Horrible Question!!

[Buddy L]

[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]You know when you are younger and you have a fear of flying? and you worry that its bound to crash, but in later life, you reluctantly get over it, otherwise you'd never see the world?[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]Well! when I was younger, I wasn't too keen on boats/ships, or water to be more precise! [/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]So a cruise never appealed to me because, like planes crash, people fall overboard on boats.[/color][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]Thankfully I'm more comfortable with the situation now, (still not keen on water!!) but has anybody any experience of "Man overboard"?[/color][/font]


[font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]Just thought I'd lighten the proceedings a bit.LOL:) [/color][/font]

[JanetMarie]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=royalblue]Thank goodness you have gotten over your fear! Isn't it wonderful to sail the high seas? I have not seen a "man overboard," but I HAVE seen many inebriated folks close to the edge! :eek: :eek: [/color][/size][/font]

[Happy ks]

It would take a huge effort of a very foolish person to do so. The railing on all the ships I have been on have been at least four feet high. I guess you could fall off, if you first climbed on top of it. I always find it amusing to hear about people saying someone could push you off a ship. They would have to be pretty huge and strong to lift a person five feet off the ground, then clear the railing, as it flares out another 12 inches or so. So, don't make any really big, strong people mad at you.

So, the cases of people "falling off" a ship have been of people doing so intentionally, or drunk and stupid.

[traveller99]

I saw this on the boards the other day. Yes it has happened. This occured in April 2003. He was lucky, but he was probably not the tightest capped bottle in the 6 pack!:eek:
[url="http://www.lsj.com/news/local/030419carnival_1a-7a.html"]http://www.lsj.com/news/local/030419carnival_1a-7a.html[/url]

[momofmeg]

Every incident I have read where this has happened the person was drunk and had stupidity climbed over the railing. A few cases the person survived and was picked up.

I have a fear of heights and I do get nervous in certain areas-example no way am I going on that "floating staircase" in the lido restauarant on the spirit class ships that leads to Nick and Nora's. I am sure it is safe-I am just too phobic. I have never seen a place on ship that I truly believed was unsafe-I may be phobic because of my fear of heights but I know logicially I can't really fall unless I do something stupid like climb over the railing.

[mirrajay]

Bottom line is that you will not ACCIDENTALLY fall overboard with the movement of the ship and such if thats what you are concerned with. The rails are fairly high. As everyone else has said, it takes effort to "fall" overboard.

Dont worry! Have a great time.

[cmason]

I imagine the chances of falling off the ship are similar to the chances of you falling off a hotel with a roof top pool, and balconies. Remember, these are not boats, but ships, the physical size of a large hotel building.

[mrsfuzzmo]

I have a story.....

We were cruising about 10 yrs ago and we made friends with the fellas in the casino. We got to know them very well and spent many hours with them on our cruise. The told us story upon story of thing that happen onboard, as well as overboard. The story I remember most clearly was only 2 or 3 weeks prior, there was an inibriated gentleman, who, on formal night, somehow went overboard. People witnessed it, they saw him in the water unhurt. The bridge was notified and sent out a message to the ships that were "caravaning" behind (many lines follow the same pattern, itinerary and schedules). Apparently there were at least 3 ships behind theirs, and all were notified to look for this fella in the water. The next ship did not find him, but the 3rd did. They brought him aboard, and the ships actually met in the night and he was transfered back to his original ship. Craziest part of the story is that, this gentleman, was seen later that night (around 2 am I believe) dancing in the disco, "IN HIS SALTY, wet/dried tuxedo!". CRAZY!!!!

Two years ago, we sailed on the NCL NORWAY (one of her last voyages) and the week before we sailed, a female crew member jumped in. They did find her over 36 hours later, alive, she was spotted by a passenger after they asked all passengers to keep a look out. I would have been a little angry, knowing that she went overboard "on purpose" (which they didn't know at the time), and having my cruise messed up sailing in circles for an extra day and a half!

So, it does happen, but rarely, and generally it is because someone is screwing around, or trying to commit suicide. I wouldn't worry about yourself falling overboard. You'll have a great time and won't feel in danger at all.

Mrsfuzzmo

[MSUSigmaK]

Buddy, I also had the fear of going overboard...darned Twilight Zone put that in my memory years ago. I have heard a few stories of folks going overboard, one a female cruise employee the week after my first cruise. I immediately told our TA "I told you so!" Not sure if it was just a story but, there was also the one about the guy on his honeymoon impressing his new wife with pull ups using the railing. Story goes if he would not have hit his head on the lifeboat below....

[phabric]

Last year on the Coral,(after a port day), the captain after midnight announced in the cabins that they were looking for a crew member. They knew that he was onboard. Eight o'clock the next day, the captain announced that they had spend time looking for him and that other ships were advised. Other crew members thought he might have jumped, as this was his first cruise and was very homesick.