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Norwegian Cruise Line Reverting Back to E-Muster Drills

Well, that didn’t last long. Just two months after reverting back to in person muster drills, Norwegian Cruise Line is reverting back to e-muster drills. 

While it is not taking effect until April, many guests will be very happy they no longer have to appear in person for the safety drill. 

“We will reinstate e-muster drills through our online check-in for sailings beginning April 1, 2023. We are committed to delivering an exceptional and safe experience on board and, as such, will continue to actively evaluate and modify our processes for best practices.”

If you aren’t familiar, the e-muster drill involves safety videos that can be viewed before passengers board the ship. They are safety videos that detail what to do and where to go in the event of an onboard emergency. They include how to properly wear a life jacket and what safety signals sound like. After boarding, guests visit their assigned muster station location—found on their ship card and in their stateroom—and complete the drill. Most guests prefer this method because it only takes about 20 minutes of their time in total. 

On the other hand, the in person drill can take 30-45 minutes once onboard and all passengers must participate simultaneously at their respective muster stations. During the in person drill, safety information is read over the public address system, the safety signal is sounded and proper wearing of the life jacket is demonstrated. Everyone must participate before the ship can depart its homeport. 

After the cruising restart, Disney Cruise Line reverted back to the traditional drill in November 2022, and Norwegian Cruise Line followed in January 2023. Guests have overwhelmingly preferred the e-muster and it seems that Norwegian Cruise Line has listened to their guests and decided to make the switch. 

The two largest cruise lines, Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Line, have remained with the popular e-muster drill and have no indication of making any changes.