By
Lieutenant Corey Landante |
Recent investigations into cruise ship marine casualties that involved severe weather conditions and operations in remote Antarctic areas highlighted existing gaps in international safety standards and evolving threats. The incidents underscore potential design and operational vulnerabilities inherent to cruise operations in hostile and unpredictable regions of the world well beyond the reach of traditional emergency services.
Severe weather and heavy seas, which are standard throughout the Antarctic region and increasing worldwide due to climate change, can pose serious risks to cruise ships despite the availability of advanced forecasting and navigation technologies. Recent incidents have led to structural damage, temporary losses of stability, and casualties among passengers and crew.
A case in point was an incident that occurred south of Cape Horn in Chile, where a large wave struck a cruise ship broadside and shattered the windows of seven upper deck cabins resulting in one fatality and several injuries. The subsequent investigations uncovered significant shortfalls in the international standards for cruise ship structures and window installations in relation to the force of breaking waves that are typical to the Antarctic region.
A second incident related to breaking waves occurred in January 2024 in the Gulf of Mexico. Although this region has not traditionally posed heavy weather threats to the cruise industry outside of hurricane season, a cruise ship transiting south of Louisiana suffered water damage to approximately 200 staterooms and 12 minor injuries during a stronger than forecasted thunderstorm, which generated 100-knot winds and seas of up to 20 feet.
The U.S. Coast Guard is working with other industry stakeholders to introduce new standards to reduce the number of cruise ship accidents caused by stormy seas
Recent casualty investigations of incidents during Antarctic excursions originating from cruise ships also raised new safety concerns as tourists endeavour to experience the polar region and its wildlife firsthand. While its uncommon for incidents involving cruise ship excursion vessels incidents to result in serious passenger injuries and fatalities, two rigid hull inflatable boat accidents in Antarctic waters near Elephant Island were stark reminders of the risks associated with operating in frigid regions with no possibility of air evacuation to an appropriate trauma centre. The subsequent investigations revealed that operators should provide the following for expeditions in extreme environments: adequate crew training, effective personal protective equipment, multiple vessels for remote areas (the buddy system) and consistent implementation of manufacturer instructions for small boats.
To help counter the threats posed by heavy seas, the U.S. Coast Guard is engaging with the applicable classification societies and the International Association of Classification Societies to ensure that class rules for vessel structures account for breaking waves that impact the vessel from all potential angles. This type of collaborative approach under the International Maritime Organization framework will ensure that cruise ship standards and protocols can be adapted as needed in changing operating environments to avoid future incidents.
Lieutenant Corey Landante is an officer for the U.S. Coast Guard.