The Current State of Cruise Ship Safety

The Passenger Ship Safety Miami 2017 event was just held in Florida with members of the cruise industry in attendance to get a pulse on the current state of shipboard security during a two-day conference. Cruise Industry News has reported on a number of highlights, which we analyze below.

Everyone will agree that safety first is the best policy towards any operation, and as I witnessed first hand at the Resolve Marine Group training center in Ft. Lauderdale back in 2012, Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited has been one such corporation to put its money where its mouth is with bridge simulations and fire suppression exercises. Carnival Corporation also recently expanded its own Center for Simulator Maritime Training Academy (CSMART) last year since it originally opened in 2009.

Meanwhile at the latest Passenger Ship Safety event, fire was again a subject of conversation, and the report says that John Hemgard, marine business director at Marioff, considers the engine room the riskiest fire source onboard a cruise ship and LNG and lithium batteries future challenges. As a new fuel source for cruise ships, LNG is relatively untried for safety. Marioff offers quickly-activated water mist systems for fire suppression solutions.

READ MORE: Modern Training Centers Put Priority on Cruise Safety

Carnival Cruise Line, for one, has made changes to its fire patrols with 24-hour manning in high-risk zones according to Martina Gallus, director of deck and safety. She was quoted as saying, “The human element is the chief factor. The fire patrol can help much more than a detection system.”

Other improved protections that exist against fire are enhanced structures, new fuel flex hoses and spray areas, as well as engine hot spot cover defenses. In the past, several cruise ships have unfortunately been temporarily disabled by fires breaking out, so increased standards across the board in this arena will only help to ensure such instances are more and more rare as time goes on.

Also focused on the human factor is the United States Coast Guard (USCG) with learnings from cruise ship inspections leading to better crew training according to Brad Schoenwald, senior marine inspector/lead examiner for the Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise, who was quoted as saying, “It is about measuring the actual performance of the crew rather than their knowledge alone.”

The Coast Guard’s involvement thankfully begins when a new cruise ship is being initially designed, constructed and eventually inspected to ensure the utmost in passenger safety from day one. Even sea trials, which we recently covered, are part of the process of verifying that all systems are 100 percent a go before a new ship is launched, and, of course, continuing USCG inspections ensure they are maintained at that level.

READ MORE: The Significance of Cruise Ship Sea Trials

At Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Joseph Miorelli, associate vice president, technical newbuild projects, also notes the importance of overall ship life-cycles and future design considerations such as the potential of weight being added to top decks. It’s not uncommon for new staterooms to be grafted on to upper levels or new attractions later installed, altering vessels’ structural balances.

Miorelli is also focused on damage reports and is quoted as saying, “All brands are now following a new policy for monthly damage response drills. This includes the capability to assess damage conditions in 20 minutes, and have clear roles and responsibilities for response teams and operational command.”

Ultimately, safety needs to be considered from the top down, and the report shows that MSC Cruises follows that culture according to Ryan Allain, vice president safety, security and environment for MSC Cruises USA. MSC’s ships are subject to twice-yearly, three-week visits from a traveling safety team for fleet assessments, and they’re paying off. MSC Divina’s latest United States Coast Guard inspections have resulted in zero deficiencies.

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