Recently, I sailed with my friend on her first cruise. We made it through a 4-night sailing without incident until we were getting breakfast on disembarkation and heard, "Alpha, Alpha, Alpha" over the PA system. She looked at me confused, not knowing what the secret code meant.
Whenever there's an emergency on a cruise ship, the crew uses coded language to keep the situation as discreet as possible. For example, "Alpha" typically means there's a medical emergency onboard. When you hear it on a cruise, it's usually followed by a location to give relevant crew instructions on where to go.
While there's not a readily available manual for you to peruse, one former cruise ship crew member took to YouTube to reveal some of the secret emergency codes you may hear while onboard and why they exist.
Lucy Southerton, the creative mind behind YouTube and social media platforms @CruisingAsCrew, spent years working aboard cruise ships on lines ranging from Virgin Voyages to Royal Caribbean.
Even though she's no longer actively working at sea, she loves to share the tips and insights that she gained working as a cruise ship crew member.
In a recent YouTube video, Southerton watched TikToks made by other crew members and provided her own commentary. "So, today, we are going to watch some TikToks. I'm very excited," she begins, "Me and you both are going to be surprised. We're going to be commenting on them."
"Secret codes for different emergencies"
The first TikTok Southerton played was originally posted by @dannysmartcruises. He explained that, regardless of their actual position on a cruise ship, all crew members have an extra job: being part of the emergency response team.
Along with that, he mentioned how cruise ships have secret codes for different emergencies so guests don't get scared.
This is when Southerton chimed in: "...[G]uests used to come up to me and be like, 'Why are there code names?' I'm like, 'Can you imagine if the Captain came over the tannoy and was like, 'Fire, fire, fire?' So, instead..., a lot of ships say 'bravo.'"
Read more: Bad things that happen on cruise ships
She goes on to talk about how every cruise has different code names. If there was a standard set of codes, "they wouldn't be very code."
Another crew member, @QueenOfTheSeas3, commented, "I could never remember the code names, haha. I thought they were all the same on every ship. Alpha is a medical emergency, and Oscar is [man] overboard. The cruise director would always put someone on the spot and ask them what they were in meetings."
It's somewhat common to hear "Alpha" on cruise ships, as it typically means a passenger needs medical assistance. However, there are other code words you don't want to hear, such as "Oscar," "Mr. MOB," "Bravo, or "Red Party." These codes indicate more serious situations, like a man overboard or fire.
"Charlie" could mean there's a security threat, while "Echo" could signal a possible collision or drifting. "Zulu" is a code used aboard Carnival Cruise Line to indicate a fight onboard. One step up from "Alpha," you may hear "Operation Rising Star," which refers to a critical medical emergency or death onboard.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on nearly 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
