Carnival’s Heald Explains Why Ship Is Requiring Old School Muster Drill

Ever since cruise lines started doing e-muster or virtual muster drills after the shutdown, the practice has become so popular it’s hard to imagine going back.   But a recent email stating the requirement of the old-style muster drill on Carnival Sunshine caused some confusion.

One of the biggest pain points of cruising in years past was the drawn-out process of going to the muster station in an area packed with people while you waited to see who was absent.

No one misses those roll calls as the person in front of you stepped on your toes, nor the stampede which followed in crowded stairwells.  It wasn’t a fun way to start off the cruise, and it’s the part I always dreaded the most.

Because most cruisers now love the quick digital safety briefing, it was a surprise to some Carnival cruisers when an upcoming cruise was told it had to return to the “old school” drill.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, quickly cleared things up for the next Carnival Sunshine sailing, explaining that this isn’t a long-term change, but something they have to do.

Not a Fleet-Wide Requirement

John Heald posted a video on his popular Facebook page this morning to respond to questions about the Carnival Sunshine‘s sailing on the 18th. This cruise will require passengers to take part in a traditional, full-ship muster drill.

“A lot of you wrote to me and said, why are we going back to the old way of doing boat drill, muscle station drill, lifeboat drill, whatever you like to call it”, Heald said in the video.

He explained that this isn’t a fleet-wide thing. Instead, it is a specific, required action for the Sunshine‘s next voyage, as determined by maritime regulations.

Why Traditional Muster Drill is Required

The reason for the traditional drill is due to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty. SOLAS is an international maritime treaty that sets minimum safety standards for ships. A big part of these standards is making sure all cruise ships conduct periodic safety exercises.

Heald made it clear that this requirement comes from authorities:

“This is something that every single ship needs to do twice a year as per US Coast Guard, Australian Coast Guard and other government agencies and SOLAS, Safety of Life at Sea.”

While digital briefings (like e-muster) take care of the daily requirement to brief individual passengers, the full, “old style” drill is still required for periodic checks and compliance.

These twice-a-year drills are necessary to check the ship’s entire safety system, including crew preparedness, alarm checks, and the flow of passengers to their muster stations.

Heald said that the crew is working to make the process as efficient and painless as can be:

“We have sent you an email and you are going to be doing the old style muster drill. We will get this done as quickly as possible.” He stated, “I know the crew will take great care of you and make sure that it is done as quickly as possible.”

For passengers sailing on Carnival Sunshine on October 18th, this means physically gathering at your assigned muster station. Crew members will then give a live demonstration and explanation of safety procedures, including how to properly wear a life jacket and what steps to follow in an emergency.

Mattresses on Carnival Ships

Heald took a moment to address another common question from cruisers in the Facebook live video this morning: mattress comfort.

He acknowledged the feedback and concerns about firmness and wear and tear. He assured Carnival fans that the cruise line has an established policy to maintain quality, and he stated that all ship mattresses are replaced every two years.

Update on Mardi Gras Drydock

Heald also provided a quick update on Carnival Mardi Gras.  He announced that the ship has officially left drydock and is currently heading to Barcelona, where it will begin its repositioning voyage.

He also shared an interesting fact about the ship’s trip home:

“I think that is absolutely fabulous. There are 1,020 people, 1,020, who brought the ship from Port Canaveral to Barcelona, have either taken a cruise on the Carnival Miracle or stayed in Europe… and 1,020 of them are taking the ship back home to Port Canaveral again. So I think that is absolutely brilliant…”

The Brand Ambassador is traveling to the ship to meet those passengers and will be sharing more statistics and details about the work completed during the drydock soon.

Heald mentioned that while specific public area changes will be announced later, Mardi Gras is scheduled to welcome guests back on October 16 for a repositioning voyage returning to Port Canaveral.