Editing Vessel emergency codes (section)

{{Short description|Coded messages used over public address systems on passenger ships}}
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{{refimprove|date=November 2018}}
{{original research|date=May 2021}}
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In addition to [[distress signal]]s like [[Mayday (distress signal)|Mayday]] and [[pan-pan]], most vessels, especially [[passenger ship]]s, use some emergency signals to alert the crew on board. In some cases, the signals may alert the passengers to danger, but, in others, the objective is to conceal the emergency from unaffected passengers so as to avoid panic or undue alarm. Signals can be in the form of blasts on alarm bells, sounds on the ship's whistle or [[code name]]s paged over the [[Public address|PA]] system.

*''Alpha, alpha, alpha'' is the code for a medical emergency aboard Royal Caribbean and Norwegian ships.<ref name=presser>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-royal-caribbean-cruise-secrets-20180202-story.html |title=Secret codes, subliminal messaging behind world's biggest cruise |last=Presser |first=Brandon |agency=Bloomberg |via=Chicago Tribune |date=2 February 2018 |access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref>
*''Alpha Team, Alpha Team, Alpha Team'' is the code for a fire emergency aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships.
*''Abandon ship signal'', seven short blasts followed by one long blast of the ships horn and internal alarm bell system.<ref name="Obs">{{cite web|url=https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/dam-migration/obs_training_manual_mar_2020.pdf|title=Observer Training Manual|publisher=[[NOAA]]|date=March 2020|accessdate=2024-10-14}}</ref>
*''Bravo, bravo, bravo'' is used by many cruise lines to alert crew to a fire or other serious incident on board without alarming passengers.<ref name=presser /><ref name="bravobravobravo">{{cite web|year=|title=Report of Investigation into the Circumstances Surrounding the Fire aboard Royal Caribbean International Passenger Vessel ''Nordic Empress''|author=United States Coast Guard – Ken Olsen|url=https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/documents/empress.pdf}}</ref>
*''Operation Brightstar'' designates a medical emergency, such as cardiac or stroke on Carnival and Disney cruise line vessels. It can only be requested to be announced by one of the medical team or an officer with advanced medical training. The spoken word ''Brightstar'' over the PA, sometimes supplemented by a group signal on the pager system will alert the medical team including all doctors and nurses to attend the location. The ventilation officer (VO) is also alerted during a Brightstar. The VO will start the power to the cooling in the morgue (presuming it is not already in use) as a precaution.
*''Charlie, Charlie, Charlie'' is the code for a security threat aboard Royal Caribbean ships and the code for upcoming helicopter winch operations aboard c-bed accommodation vessels.
*''[[Code Blue (emergency code)|Code blue]]'' usually means a medical emergency.
*''Delta, delta, delta'' is the code for a possible bio-hazard among some cruise lines. More commonly used to alert crew to hull damage on board some lines as well.
*''Echo, echo, echo'' is the code for a possible collision with another ship or the shore aboard Royal Caribbean ships, or if the ship is starting to drift.<ref name=presser /> On board some cruise lines this means danger of high winds while at port. It alerts the crew responsible for the gangway, thrusters etc. to get into position and be ready for new maneuvers.
*''Fire and emergency'', continuous ringing of the general alarm bell for ten seconds and a continuous sounding of the ship's whistle for ten seconds. This is the abandon ship signal used at Celebrity Cruises.<ref name="NOAA"/>
*'' Kilo, Kilo, Kilo'' on Royal Caribbean is a general signal for crew to report to emergency stations.<ref name=presser />
*''Mr Mob'' (pronounced Mister M.O.B, not Mr. Mob) means [[man overboard]].<ref name="mrmob1">{{cite web|year=2002|title=Semester at Sea: "Innocents Abroad, 2002"|author=The Courier Online – Michael Pearson|url=http://www.odu.edu/ao/instadv/vol33issue10/news.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2006-03-15|archive-date=2006-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907024642/http://www.odu.edu/ao/instadv/vol33issue10/news.htm}}</ref> Man overboard can also be signaled with three prolonged blasts on the ship's whistle and general alarm bell ([[Morse code]] "Oscar").<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web|year=2000|title=General Shipboard Policy Information|author=The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|url=http://www.moc.noaa.gov/all_ships/policy.htm}}</ref>
*''Mr Skylight'' paged over the PA system is an alert for the crew on board and means there is a minor emergency somewhere.<ref name="mrskylighteng">{{cite web|year=1997|title=Final report on the MV ''ESTONIA'' disaster of 28 September 1994|author=The Joint Accident Investigation Commission of MV ''ESTONIA'' and Edita Ltd.|url=http://www.onnettomuustutkinta.fi/estonia/chapt16.html|access-date=6 April 2008|archive-date=18 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318074930/http://www.onnettomuustutkinta.fi/estonia/chapt16.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="mrskylight">{{cite web|year=2003|title=Sjögång och skeppsjargong|author1=Anders Bergek |author2=Hanna Johansson |author3=Maria Lundquist |author4=Sara Rutgersson |author5=Chris Ryder |author6=Jessica Stark |author7=Maria Stensdotter. Linköpings universitet |url=http://www.ida.liu.se/~HKGBB5/rapporter-03/grupp1.pdf |language=sv}}</ref>
*''Oscar, Oscar, Oscar'' is the code for man overboard aboard Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships.<ref name=presser />
*''Purell, Purell, Purell'' followed by a location is for cleanup (vomit) on Celebrity ships.
*''Red Parties, Red Parties, Red Parties'' is used by Disney Cruise Line over the PA system to alert the crew of a fire or possible fire on board the ship.
*''Star code, star code, star code'' is a code for a medical emergency aboard Celebrity ships.
*''Zulu, Zulu, Zulu'' is the code for a fight aboard most cruise lines.