How hard do you really think it would be to fall off of a ship?

[skyw]

After reading a few of the threads, I started to wonder about how you would actually fall off of a ship? And does it happen that often?

[brn2crz]

Apparently it happens alot ..

 

Seriously...I know people say its not easy...But I have been onboard...Uptop with 52 MPH relative windspeed across the bow...Someone who is inibriated...and anywhere near a liitle tall..or top heavy....I think it could easily happen..Also..someone on the balcony..leaning way over..Or any railing for that manner...

I also think a lot more than we think get silly and stand on rails and things..

 

As a side note..On Rhapsody with my then just turned 2 YO niece..She could have easily slipped through the railing in many areas..

[HurricaneSally]

I have been on 12 cruises and never witness a fall off.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

IMO I think it would be pretty tough, you'd almost have to climb onto the railings before you would topple over, loose your balance or have someone push you over.

I am 5'7" and the railings come up past my middle part of my stomach. So my center of gravity is lower than the top pf the railing, I think it would be pretty tough just to "fall overboard" :eek:

 

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[cwtravel]

Apparently, if you're Drunk and do something stupid (sitting on the railing, trying to climb to the neighbors balcony, etc), falling overboard is a real possibility.

Virtually all of the recent falling overboards or missing persons/kidnapped person have involved alcohol.

 

Chris

[JULIE7]

You know, Im tall 5'11 and I had the feeling that if you were not careful and specially on windy days you could have an accident. But who wonders around the edges on windy days?

I feel that for example that dissapearance mistery of the CT groom, that if he was drunk he could have fallen out of the balcony. I dont get how this can be doubt.. Hey his wife was found sleeping in the hallways drunk.... sorry got out of the subject here..:D :D :D

[FinelyCruising]

I think they are hard to fall off of, they are higher than waist high. I am 5'8" and they come to about just below my breast line. I have never felt like I would topple over.

 

Were high winds reported the night this groom disappeared?

[PhoenixCruiser]

Here are some stats:

 

http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/other/man_overboard.asp

 

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[skyw]

very interesting stats Thanks. I have been on two cruises and didn't fell like I would fall overboard ever!!! But I wonder about young children that could slip through somewhere that an adult couldn't.

[Lou_70]

ok let me try to understand this for people above who say it is likely to fall overboard..

 

hmm since 2000 there were a grand total of a whopping 21 people who "fell" overboard, lets not even subtract the people who "fell" overboard on purpose.. so the number is 21..

 

so there are what? 150 cruise ships? too many ok 100 cruise ships

 

100 cruise ships x 52 cruises a year x 1000(very low estimate) passengers x 6 years =31,200,000 total passengers who have sailed and 21 fell overboard

 

so that is one out of 1,485,714 passengers fall or jump overboard..

 

I think you have more of a chance of bigfoot coming to your cabin and hanging out for pictures than you falling overboard..

 

just my opinion

 

 

ooops forgot about the crew.. double that number so it is one out of 2,971,428 so both bigfoot and the loch ness monster will come to your room now for pictures..

[Retired not Expired]

Actually Lou, according to the cruise stats, there were ten million passengers in 2004 and 2005 will be slightly higher. Therefore the total for five years in passengers alone, not counting crew, is more like 45 million.

 

I believe I'll worry more about falling out of bed than falling off a ship.

[Lou_70]

yea I was trying to make the numbers really low .. heh just make sure you watch out for falling satalites when you leave your house... they can fall out of the sky at any time and land on you...

[raytownlady]

With all of the news surrounding people "disappearing" from cruises I've tried to explain to my mother just how hard it really would be to "fall" off of a cruise ship. IMO you would have to be doing something that you probably shouldn't be doing.

[Retired not Expired]

With all of the news surrounding people "disappearing" from cruises I've tried to explain to my mother just how hard it really would be to "fall" off of a cruise ship. IMO you would have to be doing something that you probably shouldn't be doing.

 

Of those 21 in five years, one and possibly 3 were suicides and most were either drunk or doing something stupid, like climbing on the rails, according to the stat page.

 

George, someone may know, but we don't yet.

 

On the 15 year old girl yesterday, if no one else was out there and saw her except her sister, how early was early Thursday morning, and what were they doing? They haven't said yet. We know those upper decks start getting people on them by sunrise or earlier.

[onetimeposter]

Make that 22 people. I was on Voyager of the Seas in August of 2004 and someone 2 doors down from me went overboard. Most people were saying it was a suicide but I got the impression my cabin stewardess didn't agree.

[Esmerelda]

I have been on 3 different Carnival ships...as a single mom with two small sons on the first two...last one was my honeymoon in May of 05. I wandered around the ships open deck on my first two all alone (of course, there were other folks around) but I never even remotely felt that I could fall over. Now given this same scenario and mixing it with a lot of alcohol and it could be totally different. People think they are 10 ft tall and bullet proof when they are intoxicated. (I've worked in a emergency room for over 15 yrs and have seen most everything).

 

I am very petite (5'1"...about 115#'s) and sure if I climbed or sat where I shouldn't have, I guess I could have fallen off. In general just walking around....on top deck...or my balcony...I never encountered any problems (and I had two young sons to keep up with when they weren't at CC having fun..lol)

 

To me....cruising is just like going to the mall.....its only unsafe if you make it that way. You just have to be aware of your surroundings. I would still sail again alone if I had never just married my prince charming last year. :)

 

good day,

Esmerelda

[1corona4u]

Here are some stats:

 

http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/other/man_overboard.asp

 

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These are the things I thought were really interesting, from the bottom of the page(bold, even more interesting);

 

 

Notes: While falling from a cruise ship is a rare occurrence, a quick review of the Cruise News archives reveals that:

• Males are much more likely to go overboard than females
  
  
• Carnival passengers (10 incidents) are more likely to go overboard than passengers from other cruise lines...especially passengers on the Fascination
  
  
• The average age of a passenger who goes overboard is 43 years
  
• You are most likely to fall overboard on the last night of your cruise
  
  
• For some reason, people from California and Virginia go overboard more than others
  
• Falling overboard does not necessarily mean you will die (4 people have been rescued, one after 18 hours in the water)
  
• Most people who fall overboard are either drunk or doing silly things (climbing on the railing or between cabin balconies)

[Lou_70]

ooh like yer new signature..

 

 

a little too sparkley for me, but then again I am a dude :)

[Linda/Ohio]

I was on the Brilliance in I believe 2003 and a guy jumped from his cabin balcony to a balcony on a lower deck. I believe he was locked up for the rest of the cruise. I have never felt like I would fall off a ship---seems rather unlikely unless you were doing something dumb (see Above).

 

Linda/Ohio

[1corona4u]

ooh like yer new signature..

 

 

a little too sparkley for me, but then again I am a dude :)

 

I just did it to...take up space, so to speak.:D ;) I noticed that there were like 400+ people on the boards today, and it was surprisingly fast...for me anyway.;)

[kenf333]

I know the wife would like to through me over at times.

[aebalc]

You guys have only been talking about alcohol and stupidity (often co-mingled). The possibility that frightens me most is foul play. If you're among the 50% who will one day divorce consider cancelling your life insurance before your trip and be sure your spouse knows it. In that case no life insurance is the best insurance of your life.

[LoveTheDeepBlue]

You guys have only been talking about alcohol and stupidity (often co-mingled). The possibility that frightens me most is foul play. If you're among the 50% who will one day divorce consider cancelling your life insurance before your trip and be sure your spouse knows it. In that case no life insurance is the best insurance of your life.

 

 

I half agree with you.

 

Has anyone considered that perhaps some of these passgeners were victims of rape or robbery and then thrown overboard to cover it up by the robber or rapist? This would include a fellow passenger or even a crew member. Criminals are everywhere.

 

Yes some of the passengers could have been drunk and responsible for their own demise, but its possible that some of them were true victims.

[Happy ks]

I think it is impossible to "fall off" a ship. You have to make an effort to climb up and over the railing. Even then, from many areas of the higher decks, you would just fall onto a lower deck.

 

As far as being thrown off, that would take a huge effort, probably 2 people to lift you up that high and then heave you over. The railings are over 4 ft. high and lean outward, you would have to be lifted at least 4 - 5 feet into the air and literally thrown forward. All while you are fighting with all your strength, or dead drunk. I guess it could happen to a very petite woman with a strong man.

 

I remember our first cruise, I was worried about the kids falling off the ship. Once we were onboard, my fears disappeared immediately when I saw how high the railings were and how they curved outwards.

 

So, I don't believe you could accidentally fall off the ship without your own foolish effort. Most of the cruises I've been on have been with an awful lot of people I doubt anyone would be able to lift, myself included.

[kbt2]

there are more incidents then that site stated as well...bec/my parents were ona Crystal cruise when a crew member went missing and last seen on camera 1am on upper deck. They missed a port bec/of the ship w/coast guard searching for this young man. They emailed us when this was going on. So those are certainly some eye raising incidents listed...but obviously there are more not listed...and I find it too hard to believe someone can just fall "overboard" by standing near rail.