The Financial Times article published last week titled Luxury Cruise Liner’s Launch Delayed as Dozens of Ships Face Potential Safety Hazard raised the issue that as many as forty-five (45) cruise ships may be equipped with faulty fire-resistant panels manufactured by Paroc. This raises important issue of safety for the guests and crew members on
Smoke and Mirrors: Cruise Line Scrubbers Turn Air Pollution Into Water Pollution
Cruise ships are a major source of air pollution which causes and/or contributes to a wide range of serious health problems such as respiratory ailments, lung disease, cancer and premature deaths. The pollutants from ship engines exhaust gases include sulfer oxides(SOx) as well as non-combustible particulate matter and black carbon. A video of a Carnival…
German Cruise Ship M/S Berlin Stuck in Dublin
This weekend I was notified by a passenger, on a German cruise ship named the Berlin, that the ship has been stuck in Dublin, Ireland for the past several days.
I was not familiar with the cruise ship or the German cruise line, FTI, which operates it. I have learned that the Berlin…
Royal Caribbean Unreasonably Delays Reporting Overboard Crew Member from Vision of the Seas
On December 8, 2017, a crew member went overboard from the Vision of the Seas cruise ship operated by Miami based Royal Caribbean Cruises. I reported on the incident at the time based on what passengers were stating about the cruise.
The Vision sailed out of Galveston on December 4, 2017 on a seven day…
Bedfellows CLIA & NTSB Team Up for Cozy Meeting on Cruise Ship Safety
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is beginning a two-day meeting today in Washington D.C. regarding the topic of passenger safety aboard cruise ships. The meeting was requested and largely organized by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), the trade group for the cruise lines, to showcase the cruise industry.
Participating in the meeting will…
Poop Cruise Reveals Shortcomings of Port and Flag State Inspections
Cruise fan sites rushed to Carnival’s defense following the CNN special on the Triumph fire.
CNN cited maintenance records and advisory notices showing one of the generators on the cruise ship was poorly maintained and lacked the recommended spray guards to prevent ruptured fuel lines from igniting. The documents revealed a ship not in compliance…
Day of the Seafarer? Cruise Lines Increase Responsibilities & Hours of Officers But Decrease Pay
Today is the "Day of the Mariner." According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), today is the day to recognize the dedication and hard work of seafarers in the shipping industry.
Most of the focus of this blog over the years has been on the frequent abuse of the lower rank crew members, like…
Dead Ships & Endangered Passengers – Cruise Lines Ignore International Maritime Organization Guidelines
Yesterday the New York Times published an insightful article about the failure of the cruise industry to design their cruise ships with redundant engine systems such that if one set of engines is knocked out by a fire or explosion, another set of engines in a separate compartment would provide power to the cruise ship.…
An “Outlaw Industry” Watched By “Paper Tigers”
Newsweek’s Daily Beast Blog published an insightful article about the real issues behind the Triumph cruise ship fire. Entitled "Carnival Cruise From Hell," the article explains that the situation involves a lot more than just another stinky ship bobbing around on the high seas. Rather, Newsweek writes that the fiasco is "a troubling…
Over Cruise Industry’s Objection, IMO Creates Air Pollution Buffer Around U.S. and Canada
On Friday, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) passed a regulation requiring cruise ships, tankers and cargo ships to switch to low-sulfur fuel when they operate within 230 miles of the U.S. and Canada.
As reported in the Houston Chronicle, the new regulations should cut emissions linked to thousands of illnesses and premature deaths each year, according…