Carnival Sends Safety Drill Advisory to Guests on Two Sailings
Key Aspects:
Two Carnival cruise ships will hold full, in-person safety briefings in the next few days: Carnival Magic and Carnival Paradise.
All guests must participate in the mandatory drills, which include gathering at the assigned muster stations.
John Heald has previously clarified that all ships in the Carnival fleet must complete full drills two times each year.
Carnival cruise guests setting sail on two ships in the next few days will be completing the mandatory safety briefing as a full, in-person drill rather than the self-mustering or “e-muster” format most cruise lines have used for the past several years. The cruise line has reached out to booked guests to alert them to the change and what they can expect for the process onboard.
Carnival Magic‘s Sunday, September 13, 2026 departure from Miami as well as Carnival Paradise‘s Monday, September 14, 2026 departure from Tampa will both use the full mustering format before the ships begin their respective sailings.
“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,” the cruise line explained in an email sent to guests.
The self-mustering drill on most sailings is a simple check-in at guests’ muster stations. Crew members stationed at each location may ask a question or two, and they are able to demonstrate life jacket use if a guest wishes.
In general, however, self-mustering is just a quick check to be sure all guests are accounted for, and guests can do this at any time before the ship’s departure. Shortly before that departure, public address announcements are made to remind guests to complete the check-in, and individual names may be called to alert stragglers to the requirement.
At the time of the drill, safety procedures will be read over the PA system and the ship’s horn will sound the emergency alert signal of seven short blasts and one long blast, but guests can continue to go about their business.
During a full in-person drill, however, the procedure requires all guests to attend at the same time.
“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,” the email explained.
Guests will proceed to their muster station, which can be very crowded to fit everyone into the designated space for each station. Carnival Magic can welcome 3,690 guests onboard at double occupancy, and up to 4,724 guests if all berths are filled. Carnival Paradise is smaller but can still welcome 2,190 guests at double occupancy and up to 2,606 guests at full occupancy.
During the in-person drill, crew members will demonstrate life jacket use, announcements will explain emergency procedures, and the ship’s horn will sound the emergency signal.
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While a self-mustering drill can take just a few minutes, the full drill can take 20-45 minutes to complete, depending on ship size and how efficiently guests reach their muster stations and the entire process is covered.
Why Is There a Full Drill?
The notification of a full safety drill can be startling, especially if guests have only cruised a few times and may never have completed an in-person mustering before.
Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has previously explained the need for these full drills.
“This is something that every single ship needs to do twice a year as per US Coast Guard, Australian Coast Guard, and other government agencies, and SOLAS, Safety of Life at Sea,” he noted in October 2025 when rumors were spreading that the cruise line was returning to full drills permanently.
Cruise Hive has previously reported on full drills for various ships, including Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Valor, and Carnival Conquest.
As Heald said, every ship in the Carnival fleet undergoes full drills twice each year. Guests are notified several days ahead of their embarkation so they are aware of the procedure and it can proceed as smoothly as possible.
Carnival Sends Safety Drill Advisory to Guests on Two Sailings