Overboard incidents, will they ever change the design of decks?

[Ocean Spirit]

Most of us know you simply can't just fall off the ship unless there is foul play or you are doing something stupid like sitting or standing on the railing.

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.  Do you think there will ever be a significant change in design of the balconies and decks to

prevent this occurring.   I hate the thought of losing the openness and views you get while at sea.  

 

Edited December 15, 2018 by Ocean Spirit

[BoDidly]

I'm a firm believer that a person can fall off a cruise ship. I've had the displeasure of  experiencing rough seas and feel that it's possible. Several have tried to change my mind on these boards but that's not going to happen.  The designs wont change because people fall off ships. The ratio would have to increase quite a bit.

[awreaper]

I can't ever remember an instance where a cruiser was minding their own business walking around the deck and just fell off the boat, even in rough seas.  If it became that rough I assume they would not let anyone out on deck.  If someone wants to do something stupid or wants to commit suicide they will find a way.

[robc1972]

47 minutes ago, BoDidly said:

I'm a firm believer that a person can fall off a cruise ship. I've had the displeasure of  experiencing rough seas and feel that it's possible. Several have tried to change my mind on these boards but that's not going to happen.  The designs wont change because people fall off ships. The ratio would have to increase quite a bit.

 

From what I have read in the last day in the news articles about the person that went overboard, every single person going overboard was either an intentional jump or somebody doing something they shouldn't have been doing.

 

All the rails are about chest high on me and I am about 5-10. I would have to work really hard to go over by accident even in rough seas.

 

Short of putting a catch net all around the bottom there isn't anything that can be done to fix stupid and if somebody wants to get overboard on purpose they will.

[coevan]

1 hour ago, Ocean Spirit said:

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.

 

 

It's very small percentage compared to the millions who cruise every year. 

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Ocean Spirit said:

Most of us know you simply can't just fall off the ship unless there is foul play or you are doing something stupid like sitting or standing on the railing.

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.  Do you think there will ever be a significant change in design of the balconies and decks to

prevent this occurring.   I hate the thought of losing the openness and views you get while at sea.  

 

It isn't a ship design issue.  

[chengkp75]

As others have noted, the railings are above the center of gravity of the majority of people.  Even in rough weather, there isn't really any way that you could be "thrown" by either a wave or the ship's motion over the railings.  It is not a design failure.

 

Short of putting a MMA type cage up the entire sides of the ship, you are not going to stop people from jumping or being pushed overboard.  Even cargo ships, where the decks of tankers are even lower to the water than cruise ships, and where the railings tend to be more just pipes and chains than fixed glass balcony panels, or steel bulwarks, and that tend to proceed in far worse weather than cruise ships, overboards by accident are very rare.

[beerman2]

2 hours ago, awreaper said:

I can't ever remember an instance where a cruiser was minding their own business walking around the deck and just fell off the boat, even in rough seas.  If it became that rough I assume they would not let anyone out on deck.  If someone wants to do something stupid or wants to commit suicide they will find a way.

Exactly, why would a person put themselves in rough seas by a railing? Common sense would say stay away from the  railing. Unless they are daredevil/risk taker.

 

In that case it's on them !

 

Down South Under  you are in the minority that "think" you can just fall off a ship without some sort of mental instability( jumping) or stupidity happening.

 

 

[AmazedByCruising]

19 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

As others have noted, the railings are above the center of gravity of the majority of people.  

 

Weird to see what ships looked liked long ago. In the second picture here https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/excluderecent/15-december-2018-crossing-the-north-atlantic-day-5/ it looks as if the railing were some wires not heigher than 1 meter or so.

 

Compared to that, modern ships are like a playpen.

[BoDidly]

10 minutes ago, AmazedByCruising said:

 

Weird to see what ships looked liked long ago. In the second picture here https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/excluderecent/15-december-2018-crossing-the-north-atlantic-day-5/ it looks as if the railing were some wires not heigher than 1 meter or so.

 

Compared to that, modern ships are like a playpen.

 

 

 

 

This one ?  

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by BoDidly

[AmazedByCruising]

5 minutes ago, BoDidly said:

 

 

 

 

This one ?  

 

 

Yep

[Crusin Hogs]

The newer ships ,Dream ,Magic ,Breeze ,Vista ,Horizon , has  deck 5  extended 20-25 ft out from the side of the ship ,So if you are on deck 6 or higher ,, you will meet deck 5 on your way down ,,,  Fall from deck 4 or lower , hitting the water will not kill you ,,, 

[AmazedByCruising]

1 minute ago, Crusin Hogs said:

The newer ships ,Dream ,Magic ,Breeze ,Vista ,Horizon , has  deck 5  extended 20-25 ft out from the side of the ship ,So if you are on deck 6 or higher ,, you will meet deck 5 on your way down ,,,  Fall from deck 4 or lower , hitting the water will not kill you ,,, 

 

Ending up in the sea is of course almost a certain death. It's not a swimming pool.

 

[coevan]

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/features/cruise-overboard-safety-travel-spd/

 

 

As this shows going overboard is extremely rare, on all cruise line 5 in 2018 and 17 in 2017. We are talking about millions of cruise passengers 

 

I have no idea, why it did not highlight, copy and paste please

Edited December 16, 2018 by coevan

[klfrodo]

5 hours ago, Ocean Spirit said:

Most of us know you simply can't just fall off the ship unless there is foul play or you are doing something stupid like sitting or standing on the railing.

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.  Do you think there will ever be a significant change in design of the balconies and decks to

prevent this occurring.   I hate the thought of losing the openness and views you get while at sea.  

 

Let’s hear your proposed ideas or solutions.

Everything can be improved on.

[NHNEV2003]

5 hours ago, Ocean Spirit said:

Most of us know you simply can't just fall off the ship unless there is foul play or you are doing something stupid like sitting or standing on the railing.

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.  Do you think there will ever be a significant change in design of the balconies and decks to

prevent this occurring.   I hate the thought of losing the openness and views you get while at sea.  

 

No, and we should not have to. The railings are high enough to keep you on the ship.

[robc1972]

9 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Let’s hear your proposed ideas or solutions.

Everything can be improved on.

 

Solution to what?

Only solution to people being stupid causing them to fall into the ocean or people jumping overboard into the ocean is to have the cruise ships on land but then they would be called hotels and they wouldn't take us anywhere.

 

 

[CruiseGal999]

6 hours ago, Ocean Spirit said:

Most of us know you simply can't just fall off the ship unless there is foul play or you are doing something stupid like sitting or standing on the railing.

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.  Do you think there will ever be a significant change in design of the balconies and decks to

prevent this occurring.   I hate the thought of losing the openness and views you get while at sea.  

 

 

If someone is going to commit suicide by jumping off of a ship ... there's isn't much that can be done to prevent that.  Where's there's a will, there's a way.  

[Brad1972]

6 hours ago, Ocean Spirit said:

 

However we continue to see passengers going overboard.  Do you think there will ever be a significant change in design of the balconies and decks to

prevent this occurring.   I hate the thought of losing the openness and views you get while at sea.  

 

Only thing they can do is raise the railing up over your heads and you get to look at your cruise vacation thru inch thick scratched up hazy sun faded plexy glass.  LOL.

 

Even on my first cruise, never been on a cruise ship before let alone a large ship at sea for a week.  I never had any problems almost or nearly or came close to falling over any of this ships railings.  So much so I even went on another cruise and now booked a third.

Cruise ship railings are at their required high by what ever statutes regulations say they need to be.  As someone else said most everyone that falls over board is either foul play or they are doing something stupid, breaking ship rules, too drunk, or they deliberately jumped over. 

I have never heard of someone or a family suing a cruise company because they slipped off the top of the railing while showing off to their friends of their awesome balancing skills, Or spouse threw their partner over the railing and later sues because it wasn't high enough to prevent them from throwing their spouse overboard. 

Maybe i'm wrong but i've never heard a lawsuit like that before. 

Head Lines. "Wife sues Carnival cruise lines because railings were not high enough to prevent her from throwing her husband overboard."

[Tapi]

Even though railings are high enough, the spacing between each rail seems big enough to fit a child. When my kids were younger, I’d be deathly afraid to be out on deck with them. Ships with glass rather than metal railings across make me feel safer, both for me and for the kids. 

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, robc1972 said:

 

Solution to what?

Only solution to people being stupid causing them to fall into the ocean or people jumping overboard into the ocean is to have the cruise ships on land but then they would be called hotels and they wouldn't take us anywhere.

 

 

And people kill themselves all the time in hotels....

[tonit964]

7 hours ago, BoDidly said:

I'm a firm believer that a person can fall off a cruise ship. I've had the displeasure of  experiencing rough seas and feel that it's possible. Several have tried to change my mind on these boards but that's not going to happen.  The designs wont change because people fall off ships. The ratio would have to increase quite a bit.

It would be interesting to hear your experience. Are you like 7 feet tall and were out on deck standing by the railing and you felt like you would be top heavy and go over?

I'm being serious. I just don't understand how one could feel be standing at the railing and feel they were going to be uplifted and go over.

I've been out on deck in rough seas many times, standing at the railing, looking at the water and never felt in danger of going over. It would be impossible.

 

[BoDidly]

9 minutes ago, tonit964 said:

It would be interesting to hear your experience. Are you like 7 feet tall and were out on deck standing by the railing and you felt like you would be top heavy and go over?

I'm being serious. I just don't understand how one could feel be standing at the railing and feel they were going to be uplifted and go over.

I've been out on deck in rough seas many times, standing at the railing, looking at the water and never felt in danger of going over. It would be impossible.

 

We had a group cruise years back where a member was on the top deck. The wind was high and the seas were rough ,he was walking by what was supposed to be a secured door. Needless to say the door popped open and hit him in his shoulder knocking him to the rail and almost over .  But seriously , I really don't need to defend my post or my beliefs . But you did ask nicely  .

Edited December 16, 2018 by BoDidly

[tonit964]

9 minutes ago, BoDidly said:

We had a group cruise years back where a member was on the top deck. The wind was high and the seas were rough ,he was walking by what was supposed to be a secured door. Needless to say the door popped open and hit him in his shoulder knocking him to the rail and almost over .  But seriously , I really don't need to defend my post or my beliefs . But you did ask nicely  .

No need to defend and thank you for answering.

[rolloman]

15 hours ago, BoDidly said:

I'm a firm believer that a person can fall off a cruise ship. I've had the displeasure of  experiencing rough seas and feel that it's possible. Several have tried to change my mind on these boards but that's not going to happen.  The designs wont change because people fall off ships. The ratio would have to increase quite a bit.

I am a firm believer an asteroid can fall to the earth and land on someone.