How Not to Fall Off a Cruise Ship
First of all, don’t believe that it can’t be. It might.
According to a report by the trade group Cruise Lines International Association, about 19 people die each year on cruise ships . The Points Guy wrote about some of the things you can do to reduce the likelihood of you being left overboard as a man or woman. This is rather unlikely – about 24 million people choose cruise ships every year, so the chances of survival are good. But safety comes first.
One thing that cruise ships do is stop you from jumping or pushing you. Most of the deaths on cruise ships are due to some kind of deliberate act, or their cause remains mysterious:
“Safety regulations, including uniform minimum railings and balconies, and structural barriers, also exist to prevent passengers who act responsibly from falling off the cruise ship,” said Sarah Kennedy, a CLIA spokeswoman. “There is no known case of someone acting responsibly if they accidentally fell over the railing of a cruise ship,” she added.
It blames the victim a little; being thrown off a cruise ship isn’t entirely irresponsible . But here are some tips on how to be more careful.
Take the weather seriously
If you are in the middle of the ocean and the wind is blowing, stay in your cabin. Any instructions you receive from the team or staff regarding your safety should be taken seriously, even if you are in a hurry to get to the shrimp buffet. Or, as the Points Guy says:
If you are unable to open the deck door due to high winds, just stay inside. Let’s say your ship is hit by a hurricane, for example, or even at the top of the Beaufort Scale, and you are on a slippery open deck: the cruise lines won’t blame the weather for your fall – they’ll write it down under the ‘irresponsible passenger behavior’ category.
Stock up on shrimp and stay inside until you enter the port.
Wear suitable footwear
Pumps are real shoes and are also easier to wear on a boat – they don’t have a heel. I’m skeptical that wearing high heels is enough to send you overboard unless you’re climbing rigging, but on a swinging boat, they can certainly increase your risk of injury. Collect a pair of ballerinas. You can dance for longer anyway.
Stay sober
You know that old pirate’s saying: Drinking in moderation will keep you from drowning. It may seem like there is nothing to do on a cruise other than getting hit and passed out on a sun lounger, but find something else to do if you’re the type to ignore the warning signs when you are being bludgeoned.
Beware of arguments
The sad fact is that some of those 19 deaths were dishonest. Heated controversy is everywhere, but on the giant boat, they added to the dangers. If you are involved in a fight, go inside and notify the crew member as soon as possible.
Don’t do Titanic
Maybe Point Guy was joking, but:
Sorry Leo fans. This means that it is not dangerous to hang on the bow of the ship in a romantic gesture. It’s a good way to end up reenacting another scene from a classic movie: the one where you float and wait to be rescued.
I don’t know how many cosplay-related deaths have been reported on cruise ships, but it’s good advice not to try to recreate any movie scenes that involve visiting off-site locations. Even if you get a great photo.
Be careful with selfies
This brings me to a secondary issue: selfies. A recent study found that about 90 people die from selfies every year, many of which are related to water or falls:
The most common type of death was drowning (70 deaths), which often occurred after the person who took the selfie was washed away on the beach or the boat was overturned. The next were “traffic” deaths (51), which most often occurred when someone took a selfie too close to a moving train.
This was followed by deaths from falls (48), fires (48), firearms (11), animals (8) and “other things” (7).
I’m not saying this is a particular issue on cruise ships, but this is a place where you can go the extra mile to get the perfect shot. Be mindful of your surroundings and behave responsibly when asking someone to take a photo of you.