Trish Berry
Flirty Pink (designer) Dress (Medium), Royal Caribbean Scarf
We all hate hearing Alpha Alpha Alpha on a cruise ship. We know it means a health emergency.
We have been on over 35 cruises with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and have never heard the most dreaded words of a cruise ship or any sea vessel come over the intercom — Mr. M.O.B., meaning man overboard, or Oscar, also meaning man overboard. We hope to never hear those words.
A lot of cruise lines have adopted the Overboard Detection System, a recommendation for all cruise lines.
The Overboard Detection System uses modern technology:
- Laser Technology – this software can tell the difference between environmental factors and a human fall
- Motion Detection – along the perimeter of the ship are sensors that detect movement
- Radar and Micro-radars – these continually monitor the area around the ship for the size and shape of a human body
- Thermal Cameras – cameras that can identify the heat signature of a body in the water. This is especially helpful when the incident occurs at night or during foggy or bad weather conditions.
- Video Analytics/Intelligent Software – cameras are all over a cruise ships. Anything you do on a cruise ship is shown on this intelligent software. When a human goes overboard, this software can tell the difference between a human, birds, sea spray or debris.
- Sensor Stations – sensors are also everywhere on a cruise ship. These sensors use a combination of the things I’ve told you about above to detect man overboard.
Once man overboard is detected (or seen), emergency steps are taken.
The sensors automatically trigger alarms on the ship, and the words “Mr. M.O.B.” (or the code word for ‘man overboard’ for any cruise line) are heard throughout the ship over the intercom system on a cruise ship.
After a man overboard is detected, the GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) are noted as to the exact location of where the person went overboard. This is vital information because it takes a while for the crew to get to the rescue boats and get them in the water. But they are fast and work with urgency.
The GPS coordinates pinpoint exactly where the incident occurred.
Some of the systems provide instant video footage to show how the incident occurred.
Thermal imaging is used to follow the man overboard in the water.
If a man overboard incident occurs, all the information provided through the various technologies listed above will help in the investigation that will automatically begin, whether or not the person(s) is safely retrieved from the ocean.
In 2010, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 was created. In the U.S. it mandates that passenger vessels operating in U.S. ports use current technology for locating and rescuing that man overboard.
The law exists, but is not used by all cruise lines.
Most cruise lines have man overboard systems in place that are the equivalent of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010, so they are not required to use the most current technology available, believing their current systems are adequate. Their current technology has been approved to be good enough by authorities.
We need good enough. We need everything available to find a man who has gone overboard.
The ocean is huge. There can be rough seas. The ship is going along at a good clip. If there is not an immediate response when a man goes overboard, that man will be lost forever.
While in different ports, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines practices rescue drills, as shown in the photo above.
Cruise ships are constructed to prevent a person from going overboard. You would have to leap over a very high wall to get into the sea. You would have to drop someone off a cruise ship.
There is no good reason for a person going overboard.
Safety first on a cruise ship.
The cruise line believes that and works toward that end.
We, the cruisers, do not want to go overboard so we don’t do dangerous things.
A tidbit of information — Different cruise lines use different code words for emergencies or concerns:
- Alpha – Medical emergency
- Bravo – Fire on board
- Oscar – Man overboard
- Delta – Damage to the ship or flooding
- Charlie – Security threat
- Sierra – Stretcher team needed
- Papa – Environmental hazard or pollution
- Echo – Imminent collision or ship drifting
- Mr. M.O.B – Man overboard
Be safe!! Follow the rules!! Don’t do things that are dangerous and could cause you harm!
Safe travels. Many big smiles to everyone!!!