Guest Goes Overboard

[Cruising Caribbean]

I was so nervous reading this article because typically man overboard stories do not have a positive ending. Thankfully, this story had a successful rescue. I will be following the story to discover more about this scary story. I'm so impressed by the Symphony of the Seas crew that was able to save this guest's life! 

https://www.cruisehive.com/overboard-from-royal-caribbean-ship-has-successful-rescue/114530

 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

I'm so thankful this was a successful rescue! The Symphony of the Seas crew is well equipped and trained in emergency situations like this. Carnival Jubilee's crew just rescued a couple of kayakers stranded out at sea. That was another incredible save! I love reading a breaking cruise news article with a positive outcome. 

Edited February 7 by Kendall James-Vargas

[Cruising Caribbean]

Wow Carnival Jubilee is turning into a rescue vessel! I always wonder how emergency situations like this happen. If you are going to kayak, when do you decide to turn around? If you get tired or like tried for 30 minutes, that could be a good cue to go back to land. These kayakers were far out! Apparently they were found nine miles off the coast of Cancun. That's some serious distance from land! What if the ship didn't spot them?

[Kendall James-Vargas]

According to the report, these kayakers could have been from another larger vessel, but all of the details are yet to be confirmed. Based on the photo, I would imagine this was a leisure day out on a kayak controlled by likely novice kayakers. I wonder how it all unfolded, but if I had the chance to hang onboard Carnival Jubilee I may get stranded on a kayak too. It sounds silly, but that's a really nice ship! 

[LukeJ]

It's easily done. I can believe it can be naive kayakers out and becoming unstuck. I've been on kayaks myself, and you can lose your sense of direction and absent mindedness when you are enjoying, and I can imagine the panic when they look around see nothing around them other than water.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ The waves/current can take you away fast! I get nervous going on to kayak on the ocean without a guide. This circumstance certainly involved novice kayakers; I agree completely. When you get so far out that you are loosing sight of land, that's when you need to use all of the help measures you have. When you kayak, you should have different measures of alerting others for help like snares or whistles. Thankfully the cruise ship saved the day, but this story could have had a disastrous outcome. It's much simpler to kayak a lake or somewhere without a strong current. 

[LukeJ]

I prefer kayaking or paddle boarding on a huge lake if I'm honest. It's totally a different feeling to the ocean. Whenever I'm on a lake, it feels to peaceful and you're at peace with yourself looking at the views as you just casually move along. It's a fantastic buzz in my opinion to the ocean. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I completely agree! The ocean has stronger currents that can make it difficult to paddle against. It's much easier to kayak, and especially paddle board, on a lake or any other calm body of water. Don't get me wrong, I love the ocean, but when I'm traveling on something I have to self-propel, I don't find it relaxing to have to struggle so hard to get from point A to point B. On the ocean, I want to be on a boat, preferably a cruise ship, but I'm fine with a jet ski too. I will do a little snorkeling here and there by the shore, but that's good enough for me. I'm all about the bathtub ocean experience! 

[LukeJ]

I don't tend to do many water activities, despite living not far from the ocean. I'm trying to make myself have more days off, to spend with the family, however the weather in the UK isn't always great, which puts paid to most outdoor activities.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ What's funny is I used to live by the beach, and I never really went that often. Now that I live far away from it, all I want is a sunset on the beach. I prefer the being at the beach versus being in the ocean, but I really miss all aspects of the beach. I miss the birds and the breeze. I miss the sound of the waves and the sand in my toes. It's really something you can easily take advantage of! When the weather is bad, I completely understand avoiding it, but when the weather is nice, it's the best place to be. There really is nothing like it. When I cruise now I'm looking for good beach stops. I want to be back as often as I can! 

[LukeJ]

It's strange that you never take advantage of it really as much. I have relatives that have never been on a beach because of the location where they live, and it's on my doorstep and I don't go as much as I should. It may also have something to do with the weather is always atrocious and makes it harder to go.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ I didn't realize the weather by your was so dreary as often as you are explaining. I don't mind a foggy beach day but excess wind and rain (especially with lightening) is just no good. I wish that I had more access to the beach as well, but I'm used to warm sunny beach days. I prefer the Atlantic Ocean because of its perpetual warmth, but the Pacific Ocean can be beautiful as well. When I used to live off the coast of California, I would do beach days that didn't always consist of entering the ocean. That was mostly because of the temperatures. The Pacific Ocean can be so cold and the waves can be an overkill. I'm not a surfer, but I would often wear a wetsuit to get in the Pacific Ocean. It's really the only way it could feel tolerable most months. 

[3Sisters]

Another RCL goes overboard but this time off of Icon of the Seas. Although the guest was located in the Gulf of Mexico, he passed away after being discovered in critical condition. It's such a shame we see another overboard situation, and this time it was off of the largest cruise ship! It ruins the itinerary when something like this happens. 

https://www.cruisehive.com/passenger-jumps-off-worlds-largest-cruise-ship/135244

[Cruising Caribbean]

That's horrible. It makes me so sad when cruise guests do this. I always want to assume it's accidental, but much of the time it is not. Sometimes families just get left behind entirely if they don't make it back to the ship in time. That's another way to end your cruise short. Recently a family was left behind in Ketchikan because they didn't make it back to the ship fast enough. These guests that cruised onboard Norwegian Encore and were unable to get back on the ship at the next stop because they didn't have their passports. Not only that but this family was charged $9,000 for not making it back in time. I would be livid, wouldn't you?