What is a muster drill (safety briefing) on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship?

A muster drill is a mandatory safety exercise with the objective of familiarising all guests and crew with the location (muster station) where they are to assemble in the unlikely event of an emergency. During this drill, additional safety information (i.e. how to put on a life jacket) is presented. The pre-departure assembly muster drill is a coast guard regulatory requirement and all guests must attend even if they have sailed previously. If you have a medical condition that impacts your ability to stand, please let our crew members know and they will arrange for you to participate in the most comfortable possible way.

The International Convention of Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulatory guidelines require that a muster drill be held within 24 hours of a ship's departure from its embarkation port. The muster drill for guests on all ships across our fleet is to be held 30 to 60 minutes prior to departure on the day of turnaround or embarkation. 

Announcements for the guest assembly drill are made in English, or the official language of the vessel. The announcements are made in additional core languages when we have large numbers of guests onboard who do not speak English. On some sailings, announcements may be made in the language of the market, then followed by English and any other approved core language(s).

Guests should not bring life jackets to the muster drill. Our procedures direct guests to proceed directly to their muster stations in the unlikely event of an emergency and upon hearing the emergency signal. This reduces the chance of cross-traffic and improves response time at muster stations, as guests do not need to return to their staterooms to retrieve their life jackets if they are in another part of the ship at the time. Crew members will provide guests with life jackets at the muster stations. In the unlikely event of an emergency, one of the most important aspects is to account for all persons onboard, and this process facilitates that accountability.

Learn more about the muster drill and the safety command centre onboard Oasis of the Seas.