Every experienced cruiser is familiar with the safety briefing, during which procedures such as how to find one’s muster station, what emergency signals sound like, and how to put on a life jacket are covered.
New e-muster drills were implemented following the industry shutdown to help ease crowded situations while still conveying essential safety information.
The e-muster is faster and smoother for many guests, requiring just a couple of minutes of time as guests report to their muster stations shortly after embarkation. The rest of the safety information is shared through online videos and presentations on stateroom televisions.
While Carnival Cruise Line has previously said the e-muster is here to stay and they will not be returning to the full, in-person safety briefing, that isn’t 100% true.
Guests onboard three upcoming sailings across the Carnival fleet have received notifications that their safety briefings will, in fact, be the “old style” in-person drills. This is part of the cruise line’s ongoing commitment to safety and ensuring full and complete training for all crew members.
The impacted voyages are the March 16 departure of Carnival Liberty, as well as the March 17 departures for Carnival Conquest and Carnival Valor.
Carnival Liberty will be setting sail from New Orleans on a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Carnival Valor is likewise sailing from New Orleans, but on a 5-night itinerary to Cozumel and Progreso.
Carnival Conquest will be departing from PortMiami on a 4-night Bahamas cruise to Princess Cays and Nassau.
“Shortly before departure, a full safety drill will take place on your upcoming sailing,” the email notifications for each ship read. “This is a mandatory procedure, and all guests will be required to participate in this brief but essential exercise.”
This is not to be confused with other crew safety training sessions and drills, which are often conducted during different sailings to simulate emergency situations and keep all crew members updated on critical procedures.
All guests on all three ships are required to participate in the safety briefings, which will happen just before the published sail away time.
“Ship-wide announcements will provide guidance on the process, which will include collective gathering at your assigned muster station to familiarize yourself with the necessary steps to take in the unlikely event of an emergency,” the notifications said.
The in-person safety drills generally take 20-30 minutes from start to finish. This includes all the time for guests to assemble at their various muster stations, life jacket demonstrations, safety instruction, and sounding the ship’s emergency signals.
To make the drills go more quickly, guests should be sure to move to their correct muster stations right away when the drill begins. No food or drinks should be taken along, cell phones should be put away, and remaining quiet through the instruction will ensure a smoother, faster drill procedure.
Safety Always Comes First
Every cruise conducts safety briefings before the ship is able to sail away from its homeport. While the e-muster is faster and more convenient for many guests, randomly implementing the in-person drills ensures that both crew members and guests are familiar with all emergency procedures.
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The full drills are implemented at random across the Carnival fleet. While Carnival Liberty, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Valor are the latest ships to receive notification of an upcoming full drill, this does not mean those vessels will not have another full drill in the future.
Carnival Cruise Line will notify guests on any future impacted voyages shortly before their sailings. This is to ensure that everyone is aware that the full drill is exactly that – a drill – without creating confusion about safety procedures.
Undoubtedly, all Carnival ships undergo these random full safety drills occasionally, just to be sure every crew on every one of the fleet’s 27 – soon to be 29 – ships is thoroughly trained and prepared for different emergency situations.
