By
Cherie Rowlands |
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council (ECC) announced on 2 July that the industry has adopted two new safety policies.
The latest measures require onboard passenger nationalities to be recorded and made available to search-and-rescue teams under the Nationality of Passengers policy, while the Common Elements of Musters and Emergency Instructions outlines 12 points to be communicated to passengers including key safety features, emergency routing systems and exits.
“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 ECC chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio. “Establishing common elements of a muster policy will provide our passengers 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.”
Both policies arose from the Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review launched in January 2012, and a panel of maritime and safety experts recommended improvements in line with cruise companies’ commitment to implementing best practice across the industry.
CLIA president and CEO Christine Duffy said: “Our industry continues to identify proactively a range of measures that will improve the safety of passengers and crew, which is the top priority of the cruise industry.
“Ongoing innovation in safety has been a hallmark of our industry for decades and we are fully committed to continuous improvement in shipboard operations. 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.”
Both policies are to be considered by International Maritime Organisation at its November session.
For more details on all CLIA policy documents visit http://cruising.org/regulatory/cruise-industry-policies.