142 Photo: U.S. Coast Guard/Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley VIEWPOINT 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 By Lieutenant Corey Landante, U.S. Coast Guard Protecting ships in stormy seas U.S. Coast Guard is working with classification societies to develop new standards that will minimise the risk of evolving threats to cruise vessels operating in severe weather conditions
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