Mention Bermuda Triangle?

[BlueChairBlessing]

Hello! May be a strange question but in your experience, has there been obvious reference to "sailing in/through the Bermuda triangle?" We're going on our first cruise (4/27 - Symphony of the Seas) and my nine year old will FREAK out. He & his brother watch a lot of Natl Geographic/Discovery stuff. In part because our trip is last minute & itinerary not carefully planned, I always said, "No, of course we don't go through the triangle" when asked. Oops...

[cb at sea]

You won't know where in the ocean you are...no worries!

[sparks1093]

41 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

You won't know where in the ocean you are...no worries!

You will if you look at the ship's location on one of the video screens. But the triangle isn't pointed out or mentioned. OP I have sailed in the triangle numerous times, no worries at all.

[BDRebel]

They will never know until the UFOs try to beam them aboard!

Wait until the end of the cruise to tell them, then use it as a teaching moment that you can't believe everything on the TV (or the internet!)

[Heidi13]

As a mariner, I have sailed these waters many times and have no concerns.

 

Sadly, it is a fact of life, but some ships do experience difficulties whether from weather, cargo shifting or maintenance issues. If memory is correct the depth in the Atlantic is also extensive in this area, which makes finding wrecks rather difficult, probably why various media sources jump on the Bermuda Triangle bandwagon.

 

Not aware of any pax vessels sinking in the area, so don't worry and enjoy the cruise.

[BlueChairBlessing]

Thanks all for your input! I'm not planning on saying anything about it to them before or during the cruise 😉

Edited February 8, 2019 by BlueChairBlessing

[Underwatr]

Over Christmas on Queen Mary 2 the Captain mentioned during his noon navigational announcement that we would be entering the Bermuda Triangle within the next day. Just a mention. He might have called it the "legendary Bermuda Triangle" or something like that.

 

It wasn't demarcated on the map display on the in-room ship status channel or anything.

Edited February 8, 2019 by Underwatr

[brillohead]

Since there is no OFFICIAL word on where the Bermuda Triangle's boundaries are, you haven't technically lied to your child.

Don't give it a second thought.

[George C]

Seas around Bermuda can be very rough , have been there many times and is only place in my over 60 cruises I ever got sea sick but that was a tiny ship many years ago. 

[lenquixote66]

In 1973 we were on a cruise that went through the Triangle.Every passenger and every crew member became ill.At that time the cure was injections in the rear end.

[AL3XCruise]

I've been through the Triangle many times (at least eight transits on cruise ships).  I never heard it mentioned by an officer or staff member, though on one cruise a comedian referenced it in a few jokes.  It is also possible that other cruisers will discuss it.  

 

I wouldn't expect it to come up, but it couldn't hurt to have some facts handy as a plan B in case they happen to overhear something.  Some folks interest in selling books and "documentaries" (I use the term loosely) has led to the legend but it is easy to disprove with some rational analysis.  Of course, quotes from Lloyds of London and the USCG probably won't sway a nine year old.

[leaveitallbehind]

8 hours ago, George C said:

Seas around Bermuda can be very rough , have been there many times and is only place in my over 60 cruises I ever got sea sick but that was a tiny ship many years ago. 

 

The seas anywhere can be very rough - and they can just as well be very calm.  In fact the roughest seas we ever encountered were in the Caribbean between the Panama Canal and Jamaica at 25+ feet as reported by the Captain, and one of the calmest seas we've ever had was a day away en route to Bermuda on one of our many trips there as well - literally smooth as glass. 

 

But to the OP, we've never heard mention of our location as being in the Bermuda Triangle on any cruise which we've been on that would have been in that region in over 25 years of cruising. I would not be concerned about it being announced.

Edited February 9, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[Capt_BJ]

14 hours ago, Underwatr said:

Over Christmas on Queen Mary 2 the Captain mentioned during his noon navigational announcement that we would be entering the Bermuda Triangle within the next day. Just a mention. He might have called it the "legendary Bermuda Triangle" or something like that.

 

It wasn't demarcated on the map display on the in-room ship status channel or anything.

 

On a QM2 TA, Master made mention of how close we'd pass the location of Titanic, esplcy when Ice Patrol revised limits of ice field and we'd pass closer than previously expected.  dw did ask, "does he have to mention that EVERY day."  But I guess lots of folks ask about it.

 

For OP: my patrol area was often within 'the triangle' - most of the Bahamas is.  Suffered no ill effects nor aware of any mysterious incidents during my time.

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Capt_BJ

[Aplmac]

11 hours ago, brillohead said:

Since there is no OFFICIAL word

on where the Bermuda Triangle's boundaries are,

you haven't technically lied to your child.

Don't give it a second thought.

.

It has always been triangulated

between Bermuda, Miami and San Juan PR

 

And nothing's changed since then.

.

[brillohead]

14 hours ago, Aplmac said:

.

It has always been triangulated

between Bermuda, Miami and San Juan PR

 

And nothing's changed since then.

.

My point was that it's not a defined / legal border because it's not even an official "entity".  

It's an area roughly defined as Bermuda to Florida to Puerto Rico, but there's no exact border marker.  It's not like in Key West where there's a marker stating "Southernmost point of CONUS".  There's no "here lies the FL corner of the Bermuda Triangle" marker.  

Without any OFFICIAL markings -- because the Bermuda Triangle is just a legend, after all -- you can honestly state that the ship will not be in the Bermuda Triangle.  

Another way of looking at it -- just because the books say that Hogwart's Express goes through Kings Cross Station doesn't mean it's real (even if they did paint it on the wall there).  

[AL3XCruise]

41 minutes ago, brillohead said:

My point was that it's not a defined / legal border because it's not even an official "entity".  

That was my understanding of your point.  No government nor industry organization I am aware of charts the Triangle; any "map" is based on some stuff folks drew up in the fifties to sell newspapers, magazines, and books.

[BlueChairBlessing]

Again, really appreciate all the information and personal experiences shared. We're getting so excited!

[dkjretired]

On 2/8/2019 at 12:33 AM, BlueChairBlessing said:

Hello! May be a strange question but in your experience, has there been obvious reference to "sailing in/through the Bermuda triangle?" We're going on our first cruise (4/27 - Symphony of the Seas) and my nine year old will FREAK out. He & his brother watch a lot of Natl Geographic/Discovery stuff. In part because our trip is last minute & itinerary not carefully planned, I always said, "No, of course we don't go through the triangle" when asked. Oops...

 

If you check on one of the Discovery channels there is a show that claims the Bermuda Triangle is a myth.

[SRF]

On 2/9/2019 at 9:30 AM, Capt_BJ said:

For OP: my patrol area was often within 'the triangle' - most of the Bahamas is.  Suffered no ill effects nor aware of any mysterious incidents during my time.

 

 

We just won't discuss your third eye or green scaly arms. 😄

 

[angie7911922]

I've never heard others talking about it on board either, so unless your child specifically asks someone about it, it most likely won't get brought up. 

After the cruise, let him know the truth. It's a good learning experience. My kids have seen those shows also, but after being on several cruises, they don't care anymore where in the water they are. 

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, dkjretired said:

 

If you check on one of the Discovery channels there is a show that claims the Bermuda Triangle is a myth.

Many respected people have written books about the Triangle.

[AL3XCruise]

3 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Many respected people have written books about the Triangle.

 

Its entirely possible to write an interesting and accurate book about the Triangle.  Lots of interesting and unexplained things have happened there.  However, if you look at comparably sized chunks of ocean that are very busy, they have very similar numbers of interesting things happening.  

 

Reporting on unsolved mysteries in one area is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.  Claiming that more such mysteries occur in the Bermuda Triangle while ignoring all the worldwide data that contradicts that is disingenuous at best. 

 

To be fair, such statistical analysis was more difficult in when the Triangle was first hypothesized than it is now.  It is possible some of the early writers saw events in the Triangle and didn't have the resources to fully explore similar mysteries worldwide.  Nowadays, though, it is hard to make such an excuse.

[dkjretired]

7 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Many respected people have written books about the Triangle.

 

Never said I agreed or disagreed with the show, only bringing it to the attention of the OP to possibly show his son.

[squick64]

However, if you look at comparably sized chunks of ocean that are very busy, they have very similar numbers of interesting things happening.  

 

Reporting on unsolved mysteries in one area is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.  Claiming that more such mysteries occur in the Bermuda Triangle while ignoring all the worldwide data that contradicts that is disingenuous at best.

 

Goodness knows what fearmongering shows the OP's kids have been watching. 🙂 I was (and still am) scared of lightning after the Discovery Channel showed a special on how any of us could be struck dead at any second. All this disaster/alien stuff makes for good entertainment but is a bunch of hooey. There haven't been any more "incidents" (per capita) in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other triangle you care to draw on the ocean.

 

I'm sure I've passed through at least small bits of the Bermuda Triangle and haven't heard anything mentioned. As someone said above, the ocean is absurdly large and all looks the same. There's really nothing to clue you in to where you are (apart from seeing land).

[Husky61]

This from the Coast Guard:

 

The Coast Guard does not recognize the existence of the so-called Bermuda Triangle as a geographic area of specific hazard to ships or planes. In a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, there has been nothing discovered that would indicate that casualties were the result of anything other than physical causes. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.