Royal Dutch Shell is trying to defend its offshore safety record, after attacks by environmental safety groups over a leak from a Shell platform in the North Sea. Shell has confirmed that it has managed to plug the leak from its Gannet Alpha platform which...
Learn More >>Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act
This new federal law was signed into law in July of 2010 by President Obama. The new law was created to improve the safety and security of American citizens sailing as passengers to and from the United States on cruise vessels. The law requires large cruise vessels carrying American citizens to adopt certain safety and security measures.
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act includes:
-
Heightened communication between cruise lines and US federal agencies regarding passengers who fall missing or who are otherwise injured
-
Requirement that cruise ships carrying US citizens and entering US waters must have at least one crewmember who is trained and certified by the US Coast Guard in how to handle crime on board
-
Vessels will need to be retrofitted with various safety features including peepholes and on-deck surveillance
-
Cruise ship railings must be at least 3.5 feet tall (42 inches)
-
Policies must be developed to restrict crewmember access to passenger cabins
Cruise lines that fail to comply with this new law can potentially face both civil and criminal penalties. Proponents of the legislation feel it should serve as a model for use in other countries trying to improve cruise safety.
Nearly all cruise ships operate as foreign-flagged vessels which leaves the Federal Maritime Commission with very limited jurisdiction over them. Even though this new law does require certain safety measures, while these vessels are on the high seas, the Federal Maritime Commission does have very limited jurisdiction over most cruise matters.
Follow Us