We’ve all heard sad news about people going overboard on cruises. If you’re someone who hasn’t cruised before or isn’t familiar with ships, it sounds scary. But is it true? Can you really fall off a cruise ship? What do the authorities do if a cruise ship goes overboard?
Here’s everything you need to know about what happens in a ‘man overboard’ situation on a cruise ship and how you can make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
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Is it easy to fall off a cruise ship?
No. Cruise ships have railings – usually at chest height for the average person – on all open decks and cabin balconies. They are deliberately placed to ensure passenger safety.
The only way you risk a fall is if you stand on furniture and look over the edge or climb somewhere you’re not supposed to. It is not possible for you to trip over a door frame or slip on a wet deck and fall from a vessel.
Play by the rules and maintain control over your actions, and you won’t have to worry about accidentally falling overboard from a cruise ship.
Related: Are Cruises Safe? Here’s what you need to know about cruise ship security and safety
How does someone go overboard from a cruise ship?
Accidental falls overboard can happen when cruisers have too much to drink and climb onto the railing, enter restricted areas or attempt dangerous – and potentially fatal – stunts such as climbing from balcony to balcony. One sad story involved a grandfather who held his infant granddaughter against an open window to see the view, only to lose his grip and drop her.
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It’s impossible to discuss man-overboard incidents on cruise ships without mentioning that some of them are actually intentional. Some cruisers purposefully jump from cruise ships to commit suicide. Passengers who are involved in a physical fight or who wish to do harm can push someone off the ship, although this takes some effort.
Are man-overboard situations common on cruise ships?
In many cases, stories of passengers ‘falling’ from cruise ships give the impression that this is a regular occurrence or that there is a high risk of being swept over the edge while going about your daily holiday activities. In reality, one or two people go overboard every month out of the approximately 2.5 million people cruising during the same period.
According to an operational incident report from the Cruise Lines International Association, there were 212 man-overboard incidents on cruise ships between 2009 and 2019. That amounts to about 19 overboards per year.
The number of cases of people falling from ships is also decreasing. “From 2009 to 2019, man overboard incidents decreased, with an incidence of 0.00004 overboard reports per active lower berth (synonymous with cabin bed) in 2019,” CLIA reports. “This is 64% of the figure recorded in 2009.”
Related: 15 Cruise Ship Rules You Shouldn’t Break
What happens if someone falls off a cruise ship?
If it is determined that someone has gone over the side, the bridge – the ship’s control center – will contact the Coast Guard and a search will begin.
Officers will attempt to determine when and where the incident occurred, which will allow the search to cover a specific radius where the person is expected to be. The search will be halted after the passenger is found or the ship is cleared by the Coast Guard to continue its journey.
If your ship is involved in a search for a missing passenger, it may have to skip a port call or delay the return home to account for the time it takes to navigate the route to search for the person overboard .
What should you do if you see a cruise ship overboard?
If you see someone fall off a cruise ship, throw them a life preserver or other flotation device if you are nearby. There are often orange life rings attached to the deck railing.
It is critical to then alert a crew member that you have witnessed a man overboard and have the crew alert the bridge. Note the time the fell overboard. This information allows the bridge keepers to determine the exact position of the ship at that moment, so that it can return to that location to search for the missing guest.
Related: 6 Cruise Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Vacation in an Instant
Can you survive if you fall overboard from a cruise ship?
Unfortunately, it is rare for a passenger to be found alive. A Carnival cruiser that fell from a ship during Thanksgiving 2022 made headlines when it was rescued after spending nearly 20 hours in the Gulf of Mexico. He was lucky because his positive result is not common.
Going overboard is particularly grim when the ship is moving, as the speed and current of the ship means someone can be swept away quickly. If they are not seen right away, it may take some time for the captain to realize what has happened.
Survival rates vary depending on the circumstances of the fall. A passenger can be injured if he hits any part of the ship while falling. If they survive the fall, water temperature also plays an important role in how long someone can survive. You have a better chance of waiting for a rescue in the warm Caribbean sea than in the cold waters of Alaska.
Of the 212 overboard incidents mentioned above, 48 (approximately 28%) were rescued alive, CLIA reports. That amounts to four to five rescues per year.
Whenever an overboard incident occurs, cruise lines offer assistance to friends, family or other companions traveling with the passenger in question.
In short
If you stick to the areas you are allowed to be as a passenger, you won’t have to worry about falling overboard during a cruise.
Always pay attention to safety messages and signage indicating which areas of the ship are for crew use only, and drink alcohol responsibly.
Do you have more cruise questions? TPG has answers:
