Cruise ship worker explains the secret emergency codes you don’t want to hear while at sea

A cruise ship worker has revealed why there are secret emergency codes on board that more often than not, you do not want to hear around you.

No, it's not secretive in an MI5 or FBI sense of the word. But secretive in the sense of it means something to staff that might go over your head.

It's the same on planes, where secret messages such as 'Code 300' or 'Squawk 7500' might be heard being said among cabin crew if something happens relating to the terminology.

Now one former cruise ship employee, Lucy Southerton, has spoken out about the secret codes you might here on cruise ships and why they exist in the first place.

Lucy spent 10 years working a variety of jobs on the open seas for the likes of cruise line behemoth Royal Caribbean as well as P&O Cruises and Virgin Voyages, run by Sir Richard Branson.

You'll hear these code words on the intercom system, often issued by the captain (Getty Stock Images)

Cruise lines and code words

In a new video on her Cruising As Crew YouTube channel, she went through a number of TikTok videos form the cruising community.

And first up was a clip about the emergency response drills that all staff take part in every week in case of a real problem. And part of that is knowing the code words and what they relate to.

"We have different codes for different emergencies such as fires and man overboard," the man in the clip says.

Reacting, Lucy explained why this is the case. She recalled: "Guests used to come up to me and ask, 'why are there code names?'.

"Can you imagine if the captain came over the tannoy and was like, 'fire, fire, fire!'.

"A lot of ships use 'Bravo' but a lot of cruise lines use different code names otherwise they wouldn't be very... code."

Lucy offers countless tonnes and tonnes of cruise advice on her YouTube channel (Instagram / @cruisingascrew)

What code words are used on cruise ships?

As Lucy says, 'Bravo' is used when there's a fire or other similar hazardous situation that needs addressing on a cruise ship.

It's not the only worrying code in place, either. In the grim instance of a passenger going overboard, you might hear 'Oscar' being mentioned by crew who are coordinating a response and potential rescue operation.

And as Lucy suggests it is not always 'Oscar', though, with 'Red Parties' used by Disney Cruise Line for fire dangers.

Then there is 'Alpha', a code word you are likely to hear in the case of an urgent medical emergency onboard the ship where quick treatment is needed.

With each cruise ship having a medical wing, it is a situation that often can be handled at sea.

When it comes to the weather, you might hear 'Charlie' mentioned. It's a code word you'll hear on significant stormy weather that poses a threat to the ship and the people on board.

We're not talking a bit of rain and wind here, guys.

Another grim one used on board some cruise ships is 'Purell', which means we need a clean up operating after someone's seasickness couldn't stay in their stomach. Nasty.