Awoken 2X on Explorer Christmas Cruise 2013 by announcement 4AMish...

[silygirl77]

I am just off the Explorer and overall had a great time and I will write a review, but here's something new I experienced on a cruise ship... 2 days in a row announcements were made in every room (the kind of announcement that could NOT be shut off). Basically, the announcement each night was looking for a missing person and asked them to check in... the day after the second announcement the Captain announced that these announcements were made because they had been searching the ship for each of these people, because their families' didn't know where they were and he said something like this could be avoided if people checked in with their family. Also, he said that the public areas in the ship were searched before making the announcement. I only cruised other lines in the past and I have NEVER had an announcement made even once looking for a lost person in the wee hours of the morning... now it happens twice? Is this common on RCCL?

[Clarea]

Not common at all. We heard an announcement like that only once, on Monarch a couple of years ago. A husband could not find his wife and was worried, so they paged her once at 2am and another time at 4am.

[reallyhooked]

Not common at all. We heard an announcement like that only once, on Monarch a couple of years ago. A husband could not find his wife and was worried, so they paged her once at 2am and another time at 4am.

 

Did they find her?

[Clarea]

Did they find her?

Yes, she responded after the second page.

[CVU]

We had it once for a young fellow, in 30+ cruises. Maybe came on 1 or 2 times and they did apologize.

I think I heard the next day, he was found in someone else's cabin, Mom woke to find him missing.

 

It is very uncommon but important if someone is missing.

[dzmom]

Yep, it happened to us a couple of times on either Freedom or Oasis. One morning on that trip, while I was sipping some coffee on the Promenade deck after being awakened several times during the night by announcements, a security/police officer, a dad and barefoot teenage boy walked by me and down a little corridor. Dad was LIVID and was really reading his dear little boy the riot act. (Dad was saying what any dad would be saying to an AWOL kiddo.) Evidently this was the one they had been looking for in the middle of the night. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that room.:)

[bigeck]

It was Santa!!!!

[ehfl]

I have heard this on Majesty, at about 3am. Apparently, a young man was enjoying the company of a new female companion, without telling his parents where he was.

[MermaidWatcher]

I have never heard one, but obviously the Captain must have had enough of a concern for the safety of these passengers to warrant his decision. At 4am, a missing person on board a ship could very well be a matter of life or death, maybe an elderly family member or child no longer in their cabin who could end up overboard or injured in some out of the way area of the ship.

No doubt the Captain is well aware that he is not going to make many friends by doing this, especially 2 nights running, so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Cindy]

I've only had it happen once, on the first night of a Grand Princess Spring Break cruise. We woke up at 3:00 a.m. to an announcement looking for "Kelsey". Apparently Kelsey had found "better" accommodations!:eek: The next morning the captain gave a pretty stern lecture in his daily briefing. He also apologized profusely. They had searched every inch of public space on that ship before the announcement.

[tanzer22pilot]

Yep, it happened to us a couple of times on either Freedom or Oasis. One morning on that trip, while I was sipping some coffee on the Promenade deck after being awakened several times during the night by announcements, a security/police officer, a dad and barefoot teenage boy walked by me and down a little corridor. Dad was LIVID and was really reading his dear little boy the riot act. (Dad was saying what any dad would be saying to an AWOL kiddo.) Evidently this was the one they had been looking for in the middle of the night. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that room.:)

 

Free range children.

[BND]

I'd say no, not common. We've never had that happen on any cruise. Of course, we cruise during times when there aren't as many children/teenagers onboard. There have been many stories about people missing who turn up having found a "friend" and spending the night with them without letting anyone know. I can't imagine worrying anyone like that, ever.

[Doug R.]

Yep, it happened to us a couple of times on either Freedom or Oasis. One morning on that trip, while I was sipping some coffee on the Promenade deck after being awakened several times during the night by announcements, a security/police officer, a dad and barefoot teenage boy walked by me and down a little corridor. Dad was LIVID and was really reading his dear little boy the riot act. (Dad was saying what any dad would be saying to an AWOL kiddo.) Evidently this was the one they had been looking for in the middle of the night. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that room.:)

 

Do you really expect us to believe that one of today's parents was holding one of their little darlings accountable???? :eek: Just what was in that coffee you were sipping?:D

[dzmom]

Do you really expect us to believe that one of today's parents was holding one of their little darlings accountable???? :eek: Just what was in that coffee you were sipping?:D

 

Lol. Did NOT mean to imply anything of the kind! While tazer22pilot called them Free Range Children, I probably would say Feral Children.;)

[LABCHICK]

Had this happen to us for the first time on the Indy this Dec. The announcement was made 2 different times. The first time was around 2 a.m. It was a male they were looking for. Never heard anything about the outcome.

[A&L_Ont]

I'd say no, not common. We've never had that happen on any cruise. Of course, we cruise during times when there aren't as many children/teenagers onboard. There have been many stories about people missing who turn up having found a "friend" and spending the night with them without letting anyone know. I can't imagine worrying anyone like that, ever.

 

 

They could also be single or married "adults" philandering the night away. Until their friends or spouses realize they are missing. :eek: However, I think more often than not it is the teens getting to "know" their new friends and they lose track of time.

 

I, like you, can't imaging worrying anyone like that.

[alexkrn46]

Over 30 cruises, this has happened two times, once on the Mariner of the Seas mother crying , 16 year missing at 4am. Next Allure did not give age of the the passenger. Both cruises Captain Johnny was the Captain.

 

I do not think the cruise line has any choice, but parents should be accountable especially when there is a one am curfew.

[wolfcathorse]

once you call Guest Services to report you can't find someone in your party, procedure kicks in. I'm not sure of the order but the Stf Cpt monitors the search until he has to wake the captain to have him make the in room announcement. First they check (meaning security and anyone not working) all the public areas (stairwells etc), then they check the crew quarters, then they will page in public areas, finally the captain has to make the in room announcement asking for the missing to check in. I may have forgotten more of the procedure. At some point the CCD cameras are checked and if the missing doesn't check in, the captain has to assume the person went overboard and he will turn around and start looking.

 

I was on Sovereign when we got a call at 4 am. In our case it was a 20 something that shacked up with a new experience but didn't tell her room mate that she wouldn't be in. The captain explained the procedure to us (we were in an Owners Suite). His first concern is to find you safely, then like any parent with a missing child, gets perturbed at ya cuz you interrupted his sleep!

[TEXASMUNK]

Imagine the thread that would read..

 

"We were missing our daughter and the Captain refused to page her....."

 

Kudos to RCI for diligently making efforts to find the missing person

[RCI Cruisers 004]

Sorry......I had to open your post up to figure out why they would make an announcement 4 Amish ! But I guess they can cruise too !

[bighairtexan]

sorry......i had to open your post up to figure out why they would make an announcement 4 amish ! But i guess they can cruise too !

 

hilarious!! :d:d

[Meaglesjb]

Not in the middle of the night, but on our Dec 20th Enchantment cruise the repeatedly paged a passenger in the morning of Day 2. Finally the captain made an announcement that a 'young lady' was missing and they were going into full search mode. He later came back and announced that she was found safe and sound and apologized for the inconvenience.

 

Hate to assume, but I have a feeling I know where she was...

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[BND]

They could also be single or married "adults" philandering the night away. Until their friends or spouses realize they are missing. :eek: However, I think more often than not it is the teens getting to "know" their new friends and they lose track of time.

 

I, like you, can't imaging worrying anyone like that.

 

Yeah. That's actually what I meant by that part of my statement. It was two different thoughts in one paragraph.

[travelplus]

Isn't there a volume control knob that you can turn off or at least turn down the volume of all announcements?

 

BTW does the Captain hear the tones before the page? How does the Captain know when his mic is live to make the page? Is there some indicator light?

[Clarea]

Isn't there a volume control knob that you can turn off or at least turn down the volume of all announcements?

 

BTW does the Captain hear the tones before the page? How does the Captain know when his mic is live to make the page? Is there some indicator light?

Some ships have functional volume control knobs that can change the level and even disable routine announcements. However, the volume control can be overridden from the bridge whenever they want an announcement to go to all staterooms.

Edited December 30, 2013 by clarea