Ensuring Safe and Sustainable Cruise Operations

The cruise ship industry concerns the movement of passengers by sea for pleasure. The physical environment in which the cruise ship operates is complex and dangerous. Passengers rightly expect their safety to be of paramount importance. Their confidence in the structural and management systems associated with safety must be such that it does not prejudice their enjoyment of the cruise experience. The cruise ship also interacts with the sensitive and fragile environment of the oceans and atmosphere. As a floating community its impact can be adverse. The regulatory framework, embedded in Conventions established by the International Maritime Organisation, exists to ensure that minimum standards are established and maintained to protect the fare paying passenger, crew, ship and the environment. This article will briefly consider recent developments in the ever demanding regulatory framework which impacts upon the operation of the cruise ship. Areas to be considered and discussed will consider the role of the two major international conventions; SOLAS (safety of life at sea) and MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Oil from Ships) and will briefly cover Codes of Practice such as the International Safety Management (ISM) Code and the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS) Code. The philosophy behind the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Passenger Ship Safety Initiative will be discussed. Through appropriate case studies the paper will consider the responsibilities of both ship and shore based managers for the above and discuss their effectiveness. In recent years the development of the cruise sector has been rapid and recent. The physical growth and capability of the cruise ship ensures that the issues which are covered in the paper will be of interest to academics and professionals working in any aspect of the sector.