There's an entirely different language at sea that you may know nothing about.
Just like pilots, cruise lines have a robust list of code words and abbreviations to communicate and eliminate misunderstandings. For example, you may hear "Alpha," "Bravo," "Oscar," or "Echo" while on board.
You shouldn't immediately rush to your muster station and frantically throw on a life jacket. Instead, these terms help to relay important information to crew members, such as man overboard incidents and medical emergencies.
For example, "Alpha" is a popular code word to indicate a medical emergency. Typically, the word is repeated, then followed by a specific location, such as Deck 11, Portside, Aft. This lets the appropriate crew members know where to respond without causing unnecessary panic among passengers.
"The codes are used when notifying crew from various departments who are needed quickly. It is quicker and causes less concern among the passengers. If the passengers need to be notified, there will be a plain language announcement," says Don Goldstein, a retired Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Other codes serve different purposes. "Bravo," for instance, is used by Royal Caribbean to signal a fire or other serious emergency, while "Oscar" indicates an active man overboard situation.
Not all cruise lines have the same code words, either. For example, rather than using "Oscar" to signal a possible man overboard situation, Disney Cruise Line uses "Mr. M.O.B."
Similarly, they use "Operation Brightstar" to tell the crew about medical emergencies, and "Red Party" to disclose the location of an onboard fire. Funny enough, "Winnie" is used when someone has an accident in the pool!
Goldstein adds that other common code words used aboard cruise ships include "Kilo, Kilo, Kilo," which requests all crew to report to their emergency stations.
"Zulu, Zulu, Zulu" (or "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie") is another commonly used code word that indicates a security threat or possible fight or disturbance on the vessel.
So, what should you do the next time you hear a secret code word on a cruise ship? Stay out of the way. Although you may know what's going on, you don't want to get in the way of crew members performing important — and sometimes lifesaving — duties.
In many cases, crew members may restrict access to certain areas to limit foot traffic and prevent possible interference during urgent situations.
For example, multiple cruisers reported that Deck 7 and Deck 8 were closed during a man overboard incident on Norwegian Getaway.
"If passengers hear a code call, they should stay away from the area mentioned in the call unless part of the call is directed at passengers or guests. For instance, if guests hear 'Alpha, Alpha, Alpha, Deck 7, starboard side stairwell 3,' they should stay away from the forward starboard stairwell on Deck 7," Goldstein explains.
"If any action by passengers is desired or required, the announcement will specifically say so."
Read more: Cruise worker reveals the secret emergency codes you never want to hear on a ship
