If you hear “Charlie” called out in a stern tone on land it’s probably to get the attention of a misbehaving human or pet. Same goes for “Oscar” (although you might also be asking after your favorite hot dog brand at the market). “Bravo” is usually shouted out on land to indicate enthusiastic approval following a musical or theater performance. And “Delta” is most often heard as an announcement at the airport in reference to a particular flight: “Delta flight 443 is now boarding through door number 6.”
While all those words are fairly innocuous on land (sure, tell that to Charlie), they mean something very different and much more ominous if you’re on a cruise. Here’s what those four words, in addition to ten additional words and phrases, mean on a cruise ship and why you never want to hear them.
While public announcements broadcast throughout the ship from the cruise director or Captain are common on a cruise and are usually just to keep passengers updated on activities, weather conditions, and port arrival and departure times, sometimes you’ll hear an announcement that will leave you scratching your head and maybe even panicking. But don’t run back to your cabin and throw on your life jacket just yet! Here’s what the 14 most common cruise ship emergency codes mean and why we all hope to never hear them.
Index (skip to):
What does Alpha mean on a cruise ship?
What does Bravo mean on a cruise ship?
What does Charlie mean on a cruise ship?
What does Delta mean on a cruise ship?
What does Echo mean on a cruise ship?
What does Kilo mean on a cruise ship?
What does Operation Rising Star mean on a cruise?
What does Oscar mean on a cruise ship?
What does Purell mean on a cruise ship?
What does PVI mean on a cruise ship?
What does Red Party mean on a cruise ship?
What does Sierra mean on a cruise ship?
What does Star Code mean on a cruise ship?
What does Zulu mean on a cruise ship?
Code Alpha means there is a medical emergency onboard the cruise ship. It will often be associated with a location. The announcement might sound like, “code alpha, deck 10 midship pool.”
Code Bravo means there has been fire detected. While fire is one of the greatest safety risks to a cruise ship, don’t become alarmed if you hear this code. Cruise ships have extensive safety procedures in place to quickly contain and extinguish fires.
Code Charlie is used for security threats. You’ll hear this code repeated three times if a possible security threat has been identified: “Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.” While very rare, this code could be used for a bomb threat or pirates approaching the vessel. Note that some cruise ships offer a themed “pirate night,” so don’t panic and start yelling Charlie!
If you hear, “Delta, Delta, Delta” on a cruise ship, it means there’s a possible biohazard situation. This could be any virus or toxin dangerous to human health.
Code Echo means the cruise ship is starting to drift. If you hear it three times, “Echo, Echo, Echo,” it may mean your ship is at risk of colliding with another vessel or object.
Code Kilo means crew should report to their emergency stations. You’ll sometimes hear this one during planned crew drills that usually take place on port days while most passengers are off the ship.
Operation Rising Star, while sounding almost poetic, is one of the saddest codes you can hear on a cruise. It means someone has passed away onboard.
If you hear Oscar repeated three times, “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar” it means someone has gone overboard. Often this will be followed some time later by an announcement by the Captain explaining the situation and any search and rescue efforts underway.
“Purell, Purell, Purell” means cleanup is needed in a public area of the ship. It will usually be followed by a specific location.
Code PVI means, “public vomiting incident” and is always one I pay close attention to so I can stay far away from the area until it’s properly cleaned up.
Red Party means there’s a fire at sea (as opposed to on the cruise ship).
While Code Alpha is used for a general medical emergency, Code Sierra is used for specific medical emergencies that require a stretcher.
“Star Code, Star Code, Star Code” is also used on certain ships to communicate a medical emergency.
“Zulu, Zulu, Zulu” means there’s a fight onboard and is only used on Carnival (I kid, I kid – I love Carnival).
While cruising is usually a fun and relaxing experience, emergencies sometimes happen at sea just like they do on land. Passengers get sick and injured and occasionally even pass away, fights break out, and rarely more serious incidents happen such as fires and mechanical failures. If you do hear one of these codes announced on your cruise, you’ll now be able to identify it. However, in most cases (except for PVI in which case I recommend staying far away from that area), you should carry on with whatever you’re doing unless there are further passenger instructions announced by the Captain.
Never purchase cruise/travel insurance through a cruise line. You’ll pay more and get less than if you purchase it on your own. Use a site like TravelInsurance.com* to compare rates and plans and get exactly what you want for the least amount of money. Simply enter your travel dates, total travel cost, and a few basic pieces of information about yourself and see a list of quotes to compare. Savings can be significant and mean more to spend onboard, at port, or on another cruise!
And with that…
Class Dismissed.
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