One cruise line CEO has called the grounding of the ship Costa Concordia, which struck rock off the coast of Isola del Giglio in Italy January 13, “a defining moment in the history of the modern cruise industry.” Indeed, despite cruising’s historically excellent overall safety record, the accident has prompted calls for safety reviews and already has caused two major cruise ship companies to announce procedural changes.

To date, 16 passengers are confirmed dead and another 16 are missing after the ship, which set sail with about 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew, gashed its hull around 10 p.m. and began to list severely. The order was given to abandon ship and deploy the lifeboats. Other details have not been confirmed as the incident remains under investigation and the captain—who reportedly took the ship off its scheduled course—remains under house arrest. (Find a comprehensive review of how salvage operations might be carried out, including compelling illustrations of different scenarios, in this article from Toronto’s National Post.) 

Speaking at a media briefing January 19 during the 2012 Passenger Ship Safety Conference in London, Christine Duffy, president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association, called on the International Maritime Organization “to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the findings from the Costa Concordia investigation so that the cruise industry remains one of the very safest recreational industries globally.  

“Cruise liners are, per passenger, one of the safest forms of recreation,” she said. “Ships are designed, built, operated, and maintained to meet international laws.” These laws originally were developed by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and they are administered by the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency. The IMO’s Marine Safety Committee meets yearly to update cruise ship regulations.

“While there is a great deal still not known,” Duffy continued, “all of our members recognize the seriousness of this event and want to ensure that we apply the lessons learned.”

In fact, two cruise ship companies have quickly done that: RCCL (parent of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azmara Club Cruises) and Prestige Cruise Holdings (parent of Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises) officially changed their policies regarding passenger muster drills, mandating that these happen on the first day of the cruise, regardless of embarkation time.

Current regulations require only that passenger muster drills (in which passengers practice emergency procedures including finding their respective muster stations) be held within 24 hours of departure. In the case of late departures, therefore, the drill is sometimes held the morning after a ship sets sail. “However, in light of the recent tragic event,” stated Robin Lindsay, executive vice president of vessel operations for Prestige Cruise Holdings, “Oceania and Regent have adopted a new policy that requires all muster drills to take place on day of departure.” RCCL instituted a similar mandate.

The muster drill had not yet taken place on the Costa Concordia when the ship ran aground.

Meanwhile, Carnival Corp., parent company of Costa Cruises, has announced “a comprehensive audit and review of all safety and emergency response procedures across all of the company’s cruise lines.” The review will cover “all safety and emergency response policies and procedures, officer and crew training and evaluation, bridge management, and company-wide response and support efforts.” (Carnival also owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, and P&O Cruises.)

In a blog post, Royal Carribean President & CEO Adam Goldstein wrote, “The Costa Concordia accident is a defining moment in the history of the modern cruise industry. We will need the results of the authorities’ investigations to truly understand and respond to all of the implications. But we do not need to wait for anyone or anything to underscore the preeminent role of safety in the daily life of every cruise ship and of the industry as a whole.”

Visit Royal Caribbean’s Web site to see a video about that cruise line’s safety standards and training. Most cruise line Web sites include comprehensive explanations of safety policies and procedures. The CLIA Web site also offers a comprehensive look at cruise industry safety standards.

Next page: How experts fielded media questions on cruise ship safety