Why Disney, WHY??

[DSLRuser]

I agree that the "normal" lifeboat drill can be an inconvenience however I think it is an absolute necessity for passengers specifically people who have never cruised or who are sailing on a new ship like the Wish for the first time.

I 100% agree here. People who have cruised before can get away with a virtual frill. But 1st time cruiser or 1st time on a new ship, you should absolutely have to go to a muster drill in person. It could save your life.

 

[CamColt]

While I definitely prefer the Covid version of the drill, I don't mind going back to the pre Covid option so much. I'm definitely more bothered by other things we have lost.

 

[n2mm]

Glad my cruises last week were virtual. I read the article and it said the cruisers were not doing it.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Dining rooms are going to be full, Walt Disney Theater is going to be full, Buena Vista Theater is going to be full, bingo is going to be filled to the max, etc., etc.

I don't think gathering for the muster station is going to be a big problem. And despite the unlikely event that you will need to go there because of a real event, I think it is still a good idea to go full on muster station again; after all it appears everything else is open to all.

 

[Clarkson U]

At least on DCL - technically the ENTIRE stateroom is supposed to go together to the Muster Drill Station and only one person once there has to do the e-checkin for the drill. The problem that I see was that many people were not bringing the entire stateroom down for the drill and many people have posted on a different thread that they loved having only one person go to the drill station (which again is a problem and not the way DCL wanted it done). I am sure they could do it differently but if they bring this back maybe they will also bring back navigators and other things pre-covid that they used to do. Maybe they will bring back better and more robust merchandise on the ships also. Just hoping this in person drill leads to more good things.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

maybe they will also bring back navigators

See this post:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/what-is-still-not-back-to-normal.3900807/page-5#post-64424907

 

[AquaDame]

For any normal company, it would be a simple program to write. Disney checks if you have sailed with them within 18 months, if so, you are assigned the e-version. If anyone in your room hasn't, your entire room must report to the drill. The program shows on your TV (like now) at a time when it can correspond to the warning sound that those in the live drill will hear too. The app could clearly tell you which version is assigned to your room with instructions on how to proceed.

Then again, this is Disney IT we are talking about, so it probably would be too difficult for them. In the end, it really isn't that big of a deal. At worst, it's 15-30 minutes in a tight crowd in the warm sun. We will survive. In the past, it just meant I was at the start of a fantastic week and I never really thought twice about it.

I imagine this would just create anger and confusion from folks who claim they didn't know what to do, they already watched the video, other folks didn't have to, why do they, etc etc.

Disney wants to keep the optics of fairness and safety as intact as possible, and bicker with folks as little as possible. If everyone has to do it, there are less opportunities to get mad about it. I'd be willing to bet the % of folks who sail less than 18 months often enough to matter is relatively low for a lot of bother on the back end.

 

[greensombrero]

So this is speculation and I originally heard the idea from a friend who is a pilot but it maps to my own experience on compliance subjects. A lot of times an organization like the Coast Guard might have a set of guidelines about muster drills but allow cruise lines to define their own exact procedures/process. The key will be they have to follow their own documented procedures and can't change them without going through a whole review/approval process.

I imagine that with Covid cruise lines were given temporary permission to make changes. It is possible the Coast Guard is requiring everyone to go back to their previously formally approved procedures. Disney may not have updated their official procedures for a few reasons. It could be that doing so would require them to provide evidence the new way is working as well or better and their evidence may be the opposite given the problems I've heard they had getting people to do it, only one family member checking in etc. It is possible there are minor differences between what they've been doing and other cruise lines which are significant from the Coast Guard perspective. It is also possible that while Disney could go through a process to stick with the virtual check ins they may also feel themselves that it isn't as safe and in the interest of safety they want to go back. Could they come up with a muster process 3.0 that would not be the old style that might be a better version of the virtual check in, quite possibly, but is it worth the effort and would it be safer?

I also have to wonder what actually involves less human effort? The virtual option meant they needed cast members at every station for an extended period of time to help out. They still had to pause things during the safety announcement which we always listened to but I wonder if everyone did. They also would have to track down people who didn't go to their muster station and deal with them. While the classic muster drill certainly involves nearly every crew member it is for a shorter period of time and all but guarantees everyone has done it.

In the end all speculation on my part but I do suspect Disney has legit reasons for why they are doing what they are. I will admit the muster drill was something I didn't not look forward to at all before our first cruise (which was back with the old process) however in the end I didn't think it was that bad. I won't say I was wanting it to go back after multiple cruises with the new process but I can see safety advantages this way.

 

[Cheburashka]

Just hoping this in person drill leads to more good things.

That is extremely unlikely. Disney Corp. is operating in "take away" mode, not "give more" mode.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Having been on a ship while it was sinking (2007, MS Sea Diamond - it has a Wikipedia page if you don't believe me. 2 people died. It was awful), this isn't a bad thing. A brief inconvenience, at best.

 

[Dailymeel]

I think it is a good thing to have practice drills back no matter how inconvenient. It is not only for the guests to practice but for the cast members to practice as well. It is the same for me working at a school, we practice drills for the students & staff to get familiar with what to do in an emergency - would I rather have us all sit in class and watch a video than stand outside in the freezing cold with a bunch of children without our jackets on? Yes. But everyone learns better when doing a practice. we should not take these things for granted, Safety first!

 

[Bonnie1222]

It's a bummer, but I get it. I do wish they would make exceptions for those who have cruised frequently/recently, as it is very repetitive and doesn't seem to increase safety materially in those situations.

Do airlines excempt frequent fliers from being subjected to the safety review? That argument really doesn't make sense. The only way to learn something is by repetition.

 

[nancipants]

And the ones who don't care, won't. Forcing these people to do something they don't want to do affects everyone else.

If you're agreeing to go on a Disney cruise, you're agreeing to abide by their safety rules, including attending whatever muster drill they want to have. Of course they can and should force people to go.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Do airlines excempt frequent fliers from being subjected to the safety review? That argument really doesn't make sense. The only way to learn something is by repetition.

I don't see comparing the two as the same thing. The one on the plane takes less than 5 mins and you are already seated and you don't have to wait for late people.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

I think it is a good thing to have practice drills back no matter how inconvenient. It is not only for the guests to practice but for the cast members to practice as well. It is the same for me working at a school, we practice drills for the students & staff to get familiar with what to do in an emergency - would I rather have us all sit in class and watch a video than stand outside in the freezing cold with a bunch of children without our jackets on? Yes. But everyone learns better when doing a practice. we should not take these things for granted, Safety first!

The issue is the practice only means so much. If it was ever a real emergency , you have all the fear and panic that alters so much and things go crazy. This is why some jobs have real life "fake" emergency drills to help train them on what to do when they think it's real.

 

[Chirple]

I am on the Wish right now, and I believe we are the first on this ship with the original muster drill in place. We have not sailed since February 2020.

Our assembly station was in World of Marvel. I don’t find in-person an issue, but this was really disorganized; I hope it’s better executed in the future.

We were all crammed into the long hallway leading into the restaurant. A few of us wore masks (not here for the anti-mask comments). The entrance to the restaurant had no indicator of our muster station (W). We asked and were sent all the way to the very back. If you did not arrive early enough, you had to stand. This was the first time where there was a large number of no-show staterooms so the Assembly Leader had to go through the entire list for a manual roll call. I am asking very nicely that if you don’t agree with this original process to not be those people.

The video was still available on the Navigator app, and I watched it in advance. It is also shown during the drill (no live demo in this restaurant).

 

[brentm77]

Do airlines excempt frequent fliers from being subjected to the safety review? That argument really doesn't make sense. The only way to learn something is by repetition.

But you are still getting the safety spill with the customer-friendly version of the drill. The repetition still exists (just like it still exists with the airlines who have switched to video presentations too). The only difference would be that, since you had done the in-person version recently, you are in the comfort of your room while watching it, versus standing on a hot deck, packed in like sardines, waiting for jerks to show up late. Nobody is arguing you shouldn't have to listen to the spill at all.

The bottom line is that the new version was probably as effective for those who want to know how to be safe, and probably just as ineffective for those who show up in person and surf their phones or talk through the other version. Reports are that the real reason they are changing back is because people weren't doing the self-guided version. There are simple ways to fix that, but Disney lacks creativity today and often moves to the path of least effort - "let's just go back to the old way..."

Like I said above, it's not a huge deal to me. I associate the drill with good memories and the start of a great vacation. But it seems like there are reasonable opportunities to make it easier on frequent cruisers without compromising safety.

 

[bakerworld]

Disney, please explain the logic to us as to why you want to cram a hundred people into close quarters, standing shoulder to shoulder, in the hot sun, for 20 minutes spreading possible germs and disease so you can show us how to put on a life jacket when you put a system in place a few years ago that works wonderfully and is being used by evert other cruise line in the industry? PLEASE EXPLAN YOURSELF so we can understand this move to put your customers and employees in unnecessary danger. PLEASE!!!
Katesdad

So what happens if you don't show? I've always wondered.

 

[sethschroeder]

I know this is not the same, but we had in-person drill on our river cruise this summer and even had to wear our life jackets during the drill.

Your ship likely had 100-200 people on it? I personally have no issue with it being done in that specific instance. Its when you have 2000-3000-4000-5000 people that it really starts to be an issue.

 

[tvguy]

So what happens if you don't show? I've always wondered.

They track you down and make you attend, or make you do a make up session.