Three Carnival Sailings Will Return to Old Muster Drill Methods
While the muster drill process is annoying to many, it’s absolutely essential to safety. In the unlikely event of an emergency, making sure passengers know what to do and where to go can literally save lives.
But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many cruise lines – Carnival included – implemented a new E-muster drill that allows guests to complete the task from their phones on embarkation day.
But lately, Carnival has been returning to traditional mustering methods on select voyages – and three more of these sailings have just been announced.
The first sailing in question is Carnival Sunrise’s May 17, 2025, voyage – which is a 5-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from PortMiami, Florida.
The next two voyages – which both embark on May 19, 2025 – will be operated by Carnival Freedom and Carnival Glory.
Following the safety procedure, both ships will depart from Port Canaveral, Florida. Carnival Freedom will set sail on a 5-night Eastern Caribbean voyage, while Carnival Glory will operate a 4-night Bahamas cruise.
“Shortly before departure, a full safety drill will take place on your upcoming sailing. This is a mandatory procedure, and all guests will be required to participate in this brief but essential exercise,” Carnival wrote to impacted cruisers.
Ship-wide announcements will provide guidance on the process, which will include collective gathering at your assigned muster station to familiarize yourself with the necessary steps to take in the unlikely event of an emergency,” continued the update.
The same change was also made in March 2025 to three sailings that were hosted onboard Carnival Liberty, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Valor.
Although Carnival is still using the simpler E-muster drill for the majority of sailings, going through the full traditional process from time to time is still important – as it also gives the crew a chance to practice their roles in a potential emergency.
No matter how the muster drill is handled, it is always mandatory. According to SOLAS, Chapter III, Regulations 19.2.2. and 19.2.3, new passengers must always be given a safety briefing about how to respond in a crisis and must be instructed in the use of lifejackets.
Is Carnival Returning to Traditional Muster Drills?
Carnival Cruise Line first adopted the current E-muster drills in 2021 as a way to promote social distancing when the cruise industry was first making a comeback after the pandemic.
If you haven’t sailed with Carnival recently, the way it works is guests find their muster station upon boarding using instructions in the HUB App and check in with a crew member when they arrive.
Next, they watch a short safety video, which can be accessed on all stateroom TVs – and that’s all there is to it.
Most cruisers prefer this “new way” of doing things because it’s usually a lot quicker and results in less crowding – allowing them to get to the fun of their vacation sooner and with less hassle.
Read Also: What to Expect During a Cruise Ship Muster Drill
But as this isn’t the first time a Carnival sailing has randomly gone back to the old method of mustering, some are wondering if the traditional practice of gathering all passengers at their stations at once for roll call and instructions might be coming back.
That said, the cruise line has consistently explained that they have no plans to return to traditional muster drills full time.
After the full safety briefings were conducted in March, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald clarified that the full drills have to take place approximately every six months to comply with Health, Environmental, Safety, and Security (HESS) regulations – but that otherwise the E-muster drills would remain in place.
Guests who are booked on sailings with the full safety drills should be notified ahead of boarding – although it might not be until the very last minute!
Three Carnival Sailings Will Return to Old Muster Drill Methods