Do cruise ships turn around if a passenger falls overboard?

Sometimes. Cruise lines have a legal obligation under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Coast Guard regulations to immediately undertake search and rescue operations when a passenger is observed going overboard. read more

Cruise ship masters, like all captains, are experienced in performing a "Williamson turn" to bring the ship under power promptly back to the point where the person went overboard. Under the 2010 Vessel Safety and Security Act (CVSSA), cruise lines are required to install automatic man overboard system to detect when passengers go overboard. read more

Second, the cruise ship will turn around as soon as possible to reach the area where the person landed in the water. When a passenger fell off Oasis of the Seas in November 2015, the ship came to a stop in six minutes, traveling almost a mile from the site before it could turn around. read more

E very time I step on a cruise ship with my children, I have an irrational fear that one of them will fall overboard. It is a split-second anxiety that dissipates almost as quickly as it surfaces, especially when I look at the reassuringly high railings on the public decks and realise how difficult it must be to accidentally fall. read more