Are Cruises Safe? Understanding Health and Safety Measures Onboard
by Daniel Wagner | 20 April 2024 | Cruise Injury Accidents
Many people are attracted to the idea of cruises but wonder if cruise ships are safe. The truth is that cruise ships have been providing safe and fun holiday experiences for decades. Key to their success are the measures employed to keep passengers and crew healthy and safe. Yes, accidents do indeed happen. However, they are the exception rather than the norm.
Health Protocols and Sanitation Measures
With high passenger turnover rates, cruise workers must regularly clean and sanitize practically every inch of the vessel using enhanced cleaning and sanitation techniques. Cruise lines follow strict, proven protocols to ensure high levels of hygiene and sanitation for guests.
On many cruises, crew and visitors are required to be vaccinated against various diseases per cruise ship policies. Additional vaccines may be required for crew members and guests depending on the countries they will enter during the cruise.
Safety Procedures and Emergency Preparedness
Cruises are safe. However, emergencies arise. Crew members are trained extensively through classroom lessons and hands-on drills conducted multiple times weekly. They learn how to address various situations, including:
- Fire emergencies
- Flooding emergencies
- Passenger health emergencies
- Abandon ship procedures
- Security issues with guests
Technology is also heavily used on cruises to keep guests safe. Security personnel use cameras and patrols to stay one step ahead of problems and to identify issues before or when they arise. They are well-trained to employ specific measures according to each situation.
Navigating Health Concerns
Health emergencies arise regularly on cruise ships. After years of serving passengers, cruise lines have learned how to attend to ailing passengers and how to contain and isolate potentially dangerous health issues. Depending on the size of the ship and the number of passengers, a cruise may employ several of its own healthcare workers.
For example, a large cruise ship with thousands of passengers might have more than one doctor and numerous nurses. On the other hand, a smaller cruise ship or a ship that is always close to land, such as a riverboat cruise, will have fewer medical personnel.
COVID-19 Considerations
A look at the COVID-19 requirements for various cruise lines shows that the virus is still a concern in the industry. Although several restrictions have been eliminated or modified, others still may continue in force on certain cruise lines.
For example, one popular cruise line recommends but does not require COVID-19 vaccinations for most of its cruises. Only those jaunts that follow an “enhanced guidelines voyage” require some level of COVID-19 test or vaccination. Some cruise lines have absolutely no pre-testing requirements whatsoever.
As far as masks are concerned, cruise ships have pretty much dropped this requirement altogether. However, many strongly encourage their use when disembarking and returning to a ship after an off-ship excursion.
Resources for Travelers
The internet is bursting with resources for travelers interested in cruises. What many of them show is that cruise ships have been safe for years now and that COVID-19 helped make the industry more aware of how to deal with large-scale outbreaks of viral and contagious conditions.
In every case, cruise-goers do well to thoroughly research topics such as:
- Travel insurance
- Personal safety on and off the ship
- Excursion opportunities
- Cruise ship safety policies and protocols
Reviews and personal cruise diaries are essential reading material for those interested in hearing about personal experiences with cruise ships. Various internet searches can turn up a wealth of cruise journals, reviews, and even essays. Going further, photographs and video of footage of cruise ships are readily available.
Perhaps most important is understanding your rights as a passenger on a cruise ship. You have powerful personal injury rights that allow you to seek recourse when they are violated. While cruises are generally safe, fun experiences, problems happen. When they do, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help recover valuable compensation to deal with the losses.
Contact iLawyerUp for Effective Representation
Cruises are among the safest forms of leisure travel around, which is why cruising remains a popular choice for people of all ages.
Cruise companies take extensive precautions to keep their passengers and crews safe. But just like anywhere else, injuries do happen. When they do, iLawyerUp is there to ensure injury victims are properly compensated for their losses. Contact us for a free consultation.
