Regular Crew Drills on Cruise Ships

ARUBA – Working rigorously and having fun a lot are not the only things crewmembers and officers do on board. There are some other activities they do regularly, one of which is a crew drill. A crew drill is a mandatory activity that must be held regularly by all sailors on board except for those who are exempted and physically ill in the medical center.

Attending a crew drill is part of everyone’s work, but attending this will not lessen the main duty or working hours. Everyone will be told when a crew drill will be held which is always a day prior to it. No need to use verbal language to announce it, as there are signs everywhere on every public bulkhead within crew areas.

When a crew drill begins, an officer from the bridge will sound an alarm and say through a microphone to tell all employees that it begins. Everyone must leave their workplaces, stop whatever they are doing, and rush to their respective muster stations.

They must wear jackets and hats along with lifejackets, which have been provided by the company in their own cabins, and bring blue cards as well as Laminex cards. Then, they have to immediately proceed to their respective muster stations.

Once they arrive at their master stations, their Laminex cards will be screened by their seniors and they have to tell them their blue card IDs. They may sit on any empty seats while senior officers look into the lists at their hand. When there is anyone missing, an officer from the bridge will call out to their names.

A drill is held as if the real emergency took place such as what they have to do if the ship is sinking or on fire. It usually takes around an hour and half. When it is over, everyone can proceed with what they did before the drill.

“A crew drill is interesting and I like it very much. However, It also scares me when I sometimes think that any real emergency occurs,” Ana Araceli Ortiz said, a Mexican crewmember who was attending a crew drill on a cruise ship on Aruban waters.
(Red3/International)

Editor: Irene Indah