After Hearings by the United States Congress, numerous lawsuits and several TV shows with blocks about the Cruise Industry, not to mention the unbelievable coverage on at least one occasion by CNN there is now an industry bill of rights. So what!!!
The cruise lines members of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) have agreed to a ten (10) point International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights. Of course all this actually does is list the things they are supposed and expected to do should things go wrong on the cruise. It was previously called "brand protection".
This BOR is meaningless in many ways not least the fact that it does NOT obviate the fine printed crammed in on the back of your cruise ticket this being the legal and final word on what these cruise lines really have to do - and it is not much.
Anyway so that you may see what this listing is all about here it is:
1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided on board, subject only to the Master's concern for passengers safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is cancelled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
6. The right to an emergency power source in case of a main generator failure.
7. The right to transportation to the ships' scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger's home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failure.
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
9. The right to have included on each cruise line's website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.
10. The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line's website.
Now NAUTICAL LOG has read through this 10 pointer BOR several times and really cannot see anything that is not already being done - at least to some degree - by the various cruise lines with varying degrees of success and failure.
Point #1 continues the Masters absolute authority over all on board. If the Master does not wish it one is not going anywhere - end of discussion. Point #4 is perhaps a bit more open as usually ships to not wish to and will not admit problems at all. This may or may not change depending on an individual cruise line, an individual Master and the size of the problem.
Good Watch.
The cruise lines members of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) have agreed to a ten (10) point International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights. Of course all this actually does is list the things they are supposed and expected to do should things go wrong on the cruise. It was previously called "brand protection".
This BOR is meaningless in many ways not least the fact that it does NOT obviate the fine printed crammed in on the back of your cruise ticket this being the legal and final word on what these cruise lines really have to do - and it is not much.
Anyway so that you may see what this listing is all about here it is:
1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided on board, subject only to the Master's concern for passengers safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is cancelled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
6. The right to an emergency power source in case of a main generator failure.
7. The right to transportation to the ships' scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger's home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failure.
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
9. The right to have included on each cruise line's website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.
10. The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line's website.
Now NAUTICAL LOG has read through this 10 pointer BOR several times and really cannot see anything that is not already being done - at least to some degree - by the various cruise lines with varying degrees of success and failure.
Point #1 continues the Masters absolute authority over all on board. If the Master does not wish it one is not going anywhere - end of discussion. Point #4 is perhaps a bit more open as usually ships to not wish to and will not admit problems at all. This may or may not change depending on an individual cruise line, an individual Master and the size of the problem.
Good Watch.
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