Cruise industry continues to shore up safety in wake of Costa disaster

Cruise Passengers are not supposed to worry about their ship sinking but in the wake of the fatal Costa Concordia disaster, the industry is becoming more safety-minded than ever.  And the latest move: two more safety policies adopted by the global industry that relate to passenger nationalities and what they are told about emergency situations.

Industry insiders cite the long-time solid safety record of cruises but critics question whether the new rules are indeed effective in providing even safer at-sea experiences

The adoption of this policy "will provide our guests with the confidence that they are receiving the same key safety messages no matter which ship they cruise", the European Cruise Council chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio said.

The new rules adopted by three worldwide cruise organizations prescribe a dozen common elements to be communicated to cruise passengers, including a description of key safety features and an explanation of emergency routing systems.

Under another new provision, each cruise passenger’s nationality will be recorded and made available to search and rescue personnel as required.

What has prompted change are worldwide images of the13-story luxury liner Costa Concordia half-submerged in the Tyrrhenian Sea after its captain piloted the ship and its 4,252 passengers and crew into a rock off the Tuscan coast. Thirty two passengers were presumed dead.

Various rule changes have resulted, including one that cruise lines are now required to conduct passenger safety drills before leaving port.

Another change is that previously, cruise ships only had to have enough lifejackets for every cruise passenger and crew member on board. Cruise ships will now have to have excess lifejackets for more than the people on board, say cruise organizations.

There have been other changes as well, despite the industry’s solid record of safety. Of the 153 million passengers carried between 2002 and 2011, only six died in operational incidents (as opposed to suicides or accidents on shore excursions), according to the industry.

There have, however, been incidents similar to that of the Concordia in recent years, but without the dramatic loss of lives.

For those who are at all concerned about safety, perhaps the best advice is from the AARP on how to be sure you’re safe on a cruise ship: "Follow the rules and use common sense," says the organization for retirees.

By David Wilkening