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Foreign-Flag Cruise Industry Beset By Casualties
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This early autumn grounding is the latest in a string of maritime causalities involving foreign cruise ships, and a slew of problems facing the foreign cruise industry. In August, another Norwegian Cruise Lines' vessel, the Bahamian-flagged 'Norwegian Dream', collided with the containership 'Ever Decent' in the English Channel. The grounding of the 'Norwegian Sky' caused serious damage to both of the ship's propellers and had enough impact on the stern to allow in a small amount of water, according to media reports. According to one passenger quoted in 'Lloyd's List', the ship's bow thrusters were also damaged. At presstime, the ship was in dry-dock in Quebec undergoing repairs and inspection. The 78,200 gross ton 'Norwegian Sky' departed Boston Sept. 18 on what was to be a 10-day New England to Canada cruise carrying 1,924 passengers and 787 crew members, according to media reports. The ship hit a sandbar in the narrow channel near the confluence of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Saguenay River after changing course to observe whales. A Canadian Coast Guard vessel pushed against the hull of the 'Norwegian Sky' to keep the ship from dragging on the shoal and causing further damage. The ship refloated itself in high tide. According to media reports, this latest Norwegian Cruise Lines casualty has brought close scrutiny on the company's safety standards and internal control systems. The 55,605 gross-ton 'Ever Decent' was heading Southeast bound for Zeebrugge across the English Channel. The 50,764 gross-ton 'Norwegian Dream' was heading Southwest down the English Channel bound for Dover. The two collided at the intersection of the shipping lanes after the 'Ever Decent' radioed the 'Norwegian Dream' to assert her right-of-way and advise the cruise ship of the collision course. 'Lloyd's List' cited several professional mariners who were in the area when the ships collided as sources for this claim. It remains unclear whether the 'Norwegian Dream' acknowledged the request from the 'Ever Decent' that the cruise ship take action to avoid a collision. No action was taken until it was too late and the 'Norwegian Dream' rammed the port side of the 'Ever Decent'. A report in 'Trade Winds', a Norwegian newspaper printed that "preliminary inquiries point the finger of blame at the cruise ship." The complaint, filed by John and Mary Hutton, is being considered for class-action status, according to the couple's attorney. The complaint alleges that "the couple suffered physically and emotionally because of the collision," according to a report in the 'Miami Herald'. In 1990, a fire aboard the Scandinavian Star killed 160 people. Family members of the victims contend that the network of companies controlling the vessel was never held properly accountable, according to a report published Sept. 16, 1999, in 'Lloyd's List'. Complicated ownership schemes and flag-of-convenience ship registration, rampant among the foreign cruise industry, have in the past created extreme uncertainty over accountability in vessel casualties. The 'Tropicale', registered in Monrovia, crewed with foreign nationals, built in a foreign shipyard and owned by Panamanian-incorporated Carnival Cruise Lines, was completing a four-day voyage to Mexico and was due to arrive in Tampa, Fla., Monday Sept. 20. A fire erupted in the ship's engine room at 6:15 p.m. Sunday Sept. 19, disabling both engines. The 'Tropicale' set adrift in the Gulf of Mexico as violent Tropical Storm Harvey moved across the water toward the ship and the Florida coastline, according to media reports. After the ship drifted for 24 hours as the tropical storm closed in, the crew managed to start one of the ship's engines. With the storm almost upon the 'Tropicale', the ship limped southwest away from Tampa at eight miles per hour in an effort to flank the storm, which buffeted the vessel and its 1,096 passengers with 35-knot winds and 12-foot seas, according to media reports. After the ship's master realized that the tropical storm had changed course and would not directly hit Tampa, the ship turned around and again headed for port, according to media reports. However, the ship's propulsion systems again failed approximately 100 miles southwest of Tampa and the 37,674-gross-ton 'Tropicale' had to be towed into port by a U.S. tug. None of the passengers were injured, although one man with a heart condition was airlifted by helicopter from the 'Tropicale' early on Sept. 20. At presstime, the 'Tropicale' was undergoing repairs in a Tampa-area shipyard and was scheduled to re-enter service Oct. 18, 1999. A little more than one year earlier, the Carnival cruise ship 'Ecstasy' caught fire leaving the port of Miami, lost power and propulsion and was towed back into port by U.S. tugs. Several foreign cruise lines (including Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian) are based in Miami, making it arguably one of the few locations in the United States that has a vested interest in protecting this foreign industry. Nonetheless, the newspaper's editorial page delivered a scathing assessment of the company's behavior in a recent criminal pollution case, in which Royal Caribbean plead guilty as was fined $18 million for dumping oil and other noxious chemicals in U.S. waters. "The most shocking thing about the US. government's pollution case against Royal Caribbean Cruise Line earlier this year was the result-the government actually won. Previously, the cruise line's defense-that the government lacked jurisdiction to regulate its foreign-flagged ships-has proven ironclad. "But not this time. And with this case fresh in mind, Congress should act now to extend U.S. jurisdiction by ending the sham of 'flags of convenience.' Nothing less can protect American passengers and waters from future abuses." A House subcommittee Oct. 7 convened a hearing on foreign cruise ship safety issues. | |||
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