Cruise lines will require information on the nationality of passengers as part of ongoing safety improvements in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster.
The Cruise Lines International Association and the European Cruise Council announced this as one of two new safety policies adopted by the industry.
The ‘nationality of passengers’ policy was developed in response to the request of governments and comes as part of a cruise industry operational safety review.
It calls for the nationality of each passenger on board is to be recorded and made “readily available” to search and rescue personnel as appropriate.
In the second measure, cruise lines have specified 12 common elements that will be communicated to passengers in musters and emergency instructions.
These include a description of key safety systems and features and an explanation of emergency routing systems and emergency exits.
CLIA president and chief executive Christine Duffy said: “Our industry continues to actively identify a range of measures that will improve the safety of passengers and crew, which is the top priority of the cruise industry.
“We are taking a holistic look at safety as has been evidenced by the breadth and scope of the numerous policies that have been developed and adopted as part of the review since its launch earlier this year.”
ECC chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, boss of Silversea Cruises, added: “These new safety policies are representative of the industry’s commitment to raising standards across the global fleet and of our willingness to listen and act on good ideas brought forward by other interested stakeholders.
“Establishing common elements of a muster policy will provide our guests with the confidence that they are receiving the same key safety messages no matter which ship they cruise.
“Providing additional information on passengers’ nationality is a direct and immediate response to a good idea and, as with our other voluntary commitment, is applicable with immediate effect.”