It’s mustering Jim but not as we know it… Royal Caribbean has revisited safety and it looks like this

You know your cruise holiday has started when you’re summoned to attend the muster drill. Checking your cruise card, you then traipse to your assigned muster station, along with each and every one of your fellow shipmates.

But if you’re looking to cruise with Royal Caribbean in the future, you’ll find that they do drills a little differently, as the Royal Caribbean Group is replacing and redeveloping this vital cruise element. 

Muster 2.0™ is a new approach to delivering safety information – the first of its kind programme reimagines a process originally designed for large groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety.

The key elements of the safety drill – including reviewing what to expect and where to go in case of an emergency, and instructions on how to properly use a life jacket – will be accessible to guests on an individual basis, instead of the group approach you will be familiar with.

New technology, eMuster™, will be used to help provide the information to guests via their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs. You will be able to review the information at your own time prior to setting sail, eliminating the need for gathering in a large group.

The new approach also enables everyone on board to maintain better spacing while moving about the ship, while allowing guests to enjoy more of their holiday with no interruption.

After reviewing the safety information, you will complete the drill by visiting your assigned assembly station, where a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer questions. Each of the steps will need to be completed prior to the ship’s departure, as required by international maritime law.

“The health and safety of our guests and crew are our number one priority, and the development of this new muster process is an elegant solution to an outdated, unpopular process,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group.

“The fact that this will also save guests time and allow the ship to operate without pause means that we can increase health, safety and guest satisfaction simultaneously.”

The innovative programme reimagines a process originally designed for large groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety

You’ll be able to view the safety drill on your phone

This marks the first dramatic change to the process in a decade, since Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas moved life jackets from guest staterooms to muster stations

This marks the first dramatic change to the safety drill process in a decade, since Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas moved the life jackets from guest staterooms to the muster stations, which improved the evacuation process and has been widely followed throughout the industry.

More than a year in the making, Muster 2.0 is also an initiative that will be part of the comprehensive set of protocols and procedures Royal Caribbean Group is developing, along with the Healthy Sail Panel that was recently assembled in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

“This new process represents the kind of innovation that the Healthy Sail Panel is focusing on as part of its mission to enhance the health and safety of cruising,” said former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel. “It shows that we can accomplish a lot if we try to think outside the box on safety.”

In addition to introducing the new process on the ships of its own cruise lines – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara – Royal Caribbean Group is offering to license the patented technology to interested cruise operators, and will waive patent license fees during the time the world and industry battle the global pandemic.

Muster 2.0 was first tested on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas in January 2020. Guests who took part in the mock process indicated a strong preference for the new approach and also reported better comprehension and retention of the safety information.

Muster 2.0 will be introduced on the Groups’ other cruise lines including Azamara