During the period within the Covid pandemic when cruise lines were shut down, industry executives were working on what cruising might look like when it returned.
This was the period when best practices were changing rapidly. Masks were common and required in some places on land, but there was no consensus on how to best prevent the virus from spreading.
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Social distancing was a common practice but how to make that work was a challenge. Casinos, for example, limited the number of people who could play table games and plexiglass was put between slot machines.
Restaurants did similar things, with outside pods becoming common and every effort being made to keep people apart.
When the cruise industry returned in July 2021, it required people to mask indoors and outside their own cabins. It also enacted social-distancing rules, which were a challenge given that much of cruising was built around people being together.
At first, because the passenger load was limited, it was easy to space out people in restaurants and at shows. Smoking was outlawed in the casino to minimize people removing their masks, and pools and hot tubs limited how many people could use them at a time.
The biggest change, however, fixed one of the worst parts of cruising and both Royal Caribbean and Carnival have kept that change even as they have strived to drop anything that reminds passengers of Covid (aside from safety protocols and reminders to wash your hands).
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Covid changed one part of cruising for the better
Before the Covid pandemic, the muster drill was an unpleasant, but necessary, part of cruising. At a specific time before sailaway, the ship would shut down and passengers had to report to their muster stations to see a safety demonstration.
The drill, which is a Coast Guard requirement, served two purposes. First, it showed passengers where they needed to go in the unlikely event of an emergency. Second, it was a chance to go over how to put on a lifejacket and other safety procedures.
This necessary evil was made worse by the fact that it could not begin until every passenger went to the right spot. Some people did not realize they had to be there, while others may have had a few too many boarding drinks and fallen asleep somewhere.
The process frustrated responsible passengers who showed up when they were supposed to. If you had an outdoor muster station, that could mean baking in the sun while the cruise line tried to track down missing passengers.
During Covid, however, a traditional muster drill violated social-distancing rules. That led to the creation of something much better that both Royal Caribbean and Carnival continue to use.
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The virtual muster drill was a huge hit
Nick Weir, Royal Caribbean's former head of entertainment, recently took to the X social-media platform to talk about the virtual muster drill.
"During my 10 years at Royal Caribbean, I created and produced many productions (over 40) on ice, stage, water, and in the air, and I developed and drove lots of new technology. ... As a huge fan of the cruise industry, this is the idea that I'm most proud of," he said.
His post then included a link to an article about the virtual muster drill on Royal Caribbean Blog.
The virtual muster drill allows passengers to watch three safety videos on their phones on the day of their cruise. Once they board all they then have to do is check in at their muster stations.
If they lack the time to or technology to watch the videos on a phone or tablet, they can opt for a safety demonstration when they check in at their station.
"Thank you! It has been a better way to complete the requirements. Although I love the pics of my kids at their first drill in the life jackets I wouldn't want to go back," Becky Duffy wrote.
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Many other commenters echoed those feelings.
"I was a huge fan of this when I sailed in January. Such an incredibly better experience than the traditional muster drills," David added.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival, as well as their owned and operated brands, use a virtual muster drill. while MSC Cruises and Margaritaville at Sea still uses a variation of the traditional drill.
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