Cruise Critic got wind that Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited was corporately rolling out a new muster drill video across its Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International fleets.
The finished product is a refreshing alternative to the usual shipboard safety presentation.
Azamara and Celebrity vessels were first to screen the video, which can now be watched at the latter's YouTube channel as embedded below. Royal Caribbean is apparently also rolling it out this month as well.
The company was quoted as saying the short film, "dramatizes the safety do's and don'ts in an entertaining way to deliver a seamless transition into the vacation and promote recall of safety messages."
[CALLOUT]
The fun spy-themed "Operation: Little Bear" video is presented onboard at muster (aka lifeboat) drills and is available for repeat watching in guest cabins.
I've been critical of the hodgepodge approaches to cruise ship safety briefings in the past. By comparison, Royal Caribbean's corporate approach has been one of the better ones relying more on video than droning audio-only announcements used by so many others. (It doesn't help anyone to have passengers uncomfortably lined up on deck for a half hour of standing and listening to a boring echoing speech if the message can and should be delivered more effectively.)
[READMORE]READ MORE: The Current State of Cruise Ship Safety[/READMORE]
Royal Caribbean's newest solution is taking another page out of the air travel handbook, with entertainment and even some humor. In fact, the wonderfully succinct (less than eight-minute) reel reminds me a bit of Delta Air Lines' since-retired series of comical safety videos from around 2015 and 2016.
Why does it work? People actually retain information presented in a well-told narrative fashion, and all the key points of safety information are still there. Let's break the video down some:
From a production quality standpoint, the short film is actually quite good. The music might be a bit cliche, but the cinematography and editing are top-notch. Glory shots of the Celebrity Eclipse are also very well captured.
The acting is Hollywood-grade and thankfully free of any cringeworthy thespian moments, save for maybe the captain's cameo.
The introduction of the SeaPass card as part of the agent's pack of tools is a clever way of signifying its importance as a ship ticket that should not be lost. (Of course, if it ever is, it can be replaced.) Particularly hilarious is the use of the villain's cabin to show that smoking is not allowed in staterooms or balconies-and neither are clothing irons and other open flames.
The assembly station prompting of all guests to the muster drill is also creatively included with methods to find it and not arrive there via elevator.
[READMORE]READ MORE: If I Were In Charge Of Cruise Ship Lifeboat Drills[/READMORE]
Enter another great comedic interlude-romantic millennial couple-style. Even spy tracking a bracelet becomes a perfect segue for mentioning children assembly station wrist indicators. I also appreciate the Simon Pegg-like actor geeking out over the "high-technology" of the life jackets in order to list off its rather standard but crucial features: reflective strips, a built-in whistle and water-activated light.
His final sendoff reminder of safety first is always a good reminder too.
As a fan of the multiple variations that Delta had for its classic safety videos, I wonder whether Royal Caribbean has any different versions in the can for later. I'd be curious to see if it is always a Celebrity ship that is featured even when the film is screened aboard Azamara and Royal Caribbean or if any of their ships were captured as well.
Either way, the corporation has started something that I'd like to see the rest of the industry repeat as a new trend.
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