Rescue at Sea - Crown Princess

[billet]

The Crown is becoming the biggest lifeboat ever. On the way back to New York yesterday we rescued another sailor in flat calm seas and left his boat bobbing on the water.

 

A couple of photos http://paulbarton.spaces.live.com/

[Colo Cruiser]

Those are the chances you take on the open ocean. :)

[meemeec]

Hi Paul!

You sure have had an exciting time!! The Island cruise was a big bore compared to your time on the Crown.

Thought about you and your family last week when our Dawn cruise stopped in Victoria.

Safe trip home.

Maureen

[Cruise Gypsy]

Wow - these ships sure are getting their practice in rescuing people.

 

I don't mean to be negative but are there any security concerns about "rescuing" someone that may mean harm to the passengers or the ship?

 

How do the ship's crew handle this concern? ( I was watching Dead Calm last night)

[rdsqrl]

"The Crown is becoming the biggest lifeboat ever." Really, no kidding. Princess should just have her repainted in US Coast Guard colours and have done with it! I'm just glad to hear it was a rescue and not some poor soul going overboard.

[Cruisin Sal]

Paul,

We watched the rescue from our balcony. Everyone was watching. Do you know anything about the shark that was near the surface near the ship?

[Nige]

Only saw the boat floating away from the ship after the sailor had been rescued.

But spoke with the crew member that did the 'rescue'. He said it was much easier that the rescue he did a few weeks ago since the sea was dead calm this time. He said the engine on the boat had failed and that he thought the sailor was from NJ. We were about 330 miles from Brooklyn so closer than that to Southern NJ.

Also spoke to the Doctor that evening. He didn't give any details of the 'patient' but said he was fine - and there was no sign of him in the Medical Center.

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

Wow - these ships sure are getting their practice in rescuing people.

 

I don't mean to be negative but are there any security concerns about "rescuing" someone that may mean harm to the passengers or the ship?

 

How do the ship's crew handle this concern? ( I was watching Dead Calm last night)

 

When the ship received the distress call it was most likely from a DSC signal, this electronic signal has the ship or boat's MMSI number attached (MMSI is an ID number that is unique). This number can be checked in the Admiralty List of Radio Signals (ALRS) to confirm the origin of the signal. The distress situation would also be coordinated with the MCC (Mission Control Centre) which would have been the first responder for the DSC (probably). This will ID the ship/boat. As for who is on it, well that's another story. There is an element of risk I suppose but you can't just ignore the distress call, it's illegal, if you are close you have to respond it's international maritime law.

[billet]

Paul,

We watched the rescue from our balcony. Everyone was watching. Do you know anything about the shark that was near the surface near the ship?

 

His name was Henry, he has two small cub sharks one male and one female and although monogamous his wife prefers to travel nearer to the coast where the water is warmer. She often complains about Henry's habit of finding small yachts and then waiting for the remote possibility that the occupants may jump overboard. He was extremely miffed that the occupant of this boat managed to succcessfully transfer to the Crown without getting wet.

 

On seconds thoughts maybe I made the above up and unfortunately I know nothing about the shark and nobody had identified its breed by the time I left. The pic on my blog might give some shark expert the opportunity to identify it, hopefully.

[meemeec]

His name was Henry, he has two small cub sharks one male and one female and although monogamous his wife prefers to travel nearer to the coast where the water is warmer. She often complains about Henry's habit of finding small yachts and then waiting for the remote possibility that the occupants may jump overboard. He was extremely miffed that the occupant of this boat managed to succcessfully transfer to the Crown without getting wet.

 

On seconds thoughts maybe I made the above up and unfortunately I know nothing about the shark and nobody had identified its breed by the time I left. The pic on my blog might give some shark expert the opportunity to identify it, hopefully.

 

Tee many martoonies??? :p

[billet]

There is an element of risk I suppose but you can't just ignore the distress call, it's illegal, if you are close you have to respond it's international maritime law.

 

After all the checks and controls are completed to ensure it is a genuine distress call the risk would be fairly minimal anyway since bobbing around in the ocean taking a chance that a ship will be close by to do whatever to it is a very unlikely scenario. The security staff are always on hand to greet the rescued occupants and any baggage they have would be thoroughly searched,

[billet]

Hi Paul!

You sure have had an exciting time!! The Island cruise was a big bore compared to your time on the Crown.

Thought about you and your family last week when our Dawn cruise stopped in Victoria.

Safe trip home.

Maureen

 

Thank you. I got home safely and in the grand tradition of my travels my luggage has gone elsewhere. I am told it should be here later today. It was a great trip and very different from the Island to Hawaii. I liked the seaday/port day routine better than the mass of seadays followed by a mass of port days. The ship is considerably bigger than the Island but doesn't feel it because of the way the lounges are spread throughout the ship.

Shame I wasn't here last week I would have given you 'the tour'

Paul

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

After all the checks and controls are completed to ensure it is a genuine distress call the risk would be fairly minimal anyway since bobbing around in the ocean taking a chance that a ship will be close by to do whatever to it is a very unlikely scenario. The security staff are always on hand to greet the rescued occupants and any baggage they have would be thoroughly searched,

 

Well as a crew member who has been onboard during this kind of rescue, there is a SOP for this. It wouldn't be hard to figure out where a cruise ship is going to be at any time since they have schedules and can be tracked by AIS but it's still pretty unlikely. Yes the baggage would go through the same scrutiny that any passenger would have. It's as safe as it can be in any event.

[Cruise Gypsy]

When the ship received the distress call it was most likely from a DSC signal, this electronic signal has the ship or boat's MMSI number attached (MMSI is an ID number that is unique). This number can be checked in the Admiralty List of Radio Signals (ALRS) to confirm the origin of the signal. The distress situation would also be coordinated with the MCC (Mission Control Centre) which would have been the first responder for the DSC (probably). This will ID the ship/boat. As for who is on it, well that's another story. There is an element of risk I suppose but you can't just ignore the distress call, it's illegal, if you are close you have to respond it's international maritime law.

 

Thanks for the explanation - it makes me feel better.:D

[happyscot]

After all the checks and controls are completed to ensure it is a genuine distress call the risk would be fairly minimal anyway since bobbing around in the ocean taking a chance that a ship will be close by to do whatever to it is a very unlikely scenario. The security staff are always on hand to greet the rescued occupants and any baggage they have would be thoroughly searched,

 

 

You people are just deeply, deeply scary...........................

 

"Look - a man drowning! Speed up, he might have a bomb strapped to the leg the shark hasn't eaten yet"!

 

"If I could just give you a quick full body search sir, then we can get that nasty water out of your lungs and detach that halibut from your genitals. Oh....I see you are attempting to smuggle on board more than 5 cl of liquid sir.........right lads, back over the side.........".

 

Is it possible for you to understand that it isn't, always, about you? That maybe he was just minding his own business and quietly drowning and not hatching some fiendish plot to hunt you, personally, down and stab you with a squid?

 

Utterly, utterly bonkers............

 

:o

[cruise fairy]

You people are just deeply, deeply scary...........................

 

"Look - a man drowning! Speed up, he might have a bomb strapped to the leg the shark hasn't eaten yet"!

 

"If I could just give you a quick full body search sir, then we can get that nasty water out of your lungs and detach that halibut from your genitals. Oh....I see you are attempting to smuggle on board more than 5 cl of liquid sir.........right lads, back over the side.........".

 

Is it possible for you to understand that it isn't, always, about you? That maybe he was just minding his own business and quietly drowning and not hatching some fiendish plot to hunt you, personally, down and stab you with a squid?

 

Utterly, utterly bonkers............

 

:o

Where was it said that he was drowning?...I must have missed something. And I know I definitely missed the part about the bomb. :rolleyes:

Did he have a squid? Geesh, talk about bonkers!

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

Where was it said that he was drowning?...I must have missed something. And I know I definitely missed the part about the bomb. :rolleyes:

Did he have a squid? Geesh, talk about bonkers!

 

That's called artistic licence! Just because the person is in distress (and we were talking about sitting in a boat) doesn't mean you throw out your security procedures, in fact when there is stress and incidents happening that's when training comes in. Just like the life boat drills that crew have every week.

[hill6]

Pretty amazing that they have done two rescues at sea in such a short period of time. It does go to show that they train for such situations and are well prepared to handle them.

 

The sharks were pretty scary I bet.

[Cruzin2paradise09]

His name was Henry, he has two small cub sharks one male and one female and although monogamous his wife prefers to travel nearer to the coast where the water is warmer. She often complains about Henry's habit of finding small yachts and then waiting for the remote possibility that the occupants may jump overboard. He was extremely miffed that the occupant of this boat managed to succcessfully transfer to the Crown without getting wet.

 

On seconds thoughts maybe I made the above up and unfortunately I know nothing about the shark and nobody had identified its breed by the time I left. The pic on my blog might give some shark expert the opportunity to identify it, hopefully.

 

Baaaahahahahahahaha!!!! Very funny!!!!

[JeffHatfield]

Well as a crew member who has been onboard during this kind of rescue, there is a SOP for this. It wouldn't be hard to figure out where a cruise ship is going to be at any time since they have schedules and can be tracked by AIS but it's still pretty unlikely. Yes the baggage would go through the same scrutiny that any passenger would have. It's as safe as it can be in any event.

 

Also, the boat is a good distance from the ship and the rescuers go out with full side arms, just in case (at least that is what I have read in the past.)

[piper28]

Pretty amazing that they have done two rescues at sea in such a short period of time.

 

The ship's doing penance for the years it took off peoples' lives last summer :).

[Shogun]

Hi Folks,

 

I for one hope the day never comes that any ship will turn away from a distress call, either because of concerns over security or because some one might sue them for missing a port of call on their cruise.

 

The sad fact is we now live in a world where certain people are more than willing to die, for what they believe in, a cruise ship is a target and while I have been happy with the level of security, do you recall the speech the captain often gives at life boat drill that the ship is able and willing to defend herself if required to.

 

As cruise ships get bigger, they will move up the ladder of possible targets,

 

why do you think did the ship stopped such a distance from the small boat, ?

 

yours Shogun

[meemeec]

The ship's doing penance for the years it took off peoples' lives last summer :).

 

ROFL!! :D:D:D

[cruise fairy]

That's called artistic licence! Just because the person is in distress (and we were talking about sitting in a boat) doesn't mean you throw out your security procedures, in fact when there is stress and incidents happening that's when training comes in. Just like the life boat drills that crew have every week.

 

I, for one, am very grateful that all security measures are in place. I don't want to be on the cruise, at the resort, Disney Land, or where ever, that the safety and security of the customer and staff wasn't foremost in mind.

[billet]

I asked the whale/shark experts here in Victoria about the shark circling the yacht - this was their response:

 

"Wow nice one you were the lucky witness of a 12 ft + Tiger shark not fully grown but still a big boy. They are the first or second shark to be feared in the water as they are dump trunks and will eat anything.

The fellow is lucky you came by or in a couple of more hours he would have had some more of this guys friends around and they would start bumping the boat to make for a nervous wait for a rescue."