Muster Up! The Drill and What Else Will Keep You Safe Onboard

Sometimes, it’s in the casino. Sometimes, on the ice rink. And sometimes, it’s under the sun.

Wherever it is, you need to be there.

Here’s the drill and why it’s important. And what else will keep you safe in your new home on the sea.

If you’ve never been through one, know that the muster drill starts with a PA announcement that it’s coming. Then another one that it’s coming soon. And probably yet another that it’s really on its way.

Then, ear-splitting sounds. If you’re in your stateroom, you won’t be there for long. The crew will come banging on your door.

The good news? On many ships, you no longer need to drag along those massive orange vests, their cords dangling behind you like Linus’ dust.

You’ll come as you are, crew will be everywhere holding signs, and you’ll assemble someplace. It will be the first time—and maybe the last—that you’ll ever feel overwhelmed by the vast numbers of people on your ship.

Like the “seat-cushion-can-be-used-as-a-floatation-device” speech you tune out on the plane, you might feel like tuning out this one too. But don’t. Just in case.

Cruising is uber safe. In fact, more people are cruising than ever, but issues like fires and breakdowns are quite rare and have been declining.*

But they still can happen. And you want to be prepared in case they do.

Safe cruising, though, shouldn’t stop at the muster drill. Here are some other ways for you to stay ship-shape from when you walk up that gangway to when you walk back down:

Bring your own. First-aid stuff costs a lot on the ship. And some stuff you won’t find at all. I found out the hard way. Some good things to pack before leaving home are aspirin, cold medication, nose drops, digestion stuff, ear wax removal, first-aid ointment and band-aids.

Sea sickness remedies. While the cruise ships are massive and steady as tanks, you will, from time to time, be reminded that you’re not on land. If you’ve ever been prone to motion sickness, while you most likely won’t need it, just having it with you will give you peace of mind. My spouse has brought it on 19 trips. He has not used it once.

Wipe it clean. The crew, of course, work like crazy to keep the staterooms clean, but it never hurts to do a bit of your own cleaning too. Consider bringing some sanitizing spray or wipes to clean door handles, phone and TV remote—the areas that get a lot of hand holding.

Sanitize your hands. Often. While most of the ships have hand sanitizers near the eating areas, in the buffets, you’re holding the ladle, reaching for the salt shaker—and then handling the hot dog as it makes its way to your mouth. We bring our own wet wipes, and use them constantly.

Sun-bathing sense. We’ve seen it over and over again—folks with skin as pure as the driven snow spend their whole first day at the pool. The next day, they’ve traded that milky complexion with a bright red one. And spend the next several days burning up in pain.

Pool precautions. There are no lifeguards at the pools. When you swim, you’re on your own. And so are your kids.  

It’s wet on deck. With folks and kids coming in and out of the pools, showers and saunas, the decks can get pretty wet. Walk gingerly and watch your step.

Be a defensive diner. The buffet can be a treacherous place. Steaming hot coffee can be coming at you from one direction, and a crew member with a tray piled high with plates can be coming at you from another. Be a defensive diner and you’ll enjoy your food at the table—instead of taking a trip to the infirmary.

See the light. Having a flashlight by your bed will be invaluable for those night-time bathroom runs.

Don’t go overboard. The banisters on the decks and balconies are there for a reason: to keep a safe

distance between us and the water. Enjoy the drink packages. But we don’t want to fish you out of the sea.

* CLIA’s website, cruising.org, “Safety at Sea,” G.P. Wild International Limited  Report on Operational Incidents, 2009 to 2014.

The Overhyped and the Overlooked

I agree with cruisecritic.com: art auctions, professional photos and candy stores on cruise ships are overrated.

And there are others I’d like to add to the list. I know this is a wholly subjective subject. You might not agree. But, here, for your consideration, are some things I think we can easily live without—as well as those that are often overlooked: 

Overhyped

Drink packages. While the idea of drinking what you want, when you want—no designated driver needed—can be pretty tempting, when we’ve done the math, we’ve found we’d have to consume a humongous amount just to break even.

Here’s an example: Royal Caribbean’s alcohol package is now $55 a day per person (or roughly $400 a week). With the average drink price at about $8, you’d have to down seven a day to get your money’s worth.*

I have no proof, but given how much these drink packages are hyped, I have to assume the cruise lines make out better than we do.

Celebrity’s Concierge Class. You’d think we’d learn after the first time. But it took three times on Celebrity’s Concierge Class—and three times complaining—before we finally owned up that it’s just not worth it. The flowers in your room are actually one lonely bud in a vase that opens up just in time for you to go home. The appetizers, which you now have to ask for, are decidedly unappetizing. Oh, you do get a bottle of sparkling wine the first day. And the towels are big. That’s about it.

Port shopping talks. There’s little substance in these. Unless you’re in the market for high-end jewelry, don’t waste your precious vacation time. And if your curiosity gets the best of you, you can always find them on the stateroom TV, playing over and over and over again.

Formal nights. It pains me to say this, but formal nights are simply not worth trying to cram a suit and tie or dress/shoes/shawl/evening bag into your luggage.Yeah, sometimes the food is better than other nights, as filet mignon and lobster tails still make a once-a-cruise appearance. But, it’s just not the big event it used to be.

Overlooked

Princess’ mini-suites. If you choose your cruise right (e.g., off season), you can get one of these for not much more than a balcony room. Yet the size is significantly larger; in fact, you’ll swear you’re in a hotel. Throw in two TV sets, more counter space and the like, and you’ll be downright comfortable.

Hotel-like comfort in a Princess mini-suite

Room service. For many of us, room service in a hotel is a rarely-if-ever-used luxury. It not only costs extra, but what you get costs extra, too. While some exceptions apply, room service on a cruise ship is free. That means delivery right to your door, and you don’t even need to get out of your PJs for it.

Buffet at night. I’ve often raved about the buffet at dinner, appreciating the vast array of choices (often including what the MDR is serving up), the appearance of international cuisine--including some spicy dishes--and the marvelous mellowness. And did I mention that you don’t have to dress up?

Lunch in the main dining room. This probably sounds perverse—buffet at night and lunch in the dining room. But, like the buffet at night, lunch in the MDR is a peaceful affair. It’s under-utilized, unhurried and completely relaxing. But you’ll only find it at limited hours on sea days.

The "Tutti" salad bar on Allure of the Seas--you'll only find it at lunch, in the MDR on sea days

Loyalty clubs. Now I recognize that not everyone can cruise repeatedly, but if you can and do, going with one line has its benefits. Particularly on Royal Caribbean. We made Diamond Club a few cruises back and now enjoy unlimited alcoholic drinks during happy hour, which has made us quite happy, indeed.

The view. What’s outside the ship is becoming less and less important than what’s on the inside. With bumper cars, casinos and ice skating rinks, it’s getting harder to remember what cruising is all about: the sea. 

* This package also includes non-alcoholic drinks.

Musing’s Top Tip: On a totally different topic, check out Musing’s piece on ways to stay safe while you’re wandering around port on the website www.cruiseportadvisor.com.

Pre-Cruise Prep—What Line Does it Best?

Not that you need any help getting pumped up for your upcoming trip, but the cruise lines do vary quite a bit in what they tell you once you’ve put that deposit down.

 
And of the lines we’ve sailed with most recently—Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity—my first prize for pre-cruise promo goes to Princess.
 
Communication from Celebrity and Royal Caribbean was spotty and all about driving revenue with drink packages and excursions. Celebrity, however, gets kudos for being the only one of the three lines to still offer to send you color adhesive luggage tags. (For RCI and Princess, you have to print up your own and staple or tape them to your bags.)
 
While Princess does its share of tempting you with ways to spend extra dough, it also works hard to inform and excite. Here’s a brief summary of what you can expect before you sail:
 
Princess’ patter begins early. The cruise line begins its email chats with you even before you’ve paid for the whole trip. The captain welcomes you onboard, tells you a bit about himself, and a column appearing in every email going forward gives an update of what you’ve left to do before the trip. Like submit final payment. Make sure your passport is up to date. And check in online.
 
Read, see and hear. About once a month and then sooner as you get closer to the trip, you get a message from a different senior officer. There are links to videos of your ship and the bridge web cam. Overviews of available excursions, which you can filter by price range and activity level. Descriptions of dining options with links to videos about the restaurants.
 
Let them entertain you. One especially useful email spotlights the entertainment—including what movie is actually being shown on your trip for Movies Under the Stars, the featured entertainers and song-and-dance production shows. There’s even a sample issue of Princess Patter, the onboard newsletter.
 
With all the hours we spend these days our eyes glued to a screen, I have to hand it to Princess for making what we spend online with the cruise line more than worth our time. And for giving us yet another reason to feel our vacation dollars are well spent.
 
Musing’s Top Tip: Family or friends curious about cruising but afraid to take the plunge? Consider Princess’ “Bon Voyage Experience.” You can bring your guests onboard on embarkation day and for $30 a person, they’ll get four hours of lunch plus wine, guided tour of the ship and souvenir photo. It might be a great way to get them to “yes” if you want to bring them along the next time you cruise. Reservations for this program are required, so see Princess’ website for more.