New Safety Policies for Cruise Lines

As a result of the Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review launched in January 2012, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council (ECC) today announced that the cruise industry has adopted two new safety policies.

The Nationality of Passengers policy was developed in response to the request of governments at the May meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee meeting.  According to this policy, the nationality of each passenger onboard is to be recorded and made readily available to search and rescue personnel as appropriate.

The Common Elements of Musters and Emergency Instructions policy was also developed to ensure that passengers are aware of safety instructions. Member cruise lines have specified twelve common elements that will be communicated to passengers. Among those 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.”  

To view oll CLIA policies, go to http://cruising.org/regulatory/cruise-industry-policies.