While the large majority of passengers and crew were
successfully evacuated from the ship, there were injuries and loss of life.
While accidents like this one are extremely rare in cruising, the tragedy led
the cruise industry to review its safety practices and find opportunities for
improvement.
Less than a month after the Concordia’s accident, the cruise industry announced a new emergency
drill policy that requires muster station drills to be held for embarking
passengers before ship departs. This policy exceeds legal requirements, which
mandate a muster drill within 24 hours of the ship’s departure. Muster drills
ensure that passengers are informed of essential safety procedures, including
procedures and routes for emergency evacuation of the ship.
More new safety policies developed by the cruise
industry include:
· Mandatory requirements for passage planning
· Greater restrictions on access to the bridge
· Increased quantities of life jackets on board
· Recording passengers’ nationalities (information that
can help search and rescue personnel)
· Twelve common elements in the safety instructions given
to passengers during muster drills
All of these new policies exceed current regulatory
requirements, in keeping with the cruise industry’s longtime commitment to
passenger and crew safety.
Christine Duffy, chief executive officer of the Cruise
Lines International Association, hopes the industry can prevent an accident
like the one suffered by the passengers and crew of the Concordia from ever happening again. And, she reminds travelers
that cruising remains one of the safest forms of travel.
“Amid all of this activity and interest lies one
central question: are cruise ships safe?” said Duffy. “The
answer is resoundingly yes. Evidence clearly shows that compared to virtually
any other form of mass recreation or travel, cruises are one of the safest
activities around. In the five years before the Concordia incident, more
than 100 million people took a cruise, with 16 casualties worldwide due to
marine accident or collision. The cruise industry takes safety very
seriously.”
Talk with your Cruise Holidays travel professional
about any concerns you may have about safety on your next cruise.
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