What is a muster? What are assembly stations? If you’re going on your first Disney Cruise Line sailing, these terms might be confusing but we’re here to break down this safety drill so you don’t have to worry.

What is a Muster?

A muster or assembly drill is a mandatory safety exercise with requirements set by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard. On Disney Cruise Line, the drill usually occurs before the ship departs port.

All guests and crew members are required to take part in the muster. This is how they know what to do in the case of a ship emergency. Think of it like a fire drill at school or the safety spiel on an airplane.

Full in-person, group assembly drills were temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic but returned in 2022.

As described by Disney Cruise Line:

All Guests must participate in the pre-departure assembly drill to comply with U.S. Coast Guard and international safety regulations. Everyone on board will be notified when the drill is to begin and everyone is required to take part.

You will be asked to follow the instructions heard over the ship’s loudspeakers. Once the drill is completed, it’s time to set sail!

If you have concerns about participating in the drill due to a disability, contact Disney Cruise Line Special Services at least 60 days in advance of sailing at (407) 566-3602 or [email protected]. You can also visit the guest services desk on your ship as soon as you arrive.

During the muster, all activities aboard the ship stop, so you aren’t missing anything by participating.

The TV in your stateroom will be playing information about the muster and general safety details when you arrive.

Life Vests

Once upon a time, guests were required to don their life vests for the assembly drill. This practice has ended, but guests are still encouraged to try on their life vests before the cruise leaves port. During the muster, crew members will demonstrate how to wear a life vest.

Every Disney Cruise Line stateroom comes equipped with enough life vests for the guests in the room. They’re usually found on the top shelves of a closet. Each life vest has the name of your ship, your stateroom number, and your assembly station letter.

Pictured above are life vests for room #10608 on the Disney Treasure, which reports to assembly station O.

If you need any different sized life jackets, ask your stateroom host. You can often find these crew members in the hallway of your room.

Assembly Stations

An assembly station is where you gather during the muster and in the case of an emergency. On all the ships, assembly stations are designated by a letter. You can find the letter of your assembly station on your life vests, Key to the World card, the envelope your keys come in, and the map on the back of your stateroom door.

When you first open the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app after boarding, you’ll also see your assembly station in green at the top of “My Plans.” Clicking this tab leads to information about the drill, plus you can see your assembly station on a map.

Assembly stations are all over the ship. They include theaters, restaurants, and outdoor decks. Your station will not necessarily be on the same deck as your stateroom.

What Happens During Muster?

The time of the muster will be listed in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app (automatically part of your plans) and there will be ship-wide announcements leading up to the drill. On our recent Disney Fantasy sailing, the muster was at 3:30 p.m.

If you have notifications turned on for the Disney Cruise Line app, you’ll get a reminder about the drill 15 minutes before it begins.

When it’s time, you’ll hear an announcement and then the Emergency Signal. This is seven short blasts followed by one long blast of the ship’s horn. If you hear this signal at any other time without an announcement indicating it is a test, that means there is a real emergency.

After hearing the alarm, head to your assembly station. Look for green signs pointing to the emergency exit or featuring your assembly station letter and directional arrows. Crew members will be stationed along the way to help direct you.

They also open “backstage” staircases during this time to help everyone reach their station as quickly as possible.

Every stateroom is required to check in with a crew member at the assembly station. If you don’t check in, you could delay the drill as crew members can’t begin before every guest is accounted for.

Depending on where your assembly station is, you may be able to sit down during the muster. If it’s on deck, there won’t be enough seating for all guests. In that case, you’ll be asked to line up in order of approximate height.

Once they know everyone has gathered at the station, crew members will share safety information and demonstrate how to don a life vest.

Including the check-in process, the muster can last several minutes. But once it’s done, you’re free to enjoy the cruise at your leisure!

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