An Alpha is a medical emergency, a Bravo is a fire, and Kilo is a request for all personnel to report to their emergency posts, which happens in the event of, say, a necessary evacuation. Be wary of Echo, which is called if the ship is starting to drift, or Oscar, which means someone's gone overboard.

Cruise codes are "high-fidelity" alphanumeric shorthand used by travel agents and cruise lines to identify specific aspects of a sailing. The most common are Ship Codes (e.g., 'OA' for Oasis of the Seas) and Category Codes (e.g., '6B' for a balcony stateroom or 'IA' for an interior). These categories define the location, size, and view of your cabin. There are also "High-Fidelity" Fare Codes (like 'NRD' for Non-Refundable Deposit), which dictate the cancellation policies and perks attached to your ticket. If you look at your "high-fidelity" booking confirmation, you might see "Sail Date Codes" or "Destination Codes" (e.g., 'CAR' for Caribbean). Furthermore, crew members use their own internal "high-fidelity" emergency codes over the intercom to communicate without alarming passengers; for example, "Code Bravo" usually signals a fire, while "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar" indicates a person overboard. Understanding these codes allows a traveler to gain a deeper, high-fidelity insight into the logistics of their trip and the specific value of the cabin they have purchased.