of the cruise to see if there is a difference. Ultimately, I think it will come down to each individual to pay attention and be prepared no matter which system they use. If I had a choice, I would pick the e-muster, mainly to avoid dealing with the rush of people after the drill, but in the end it won't have any real impact on my enjoyment of the cruise. I do hope those with impairments are given reasonable options.

P.S. It would have been hard for individuals to skip the muster station check-in on the Magic. They directed us at every step as we boarded the ship until we got to the muster station, asking if we had been there and sending us in that direction. Anyone that would have purposely ignored the cast members' directions is probably the type of person who wouldn't take the drill seriously anyway. Some people can't be helped.

 

[RedHead0186]

I like that idea, the only thing I would see as an issue is Disney would have to station one person at each scan location to make sure only one card per person was scanned. I could see the abuse of the whole room full of people sending one person sending down with a hand full or room keys and scanning for everyone.

Not having done the e muster drill I am guessing there is a video on the TV everyone has to watch?

DCL already has to station one person at each scan location to scan the cards (at least, when we did the e muster on the Fantasy in September we scanned with an actual cast member). That same person would just have to scan the card of each member of the stateroom, instead of just scanning one card. That would also ensure one person can't just come down with a handful of KTTW cards.

That's also how it was on Princess; there was a scanner to actually scan our medallions, but also a crew member (2, IIRC) to make sure it went through and then I think double-check our names.

For e muster there is a video; I think on the TV and in the app, IIRC?