What Happens If You Skip the Cruise Ship Safety Drill?

"From humongous megaships to luxurious yacht-like vessels, cruise travelers all love to grumble about the same thing-taking time out of their first day on board to complete the mandatory safety drill. Despite the efforts cruise lines have made to make them shorter and easier to complete, some guests are tempted to ignore the calls to report to their muster stations-especially in the rare occurrence of a full, in-person drill."

"Safety drills, also called muster drills, are not the brainchild of a sadistic cruise ship officer, trying to place obstacles between cruise guests and their sunbathing and cocktails. The safety briefings are required by the International Maritime Organization's International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Convention -a treaty first adopted in 1912 after the Titanic sank. It's since been continually updated to ensure that the maritime industry maintains strict safety protocols worldwide."

""Safety drills are a mandatory SOLAS requirement designed to ensure guests understand lifesaving procedures and know exactly what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency," says Antonio Durante, senior director of regulatory safety proficiency and occupational safety for Carnival Cruise Line. SOLAS regulations mandate that all guests complete a safety drill before the ship sails (a timeline that changed from "24 hours after boarding" after the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012)."

Mandatory safety drills, called muster drills, require all cruise passengers to learn emergency procedures, alarm signals, and assigned muster stations before the ship departs. The requirement stems from the International Maritime Organization's SOLAS treaty, first adopted in 1912 after the Titanic and continually updated to maintain global maritime safety. Regulations now require completion of a drill before sailing, a timeline tightened after the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster. Drills aim to give passengers familiarity with lifesaving procedures so crew can manage evacuations more effectively and keep people safe. Some guests resent the time taken but skipping drills undermines collective safety.

Read at Travel + Leisure