Muster Drills

[Cherylannie]

I was wondering how they accommodate passengers with "limited mobility" issues? As far as not being able to climb 2 or more flights of stairs, standing for a long period of time or not able to handle the heat outside?

 

 

[FloatMe]

I was wondering how they accommodate passengers with "limited mobility" issues? As far as not being able to climb 2 or more flights of stairs, standing for a long period of time or not able to handle the heat outside?

They do make accomidations, but everyone needs to participate in muster. I would suggest contacting the special needs department well before your cruise and inform them of specific limitations. They should be able to provide you direction. Whatever you do, do not assume anything and not show up for muster. I have seen people throw off the ship for doing so.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/home.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=1&snav=7

[DocLC]

As FloatMe, said, they'll make accommodations including bringing a chair for those who can stand if the muster station is not in a location with seating already. I would also recommend going up to the muster deck about 15 minutes before the drill as they shut down the elevators. While I'm sure they'd make accommodations, it would be easier to go up early and find a place to sit.

[Galveston Steve]

On Brilliance last month we had a lot of mobility-impaired passengers (Canada/New England during the school year draws an older crowd).  There were several wheelchair-bound passengers at our muster station and I recall they were already there when we arrived (indicating they followed DocLC's advice to get to the muster station early) and were attended to by their families.  

 

The link that FloatMe posted above leads also to a rather detailed Guest Special Needs Form that should help Royal Caribbean prepare for your needs.

[Michel]

May be some other blog readers can correct me if I'm wrong, but if you sail on Allure or Oasis the muster drill is almost always seated for everybody. 

It takes place in Studio B, the Aqua Theater and the main theater. 

[Elpida]

We just came back from a European cruise on the Rhapsody of the Seas.  We got to the muster drill early and went to our designated area. Our area was on deck and the sun was extremely hot.  The temperature that day was 92 degrees. I have a kidney transplant and I am not supposed to be in the sun (even for a short time) because the medication makes me feel ill if I get too hot.  We stood in the shade and as more people arrived, the staff member at our station told me to come up front since I was shorter than most of the men in front of me.  My husband said, "She has a medical condition and can't be in the sun."  The staff member said, "Right.  Come up here in the front." I said, "I honestly cannot be in the sun due to my medication.  I'd like to stay back here in the shade."  He said, in a very loud voice, "Come up here and stand in the front."  So I went in the front and fifteen minutes later (in the 92 degree heat) I felt so ill that I started to fall down.  My husband grabbed me and took me in the back to the shade. 

 

In my opinion, the staff does not care about anything except that they have the "power" to boss the customers around. Why on earth do they make the weak or elderly passengers stand in the hot sun for the muster drills when they could just as easily do it inside? 

 

I am a Diamond member (one more cruise to Diamond Plus) and I have found the service/staff attentiveness to be poor compared to even a few years ago.  This is just one example of how the service and lack of concern for passengers is falling short. 

[DocLC]

I am sorry to hear about your experience. I truly hope you have or will share your experience with the corporate offices so that they can retrain the staff as appropriate.