A muster drill (also referred to as a safety briefing, life jacket drill, lifeboat drill or a boat drill) is an exercise conducted by the crew of a ship prior to embarking on a voyage. All passengers must participate.
The muster drill actually involves two important safety matters:
- A safety briefing, and
- A demonstration on how to put on a life jacket.
Maritime regulations require a safety briefing must be held immediately before sailing, and a muster drill within 24 hours; however since the Costa Concordia incident, most cruise lines do the safety briefing and muster drill at the same time (before sailing). Passengers must be shown how to put on a life jacket, however most Australian cruise lines require passenger to show they can actually put on a life jacket.
It is typically conducted approximately 30 minutes prior to the ship’s scheduled departure time and all guests must remain silent during the drill so that everyone will be able to hear the safety announcements.
General Emergency Alarm (GEA)
To alert that the drill is in progress, a General Emergency Alarm which consists of seven or more short blasts followed by one long blast of the ship’s alarm or horn is sounded.
If you ever hear the GEA, you need to:
- Return to you cabin (unless for your safety you cannot, in which case go directly to your muster station),
- Collect your life jacket,
- Get warm clothes and a head covering, and
- Get any medication you need;
then go to you designated muster station.
How about just skipping the Muster
Think you can miss the muster ~ unlikely, even if you are doing back to back or are a frequent cruiser. Most cruise ships do a cabin inspection of every cabin and customer area after the call to muster and check they are clear (this is one reason they are so long). This is part of their normal procedures. So, if you are hiding in a cabin, you will be caught. Be aware, some Captains take a very harsh view of passengers who deliberately try to get out of the muster.
What do you need to do ?
About 30 minutes before departure, you will hear an announcement over the ships Public Address system informing you the muster drill is about to take place. All passenger services will cease during the muster which means the bars and restaurants close. This is the time to go to you cabin, grab you life jacket (usually in a cupboard in your cabin – see pictures below) and go to your muster station early, so you can get a seat – otherwise you will be standing in the hallway for 30 to 45 minutes like this (hint – it gets tiring):
Each ship usually has a number of different muster stations, they may be letter coded, coded to a particular lifeboat, or designated in another manner. Your life jacket will have the code on it, it will also be on the back of you cabin door (with instruction how to get there):
When the safety briefing commences, you will need to listen to a ten-minute safety briefing, then (probably) practice putting on you life jacket. Then it is all over and you can get back to enjoying your cruise.
We hope you found this helpful ?
Do you have any stories about ships muster, or have we missed anything or got something wrong, if so please leave a comment below.
If you would like us to post on another interesting topic, please let us know what topics you would like.
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Muster Safety Briefing Wording
The below is sample wording of a ships safety briefing. Be aware that this will be slightly different from ship to ship and cruise line to cruise line:
The sound you have just heard is the General Emergency Alarm. This consists of seven short blasts, followed by one long blast on the ships whistle and the ships alarms. It is the only signal that requires you to take action in an emergency and is used to call you to your muster station. A muster station is an area of safety where passengers assemble in an emergency. The General Emergency Alarm is not the signal to abandon ship. If you hear this signal at any time including when the ship is in port without having being warned that an exercise is taking place, you should go to your cabin
collect your lifejacket and warm clothing, a head covering and any medication that you normally use, then carrying your lifejacket, go to your muster station which is specified on the safety notice on the back of your cabin door.
The muster stations are located on deck numbers xxx and xxx. Guides will be positioned on the stairways to direct you and assist you. Please walk quickly and quietly and on stairways and alleyways keep to the right to allow other passengers and crew to pass. Do not put on your lifejacket unless you are instructed to do so.
If for any reason you are prevented from returning to your cabin, go directly to the muster station, where a life jacket will be given to you. When you reach you designated muster station, you should wait quietly for instructions and information that will be broadcast over the public address system or given to you by the officer in charge of the station.
In the unlikely event that it is necessary to abandon ship, an order will be verbally given from the bridge. The staff will then divide you into groups and guides will take you from your muster station to the ships survival craft.
Most passengers are assigned to evacuate in lifeboats, however if you are assigned to evacuate in a marine evacuation system you will be taken to a designated embarkation area where you will descend a specially designed shute to the liferafts that will already be waiting in the water. Members of the ship company will now indicate the exits from your muster station to your survival craft.
In the event it is necessary to abandon ship, designated door checkers will direct the correct number of people to each of the survival craft. You will follow the guides who will lead you to your lifeboat or raft. There are other signals that do not directly affect passengers. These alert the crew for specific duties and do not require any action by you. You will be given prior notice to any crew drills involving the use of these signals.
In the event of fire and during exercises your route may appear to be blocked by fireproof doors. Although they are heavy, these doors may be opened by hand and will close automatically behind you. There are alternative exists from ever passenger space and you should take a few moments to thoroughly familiarise yourself with the area surrounding your cabin. Your staterooms are provided with audible alarms by telephone, buzzer or the combination of both. If a fire is detected in or near your stateroom the telephone will ring and a buzzer may sound to alert you. Please follow any instructions that may be given to you over the telephone.
In the event of an emergency, low location strip lighting will switch on automatically. If the visibility in your area is reduced so that you cannot see the normal exist signs, you should keep close to the floor and crawl if necessary, follow the illuminated strip and it will lead you to an exit.
It is important that you do not use the lifts in an emergency as you may become trapped in the event of a power failure. If you have mobility difficulties and you may need assistance in an emergency, please tell your cabin steward and reception desk TODAY in order that special arrangements can be made.
Should you smell smoke or discover a fire, press one of the red fire alarms situated around the ship. This warns the bridge so that immediate action can be taken. Please note that you will not hear an alarm sound near you, however immediate action will be taken.
If you should see anyone fall overboard, throw a life buoy or anything else that will float and may assist the person in the water, shout MAN OVERBOARD and inform the nearest crew member.
The safety of our passengers and crew is our upmost priority, to this end all xxx cruise ships, operate under the highest level of security awareness, therefore please help us maintain the security of the ship by showing your cruise card to the members of the ship company at the gangway, when both leaving and boarding at each port. They may require to search your hand baggage. Do not carry on board any parcels or baggage for the benefit of a stranger. We regret having to restrict visitors to the ship but you will appreciate that these simple precautions are necessary and we ask for you full cooperation.
There are areas of the ship that are marked CREW ONLY, please do not enter these areas even if you are invited. Never sit on the ships side rails including those on cabin balconies or allow children to do so, even when holding.
XXX Cruises is committed to the protection of the environment, so please do not throw anything over the ships side. For those of you who smoke, the ship has designated smoking areas, these are located on deck XXX the ships starboard side and deck XXX forward starboard side. It is prohibited to throw cigarette ends and cigar buts over the side, this is because they can be drawn back into the ship and lie undetected to cause a serious fire. Please use the receptacle and ashtrays provided and ensure that all smoking materials are fully extinguished.
May we take this opportunity to remind you that smoking is not permitted in cabins or in cabin balconies. We would also ask that you all carefully study the safety section of your cabin information folder. This also outlines what electrical items you are and are not able to use on board the ship. If you would like more information about our emergency procedures, please ask the reception desk for a copy of our emergency procedures information sheet.
At XXX cruises, we believe it is important to practice wearing your life jacket, please remain in position while a member of the ships company demonstrates the correct wearing of the life jacket, I repeat, please remain in position while a member of the ship’s company demonstrates the correct wearing of the life jacket. You will have an opportunity to practice wearing your life jacket after the demonstration.
Take the life jacket in both hands, place it over your head with the large section at the front, connect the velcro strips, pass the belt around your waist and connect the buckle by pushing the two parts firmly together. Pull the belt as tight as possible while holding on to the right hand pad.
There is a light on your life jacket, this will activate automatically if you have to enter the water, there is also a whistle for attracting attention. Special life jackets are available for children and infants weighing less than 32 kg. If these have not yet been provided, please ask your cabin steward. On completion of today’s instruction please return your life jackets to your cabin, and if you have not already done so, read the notice concerning emergency procedures. To avoid tripping your self or others, pleas ensure that the life jackets straps do not trail on the deck.
Thank you for attending this muster, which is held for our mutual safety and once again, on behalf of the Captain, myself and all of us at xxx cruises, we do hope you have an enjoyable time on board. Please now stand and put on your life jacket. A member of the ship’s company will be available to assist, please do not leave the muster station until you life jacket has been checked.
Lynda Barry
CruiseReview.net.au