NTSB to hold forum on cruise ship safety

Deborah Hersman

FEBRUARY 5, 2014 — The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public forum on cruise ship safety and oversight on March 25-26 in Washington, DC.

“Cruising is a rapidly growing segment of leisure travel and carried a record 20-million-plus passengers in 2012,” says NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “We are convening this forum to learn more about the international cruise ship industry – from vessel construction to vessel evacuation – and all of the significant operational and oversight activities in between.”

The forum, Cruise Ships: Examining Safety, Operations and Oversight, will review the regulatory framework, ship design and fire protection, operations and corporate oversight of cruise ships. It will also explore some recent high-profile incidents. The NTSB says that the forum’s goal is to encourage dialogue among industry stakeholders, regulators, and the general public to better understand cruise ship safety and oversight. Participants will include regulators such as the U.S. Coast Guard, vessel owners and operators, researchers and industry groups.

A detailed agenda and list of participants will be released closer to the date of the event and will be available on the NTSB website.

The forum will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center, located at 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W. Washington, D.C. It will be free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.