Key Aspects:
- The upcoming October 18, 2025 departure of Carnival Sunshine will have the traditional, in-person muster drill before the ship sets sail from Norfolk, Virginia.
- This is not a complete return to the old-style safety briefing, but rather is a necessary drill to comply with regulations from the US Coast Guard.
- Every Carnival ship must complete an in-person muster drill twice a year. Guests on impacted sailings are notified by email prior to embarkation.
Carnival Cruise Line has clarified the upcoming “traditional” muster drill that will be held aboard Carnival Sunshine for the ship’s October 18, 2025 sailing from Norfolk, Virginia.
That particular cruise is an 8-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary, with visits to Celebration Key, Princess Cays, and Grand Turk.
Before Carnival Sunshine can set sail, however, all guests must participate in the mandatory safety briefing. For this one cruise, that will be a full, in-person muster drill rather than the simplified and faster e-muster that is used fleetwide.
Concerned guests reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, for clarification on the drill. Because many guests prefer the far-faster e-muster, it can be disconcerting to receive the email notification of a full muster drill.
Heald notes that about 20 guests contacted him about the sailing, but in fact, Carnival is not returning to the traditional drill for all cruises.
“A lot of you wrote to me and said why are we going back to the old way of doing boat drill?” he noted. “Let me reiterate something that I have said 1,247 times – 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.”
He goes on to firmly state that Carnival Cruise Line is not “going back” to the old style of drill, but this is simply a compliance issue with maritime safety regulations.
“I know the crew will take great care of you and make sure that it done as quickly as possible,” he said.
Other guests chimed in to share their experiences with the old-style drill, noting that it’s a one-and-done experience.
“I had to do the full muster on Celebration in September and it wasn’t that bad, I survived,” one guest quipped.
Having done both the full muster as well as e-muster on numerous Carnival ships, I can say it’s not terrible either way. Do I prefer the shorter e-muster?
Sure. But spending a few minutes at the beginning of a cruise to ensure safety compliance is just a tiny inconvenience and no problem before several days of fun.
How Long Do Muster Drills Take?
In general, an in-person, full manifest muster drill with all guests participating and all necessary crew members fulfilling their safety duties can take as little as 15-20 minutes or as long as 30-45 minutes.
The size of the ship and the number of passengers aboard can impact how long a muster drill lasts.
Several issues often cause the most delays. Guests who don’t go to the proper muster station can hold up the process, as can too much conversation when everyone is asked to be quiet to listen to the safety lecture.
Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin / Shutterstock
On sailings with a lot of young cruisers, it can also take extra time to distribute wristbands that identify their muster stations, which are required for youngsters to wear.
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All dining, bar service, and activities are halted a few minutes before the drill begins to encourage guests to get to their assigned muster station. Not sure where to go? Just ask a crew member, and they’re always happy to offer directions to the correct station.
It may be inconvenient, but the safety drill is an important means of conveying critical information so everyone knows what to do in case of emergency. This includes not only guests but also crew members, who regularly complete other safety trainings as well.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
