Does anybody know what a "Code Alpha" is?

[caribill]

I can think of way worse ways to go.

 

For example

 

1992-- John O`Hara, Iowa`s offensive line coach, died of a heart attack while on a Caribbean cruise with the rest of the Hawkeyes` staff, the school announced Sunday. He was 48. The university said doctors on the ship were unable to revive O`Hara.

[silvercruiser]

I wonder what the rate is for sudden deaths in a town with the same number of inhabitants as you'd find on a cruise ship.

Traveling now as a solo, I put all my medical information, including my DNR, in a clear plastic envelope with a picture of myself on the outside, along with my name, and I tape it to the mirror in my cabin. Then I assure my cabin attendant that I'm very healthy and don't expect any medical problems, but the information is there in case it's needed.

And yes, I'm one of the "doddering old people" you hear mentioned on these message boards who travel with HAL. :)

[Cruise Raider]

Had a ship wide anouncement on the CB last week notifying the crew of a Code Alpha in a particular, named stateroom. Ship's officers converged, sealed off the hallway, kept an elevator at the ready and transported someone presumably to sick-bay or the other place. I assume it refers a coronary since there wasn't a fire. Anyone know?

 

 

One time on RCI, we had heard several Code Alpha's called. We asked the photographer what that meant and he told us: Code Alpha is for a medical emergency so no need for a passenger to worry. He stated that we should only worry if they called a code bravo -- which was for the fire and then we should all be alerted. Within minutes, they had to call a code bravo. Boy, those life boats were ready to be loaded down into the water.....they crew was ON IT!! The fire was put out before we were really in any danger -- but yes, would be good to know but guess they don't want to cause panic. That ended up being an exciting cruise -- we also had a missing 16 year old girl. The captain (yes, the captain) had to eventually come over the intercom into the rooms in the middle of the night to try to find her. I guess her parents thought she might have gone overboard. She was sleeping in someone else's bed -- argh! The captain did do the right thing but it was so annoying that she was responsible for a lot a crabby people the next day.

:mad:

[TracieABD]

For example

 

1992-- John O`Hara, Iowa`s offensive line coach, died of a heart attack while on a Caribbean cruise with the rest of the Hawkeyes` staff, the school announced Sunday. He was 48. The university said doctors on the ship were unable to revive O`Hara.

 

Ummm... That might not be the way I want to go. Just saying...

[EdmPair]

I have read the old parts of this thread and the new parts. I think the anecdotal nature of the stories mean these everts happen but a reasonable person would expect nothing else but without stats the rate is unknowable. Compared to 20 or 30 years ago, there are more ships with more passenger afloat and coupled with increased communication via the internet means an apparent increase in incidents could be nothing of the sort.

 

I want to caution people that codes on the various lines may not be the same. Code Alpha may not mean exactly the same thing on RCI as HAL. If one of the cruise industry safety organization defines them, then they would but I have not looked.

 

Another note comes from the fact I have worked in environments with various risks and a mix of languages by the people. Radio codes are chosen to be clear. Protocol establishes ALL know what the codes mean and will be understood. For instance they would not have both a Code Beta and Code Theta just because in a hurry somebody may confuse them. They are concise and can be repeated twice to communicate to those who need it fast. If you did not clearly hear the word following Code the first time, you know it will now be repeated. Staff train for the codes each needs to know. Ask a hospital staff if they carry a code card? I bet each will or have them memorized.

 

Sad to hear people die on ships but it would not be the worst place to die -- for me. I think my loved ones would have more hassle to deal with the body after.

 

Later,

M

[IECalCruiser]

Code Alpha is the emergency code on Princess. We had a Code Alpha on each leg of our B2B on the Golden in Alaska last year. One was to the Casino and another was to one of the dining rooms. I was outside of the Casino when the call was made and medical staff were there in about a minute. For the second one we were ready to enter the DR as the call was made. Once again medical staff was there in about a minute. On our Baltic cruise this June, there was a Code Alpha at about midnight for the cabin next to ours. In that instance, unfortunately the passenger died. He and his wife had just boarded in Warnemunde for an 11 day cruise from there. He was quite elderly and according to our steward, had not been feeling well for most of the day.

[BassettMom]

Wow, what an old thread ...

 

On our last Dawn Princess cruise we had at least two code alphas and a code alpha-tango. A member of the staff told me the "tango" meant "extremely urgent." That doesn't match up well with a previous post that said code alpha always meant death. It does match well with medical emergency.

 

You're right, on Princess, Code Alpha is a medical emergency and Tango is traumatic so yes, Alpha-Tango is considered extremely urgent. Both of these can result in death, but Alpha doesn't necessarily mean death.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

[chengkp75]

Good point. I didn't think about that.

 

The code messages, typically:

 

Alpha: medical

Bravo: fire

Delta: collision, damage, or pollution

Oscar: man overboard

 

Are used to bring the crew to their emergency stations. Only those crew assigned to medical and security teams would report to an Alpha, while probably 50-60 crew on fire teams, quick response teams, security, and medical would report for a Bravo. In the case of a Bravo or Delta, the On-Scene Commander would take charge of the crew, determine how to handle it, report this to the Captain with a recommendation as to whether or not to sound the general alarm to muster passengers.

 

There are many small incidents aboard ships every month, and many go completely unnoticed by the passengers, because only the crew respond to the Code messages, and deal with the problem without needing to alert the passengers.

[chengkp75]

When you ask about death rates, yes, you must remember that the ship's medical department is not a full hospital, and cannot do all the amazing things that shoreside hospitals can do to save lives.

 

I have also experienced deaths onboard from people who were dying, and came on the ship to die at sea.

[pablo222]

One web site says the following:

Close to 200 passengers die aboard a cruise ship each year.

 

Sounds like a ship to avoid.

[silvercruiser]

This sounds morbid, but practical. My policy with National Cremation Society includes service anywhere in the world. I keep the membership card in with my medical information.

[c4ddym4n]

We were on a Carnival cruise where a man jumped overboard and the PA said Code Blue port side! Is it different codes on different lines?

[chengkp75]

We were on a Carnival cruise where a man jumped overboard and the PA said Code Blue port side! Is it different codes on different lines?

 

Yes, the it is not a regulation, it is whatever the company wants to call it.

[tonic67]

"4. Most importantly, as soon as some of the "ghouls" onboard get an inkling that there might be a death or medical debark, they immediately run to the reception desk to try to get their hands on a free upgrade. I have had cruises where there were dozens of passengers at the reception desk within minutes of announcing a death onboard. They all wanted that cabin - even before the body was cool."

 

That is horrible!

[tonic67]

Code Brown on the Poop Deck

 

What do you suppose that would mean?:eek:

[MSN-Travelers]

Yes, what is the death rate on cruise ships? Until we have some stats, I think it would be hard to say it's high, based on anecdotal evidence. That being said, despite medical facilities on board and medical personnel, you are still on a ship in the ocean which may or may not give you easy access to a comprehensive medical facility. I think we all need to realize that should we experience a life threatening illness on board, that care might not be quite the same as a top notch ER/ICU close to ones home. Very, very sad for those who experience such a loss but I could think of worse places to die.

 

Everything you ever wanted to know: http://www.cruiseshipdeaths.com/

 

Enjoy!

[Pam in CA]

Everything you ever wanted to know: http://www.cruiseshipdeaths.com/

OMG!!! This was the worst:

 

"Baby Doe - Newborn infant was found dead in her mother's cabin October 12, 2011, by a cabin steward, the mother, 20, who lives in NW Indiana, was somewhere else on Carnival Dream having fun after giving birth aboard."

 

I've been on several cruises when people have passed away, and at least a couple of times, multiple deaths. When my BIL was in the hospital in FL after getting sick on a cruise, there were several patients from different ships in the ICU. Several died while we were there so the statistics aren't completely accurate as they don't include those who get sick or injured on a ship and subsequently pass away.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Pam in CA

[caribill]

Everything you ever wanted to know: http://www.cruiseshipdeaths.com/

 

Enjoy!

 

Almost all of these are crimes or foolishness that involved a death.

 

No statistics on deaths by natural causes.

[riclop]

Thats not a good code to hear medically.

[lw4484]

I remember years ago (2005ish) that someone posted a link to a website. The website was something that tracked all the happenings of the cruise ships in the industry. So if there was a noro outbreak it would be posted, fire, etc. I know it probably wouldn't post the codes... But does anyone know what I'm talking about and/or have the link again? I can't remember who ran it either.

 

 

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[Pam in CA]

I remember years ago (2005ish) that someone posted a link to a website. The website was something that tracked all the happenings of the cruise ships in the industry. So if there was a noro outbreak it would be posted, fire, etc. I know it probably wouldn't post the codes... But does anyone know what I'm talking about and/or have the link again? I can't remember who ran it either.

Google "Events at sea." It's on another cruise site.

[bob brown]

'Code Alpha' is used on a cruise ship, the same way 'Code Blue' is used in a hospital.....meaning that a passenger (or patient), has gone into cardiac arrest, or some other condition that requires the immediate response of lifesaving staff and equipment. It is a short, concise way of broadcasting that call over the PA to alert all members of the response team.

It does not necessarily mean that the victim is already deceased.

 

One of the previous posts sounded like the victim had suffered from acute appendicitis....potentially a life-threatening ailment. It is fortunate when the ship is close enough to shore for transfer to a hospital, sometimes via medevac helicopter.

Some of you may recall the incident a few years ago, when a teenage girl suffered from that on a Princess ship, far off the coast of Mexico, well out of helicopter rescue range.

Fortunately, the US Navy aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, was not too far away....the two ships sailed towards each other at maximum speed, until within helicopter range. The patient was transferred to the Reagan, and was immediately taken in for surgery in the ships full operating room.

Her life was saved, and she is doing fine today. It was a major story on the national news at the time, with much kudos to the crew of the Reagan, as well as that of the Dawn Princess.....

read about it here... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=685072

and here http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=33932

Edited February 11, 2014 by bob brown

[fishywood]

On the UST on Star Princess a few years ago the ship's doctor told us that each ship averages one death every three weeks. Using very round numbers that puts the death rate somewhere in the range of one in every 10-15,000 passengers. Given the cruise industry's attraction to those who are otherwise too elderly or infirm for a more traditional vacation (I mean that not as a stereotype, just a fact) those sound like fairly good odds to me.

[MommaBear55]

And here I thought it was Florida that was God's waiting room.

 

Seriously, I am not surprised by the numbers. Any town of 4,000 people could expect a death or two a month, and ships have a population skewed to an older average age.

[shellbeachjim]

We used to tell our passengers what was going on. But then Sarbanes-Oxley and a few other American right to privacy regulations came along and our legal departments decided to cloak everything in secrecy.

I think the law which would primarily apply is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law covers the privacy and security of your medical information. If anyone is so inclined you can read more about HIPAA at the US Department of Health and Human Services website:

 

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

 

Personally, I don't think it's anyone's business to know about anyone else's medical issues. So I'm glad that the legal department has stopped the sharing of information. As far as I'm concerned all the cruiseline should say (if it's appropriate) is that there was a "medical incident" or "medical situation".

 

Going back to Code Alphas, the most we have heard on a cruise was seven Alpha Tangos. This was on a Hawaiian cruise out of San Francisco (the one with the notorious boarding mess). I admit to having a somewhat twisted sense of humor, so I refer to that cruise as our "Hawaiian Death Cruise". :rolleyes: