Cruise industry adopts two new safety policies

JUNE 26, 2012 — The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council (ECC) report that the cruise industry has adopted two new safety policies. The policies result from the Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review launched in January following the Costa Concordia disaster and relate to the recording of passenger nationality and the common elements of musters and emergency instructions.

The Nationality of Passengers policy was developed in response to the request of governments at the May meeting of IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee meeting. This policy prescribes that the nationality of each passenger onboard be recorded and made readily available to search and rescue personnel.

Under the Common Elements of Musters and Emergency Instructions policy, member cruise lines have specified 12 common elements that will be communicated to passengers in musters and emergency instructions. Among the common elements are a description of key safety systems and features and an explanation of emergency routing systems and recognizing emergency exits.

Both policies exceed current international regulatory requirements.

“Our industry continues to actively identify a range of measures that will improve the safety of passengers and crew, which is the top priority of the cruise industry,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. “Ongoing innovation in safety has been a hallmark of our industry for decades and we are fully committed to continuous improvement in shipboard operations and safety. We are taking a holistic look at safety as has been evidenced by the breadth and scope of the numerous policies that have been developed and adopted as part of the Review since its launch earlier this year.”

“These new safety policies are representative of the industry’s commitment to raising standards across the global fleet and of our willingness to listen and act on good ideas brought forward by other interested stakeholders,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Chairman of ECC. “Establishing common elements of a muster policy will provide our guests with the confidence that they are receiving the same key safety messages no matter which ship they cruise. Providing additional information on passengers’ nationality is a direct and immediate response to a good idea and, as with our other voluntary commitment, is applicable with immediate effect.”

A full version of the Nationality of Passengers policy can be accessed HERE

The Common Elements of Musters and Emergency Instructions policy is available HERE