Falling overboard on cruise ships

Is it really that easy?

Every few months you read about yet another person missing on a ship...

Or, is it just a good excuse?

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

Sadly I think that most of the people that fall over, are pushed over.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I say good excuse.

eta. I do know someone who fell from a 2nd (maybe it was 3rd?) balcony of a hotel. He was drunk & thought it was a good idea to try to climb to his friends' room next door.

Note: Not a good idea.

Message edited 12/27/2008 6:23:09 PM.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I know a certain someone I would like to send on a one way cruise.

Unfortunately I agree that it is an excuse more than accidental

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God only knows! It is so scary to even think about!!!!

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This is so scary, i am goign on a cruise in march lol

I have been on a few cruises, and i guess it could be easy if you jump from the right spot.

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I think it's an excuse.... the railings are made to be a certain height for this reason

I think most people that fall- have help

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I've been on 4 cruises and I don't see how anyone could go over without help. I'm 5'9 and they're higher than waist height - I'd say in between waist and boob height on me.

Now, if you go doing something stupid like standing on the rails underneath the top rail and leaning over... maybe.

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The railings are really tall. If you're going over, someone is lifting you and pushing you over.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I've been on 4 cruises...if the seas are rough, they do not let you out on deck, so that'snot an excuse.

There is no way you can just fall over if you are just standing there. If you do something stupid like stand up on the railings or lean WAAAAY over, or if you are standing next to someone who would rather you did not accompany them home, then ok.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I think it's crap. I mean really you just fall over the side. Not without help.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I think some are excuses and they are pushed.

I also think some people get so sh*t faced drunk that they decide they should clumb and stand on a railing, or climb on a table next to a railing and since they are so p*ssed their balance is off and they actually fall.

But if your not wasted, and idiot or pushed, it would be really hard to fall off a cruise ship.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I've never been on a cruise, so I have no personal knowledge of how easy/hard it is to just fall, but I've got to imagine that they have specific safety precautions in place to avoid falling over. After all they let kids run around on those ships, so they must be fairly safe. But again, I've never been on a cruise ship.

I find cases where people "accidentally fell overboard" to be very suspicious.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I do think that a person can decide to try to take their own life or take a dare and get overboard without help from anyone else, but I don't think it could happen as a pure accident.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

If you are behaving in a normal everyday fashion I think it would be very difficult to accidently fall overboard. that being said, did I have a scary experience on a ship once? Yes. I was jogging around the running deck in bad choppy water, the ship hit a wave and I was propelled towards the rail...I'm still here so I clearly didnt go overboard but it was scary nonetheless. Serves me right to be jogging outside on the outskirts of a hurricane

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

it is NOT easy to fall overboard unless you are pushed or doing something really stupid. I'm 5' 8" and the railings are up to my upper stomach/chest. I would have to stand on something and really lean over or do something stupid like sit on the railing to fall overboard.

Honestly some people on cruises take the drinking to all new levels - and many drink more than I saw at frat parties (not everyone but there are always those exceptions).

I think some people have too much to drink and then do stupid things - whether that be pushing someone or falling overboard themselves.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I always get a balcony room on cruises, and sometimes the railing is only waist high or a bit higher. It still would be an effort to fall over one.

Message edited 12/28/2008 1:41:51 PM.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I have been on many Cruises and we just booked another one for March.

I do not think its easy to fall overboard.
The railings are very high

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I've been on a number of cruises and heard a lot of these stories on the internet. My feeling is that you don't just fall overboard..you are either pushed, commit suicide or are so sh*t faced that you do something stupid.

We went on a cruise back in 2004 my entire family and there was a lot of drinking and trust me we were not alone. A lot of people feel they don't need to drive home and are close to their room for the night that they will drink their faces off. With the ship moving as well you can easily get sea sick from the combo of the two.

You will notice a majority of these incident happen in the early AM hours (except for apparent suicides). there is a reason for that....people drink all day and all night on these ships.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

I just saw the story that probably prompted your question...(haven't watched much TV recently). They said they have video of the woman going over. I wonder if it also shows someone helping her.

I have never been on a cruise, but why aren't the rails higher? Why do they not have some sort of netting? High Rise buildings have windows that don't open, but there is nothing preventing someone from jumping or throwing someone on a cruise ship. Seems silly.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

When DH and I were on our HM cruise, we were standing on one of the upper decks looking out at the water, and I started to think about the same question....it just seems like there's a lot of stuff to hit along the way if you just jumped. There's lower decks kind of sticking out, life boats...I think you would need a lot of momentum to hit the water unnoticed without smacking into something on the way down.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

i have been on a few cruises and you have to be sooooooo smashed or in the middle of a storm to be knocked over without someone pushing you.

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships

Re: Falling overboard on cruise ships