Part of the problem is exhaustion. The ratio of crew members to passengers has grown steadily worse over the past few decades in an attempt to cut costs. Crew members are often asked to work 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week for months at a time. It is unreasonable to expect exhausted employees to make the correct decisions in emergency situations. Another problem is insufficient training. Many cruise line employees complain of safety training delivered in a language they don’t understand. The cruise industry, while catering largely to American passengers, is largely staffed by foreign workers.
Whether this disaster will be sufficient to force the cruise industry to adopt safety measures remains to be seen. With dozens of people missing and 11 confirmed dead, this Carnival Cruise Lines accident should help many people see the risks inherent in this industry. For the families of those missing and dead, any safety measures adopted will come too late.
Source: The Newsweek/Daily Beast, “Costa Concordia Disaster Brings Hard Look at Cruise Ship Safety,” by Eve Conant, 23 January 2012
