Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced that its board of directors have approved the adoption of a ‘Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights’.
Under the Bill of Rights, passengers will have 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 passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
• an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.
• transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
• lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
• 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.
• have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website.
CLIA will submit the Passenger Bill of Rights to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), requesting formal global recognition and applicability under the IMO’s authority over the international maritime industry.
Cruise industry adopts ‘Passenger Bill Of Rights’
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