What is Alpha, Alpha, Alpha??

[OzKiwiJJ]

Actually, I'm quite happy that this thread was revived. I learnt something new. :D

[chengkp75]

Obviously things change. I got this from one of the senior staff and it matched with what I observed in the drill that day. The drill appeared to be recreating crash in Ketchikan as it was 2 days after it and we were in the same port. It started with a Bravo Bravo Bravo Deck 3 forward stores and a couple minutes later there was a Kilo Kilo Kilo. Crew members were all assembling to posts wearing life preservers. A couple minutes later the internal ship alarm was sounded for passengers to go to muster stations. The logic of it as the staff member explained was to give the chance for crew members to get to their stations to be ready to handle the passengers as they arrived. As it was explained, it means something very serious has occurred that could quickly escalate to something more severe. Otherwise with everyone getting the notification at the same time it creates more chaos as the crew isn't all in positions yet to direct passengers. Frankly, it makes sense. There have been a number of changes that were learned out of the Concordia disaster, this may be another one of them. While it may not be common to all cruiselines yet, I'm sure it is SOP for all RCI family ships now.

 

First off, the lesson learned from the Concordia, and the one that prudent seamen have always known, is to sound the alarm for passenger muster in a timely fashion (not an hour after the emergency happened), and to get the passengers safely away before telling the crew to abandon ship. These two practices, which were not followed on the Concordia, are the root causes of the loss of life, not any ability to get crew to their stations ahead of the passengers. While I can see some merit to doing this, I can also see that when the entire crew drops what they are doing and head for emergency stations, and the passengers are not, this can and probably would cause more confusion. During a bravo or delta emergency, the crew responding are not that many, maybe 60-70 total, and many are back of house crew, so the passengers will notice very little change in service, and this is good, because it could be as simple as a trash can fire. But if during meal service, a kilo alarm is given and all the wait staff stop service and rush off, don't you think there will be some confusion and panic? It will look to most like the crew is abandoning them. But if everyone, crew and passenger alike, are responding to the muster signal, then everyone knows what to do. Having been trained in crowd and crisis management, and been in command of shipboard emergencies, I personally don't feel this is a good practice. Hopefully, we never see whether it is or not.

 

I also don't believe in having crew, other than those with no real assigned duty in an emergency, who muster at their raft stations to "assist as directed" go to their emergency stations wearing lifejackets. First off, they have had to go from their work station to their cabin and then to their emergency station, when they should have gone directly to their emergency station. Second, wearing a lifejacket restricts their ability to perform their function, or to aid those in need. While it may seem cold hearted to some, it is simply triage, and the lives of the crew are not the first responsibility, it is the lives of the passengers, so the crew should not consider themselves first by getting their lifejackets before responding to the needs of the passengers.

[Ocean Boy]

Because if they just started a new thread some one would have said

 

Why didn't you search before you started a new thread?

 

 

Just can't please all the people.

 

What harm is there in reviving an old thread anyway, so long as it's on topic?

 

No kidding, what is the big deal? It isn't as if it is expired information. It is just as valid now as it was 10 years ago.

 

Sometimes people around here just like to complain.

[tommoore1]

The date of the original post on this thread was Oct 2005. That is more than 10 years ago. Is there any reason that you can possible think of that you had to reopen a 10 years old thread. Nobody else on this new thread has any idea at all why you did it?

 

DON

 

 

 

 

Don't you think that's a little harsh, Don?

This wasn't my first post, but now I know how "newbies" feel when you pros decide to pile on when they ask a simple question.

Thanks for your helpful guidance and assistance...

 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2016 by tommoore1

[len8tc919]

Vessel emergency codes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In addition to distress signals like Mayday and pan-pan, most vessels, especially passenger ships, use some emergency signals to alert the crew on board, and in some cases, also the passengers. These can be in form of blasts on alarm bells, sounding the ship's whistle or code names paged over the PA system.

 

Mr Skylight paged over the PA system is an alert for the crew on board and means there is a minor emergency somewhere.[1][2]

Mr Mob means man overboard.[3] Man overboard can also be signaled with three prolonged blasts on the ship's whistle and general alarm bell (Morse code "Oscar").[4]

Code Blue usually means a medical emergency.

Assemble at Muster Stations, seven or more short blasts on the ship's whistle and general alarm, followed by one long blast.[4]

Fire and emergency, continuous ringing of the general alarm bell for ten seconds and a continuous sounding of the ship's whistle for ten seconds.[4]

Red Parties, Red Parties, Red Parties, used by Disney Cruise Line over the PA system to alert the crew of a fire or possible fire on board the ship. The message is immediately followed by information about where the fire is.

Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, used by many cruise lines to alert crew to a fire or other serious incident on board without alarming passengers.[5]

Alpha, Alpha, Alpha is the code for Medical Emergency aboard Royal Caribbean ships.

Alpha Team, Alpha Team, Alpha Team is the code for a fire emergency aboard Carnival Cruse Line ships.

Star Code, Star Code, Star Code is a code for Medical Emergency aboard Celebrity ships.

Oscar, Oscar, Oscar is the code for Man Overboard aboard Royal Caribbean ships.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie is the code for a security threat aboard Royal Caribbean ships.

Echo, Echo, Echo is the code for a possible collision with another ship or the shore aboard Royal Caribbean ships. On board some cruise lines this means danger of high winds while at port. It alerts the crew responsible for the gangway, thrusters etc... to get into position and be ready for new maneuvers.

Notes and references[edit]

Jump up ^

 

This is more thorough

[Fern Crest]

One more from Wikipedia:

 

"Zulu, Zulu, Zulu is the code for a fight aboard most cruise lines."

 

I wonder if that's when the crew places bets on who will win? ;)

[GUT2407]

Sometimes people around here just like to complain.

 

Not wrong.

[sergeant655]

On explorer of the seas now. The ship conducted a crew drill today with a variation of the bravo call

 

It started with bravo stage 1 repeated 3 times then 30 min later bravo stage 2 was announced. Then the oddest thing happened. They sounded the general emergency signal and embarkation signal at the end of drill with only 10 seconds between signals

[Sancho_proudfoot]

I'd agree about using codes so as not to alarm passengers.

 

Many years ago, I worked backstage at a theatre. The 'code' for fire was to run through the auditorium shouting "William Shakespeare!" and if evacuation was needed, the cry was " William Shakespeare is dead and buried!" - would have got you a few odd looks but probably not panic.

[sail7seas]

Using it now... Just took me a while to figure out how to "paste" on the boards...;)

 

 

 

 

Thiis an extremely old thread and I did a big doubledttake when I saws a post from Kryos. she has been on her final cuise in the sky for aa number of years.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Geriatric? At age 60?? Are you kidding??

 

Remember, they are in their 30's. I bet when they are 60, 80 will be geriatric. Now that I'm in my early 70's, geriatric is at least 90! Amazing how our attitude changes. When I was in school, teachers I thought were terribly old were probably in their 40's.

[chengkp75]

On explorer of the seas now. The ship conducted a crew drill today with a variation of the bravo call

 

It started with bravo stage 1 repeated 3 times then 30 min later bravo stage 2 was announced. Then the oddest thing happened. They sounded the general emergency signal and embarkation signal at the end of drill with only 10 seconds between signals

 

Not sure what the "embarkation signal" you mention is? Can you elaborate?

[Sequim88]

It is just as valid now as it was 10 years ago.

 

Sad thing is I remember the original posting. Or maybe just lucky for me that I can still remember that far back. ;)

 

Also remember someone posting this video from when the Carnival Legend collided with RCCL's Enchantment of the Seas.

At 1:20 in the video you can hear Echo, Echo, Echo from the RCCL ship.

[squick64]

I was on a ship where they were more specific about it--at like 3 am, there was a ship-wide announcement like "Medical team to atrium". It woke everyone up. I suppose if there was a code to start with, we missed hearing it, I don't know.