The Triumph Fire That Refuses To Go Out

  This week, CNN broadcast an investigation into the Carnival Triumph "tragedy" — the five days the disabled ship spent floating without power in the Gulf of Mexico, a cruise which has indelicately been labeled "the poop cruise." Don't expect to find that listed on any cruise ship itinerary. Having read and heard much about… Continue reading The Triumph Fire That Refuses To Go Out

New Evacuation System on Breakaway

Let's start with a couple of acronyms that will help in this story, most of which will be told by pictures: MES — Marine Evacuation Systems SOLAS — Safety Of Life At Sea LSA — Life Saving Appliance There is a new MES on the market — called the RFD Marin Ark2 — and it… Continue reading New Evacuation System on Breakaway

Deep Impact of Costa Concordia

  The word "terrorism" would never be associated with the Costa Concordia, yet the impact of that disaster on cruising is somewhat similar to what 9/11 did to flying. Security has been continually accelerated at airports over the last decade, often to the point of annoyance. In cruising, it's just the beginning. Tomorrow at 8… Continue reading Deep Impact of Costa Concordia

Cruise Ship Safety Moving to New Level

Again, a sobering moment about cruising. Again, a news item that makes people nervous about going…anywhere. Again, a reminder about the world we live in today. In case you missed it, police in Germany questioned a 22-year-old Austrian who a year ago this month was returning from Pakistan and discovered — after weeks of breaking… Continue reading Cruise Ship Safety Moving to New Level

Cruise Ships and Muster Stations

We’ve almost come to the conclusion that the mandatory muster station drills are in the same boat as the seat-belt drills on airplanes. Nobody’s listening, in part because most of the people have heard it all before, and know — or at least think they know — what to do in an emergency. The cruise… Continue reading Cruise Ships and Muster Stations