Industry news
New rules outlined for cruise ships
Posted Fri, 27 Apr 2012
Cruise line operators are expected to take on board a series of new health and safety rules in the wake of recent disasters.
The European Cruise Council (ECC) has launched the new policies which mean ships need to have more life jackets than the number of passengers.
The regulations also advise that crew members with operational duties should only have access to the bridge. Manfredi Lefebvre, the chairman of the ECC and also a member of the Cruise Lines International Association's executive committee, announced the improvements to the safety rules.
It comes after the Costa Concordia collided with rocks off the Italian coast in January this year, resulting in the deaths of more than 30 people. Reports say a woman on the liner's bridge may have distracted the captain. Officials are currently investigating the incident and are also analysing the route the vessel took before it crashed.
As a result, the new policies suggest bridge team members on all cruise ships should be fully briefed on the direction and passage of liners in order to avoid accidents from occurring.
Copyright Press Association 2012