Cruise Ship Safety
We've talked about severe weather and how cruise ships avoid the storms, making itinerary changes if needed to keep passengers, crew, and the ship safe. Weather is only one condition that the ship's captain, officers, and cruise line offices monitor and make decisions about on a daily basis.
Safety in Ports of Call
Besides storms, there are other reasons why a cruise ship might alter its itinerary. Recently, Princess Cruises cancelled a cruise call to Ashdod, Israel. Pacific Princess was scheduled to be there on June 2, but when the U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv issued a travel warning to Americans to be alert for possible road blockages, demonstrations and protests as a result of the Israeli naval interdiction of a group (or flotilla) of ships attempting to arrive in Gaza, the ship's plans were altered in the interest of passenger safety. For more information about why Princess Cruises cancelled the call in Israel, see A Letter to Those Concerned About Our Cruises to Israel.
For tips about traveling abroad, travel warnings, country specific information and travel alerts, visit the links on the International Travel tab.
Safety Onboard
The picture above shows some of the monitoring gauges on a typical cruise ship bridge. Probably the most devastating event that could occur on a ship would be a fire. Each cabin and location on the ship is monitored by smoke detectors and other sensors. When you take a hot shower, you could set off the alarm if you were to leave the bathroom door ajar during your shower. If that happens during your cruise, don't be upset, but be grateful that someone is watching out for your safety.
Besides state of the art monitoring, a big part of keeping guests and crew safe rests with each and every passenger. At the beginning of the cruise, a mandatory lifeboat drill is held. Knowing what to do in an emergency is critical to your safety. The captain will also provide additional safety information, such as locations of designated smoking areas, instructions about keeping balconies free from combustible materials, and not using certain electrical devices in your cabin. Please listen to these instructions carefully and follow instructions of crew at all times.
During the embarkation process, passenger identities are verified and a screening of luggage and passengers is performed, just like at an airport. Your photo will be taken and associated with your cabin key. Every time you reboard the ship, you will encounter the same security screenings.
All these measures are done for the safety of all. Safety officers onboard the ship and in the cruise line offices may not get the recognition, but they are crucial to safe voyages.
For tips about traveling abroad, travel warnings, country specific information and travel alerts, visit the links on the International Travel tab.
Safety Onboard
The picture above shows some of the monitoring gauges on a typical cruise ship bridge. Probably the most devastating event that could occur on a ship would be a fire. Each cabin and location on the ship is monitored by smoke detectors and other sensors. When you take a hot shower, you could set off the alarm if you were to leave the bathroom door ajar during your shower. If that happens during your cruise, don't be upset, but be grateful that someone is watching out for your safety.
Besides state of the art monitoring, a big part of keeping guests and crew safe rests with each and every passenger. At the beginning of the cruise, a mandatory lifeboat drill is held. Knowing what to do in an emergency is critical to your safety. The captain will also provide additional safety information, such as locations of designated smoking areas, instructions about keeping balconies free from combustible materials, and not using certain electrical devices in your cabin. Please listen to these instructions carefully and follow instructions of crew at all times.
During the embarkation process, passenger identities are verified and a screening of luggage and passengers is performed, just like at an airport. Your photo will be taken and associated with your cabin key. Every time you reboard the ship, you will encounter the same security screenings.
All these measures are done for the safety of all. Safety officers onboard the ship and in the cruise line offices may not get the recognition, but they are crucial to safe voyages.
