Regulations and Compliance

There are numerous international and federal codes and regulations with which the cruise line industry must abide. It is important to note that all ships visiting ports, regardless of where they are flagged, must comply with all applicable federal regulations. In the U.S. for example, according to the Coast Guard website, they have “the responsibility for ensuring that these ships meet all international conventions and domestic requirements for safety, security and environmental protection.”

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) serves as a non-governmental consultative organization to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an agency of the United Nations. The IMO mandates global regulations for the safety and operation of cruise ships. The most important of these is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which includes comprehensive information on safety equipment and procedures. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), a broad set of security requirements for ships and port facilities, was added as an amendment to SOLAS. Compliance with SOLAS standards and other internationally recognized conventions is monitored by both the ship’s flag and port state representatives, which is the U.S. Coast Guard in the U.S.

In July 2010, President Obama signed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act into law. The cruise industry fully supports the law and in fact worked with Members of Congress as the bill was being drafted. It contains some new provisions and clarifies other existing CLIA policies, such as how the cruise lines report allegations of crime to the U.S. government. While many ships in the CLIA fleet may already feature 42-inch railings, peepholes in all cabins, onboard video surveillance systems, and employ medical personnel who meet guidelines established by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the new law will make these and other new provisions consistent across the fleet.

In addition to announced and unannounced safety inspections, the U.S. Coast Guard annually conducts a Control Verification Certificate examination (with quarterly reinspections) for every cruise ship that ports in the U.S. for compliance with both federal and international regulations. This effective oversight system means, for example, if the U.S. Coast Guard finds a cruise ship to be in violation of any required regulation or considers it unsafe in any way, the local Coast Guard Captain of the Port has the authority and responsibility to prevent passenger boarding or departure from a U.S. port with passengers onboard until those deficiencies are corrected.

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