Safety and Heroism on the High Seas

In the wake of the Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy a fortnight and a few days ago, I was astounded to learn that 100,000,000 passengers (TIME for Kids, January 23, 2012) have enjoyed these maritime vacations in just the last six years. As of this weekend I too am a cruise alumni, having taken a brief respite from Old Man Winter in the Caribbean.

I was also astounded by the reported safety record of this industry. Just 16 people had died on cruise ships worldwide since 2005, but that figure has more than doubled with the tragedy off Giglio island. Even with the higher total the chance of dying during a cruise is far less than 1 in ten million in the last decade.

Seeing a capsized ship on the news shortly before your own embarkation date certainly gives pause despite these long odds, but there were few noticeable worried looks on our vessel as we set sail from Ft. Lauderdale on Friday night. Our muster at the lifeboat station reassuringly took place before our departure (unlike the Concordia), and the passengers and crew were attentive and cooperative during the safety briefing. Our life jackets were neatly stowed in our cabin, ready for any emergency situation we may encounter. The only situation presenting any danger was the wind, but access to the outer decks was closed at that time.

Despite the good safety record, the cruise line industry has sensibly decided to review its "safety and emergency response procedures and practices."  The Cruise Line International Association, which has a local office in Arlington, will focus its review on "critical human factors" and "operational aspects of maritime safety", while Retired US Navy Captain James Hunn is leading an internal safety audit of Carnival Corporation, the owner of the Concordia. 

One "critical human factor" worth mentioning from the Concordia tragedy is the heroism of crewmember Erika Soria, a Peruvian national who perished after taking off her own life jacket for others. She made the ultimate sacrifice for an elderly man who survived the ordeal. Rest in Peace, Erika.