You read that right. The single worst part of your cruise just got a whole lot easier! Even though the cruise industry is a new industry, on the grand scheme, the muster or safety drill is simply outdated. In a time when cell phone and smart TV apps are the new way of life, why not take the most disliked, but most necessary, part of the cruise and make it the easiest part.
Royal Caribbean Group, the second-largest cruise company in the world, will be rolling out Muster 2.0, the industry's first electronic muster drill! Muster 2.0 is taking the safety drill for guests and making it an individual basis rather than a group basis.
"With Muster 2.0, 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 a group approach that has been followed historically. New technology, eMuster™, will be used to help provide the information to guests via their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs. Travelers will be able to review the information at their own time prior to setting sail, eliminating the need for the traditional large group assemblies. The new approach also enables everyone on board to maintain better spacing as guests move about the ship, and it allows guests to enjoy more of their vacation with no interruption"Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement to press.
The Royal Caribbean Group changed the decades-old way of the muster drill in 2009 when they debuted the Oasis of the Seas. This took life jackets out of the staterooms and placed them at each muster station, a practice that is now industry-wide. With Muster 2.0 Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Cruises will implement this process upon the resumption of sailings. Additionally, Royal Caribbean is offering up this patented technology to other operators in the industry and will wave the patent fee during the global pandemic. Patent licenses have already been granted to the company's joint venture, TUI Cruises GmbH, as well as Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Royal Caribbean tested "Muster 2.0" in January 2020 onboard Symphony of the Seas "guests indicated a strong preference for the new approach," said Royal Caribbean.
When the cruise industry returns, it will be smaller, but we will as return to the fastest growing and most technologically advanced sector in the tourism industry.