The Plank on Getaway

I started at 110 days with great enthusiasm to walk the plank, At 90 days I was excited to walk the plank. Somewhere between then and 52 days I feel a growing terror when I think about it. How wide is the plank and what really keeps you from plummeting to your death? What if my balance stinks??!! I really want to do it but it scares me. Help!:eek:

I started at 110 days with great enthusiasm to walk the plank, At 90 days I was excited to walk the plank. Somewhere between then and 52 days I feel a growing terror when I think about it. How wide is the plank and what really keeps you from plummeting to your death? What if my balance stinks??!! I really want to do it but it scares me. Help!:eek:

I have the worst fear of heights of anyone I know. There are certain department store escalators that terrify me!

This past week I had the joy of doing the ropes course, plank and zip line on the Getaway and I wish I was still there! I would do it every day if I could!

You are harnessed up SO securely that you cannot help but feel safe! There are parts that are wide like a ladder, some are the size of a 4 X 4 and there are a few parts where you are walking on a rope, but those areas have sturdy netting or ropes you can grab, plus that harness is basically holding you up.

It is FUN!!

Im totally doing it! None of the other cruises we have been on have had the stuff thats on the Getaway, so its totally getting done. :D

I can't wait to walk the plank and the rope course! Zip line in the other hand....scares me!! :eek:

It's about a foot wide (possibility a little more).

The good news is that very few passengers have been lost off it.

I am looking forward to it and I am deathly afraid of heights. I pushed myself to parasail and loved it, so I tried zip-lining and now I do it every chance I get. The plank will be my new challenge. I still get all nervous and shaky every time I do those things but it is such a feeling of accomplishment when I finish and know I overcame my fear!!

Nice! I cant wait!

I would do it at night as well. Its such a difference from doing it during the day. You have no sense of how far up or down you are because you can't see the ocean. It was awesome!

Nope, not for me. But, I'll watch others do it.

Thanks for the pics and the encouragement!! I'll let you know how I make out!! :D

It's about a foot wide (possibility a little more).

 

The good news is that very few passengers have been lost off it.

The plank is at most 4 inches wide. I wear a size 7 ladies sneaker, regular width, and the plank was about the same width as my shoe. Its like walking on a balance beam except you are harnessed and there is no possible way to plummet to the depths of the sea. :eek:

I just did it on the Breakaway a week ago while the ship was moving and it was unbelievable! My hands were shaking for about 5 minutes after I came down. I wish I did it more than just once.

 

The good news is that very few passengers have been lost off it.

I completely snickered at this. :D

I personally didn't think it was that bad. Then again, I was pretty much able to walk the entire course and really didn't even need to hang on. It wasn't much of a challenge, but yet really fun. I didn't find anything scary about it, but that's just me. :)

Looks like an awesome experience and I will definitely try it at night. I must say I get nervous just looking at the pictures...:eek:

Well, just because no one has ever been hurt/killed doing it does not mean it won't happen. Just like zip lines or bungee jumping, it's mechanical and sooner or later something will happen. We all know that commercial zip lining and bungee jumping are safe, except, people get killed/injured doing it many times a year. Just don't let it be when it's your turn and your all good.

Have fun!!!;)

I'm fairly adventurous so didn't think anything of walking the plank... Well, I don't know what happened to me but I walked to the top to start the rope course & got very nervous! Something about looking down & seeing the ocean scared me even though I knew I was secure. It was very windy that day so the plank was closed. My DH talked me into trying it again while the ship was docked & it made a big difference for me. I successfully walked the plank & enjoyed it. So, my suggestion if you are nervous about it is to try the first time when the ship isn't moving :)

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What happens if you get out there on the plank, look down and faint? I hear everyone talking about how easy it was and how they got over being nervouse as if they have good balance. What if you lose your balance and fall to the side if the plank and are panicking too much to get back up? Is there someone watching to lure/wind you back in? I'm sure i would have a panic attack attempting to do the ropes course period due to my fear of heights but what happens if any of this occurs?

What happens if you get out there on the plank, look down and faint? I hear everyone talking about how easy it was and how they got over being nervouse as if they have good balance. What if you lose your balance and fall to the side if the plank and are panicking too much to get back up? Is there someone watching to lure/wind you back in? I'm sure i would have a panic attack attempting to do the ropes course period due to my fear of heights but what happens if any of this occurs?

You really can't fall in any sense of the word. You might dangle but there is very little wiggle room in the harness so if you came off of the plank your feet might be all of 2 to 3 inches (if that) below the plank. You would simply step back on it or you could reach out your hand to anyone waiting to walk on the plank and they can pull you back in. If no one was there you could dangle all day. And I mean that not in the sense that no one would come and get you, I mean that you could dangle all day if people would let you and no harm would come to you.

Think of it this way: the zip line at the end isn't any different from the rest of the course and you don't fall anywhere when you step off that platform. Just to be clear, yes I realize the zipline mechanism and breaking system is different from the rest of the track but it's not different in the sense that you are in the same harness, etc. So stepping off of that platform you don't suddenly drop to the deck below and that's the same with the plank. You won't slide anywhere with the plank as the overhead track isn't on a slope.

Thanks for the response. I was wondering the same thing about the harness.

I was really scared about doing it but looking at all these pictures, I am ready for it!

A slightly off topic question, do they supply shoes like they do for the rock climbing wall?

A slightly off topic question, do they supply shoes like they do for the rock climbing wall?

No, you wear your own closed toe shoes.

And about the harness, yes it's snug and I felt secure in the harness, but it was the attachment to the track above that seemed a little sketchy to me. That probably added to the excitement. I was surprised there wasn't an employee up there manning the plank like there was at the zipline. And I wonder just how windy it must get for the plank to be closed? Because it was super windy when we did it one a sea day. I'm so bummed I only did the course once. It was cool.

The harness goes around both legs (you step into it), around the waist and around the shoulders. You are pretty strapped in.

You really can't fall in any sense of the word. You might dangle but there is very little wiggle room in the harness so if you came off of the plank your feet might be all of 2 to 3 inches (if that) below the plank.

I would not say that your feet would be 2-3 inches below the plank if you "fell".

Obviously not if we were able to actually SIT on the plank, as I showed in one of my pictures, but will post again.

I remember when this ship first started, there were several post on here about the plank and there were people that jumped off of it (dumb I know), just to see how far they would go (not only sounds dangerous in the sense that you could hit your shin or something on the plank but just plain stupid imo). :eek:

In April we cruised on the Getaway.

My 15 year old went out twice - a great memory for her.

This is a great, fun part of the whole adventure, by the time you got there through navigating the zipline, you should be able to do it. I recommend you do....