Can A Cruise Ship Tip Over? Chances And Protocols

The chance of a cruise ship getting tipped over is very low.

Costa Concordia cruise ship capsized

Modern cruise ships can withstand waves up to 50 feet.

And for rogue waves above 50 feet, which are very rare, the cruise ship may suffer some damage.

Cruise ships going to the Arctic and Antarctic voyages have strong hulls too.

Additionally, cruise ships have excellent weather prediction technology onboard.

Safety Measures and Protocols to Prevent Cruise Ships from Tipping Over

Here are the safety measures, and protocols of a cruise line:

  • The cruise ship will start an immediate evacuation procedure if there is a risk of capsizing.
  • The ship’s captain will signal an alert by giving seven short horn blasts followed by one long horn blast.
  • Messages will be sent to nearby ships and the shore.
  • Passengers will be directed to assemble on the deck of lifeboats. A systematic and orderly evacuation process will start.

What are the chances of a cruise ship sinking?

For a cruise ship to sink, many factors should come into play at the same time such as:

  • The cruise ship should collide with a rogue wave, coral reef, ice, etc.
  • The captain of the ship will not steer the ship well.
  • The hull should get cracked.
  • Water should get into the ship through the cracks and holes of the hull.

All these factors occurring at the same time are rare, although not impossible.

Even then, the cruise ship will stay afloat.

Because they are designed to encounter such occurrences.

Cruise ships can also withstand damage from hitting an iceberg.

What should you do if your cruise ship capsizes?

In the unfortunate event of your cruise ship getting capsized, here is what you should do:

  • First, put on your life jacket.
  • Get to the deck where you can get on to the lifeboats.
  • Avoid the elevators as they may not work.
  • If the boat begins to tilt, hold on to the walls or handrails, if any.

It is important to stay calm in such a situation because panic will not help you to overcome the situation.

Remember that the crew undergoes rigorous training for such emergencies.

So, let them handle the situation to evacuate all the passengers.

And there are enough lifeboats on every cruise ship to evacuate all the passengers.

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About Tully Seal

Avatar of Tully SealTully Seal is a travel blogger. She is a BA graduate in Hospitality Management and has over 4 years of work experience in the travel and hospitality industry. She loves to cook in her spare time.

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