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73–104 PDF 2012

A REVIEW OF CRUISE SHIP SAFETY 

AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 

COSTA CONCORDIA ACCIDENT 

(112–74) 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON 

TRANSPORTATION AND 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

FEBRUARY 29, 2012 

Printed for the use of the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

( 

Available online at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/ 

committee.action?chamber=house&committee=transportation 

(II) 

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE 

JOHN L. MICA, Florida, Chairman 

DON YOUNG, Alaska 

THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin 

HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina 

JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee 

FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey 

GARY G. MILLER, California 

TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois 

SAM GRAVES, Missouri 

BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia 

JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio 

CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan 

DUNCAN HUNTER, California 

ANDY HARRIS, Maryland 

ERIC A. ‘‘RICK’’ CRAWFORD, Arkansas 

JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, Washington 

FRANK C. GUINTA, New Hampshire 

RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois 

LOU BARLETTA, Pennsylvania 

CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota 

BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas 

LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana 

BILLY LONG, Missouri 

BOB GIBBS, Ohio 

PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania 

RICHARD L. HANNA, New York 

JEFFREY M. LANDRY, Louisiana 

STEVE SOUTHERLAND II, Florida 

JEFF DENHAM, California 

JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 

REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin 

CHARLES J. ‘‘CHUCK’’ FLEISCHMANN, 

Tennessee 

NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia 

PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon 

JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois 

ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of 

Columbia 

JERROLD NADLER, New York 

CORRINE BROWN, Florida 

BOB FILNER, California 

EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas 

ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland 

LEONARD L. BOSWELL, Iowa 

TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania 

RICK LARSEN, Washington 

MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts 

TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York 

MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine 

RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois 

MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii 

JASON ALTMIRE, Pennsylvania 

TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota 

HEATH SHULER, North Carolina 

STEVE COHEN, Tennessee 

LAURA RICHARDSON, California 

ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey 

DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey, Chairman 

DON YOUNG, Alaska 

HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina 

ANDY HARRIS, Maryland 

FRANK C. GUINTA, New Hampshire 

CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota 

BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas 

JEFFREY M. LANDRY, Louisiana, 

Vice Chair 

JOHN L. MICA, Florida (Ex Officio) 

RICK LARSEN, Washington 

ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland 

CORRINE BROWN, Florida 

TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York 

MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii 

MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine 

NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia 

(Ex Officio) 

(III) 

CONTENTS Page 

Summary of Subject Matter .................................................................................... v 

TESTIMONY 

PANEL ONE

Vice Admiral Brian M. Salerno, Deputy Commandant for Operations, United 

States Coast Guard .............................................................................................. 9 

PANEL TWO

Sameer and Divya Sharma, Costa Concordia survivors ....................................... 37 

PANEL THREE

Christine Duffy, President and CEO, Cruise Lines International Association, 

accompanied by Michael Crye, Executive Vice President, Cruise Lines 

International Association .................................................................................... 47 

Captain George Wright, Senior Vice President, Marine Operations, Princess 

Cruises, accompanied by Vicky Rey, Vice President, Guest Services and 

Support, Carnival Cruise Lines .......................................................................... 47 

Captain Evans Hoyt, Master of Norwegian Spirit and Pride of America, 

Norwegian Cruise Lines ...................................................................................... 47 

Brian W. Schoeneman, Legislative Director, Seafarers International Union ..... 47 

PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES 

Vice Admiral Brian M. Salerno .............................................................................. 69 

Sameer and Divya Sharma ..................................................................................... 97 

Christine Duffy ........................................................................................................ 100 

Captain George Wright ........................................................................................... 114 

Captain Evans Hoyt ................................................................................................ 122 

Brian W. Schoeneman ............................................................................................. 131 

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD 

Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington, request to submit the following written statements from: 

Dennis Young, International Longshore and Warehouse Union ........... 5 

Geoffrey Scimone, ‘‘Trapped in Paradise’’ ............................................... 32 

United States Coast Guard, inserts for the record ......................................... 20, 27, 28 

Hon. Doris O. Matsui, a Representative in Congress from the State of California, request to submit letter from Kendall Carver, Chairman, and Jamie 

Barnett, President, International Cruise Victims Association, Inc., February 

27, 2012 ................................................................................................................. 22 

Hon. Mazie K. Hirono, a Representative in Congress from the State of Hawaii, request to submit the following article: Tom Hals, Andrew Longstreth, 

and Steve Stecklow, ‘‘Insight: Laws Leave Cruise-ship Victims at Sea,’’ 

Reuters, February 21, 2012, http://www.reuters.com/assets/ 

print?aid=USTRE81K06J20120221 .................................................................... 63 

Vice Admiral Brian M. Salerno, Deputy Commandant for Operations, United 

States Coast Guard, responses to questions from Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington; Hon. Doris O. Matsui, a Representative in Congress from the State of California; and Hon. 

Don Young, a Representative in Congress from the State of Alaska .............. 77 

Page

IV 

Christine Duffy, President and CEO, Cruise Lines International Association, 

responses to questions from Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington; and Hon. Doris O. Matsui, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ....................................... 104 

Captain George Wright, Senior Vice President, Marine Operations, Princess 

Cruises, responses to questions from Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative 

in Congress from the State of Washington; and Hon. Doris O. Matsui, 

a Representative in Congress from the State of California .............................. 118 

Captain Evans Hoyt, Master of Norwegian Spirit and Pride of America, 

Norwegian Cruise Lines, responses to questions from Hon. Rick Larsen, 

a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington; and Hon. 

Doris O. Matsui, a Representative in Congress from the State of California . 128 

ADDITIONS TO THE RECORD 

Terry Lynn Carson, written testimony .................................................................. 136 

Justin Charles Evens, Costa Concordia survivor, written testimony ................. 137 

Richard Wayne Sanford, P.E. Department Chair, Anderson High School, written testimony ........................................................................................................ 139 

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(1) 

A REVIEW OF CRUISE SHIP SAFETY AND 

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COSTA 

CONCORDIA ACCIDENT 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND

MARITIME TRANSPORTATION, 

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, 

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met pursuant to notice at 10:02 a.m. in Room 

2167, Rayburn House Office Building, the Hon. Frank LoBiondo 

(Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Good morning. The subcommittee will come to 

order. To begin with I would like to yield to Mr. Larsen for a unanimous consent request. 

Mr. LARSEN. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that Congresswoman Doris Matsui be allowed to assume the dais and participate as a member of the subcommittee for this hearing. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Without objection, so ordered. 

The subcommittee will now proceed. Before we start out with the 

topic of the hearing, I want to acknowledge the terrible tragedy 

that the Coast Guard suffered last night. For those of you who may 

not be aware, a helicopter went down in Alabama that was on a 

training mission, and there was a tragic loss of one life that we 

know about and three remaining Coast Guard personnel that are 

missing. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and to the entire 

Coast Guard family for what they are suffering and going through. 

And we all know this is one of the hazards that they face, but this 

is the reality that we are tragically never wanting to hear about. 

We expect that the hearing will take a little bit of time, so I am 

going to ask the cooperation of the Members that we will limit the 

opening statements to myself and Mr. Larsen, and we will welcome 

them to make any statements they may want when we can get to 

them in the order that we normally do. The subcommittee is meeting this morning to review the cruise vessel safety in the wake of 

the Costa Concordia accident on January 13th. The Costa 

Concordia struck a rock off the Italian coast. 

To date, the accident has claimed the lives of at least 25 individuals, and 7 individuals remain unaccounted for, including 2 American citizens. I am sure I speak for all of us when I express our 

condolences to the families and to the victims. Our goal today is 

to help prevent a similar accident from occurring in U.S. waters, 

2 

or aboard a cruise vessel which calls on American ports. As such, 

we will review current safety regulations to ensure that they are 

adequate. 

I look forward to hearing how international safety standards performed in this incident, whether the standards were followed and 

whether U.S. safety regulations are different or sufficient to prevent a similar accident here within our waters. We have several 

witnesses from the cruise industry today, and I want to applaud 

the cruise industry for their recent decision to voluntarily change 

crew’s routine and conduct regarding the abandoned ship muster 

drill to make it prior to sailing. 

However, our understanding is that the efforts to abandon ship 

aboard the Costa Concordia were delayed and there was possible 

confusion with the crew and their direction of passengers. And we’d 

like to hear a little bit more from the industry about what steps 

are being taken to improve the performance during emergency situation. 

Finally, I am interested in how far the Coast Guard and industry 

have come in implementing the Cruise Vessel Safety Security Act 

of 2010. The Act largely deals with criminal activity aboard cruise 

vessels; but, nonetheless, it is an issue that impacts passenger safety, which is the primary focus of this hearing. 

The cruise industry impacts millions of Americans annually. In 

2010 more than 10 million U.S. residents embarked on a cruise. It’s 

a huge number. This activity generated more than $37 billion for 

the U.S. economy and sustained nearly 330,000 American jobs. The 

cruise industry and the Coast Guard must continue to work together to ensure that taking a cruise remains one of the safest and 

most enjoyable ways to travel. 

I want to thank the witnesses for appearing today and we want 

to note on behalf of the subcommittee that we understand, very 

clearly, that there’s an ongoing investigation; and, as such, we understand that the witnesses today may not be able to answer all 

the questions we have about what happened, and clearly due to the 

nature of investigation and legalities that are involved with this. 

We will continue to monitor the investigation and look forward 

to a full accounting of what happened when the investigation is 

complete and that information becomes available. In the interim, 

we will look for ways to improve passenger safety based on what 

we know so far. With that I’d like to yield to Mr. Larsen. 

Mr. LARSEN. Mr. Chairman, thank you, and as well allow me to 

express my prayers and thoughts to the women and men of the 

U.S. Coast Guard and the families of the Coast Guard men who 

have passed or are missing in the recent accident. I want to thank 

you for scheduling the morning’s hearing to delve into the safety 

of cruise vessels in light of the January 13th, 2012, grounding of 

the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy. 

Before I begin my remarks, as well, Mr. Chairman, I would like 

to extend my condolences to the families of the 25 passengers and 

crewmembers who died as a result of this tragic marine casualty, 

and also the seven other families for whom their loved ones remain 

unaccounted. I want to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Sameer and Divya 

Sharma, two passengers aboard the Costa Concordia who traveled 

to Massachusetts on short notice to be with us today as well. 

3 

Mr. Chairman, the sea is beautiful and most often benign; nevertheless, it remains relentless and an ever present threat to those 

who travel over its depths at times. The Costa Concordia incident 

reminds us that we cannot be complacent while at sea. The ocean 

remains capable in a moment of disabling and sinking even our 

most modern and technologically advanced ships. 

It will be at least a year before the Italian Government completes 

its Marine Casualty Investigation and determines the exact circumstances that caused the Concordia to run aground; but, there’s 

no reason for us to delay efforts to reassess the present regulatory 

regime for cruise vessels in the United States and internationally. 

If anything, reports this week of another cruise ship, the Costa 

Allegra, adrift in pirate-infested waters in the Indian Ocean due to 

an onboard fire should further focus our attention. So, I welcome 

this opportunity. We need to ensure that cruise ships operating in 

the U.S. waters meet or exceed all standards for safe design, construction, manning, and operation. 

The traveling public expects no less a standard. After all, all 

forms of transportation, be it plane, train, automobile or ship, are 

successful only to the extent that public perceives them to be safe 

and reliable to use. And, in general, the cruise industry is considered a safe, leisure travel option by most travelers. It also happens 

to generate substantial economic benefits in the United States. 

According to 2010 information, cruises arriving and departing from U.S. ports generated $18 billion in direct spending on goods 

and services and provided $37.85 billion in total economic benefits 

in the U.S. And, importantly, over 329,000 jobs were generated in 

the U.S. by cruise industry expenditures. The Pacific Northwest 

where I am from is a growing market for the cruise industry. It is 

headquarters for Holland America Line and One Star Cruise Line. 

Furthermore, it is creating jobs and generating direct spending in 

Washington State. 

So, clearly, there is a lot at stake economically; but, also at stake 

are the lives and the safety of the more than 11 million passengers 

in 2011 that embarked from U.S. ports on cruise vessels with nothing but the expectation of safe passage and a trove of wonderful vacation memories. The Costa Concordia accident provides us with a 

new impetus to ask tough questions to determine whether we remain vigilant or whether we have become complacent in our efforts 

to regulate the safety of the cruise industry. 

For instance, are the international standards established under 

the International Convention of the Safety of Life at Sea and the 

International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification 

and Watchkeeping for Seafarers sufficient to ensure that cruise 

vessels are built, operated and manned to the highest practical 

safety standards? Are training and certification requirements for 

seafarers under these conventions, especially for emergency evacuation and crisis management, adequate in light of a greatly increased size and complexity of newly constructed cruise vessels? 

And, also, are passengers boarding cruise ships given adequate 

indoctrination concerning emergency evacuation procedures such as 

muster drills? And, if not, how might this be improved? These are 

just some of the questions that immediately come to mind. I would 

be interested in hearing from the Coast Guard and the cruise inVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
4 

dustry regarding their respective progress as well as in implementing new requirements established pursuant to the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act. 

In closing, the best way to ensure long-term economic health of 

the cruise industry in the U.S. is to ensure they are appropriately 

regulated and that the American public justifiably considers a 

cruise vacation a safe and secure form of leisure travel. With that, 

Mr. Chairman, I yield back, but I have one additional unanimous 

consent request, if I may. It is the unanimous consent request to 

put into the record the statement from the International Longshore 

and Warehouse Union. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Without objection, so ordered. 

[The information follows:] 

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Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Larsen. 

I would like to recognize the chairman of the full Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, Mr. Mica. 

Mr. MICA. Well, first of all, thank you for yielding to me and also 

to you and Mr. Larsen for complying with the request to conduct 

this hearing this morning, and I felt as chair of the full committee 

that it was incumbent upon our committee and this subcommittee 

to review both this incident and where we are on cruise ship safety 

in light of this and other incidents. But I must first also identify 

my remarks with others today who have expressed their sympathy 

to and condolences to the United States Coast Guard. 

We have learned in the last 24 hours, again, the high price that’s 

been paid by the men and women that serve us every day, making 

certain that we are safe and secure in the seas and waterways. 

And, again, I am incredibly saddened to hear of your loss, and our 

prayers and thoughts are with the families. And, as Mr. Larsen 

said, the same holds true for cruise ship passengers and crew and 

others that were lost in the Concordia tragedy. 

Some may say, well, maybe we shouldn’t hold this, the hearing, 

and I said, ‘‘No. I think that it is very important that we examine 

what took place and where we are as far as cruise ship safety.’’ You 

know, it is sort of a warning signal when you have a fairly new 

mega liner hit rocks and suddenly sink. In light of that incident, 

again, there will be investigation as to responsibility. But our responsibility in the United States Congress is to make certain that 

every passenger who boards a cruise ship, particularly from our 

shores, and also U.S. citizens who board internationally, have the 

very safest experience possible, and that this Congress has provided and updated the laws, the regulations and work with the 

agencies like the Coast Guard to make certain that those protections are in place. 

First of all, the cruise industry, I think, is one of the most incredible entrepeneurial achievements by the private sector that I have 

seen in my lifetime, probably my great grandparents came by 

steerage and maybe at the turn of the century, for so many decades, a cruise ship experience or passenger by sea who cruised for 

pleasure was limited to the rich and famous. And here, 

entrepeneurs have made what was once a very limited experience 

for a very few people one of the most pleasurable, enjoyable experiences of their lifetime. And I have been on cruises that I have seen 

the joy people have. 

They save their hard-earned money all year to go on a cruise, 

and it’s an incredible experience that makes some of their dreams 

come true. By the same token, though, we are very dependent now 

on this as an industry. My State of Florida is one of the premier 

cruise States and the departure and arrival locations we have ports 

from. And I was at Port Canaveral last week, I believe it was, touring there, looking at some of what was going on. But the economic 

impact of this industry is just huge, not to mention the great experience, pleasure, and vacation it affords folks. 

But, again, we have a responsibility to make certain that that experience is safe. Some of the responsibility is not just the United 

States. It is also to international organization. So, I intend and I 

would ask both ranking member and the chairman to take from 

9 

this hearing information and we need to make certain that our 

international organizations that also set standards are updating 

those standards. And we can’t do this just by ourselves or put in 

place laws that just protect Americans from our ports, but we have 

a responsibility to work with the international organizations to 

make certain that they also update their standards. 

So that being said, we also have a new era of cruise ships. Some 

of these cruise ships have 5,000–6,000 people. I believe this one 

had over 4,200 people onboard. We also saw too a cruise ship and 

this cruise ship was, I think, the length of an aircraft carrier. That 

cruise ship when it hit the rocks and it tilted over, it certainly got 

everybody in the world’s attention to what can happen with a mega 

cruise liner and we are very fortunate in a way that the cruise ship 

landed on some land and rocks. If it had sunk, the number of 

deaths would have been incredible. 

The other thing that was astounding to me having been on cruise 

ships, when you go over sideways, everyone thinks of the Titanic 

in the way it sank or a ship going down in the sea. But, when a 

megaliner tilts over and turns over, immediately you have disabled—in that case—probably half of the safety evacuation vessels. 

We may need to look at some different types of equipment for different types of megaliners and different types of safety procedures, 

including the practice and drill there were questions raised about. 

So I think we can take from this hearing some positive improvements; unfortunately, at great personal loss to some families. And 

hopefully we can make this experience, which we have relied on 

and that we have grown to take for granted, an even safer experience. 

So, again, I salute the Coast Guard for their fine work and look 

forward to their recommendations. The other witnesses that have 

been assembled, and Chairman LoBiondo and Mr. Larsen, thank 

you so much, and I yield back. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our first witness 

today is Coast Guard Vice Admiral Brian Salerno, who is the deputy commandant for operations. 

Welcome, Admiral, you are recognized for your statement. 

TESTIMONY OF VICE ADMIRAL BRIAN M. SALERNO, DEPUTY 

COMMANDANT FOR OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES COAST 

GUARD 

Admiral SALERNO. Good morning, Chairman Mica, Chairman 

LoBiondo, Ranking Member Larsen and distinguished members of 

the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you 

and discuss issues related to cruise ship safety. 

Thank you, especially, for your expression of sympathy for the 

Coast Guard’s loss last evening. We are a small Service and events 

like that touch us all very deeply. So we very much appreciate your 

acknowledgment of that this morning. 

Every year, over 170 large passenger ships operate from United 

States ports and they embark approximately 11.5 million passengers. The safety of these passengers and the crews which operate these vessels has been a longstanding focus of the Coast Guard. 

Every year we conduct thorough examinations of these vessels to 

ensure that they comply with all United States and international 

10 

safety, security, and environmental standards, and ensure that 

their crews are well trained. 

In my role as deputy commandant for operations I am responsible for setting the safety, security, and environmental standards, 

for U.S.-flag, commercial vessels and for foreign-flag vessels which 

visit our ports. I am responsible for conducting investigations when 

accidents or violations of our standards occur, and I am responsible 

for the policy regarding the conduct of search and rescue. 

For all of these reasons the recent casualty involving Costa 

Concordia is of great interest to us. We are certain that there will 

be much to learn from this casualty, and we are open to the possibility that our regulations and the internal regulations produced by 

the International Maritime organization may need to be strengthened based on the outcome of the investigation being led by the 

Italian Government. 

Accordingly, we have offered to assist in Italy’s investigation as 

an interested party due to the significant number of American citizens who were onboard, including two who remain missing. This 

was a tragic event and all of us in the Coast Guard extend our 

heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the missing and 

the lost. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the loss of the Titanic; 

and, despite a century of technological improvements in maritime 

passenger safety, the Costa Concordia accident reminds us that all 

of our new technologies as beneficial as they are cannot be taken 

for granted that they are only as good as the human systems that 

operate and maintain them, and the regulatory regimes which enforce the rules. To improve passenger vessel safety on a global 

scale, the Coast Guard leads the U.S. efforts at the international 

maritime organization where world maritime safety standards are 

set. 

The focus on international standards is important, because just 

as in the Costa Concordia case, American citizens are frequently 

passengers on vessels, which otherwise have no U.S. connection. As 

the agency responsible for verifying the safety of foreign vessels, 

which visit our ports, the Coast Guard has established the most 

rigorous ports they control program in the world. 

All foreign-flag cruise ships which embark passengers in the 

United States must undergo a control verification exam before they 

are permitted to operate. This examination is comprehensive in nature. It includes pre-construction concept reviews, examinations of 

the hull and test of safety systems during construction, and followed by annual and periodic examinations for however long the 

vessel operates from U.S. ports. 

It is during these exams that we also verify compliance with environmental standards and security procedures, including those 

procedures required under the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security 

Act. In 2009 the Coast Guard established the cruise ship National 

Center of Expertise. This center is the focal point for providing 

Coast Guard Marine inspectors with the indepth technical knowledge of cruise ship design and operations and serves as an indicator of how seriously we take our responsibilities. 

One of the greatest safety challenges we could potentially face is 

a mass rescue operation involving cruise ship. While we worked 

11 

diligently with the cruise lines to minimize the risk of such an 

event occurring, we have also developed and continually refined our 

search and rescue and mass rescue contingency plans. We undertake this level of emergency planning in conjunction with the 

cruise industry. We hold copies of cruise ship emergency plans, and 

we periodically test them to ensure seamless coordination in the 

event of an actual emergency. 

Over the last 5 years the Coast Guard has conducted 36 mass 

rescue exercises involving passenger vessels. Each Coast Guard 

district has specific positions authorized by Congress to focus on 

this responsibility. As mentioned, we do not have the facts on the 

Costa Concordia accident; however, as an immediate measure, I 

have directed Coast Guard field inspectors to witness passenger 

muster drills required by the International Safety of Life At Sea 

Convention, whenever they are onboard for an annual or periodic 

examination. This contrasts with the SOLAS requirement in place 

internationally for a muster drill within 24 hours of leaving port. 

I am also pleased that the cruise industry itself has announced 

new emergency drill policies requiring mandatory muster drills for 

embarking passengers prior to departure from port, again exceeding the international requirement. In closing, I want to assure the 

committee that the Coast Guard views the safety of passengers as 

its highest maritime safety priority. We have the best port Statecontrolled program in the world for verifying the safety of vessels 

embarking in our ports. And, through the IMO we work diligently 

to enhance the safety of U.S. passengers regardless of where they 

embark a vessel anywhere in the world. 

Meanwhile, we have taken measures to implement the Cruise 

Ship Safety and Security Act of 2010 and we are engaged in additional regulatory efforts to give full effect to that law and to enhance the personal protection of passengers on cruise ships. The 

Coast Guard looks forward to continued cooperation with this committee, with passenger victim groups and with the passenger industry itself to maximize cruise vessel safety, security and environmental protection. 

Thank you, again, for the opportunity to testify today, and I will 

be pleased to answer your questions. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Admiral. Your statement actually 

covered a number of questions that I was going to pose, but a couple for you. Does the Coast Guard have any plans to conduct an 

independent investigation on the loss of the two American lives? 

Admiral SALERNO. Sir, we are conducting an investigation. In 

fact, we are currently embarked and interviewing, the process of 

interviewing all of the U.S. citizens who were passengers on the 

Costa Concordia. We are about 30 percent complete in that process. 

There is a standard series of questions that we are asking each 

of the passengers. We have invited the National Transportation 

Safety Board to participate with us in that, and from that we expect to develop a picture of what took place onboard and to truly 

understand some of the human factors that were, I think, critical 

in the unfolding of this casualty. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Admiral, we would be very interested when that 

is concluded, if you are able to share those results with us, it would 

be very helpful to the subcommittee. 

12 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir. We would be happy to share that information. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. You may have commented on this. I just wanted 

to just make sure I understand. Has the Coast Guard reached out 

to Italian authorities to offer your assistance with their investigation? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir, we have. The Italian authorities have 

indicated that they will welcome our participation. There are a 

number of other countries that have also sought the same status 

as interested parties, and the Italian Government has indicated 

they will do that, extend that same courtesy to them. Incidentally, 

with the more recent event on the Costa Allegra we have asked for 

the same status as an interested party, and we fully expect to be 

granted that status as well. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. And do you have any reason to believe that the 

Italian authorities would not share their final results of their investigation, or do you believe they will share with us? 

Admiral SALERNO. We believe they will share with us. All the indications are that there will be full disclosure. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. OK. Thank you. That is all for me, right now, Admiral. 

Mr. Larsen? 

Mr. LARSEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral, as you know, we have had the Concordia and the 

Allegra here. Does the Coast Guard have any history of examining 

these vessels for any reason, these particular vessels? 

Admiral SALERNO. The Concordia, initially, was intended for 

service in the United States but the plans changed very early on. 

So we commenced an initial examination overseas. It was never 

completed, because the company’s plans changed, and that ship has 

never come to the United States. The other vessel, to our knowledge, we have not had any contact with that vessel at all, at all. 

Mr. LARSEN. With regards to the invitation from the Italian Government, is that process by invite only, or is there any formal role 

in this case because there are U.S. citizens involved and so we can 

inject ourselves, or is it by invite? 

Admiral SALERNO. It is based on a casualty code put forward by 

the International Maritime organization, which has procedures for 

cooperation. And so we are using the provisions of that code to 

make the approach to the Italian Government, and they have responded accordingly. 

Mr. LARSEN. OK. So it is not driven by Italian Government or 

by U.S. Coast Guard. It is driven by the IMO standards that are 

in place. 

Admiral SALERNO. It is an IMO standard. We as an interested 

party did request and the Italian Government has responded. 

Mr. LARSEN. That’s all part. OK. Remind me why we are an interested party in the Allegra. 

Admiral SALERNO. Because there are eight U.S. citizens who 

were passengers onboard that vessel. 

Mr. LARSEN. OK. Good. Can you tell me a little bit about the 

Center for Excellence and how it operates? Does that operate more 

in a school setting? Is it a seminar setting? How is that focused? 

13 

Admiral SALERNO. It actually has multiple functions. It is first 

and foremost designed to train our marine inspectors from around 

the country. So, wherever we have cruise ship activity, including 

the Pacific Northwest, inspectors would go to Miami where the center is located, receive very indepth training with Coast Guard specialists and with industry partners. 

Industry provides vessels for our examinations so that we can 

not only have some classroom instruction, but hands-on, real-life, 

go through the ship, understand in detail how all the systems 

work. So it is a cooperative effort that we undertake with the industry; and, in fact, we have had a number of industry members 

go through the center as well, so they can better understand Coast 

Guard expectations. 

That informs the industry as to what we look for in a safety culture, onboard the ship, the kinds of systems that we pay particular 

attention to so that they are always maintained, and they are integrated into the ship’s safety management system. 

Mr. LARSEN. With regards to the mass rescue exercises, how 

many did you say you have conducted? In your oral testimony, you 

put a number. 

Admiral SALERNO. To get that right, let me get the number. It’s 

36, and they are conducted in every Coast Guard district. All passenger vessels, so not all of them are cruise ships. Some of them 

are high-capacity passenger vessels that are smaller than what we 

typically think of as a cruise ship. 

Mr. LARSEN. Like a Victoria clipper? 

Admiral SALERNO. Exactly. So we do mix it up. They operate a 

little bit differently; but, each one of them poses unique risks, so 

we exercise all different types of ships all around the coast in every 

district. 

Mr. LARSEN. OK. I think for now that is good, Mr. Chairman. I 

know we have further questions on our side, so I will yield back. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Larsen. 

Mr. Mica? 

Mr. MICA. Thank you, Admiral. That is interesting. Your last 

name is Salerno, and my family sailed from Salerno when they 

came to the United States. And I will be in Salerno on Easter with 

some of them, but good to have you hear; and, again, thank you 

so much for your service. I just love the U.S. Coast Guard. 

You know, they never come and lobby me. Their pay is a small 

portion of what some of the other Federal folks earn. They never 

pick at my office. They are just wonderful folks to deal with and 

they do such a great job I can’t say enough about what you do. But 

I have got a couple of questions. 

The muster drill thing, you know, right now we are all dealing 

with anecdotal accounts, and we will hear some from the actual 

passengers. And I think that’s great that we bring them in. This 

is a pretty big ship, but there are even bigger ships out there. Is 

the muster drill and the lifeboat safety drill currently—I guess it 

is a 24-hour requirement. Do you think that is adequate? 

I know many of the cruise ships have upped that to a much 

shorter time when folks board. Should that be updated by U.S. regulation and international law? 

14 

Admiral SALERNO. Well, we have certainly made it a requirement 

as part of our examinations to witness that trail, and I think that 

is almost a reasonable outcome from what we are seeing from this 

casualty. The cruise lines themselves have made that a voluntary 

practice within the United States. I believe that may apply internationally as well that they can probably fill you in on that. 

Mr. MICA. Do you think it needs to be looked at? 

Admiral SALERNO. I do. I think it needs to be looked at. 

Mr. MICA. Again, we would like to take your recommendation. I 

don’t know if it needs to be in law, but maybe in regulation. I don’t 

know if it needs to be in law, but maybe in regulation, and then 

also to the international organizations. So we have the best possible standard for that drill, because the safety drill is very important in people knowing what to do, and maybe revising it a little 

bit with the mega liners. Again, these are massive ships and multistoried. 

The other thing, too, when I saw the ship go over, I guess the 

ship is now that the lifeboats and safety devices are geared to a 

20-degree tilt. That might be something else we want to look at is 

I think it went to 35. The ship is still, you know, on its side. If it 

had been in deep water, that puppy would have gone down pretty 

dramatically. 

There would have probably been a much greater loss of life; and, 

what stunned me again is probably half of your lifeboats and your 

safety devices are on that side, so they would have been wiped out. 

And they would have to account for maybe 2,000 or 1,500 of those 

passengers who would have no way—maybe the life vest, but we 

heard problems with that too. 

So we may want to look at that, and, you know, in the past they 

put the life vests in the cabin or someplace like that, maybe working with the industry to see, again, availability of both the lifeboat 

vessel which would take folks off. And most seas—well, I guess the 

Italian sea at that time wasn’t that cold. But, you get into frigid 

waters, the survival rate drops pretty dramatically. So I think we 

need to look at that in light of the size of these, again, these mega 

cruise liners. Would you agree? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir. I think there are two broad categories of inquiry here. What are the technological standards that 

you just mentioned? We need to take a hard look in light of this 

casualty. Are the standards correct? Did the equipment function in 

accordance with the standards, and are the standards sufficiently 

rigorous? 

I think that is one question. The other is the human factors, you 

know, crew performance: training, the ability to operate under 

pressure; all of that needs to be looked at as well, so two buckets. 

Mr. MICA. Finally, let me say this. You know. These hearings are 

great and we do learn things from the hearings. We will learn 

things today, and I would ask the ranking member, Mr. Larsen, 

and also Mr. LoBiondo. 

What I would suggest we do as a followup is let’s convene a 

roundtable with the Coast Guard and others, and then let’s get 

their recommendations. And what they can cover by regulation, we 

will work with them on. If we need to change the law, let’s take 

their recommendations. Then, if I could ask you also, since the 

15 

international standards are also imposed for Americans outside our 

borders, but that it is very important that you lead an effort. And 

I think one of those bodies is in London? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir. The International Maritime Organization is the primary agent. 

Mr. MICA. Right. To take to them our recommendations so that 

we can protect Americans from U.S. ports, but there are so many 

Americans now that travel internationally on these international 

liners, so we will set a date appropriate to the majority and the minority for a roundtable followup. And then we would like to try to 

get your recommendations for law changes and what you can do by 

regulation, what these two gentleman take to the international organizations to recommend an update. Can I yield to Mr.—— 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, you can do whatever you like. 

Mr. MICA. Well, no. I only do what Mr. Young asked for, because 

he is more ranking as far as chairman. 

Mr. YOUNG. Thank you, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. And first 

let me say thank the chairman, Mr. LoBiondo, for this hearing. 

But, you know, I will tell you this. There is nothing wrong with the 

ship. This was a good ship. There are probably three errors and 

they are all human errors. 

One, we had a captain that forgot he was a captain. As a captain, 

I can tell I was very embarrassed. He took it off the plot. He was 

too close to the shore, and there is nothing wrong with the ships 

we have in the industry. One thing also in our area we have American pilots that pilot the ships in our waters, especially in the 

Northwest, crucially important. If the pilot had been onboard that 

ship as he should have been, this would not have happened. 

Was the crew trained? Maybe, maybe not; I am not sure about 

that. And I want us to be careful about casting aspersions to the 

American cruise lines in American waters, because we are doing a 

very good job. We have had a good safety record. We have had one 

bad fire in Alaska over the last 35 years, and had a great rescue 

by the Coast Guard. And that is something that is really important 

to me to recognize where the problem lies. This was a human activity that should never have occurred. 

We go through a very rigorous program in our waters about safety for our cruise ships. Are we perfect? No. Huge industry, pretty 

doggone good. I really want you to understand that, Admiral, because to me this is important that we don’t have a black eye all 

the way around the world about the cruise industry. And you say, 

well, why am I saying this? Because we have a very fine industry 

in Alaska. 

We have over 1 million passengers a year come to the State of 

Alaska. I have never heard them complain about any of the activities of the crews or the captain, so that is important. And, Mr. 

Chairman, if I could ask one question, it has really nothing to do 

with this, but I have been requested to do it. 

The Longshoreman have asserted that neither the foreign crew 

nor the American staffs onboard the foreign cruise ships have required safety training to load, unload and tie up vessels in our Nation’s ports. How would you respond to the concern that unqualified personnel loading and unloading and tying up vessels at our 

Nation’s ports may endanger our passenger safety? And, do you beVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
16 

lieve legislation required to further protect passenger safety during 

the loading and unloading and tying up the vessels of our Nation’s 

ports? 

This is a complaint I have had from, of course, an interest group, 

but this also ties into the safety factor, how it is loaded. I used to 

be a loadmaster too. How the ship is loaded, where it is loaded; 

what is the passengers’ requirements? What is the crew’s requirements about handling all types of things? And I guess you can comment on it, Admiral, if you can. 

Admiral SALERNO. Well, certainly, as far as loading equipment, 

stores, trim and stability are very, very important on any ship, particularly important, of course, when you have passengers involved, 

looking after their safety. I have not heard the particular concern 

raised by the Longshoremen’s Union, but I would be very interested in looking into that. 

Mr. YOUNG. I appreciate it and I notice how quick people forget. 

And, thank you, Mr. Chairman. You were not on the timer. The 

ranking member was not on the timer. The chairman was on the 

timer, but as an ex-chairman I was put on the timer. With that, 

I yield back my time. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. I will reserve comment on that, but for those of 

you who may not be aware, Mr. Young, I believe, is the only Member of Congress who actually holds a captain’s license. So he does 

speak with some personal experience. 

Ms. Brown? Or, excuse me, Mr. Larsen? 

Mr. LARSEN. Mr. Chairman, I just noted to Mr. Young that in the 

future when he is ranking member I will be sure he is put on the 

timer. 

Mr. YOUNG. Thank you. That won’t happen for a while! 

[Laughter.] 

Mr. LOBIONDO. OK. Ms. Brown, you are recognized? 

Ms. BROWN. Thank you. Let me take this opportunity to thank 

the U.S. Coast Guard for not just the work that you do in Florida, 

but throughout the country. We have given you a tremendous 

amount of responsibility, and you all have come up to the challenge. And every time I get a chance to thank you publicly, how 

you all responded after 9/11, I have to, because you all was the first 

branch that was there and protecting our country right after that 

tragedy. So, thank you. 

There is no doubt that this accident in Italy was tragic. My 

thought and prayers go out to those who was killed and injured, 

and we must take every chance necessary to protect the safety of 

the passengers. But we can’t vilify the entire industry because of 

the reckless action of one rogue employee who failed to follow the 

policy and protocol of his own company. As a Member from the 

State of Florida and a representative of the Port of Jacksonville, I 

am particularly interested in the cruise industry. 

The cruise industry is a critical, economic engine for the State of 

Florida. Over 8 million passengers embarked from Florida in 2010 

and the industry contributed more than $6.3 billion in direct 

spending. In addition, the cruise industry is the second-largest employer in Florida, generating more than 123,000 jobs paying $5.4 

billion. But, I do want to go back to the question that I want to 

ask you about do you think that the Italian Coast Guard did everyVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
17 

thing that they could to assist the passengers, and what recommendations would you make that we add additional recommendations? 

Admiral SALERNO. Thank you, Congresswoman. To the best of 

my awareness the Italian Coast Guard pursued the response in a 

very, very aggressive, very professional manner. I have nothing to 

suggest otherwise. We, of course, at the very beginning of the investigation, I think we will learn more about not only the actions 

of the crew but rescue organizations, which will be beneficial to us 

as we refine our search and rescue, and mass rescue operational 

plans. 

Ms. BROWN. And I know the investigation is going on, but there 

is a great amount of concern as to how the captain handled the situation. And, what procedures could we put in place to make sure 

that, I mean, afterwards it was not from the press account. Of 

course, you can’t always believe the press account, but, you know, 

it was an acknowledgment that it was an emergency. 

And, in addition, my understanding that it is 24 hours before 

they have to have the muster drill. I understand now that the 

cruise industry have gone back and said that before you leave that 

port that you’re going to have that training, and I think that is 

very important, and I am glad that they instituted it throughout. 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, I think that is a noteworthy improvement 

and I am very pleased with the industry for taking that initiative, 

even in advance of being required to do so. So I think that is a 

positive development. As far as the actions of the master, obviously, the investigation will shed more light on it. I don’t know of 

any professional mariner who is willing to step up and defend what 

the apparent lack of leadership that clearly took place on that ship. 

Ms. BROWN. What about the training of the crew, because it 

seemed like everything was kind of in disarray. And, every time I 

have gone on cruises and I send my mom on cruises and family, 

the first thing they do is they have that training as to how in case 

of an accident, you know, you put on your gear and everything. 

Admiral SALERNO. That is correct. 

Ms. BROWN. That hadn’t happened. They got on the cruise. Everybody was dressed for dinner, but they had not had that initial 

safety training. 

Admiral SALERNO. There are well-defined requirements of training for crewmembers. Anybody with a safety position, including, 

you know, hotel staff that may have a safety position and crowd 

management, ushering people to their embarkations stations. And 

so all of that is required, and periodically refreshed. 

We enforce those regulations vigorously in our core State-controlled program. We work very closely with the industry and convey our expectations about a safety culture; and I think the results 

are in the numbers. The cruise ship industry in the United States 

has a very good safety record. It is among the safest of all maritime 

activity. 

So, that doesn’t happen by accident. It requires commitment by 

regulators and by the industry itself, and the numbers, I think, 

bear that out. 

Ms. BROWN. My last question is I understand on the equipment, 

the safety boats were on side, and they had to walk all the way 

18 

to the other side. So was there any discussion as to making sure 

it is at a certain level, because I understand if it is at certain feet, 

then it is underwater or something. 

Admiral SALERNO. There are some very precise technological requirements for lifeboats. The angle at which they must be lowered—20 degrees was mentioned earlier—that’s correct. There is 

also trim. You have 10 degrees either fore and aft trim. So operating against adverse conditions, yes. Also at play here is the stability condition of the ship. 

One of the questions we do not yet have an answer to is how 

much flooding occurred in that ship, and should it have listed over 

as far as it did. We don’t know if water tight doors were closed internal to the ship, which may have spread the flooding beyond the 

design limits. All questions that we need to know as part of the investigation we’ll pursue with the Italian Government. 

Ms. BROWN. Once again, I want to thank the men and women 

for their service. 

Admiral SALERNO. Thank you. 

Ms. BROWN. And I yield back the balance of my time. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Ms. Brown. 

Mr. Coble, Master Chief. 

Mr. COBLE. Thank you, Mr. Coble. I appreciate that. 

Mr. Chairman, this has nothing to do with my questioning, but 

are the acoustics flawed? It appears to be muffled. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. The acoustics are different today, and I am not 

sure whether that is controlled by the control room or just something a little bit different. 

Mr. COBLE. I thank you. Admiral, good morning. 

As has been indicated earlier, we are deeply concerned about the 

loss last night, Admiral. 

Admiral SALERNO. Thank you, sir. 

Mr. COBLE. Admiral, will the Coast Guard conduct an independent investigation in the loss of the two American citizens 

aboard the Costa Concordia? 

Admiral SALERNO. Well, we are, as mentioned, sir, interviewing 

all the U.S. passengers who were onboard to develop as complete 

a picture as we possibly can as to what took place on that vessel. 

And as mentioned, look to the chairman. We will share that information with this committee. 

Mr. COBLE. I thank you for that. Admiral, is it possible for a 

cruise vessel to fail an inspection and then not be permitted to operate in U.S. waters? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir, that is possible. And there have been 

instances where the Coast Guard inspector has not been pleased 

and is detained to ship. That doesn’t happen very often, and it 

quite honestly hasn’t happened in a number of years now, because 

I think we have developed a strong enough expectation with the industry. And they responded by instituting safety cultures within 

their companies to make sure that they meet all of our very strenuous requirements. But, yes, it is possible. If we are not satisfied, 

the ship won’t sail. 

Mr. COBLE. And when the Coast Guard in fact does detect deficiencies, how do you follow up to ensure that the deficiency had 

been corrected? 

19 

Admiral SALERNO. We do follow up. You know, depending on the 

severity of the deficiency, we may allow a certain amount of time 

for correction. If there is some immediate danger, we would require 

an immediate fix. 

Mr. COBLE. Admiral, let me ask you this. Are the hotel and entertainment staff aboard U.S.-flagged cruise vessels required to be 

a credentialed merchant mariners? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir, they are. U.S.-flagged cruise vessels 

are required to be licensed by the Coast Guard. The crew must 

hold Merchant Mariner credentials and they must have the training associated with the safety positions that they hold on those vessels. 

Mr. COBLE. And I would assume that that would probably lead 

to a more competent crew. Would it not? 

Admiral SALERNO. That’s the goal, yes, sir. That training is designed to achieve a level of competency that is a baseline. Now, 

when we witness fire drills, boat drills, on board not only U.S.-flag 

ships, but on foreign-flag ships, that is one of the ways that we 

verify that the training has taken hold, that people actually know 

how to use the equipment. They know how to communicate, and 

they can perform their functions in an efficient manner. So that is 

one of the controls we have, in verifying that. 

Mr. COBLE. Thank you, Admiral. Good to have you with us. I 

yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Coble. Mr. Cummings? 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

First of all, let me associate myself with the words of Ms. Brown 

with regard to the tremendous work that the Coast Guard does 

every day. I call them the thin blue line at sea, and also I express 

my concern and prayers and condolences for the losses that we 

have suffered here recently, those families are going through some 

difficult times. 

As the Coast Guard faces continuing budget challenges, perhaps 

the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of 

the cruise industry in the United States and indeed the safety of 

our entire maritime transportation system is to ensure that the 

hard one gains and the Coast Guard and Marine Safety Program 

are not lost, and that this critical program continues to receive the 

resources it needs to be able to engage fully qualified personnel to 

carry out thorough inspections and investigations. 

And I want to thank Ms. Matsui and certainly the cruise industry, and victims for helping us as we address many of these issues 

in the 2010 reauthorization. Everybody should know, Title 5 of the 

Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2010 established certain standards for the prevention and response and workforces. Title 5 required that there be in each sector a chief of prevention who is at 

least a lieutenant. 

A lieutenant commander is a GS–13, and who is a marine inspector and qualified marine casualty investigator or marine safety engineer. Is a qualified chief of prevention in place at each sector 

now? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir. We have qualified members at nearly 

every sector, and as I think we have briefed you in the past, sir, 

we have also included a number of civilian marine inspectors in our 

20 

workforce. Our goal is 30 percent. So every sector has civilians who 

will be our longstanding experts in every port. They have the local 

knowledge. They have the awareness of the industry, and they also 

assist in the training of more junior people. So I think we have 

made considerable process under Title 5 of the Coast Guard. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Very good. The Title 5 required that a certificate 

of inspection must be signed by the senior Coast Guard members 

or be an employee who inspected the vessel, in addition to the officer in charge of marine inspection. Is the Coast Guard in compliance with this requirement? 

Admiral SALERNO. Sir, I will have to confirm that that has been 

put in effect. It is certainly our intention to comply with the Title 

5 requirement. 

[U.S. Coast Guard insert for the record:] 

The Coast Guard is not currently in compliance with this 

section of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. 

However, the Marine Inspector signature block on the Certificate of Inspection will be incorporated as an enhancement in the spring 2013 update of the Coast Guard’s Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement System 

database. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. How soon can you get us that information? 

Admiral SALERNO. I should be able to get that to you within a 

day or so, sir. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. All right. Thank you. Similarly, Title 5 required 

that any individual adjudicating an appeal or waiver of a decision 

regarding marine safety should be qualified. A qualified specialist 

will have a senior staff member who is a qualified specialist and 

who concurs in writing with the decision on appeal. Is the Coast 

Guard in compliance with that? 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, sir. We are making sure that there are 

qualified people throughout the chain of review. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Very good. What is being done to include geographic stability among the marine inspector and investigative 

workforce? 

Admiral SALERNO. The primary reason, the primary methodology 

for geographic stability is the civilian workforce. That gives us 

some rootedness in every court so that that’s a hedge against the 

military workforce, which by its very nature does move around 

more frequently, but civilians provide that stability. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Very good. Let me ask you. How many inspectors 

do you have who are qualified to examine cruise ships, and is the 

inspector workforce currently adequate to meet the current work 

load? 

Admiral SALERNO. Sir, for qualified inspectors for cruise ships, 

there are currently 326. And the current workforce, yes, is adequate. We have added a number of new billets over the past fiscal 

years, 400 plus, I think, until 2011. In 2011 there are some additional, and we will annualize some that were brought onboard in 

2012, so over 500 overall new positions. 

And we intend to hold onto that, even though we were in a very 

tight budget environment. So it has been growth and a no-growth 

21 

environment, so I think that speaks to the level of commitment the 

Coast Guard has to this mission. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. How many of the captains of the cruise vessels 

that call on the United States are Americans operating on the U.S. 

Coast Guard issued licenses? 

Admiral SALERNO. The foreign-flag cruise ships are, I think, almost exclusively captained by foreign masters, but they do meet 

international standards that we have helped develop through the 

IMO. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. So I guess that sort of leads to my next question, 

and my last question. Captains who are not licensed by the U.S. 

Coast Guard, what review do you conduct of their licensing or fitness for duty? 

Admiral SALERNO. Well, we certainly checked their credentials 

issued by their home governments; and, then, as we go through our 

inspections, and particularly with fire and lifeboat drills, that is 

our ability to assess their competence. In every inspection we question the crew as to their knowledge as to safety requirements, security requirements, and environmental, and we make some judgments based on that. We have held and detained ships in the U.S. 

when we have come to the conclusion in sensitive safety positions 

onboard did not know their duties. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Very well, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Cummings. 

Ms. Matsui. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of this important hearing. 

I would like to thank the witnesses for being here today and particularly the survivors from the Costa Concordia. And I would like 

to ask unanimous consent that a letter from the International 

Cruise Victims Association be submitted for the record. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. No objection. 

[The information follows:] 

22 


Insert offset folio 15 here 73104.015
23 


Insert offset folio 16 here 73104.016
24 


Insert offset folio 17 here 73104.017
25 


Insert offset folio 18 here 73104.018
26 

Ms. MATSUI. The Costa Concordia accident is an unfortunate 

tragedy that once again highlights the need to constantly evaluate 

cruise ship safety, as does the current situation with the Costa 

Allegra. We must not only examine the physical safety of the ship 

and the safety procedures in place to respond to an emergency, but 

also to the security of the passengers while onboard. 

In July of 2010, President Obama signed into law the Cruise 

Vessel Security and Safety Act. Legislation I sponsored after learning that one of my constituents suffered a rape while on a cruise 

vacation, and that there was no process onboard to properly handle 

the crime. This law is a first step towards providing greater security for passengers, from requiring cabin door peepholes and security latches, to improving medical care and support to victims of 

sexual assault. 

This law also gives the public access to information about the 

number of crimes committed on cruise ships, and puts much needed procedures in place to ensure the proper preservation of evidence necessary to prosecute the criminal. All provisions of this law 

went into effect by or on January 27th, 2012. I have raised concerns about whether the law is being properly or timely implemented and look forward to getting answers to these questions 

today. 

As you know, Admiral Salerno, the Cruise Vessel Security and 

Safety Act required that each cruise ship integrate video surveillance and man overboard technology to the extent that such technology is available. It is my understanding that the Coast Guard 

has received several proposals from different companies that manufacture man overboard detection devices. Have the cruise lines integrated man overboard technology aboard their vessels as required 

by law? 

Admiral SALERNO. Ma’am, that aspect of the law was determined 

not to be self-executing, so we have embarked on a regulatory process. The first step in that process was to seek information from the 

industry to determine the availability of technology that can be 

used for man overboard detection, so we are engaged in that process right now. 

Our intention is to take that information and convert that into 

a notice of proposed rulemaking to fully implement that provision 

of the law. Other aspects of the law that are self-executing, we 

have through policy—I’ve already implemented procedures. 

Ms. MATSUI. Where are you in the rulemaking process now? 

Admiral SALERNO. In the process we are gathering information, 

quite honestly, from the affected public. 

Ms. MATSUI. OK. We would like to do that as quickly as possible. 

Admiral SALERNO. Absolutely. 

Ms. MATSUI. Admiral, the law also requires at least one crewmember be adequately trained in proper crime scene preservation 

techniques. I understand that the Coast Guard worked with the 

FBI and the Maritime Administration to come up with a model 8- 

hour training course. How do you know if a crewmember has satisfactorily completed this training? 

Admiral SALERNO. The training would be certified by the company, and it would be examined during the course of our normal 

inspections of the vessel. 

27 

Ms. MATSUI. So, do the cruise ships have to provide actual documentation that this training has been completed? 

Admiral SALERNO. They have to have that documentation onboard, and I will confirm for you whether they have to affirmatively send it in. I don’t have that detail, but I’ll confirm that for 

you. 

[U.S. Coast Guard insert for the record:] 

The cruise ship companies are not required to send documentation directly to the Coast Guard or the FBI. However, cruise ships must inform the Coast Guard in their 

Advanced Notice of Arrival that one or more properly 

trained crewmembers are onboard the vessel. In addition, 

the Coast Guard will confirm the cruise ship’s compliance 

during annual and periodic examinations through a review 

of the crewmember’s training certificate. 

Ms. MATSUI. And who is conducting the training of the crewmembers? 

Admiral SALERNO. The training is conducted by the cruise lines 

themselves based on a model course that was developed in conjunction with the FBI and the Maritime Administration. 

Ms. MATSUI. OK. And how do you know that the training actually follows the recommendations of the model course? 

Admiral SALERNO. That would be verified through our routine inspections at the vessels. We would do that as part of the—— 

Ms. MATSUI. OK. That’s part of the course. OK. 

Admiral SALERNO [continuing]. Part of the inspection program. 

Ms. MATSUI. OK. Well, I still have concerns that the 8 hours 

might not be adequate time to properly train a crewmember in 

crime preservation techniques, and I do hope we can work together 

to ensure the cruise ships have the expertise necessary. 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, ma’am. The program in place now is an 

interim one, and we are absolutely open to suggestions to improve 

that program. 

Ms. MATSUI. I think you understand how important it is to the 

cruise victims that all of this be done in as expeditious manner as 

possible. 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, Congresswoman. 

Ms. MATSUI. And I truly appreciate what the Coast Guard is 

doing. I along with the others do appreciate your service. And I 

know that my time is moving now, and I do have a few more questions, but I am hoping that I can have written—OK. Thank you 

very much. Thank you very much for that. I appreciate that. Have 

the cruise lines integrated video surveillance aboard their vessels 

as required by law? 

Admiral SALERNO. Ma’am, I will have to confirm that with you. 

I don’t have the details on that, but I can get back to you on that. 

Ms. MATSUI. So, OK. So you have no idea of the reasons behind 

that at all? 

Admiral SALERNO. I don’t have the information on that, ma’am. 

I will get back to you. 

[U.S. Coast Guard insert for the record:] 

28 

All cruise ships have video surveillance systems of various 

types. The Coast Guard is developing regulations to implement the requirements for video recording and surveillance systems as required by the Cruise Vessel Security 

and Safety Act of 2010. Furthermore, Coast Guard policy 

requires that a copy of video recordings using currently installed video-recording equipment, which pertain to an alleged crime under investigation, shall be provided to law 

enforcement officials upon request. 

Ms. MATSUI. OK. Will there be a rulemaking process for that 

also? 

Admiral SALERNO. That is part of the rulemaking process. 

Ms. MATSUI. Admiral Salerno, as you know, the law also requires 

cruise ships to report crimes committed upon their ships, and the 

Coast Guard is to provide the information to the public through an 

Internet portal. I have raised some concerns about the low number 

of crimes actually being reported. 

There were 16 reported for the entire year of 2011. Can you walk 

me through how the following crime would be reported/investigated? Let’s say a sexual assault occurs on the high seas involving a U.S. citizen on a Jamaican-flagged ship, leaving an American 

port headed for Cancun. I would like to know who would have jurisdiction over this crime, how would jurisdiction be determined, 

and who would be able to make an arrest? 

Admiral SALERNO. For a crime of that nature the process would 

be the cruise lines would report that. It would go to the FBI. There 

would be investigation by the FBI, typically in conjunction with 

Coast Guard investigators. The FBI would post the results once the 

case is final. We would put that on our portal, but we are posting 

closed cases. So what you see as low numbers are closed cases. 

There are more cases that are still open, still under investigation, 

not closed out. So that’s not representative of the total. 

Ms. MATSUI. So that’s not represented on the portal at all? 

Admiral SALERNO. Correct. 

Ms. MATSUI. OK. So, you know, a key element of this law was 

to provide the public with correct information regarding crime on 

cruise ships, and I do hope that the Coast Guard and the FBI are 

doing everything in their power to have complete information. And 

I will be following up with you and the FBI. 

Admiral SALERNO. Yes, ma’am. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Ms. Matsui. 

Mr. Farenthold? 

Mr. FARENTHOLD. Thank you. I apologize for arriving late. I was 

in a FEMA hearing in another building. But I am sure you have 

probably covered this, but reassurances for American citizens on 

cruise ships coming out of American ports, I realize that under foreign-flag vessels we don’t have nearly as much jurisdiction as we 

do under U.S.-flagged vessels. But the economies of the cruise industry typically result in foreign-flagged vessels. Would you feel 

comfortable taking your family on a cruise out of a U.S. port? 

Admiral SALERNO. I would, and I say that because we do have 

the most rigorous examination program in the world. And we have 

29 

received cooperation from the industry in adopting a safety culture, 

so that even when we are not watching, I have confidence that they 

are doing the right thing. 

Mr. FARENTHOLD. And do you feel like there is anything else that 

we need to be doing to ensure cruise ship safety? Again, obviously 

we have no jurisdiction outside of ships that call on our ports. 

Where are we short? 

Admiral SALERNO. Well, I think our interest in the Costa 

Concordia investigation is to explore that very question. We need 

to be open to the fact that some of our regulations may need to be 

strengthened. The international regime may need to be strengthened. Maybe training needs to be strengthened. Those are questions without answers at this point, but I think we need to be open 

to the fact that we will have something to learn from this, and then 

we would like to stay connected with this committee as to what 

those things may be. 

Mr. FARENTHOLD. I will look forward to working with you and I 

will yield back the remainder of my time. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you. Ms. Brown? 

Ms. BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you all 

for calling this meeting. And the purpose of this meeting is to see 

what we need to do to strengthen the industry at the hundred 

years since the Titanic sank and what policies that we need to implement to make sure that we can protect all of the passengers. 

We often say U.S. passengers, but people come from all over the 

world to sail on our ships. And, in fact, I went to Barcelona, and 

there is a cruise ship that leaves Orlando, Florida, that goes to 

Barcelona. So it is an international business. And I want to commend Ms. Matsui for pursuing making sure that people are safe on 

the ships when they travel. But my understanding, the cruise industry is one of the safest in the world as far as being attacked. 

You can be attacked in my neighborhood, as far as that goes. Can 

you tell us a little about that? Because I would not want to leave 

here with the image that traveling on a cruise ship is not safe. I 

send my mother on a cruise ship, so I know it is safe. 

Admiral SALERNO. Our numbers, I think, speak for themselves. 

Cruise ships consistently rank among the lowest of the category of 

ships that have marine casualties. So all the major types of casualties that we measure, collisions, groundings, fires, floodings, those 

types of things. They are single digit numbers in all these different 

categories, so, yes, comparatively safe. And I think, overall, objectively speaking, it is a safe industry. 

But, as mentioned, that doesn’t happen by accident. That takes 

a lot of effort; and, we from a Coast Guard perspective, are relentless in applying that effort, working with the lines to keep them 

safe. 

Ms. BROWN. Well, thank you very much. And I also would like 

to have an opportunity to respond to the Rep, that we are going 

to have adequate time to respond to or make additional comments 

in the record. Is that correct? 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Absolutely. 

Ms. BROWN. All right. Thank you. Mr. Cummings. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, I just have a question or two and 

just followup on what Ms. Brown just said. Mr. Chairman, last 

30 

week in Oversight and Government Reform we had a hearing on 

the Chevy Volt. And one of the things that came out of that hearing was we wanted to make it clear that the Volt was a safe car. 

And one of the things that the head of GM said to us was that, 

you know, it’s nice for you to have this hearing. The car is safe, 

but there is going to be some collateral damage. 

And just following up on what Ms. Brown just asked, I want to 

make sure that we are being fair to our cruise industry. I worked 

very closely with the cruise industry when we were trying to pull 

all of this together, the reauthorization, and I found them to be 

very fair, very reasonable. And as they would say to me over and 

over again, ‘‘Cummings, this is just as important to us that we 

have safety on our ships as it is to you.’’ And I thought that they 

were very fair and very balanced, very reasonable. And so I don’t 

want the word to go out that because of these incidents that really 

is not us. 

See. I want that clear, but I know what happens, just like with 

the Chevy Volt. And when the president of GM said that he was 

concerned that there would be collateral damage, and when we talk 

about the collateral damage here, we are talking about an industry 

that hires a lot of people, an industry that provides families in 

these difficult economic times with one of the cheapest and most 

inclusive vacations that they can get. I don’t want there to be collateral damage to that industry. 

So I wanted to make it very clear. I want you to reiterate what 

you just said, that it is a safe industry, and that leads me to my 

question. Are there things that you would like to see us do, more 

than what we are doing, to make it even safer? I mean nothing is 

perfect. It’s not a product. It is a project, ever evolving. 

We have learned every day from our mistakes. So the question 

is is there anything that we should be doing that we are not doing. 

And I am just curious, because I don’t want the word to go out that 

we haven’t fulfilled our responsibility. I believe that the industry 

is doing the best they can, but I don’t want them to be blindsided 

by a hearing that paints them in a light that is just not accurate. 

That’s all. 

Admiral SALERNO. And thank you, Congressman Cummings. It is 

not my intention to paint the industry as a—— 

Mr. CUMMINGS. No, I think you have done a pretty good job. I 

just want to make sure we are real clear, because you know how 

people are. 

Admiral SALERNO. Right. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. They get a little tidbit of information, and particularly with these incidents that had nothing to do with us. 

Admiral SALERNO. Correct. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Next thing you know, that industry then suffers 

when it shouldn’t suffer. 

Admiral SALERNO. Yeah. I think we look at our casualty statistics very closely, and we do bear out the fact that this is a safe industry. So they have a good record. We obviously want to work 

with the industry to maintain that record, but it is objectively 

speaking, a safe industry. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And how do we protect our progress? 

31 

Admiral SALERNO. We continue from a Federal perspective, continue to stay engaged with the industry. We will watch this casualty, see what unfolds from it, and we would certainly like to stay 

connected with the committee as to the results of what we find on 

that investigation to see if there may be other things that we need 

to do. We don’t have the answers to that yet, but again we need 

to be open to what we learned from this investigation. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chairman? 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I yield to the lady. 

Ms. BROWN. Yes. Mr. Chairman—former Mr. Chairman, but you 

said, ‘‘cheap,’’ and I just want you to know that cruise is comprehensive, affordable travel, having been a travel agent prior to 

coming to Congress. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. So, reclaiming my time, I take back the word 

‘‘cheap,’’ and I would substitute it, Mr. Chairman, with ‘‘affordable.’’ And I yield back. Thank you for correcting me, Ms. Brown. 

I yield back. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Larsen. 

Mr. LARSEN. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter 

into the record the statement from Geoffrey Scimone. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Without objection, so ordered. 

[The information follows:] 

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Mr. LOBIONDO. Ms. Brown, Mr. Cummings, anything else? 

[No response.] 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Farenthold? Nothing else. 

Well, Admiral, thank you very much. This was, I think, extremely helpful, and as we proceed, I would just like to reemphasize a couple of things as we close off this first panel. 

Mr. Mica had made the request that we have this hearing over 

the tragedy with the Costa Concordia, that we also use this opportunity as the admiral has pointed out. And I think we will hear, 

additionally, that the U.S. cruise industry has been very proactive 

with the Coast Guard, which we are going to look forward to following up on and highlight the realities Mr. Cummings and Mr. 

Brown, I think, amply did. 

But to make sure that we don’t have collateral damage with U.S. 

citizens with the cruise industry because of our safety record being 

so incredible, and that is due to the proactive nature of the Coast 

Guard and working with the industry, we will look forward to the 

results of the investigation, which as you said, Admiral, will I 

think give us more. But at this point I feel comfortable in saying, 

not being a lawyer and all the qualifications or qualifiers that need 

to go with this, every indication is that this was incredibly poor 

judgment on behalf of one individual mariner, at best. 

At worst it is much more damning, and when you have somebody 

that exercised extremely poor judgment and lack of judgment, it is 

a very difficult problem to deal with. So, Admiral, we thank you 

for being here. 

We will have a very brief adjournment as we can set up for the 

next panel. 

Admiral SALERNO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

[Recess.] 

Mr. LOBIONDO. The committee will return to order. 

For a second panel we have Mr. Sameer and Mrs. Divya Sharma 

of Medford, Massachusetts. The Sharmas are survivors of the Costa 

Concordia and are here today to give us their firsthand account of 

what happened. 

We welcome you both. We thank you for taking the time to share 

with us, and you are now recognized for whatever statements you 

would like to make. 

TESTIMONY OF SAMEER AND DIVYA SHARMA, COSTA 

CONCORDIA SURVIVORS 

Mr. SHARMA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

First of all, thank you for giving us the opportunity to come in 

here and present what we have to say. I would just start off saying 

that this was our fifth-year wedding anniversary trip, our first trip 

to Europe. We were very excited, and as Ms. Brown had said earlier, it is a very affordable way to travel. We had cruised before. 

So that kind of like helped us to make up our mind to take another 

cruise. 

We boarded the Costa Concordia on Friday, January 13, 2012, 

from Civitavecchia, Italy, between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The first 

impression was the ship was huge and very beautiful. The boarding 

38 

process was fairly easy. Since we had one of the non-European 

passports we had to surrender our passports to the crewmembers. 

After that we went to our room that was on the ninth deck. At 

this point we had had no communication regarding the emergency 

safety drill or any instructions from anyone from the crew telling 

us where to go in case of emergency. We were in full spirit of our 

vacation and were very happy to be on board. 

Soon after getting situated, we started to unpack our luggage 

and started to get ready for our dinner reservation at 9:00 p.m. on 

the third deck. At about 9:15, we were at our dinner table on deck 

three and were in the process of ordering our food, and we had just 

ordered our appetizers. At that moment there was a violent shaking of the ship followed by loud crash noises as the plates and the 

glasses broke due to the listing of the ship towards the starboard 

side. Lights went out immediately, but there was no announcement 

as to what had happened. It was pitch dark with no visibility. 

Everyone nearby started to scream, and a few minutes into the 

ordeal the emergency lights came on, and we observed that the 

ship is now listing on the port side. This is when the first announcement came on telling us that it was nothing but an electrical failure and that everything is under control. Crewmembers 

urged the passengers to remain calm and seated. 

The staff started to bring out people’s food as if nothing bad had 

happened. While the ship is still tilted, we saw a few crewmembers 

in our dining room break down crying and extremely panicked. 

When we glanced outside, we saw around five to seven crewmembers wearing life jackets, but still the announcements continued telling us to remain calm and seated, and the electric issue is 

being worked on and everything is under control. 

Around 10:00 p.m., about 30 minutes into the situation, we are 

still in our dining room when my husband decided it is time for us 

to go and to at least get our life jackets from the room because at 

this point we have no idea if we do not have to go back to our room 

where else can we get our life jackets from. We had no knowledge 

from where we can get the life jackets otherwise. I had spotted the 

life jackets in the closets of the room since I was unpacking and 

putting our luggage away. 

As we went out of the dining room, we were highly unbalanced 

due to the tilt, and there were water and wine and broken glass 

on the dining room floor. It was extremely hard for us to walk and 

maintain our balance. 

Once outside, we were immediately unable to locate the stairs as 

we had taken the elevators to get on deck three. There were dim 

emergency lights indicating the stairs, and we climbed six floors to 

our room on deck nine to get to our room without guiding us in the 

dark. Somehow we did manage to get to our room holding the 

guard rails, very much exhausted and now panicked. 

As we were getting to our room, there were constant announcements of the same message: ladies and gentlemen, everything is 

under control at this point, and it seems to be a generator failure. 

Please stay calm and wait for further instructions and be cooperative. 

What caught our attention was that all the announcements were 

made on behalf of the captain, and never once did we hear the capVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
39 

tain speak. However, there was a sense of panic in the announcer’s 

voice that kept making the announcement. Finally we did manage 

to get our door unlocked using our card key after several failed attempts. The room had no light, and it was extremely dark. I stumbled upon a few things that had fallen on the floor. At that time 

my husband decided to stay in the middle of the door to keep it 

open and pushing the furniture back to make some room to get our 

life jackets. 

The ship felt a little more tilted, and the room’s furniture had 

shifted significantly. I knew where the life jackets were because I 

had just unpacked the luggage to arrange in the closets. Once we 

got the life jackets, we immediately got out of the room and spotted 

our stateroom attendant nearby. I at that moment asked the room 

attendant where are we supposed to go, and she replied in a very 

irritated tone, saying, ‘‘Madam, at this point there is no emergency. 

You do not need to go anywhere. Please stay here and wait for further instructions and for the emergency alarm to sound,’’ which we 

had no idea how it would sound like. 

As she started walking away and we asked her again in an emergency where are we supposed to meet, she replied at that point, 

‘‘The muster stations are on deck four.’’ 

At this point we were still unaware what was the root cause of 

this ordeal. There were no emergency alarms going on, and the 

same announcement kept on repeating telling the passengers to remain calm and the electrical issue is under control. 

While we are going to the deck four, we saw the crewmembers 

amongst us running around panicked, frustrated, and clueless. No 

one seemed to have any clear idea as to what they had to do in 

this situation or where they were supposed to send us. People 

seemed to direct themselves onto deck four and stood near any 

available lifeboat. As we were making our way to the deck four 

where the muster stations were, we located and saw a lot of people 

just sitting outside of their rooms waiting. People were also sitting 

on the stairs closer to deck four, but we went ahead and stood closer to a lifeboat. 

At this point there were three or four crewmembers per lifeboat, 

and they were trying to keep the crowd away from the boats. Still 

there was no communication from their side as to when they would 

allow us to get on the lifeboat or what we are supposed to do. 

The time by now is around 10:30 p.m., and one of the crewmembers came and practically gave us the same instructions this 

time, urging all of us to go back to our rooms and wait for further 

instructions and everything is under control. A few people did what 

was being asked for, but we decided to stand near the exit door 

near the lifeboat. By now it was really difficult to stand straight 

as the ship was listing towards the port violently. 

At this point we decided amongst ourselves and located a rock 

where we could swim to in case they kept us waiting for any longer 

to get into the lifeboats. We tried asking a couple of crewmembers 

to tell us what had happened, and they simply shrugged their 

shoulders and went on. The lifeboat crew was equally clueless and 

kept waiting for further instructions from the captain that never 

came. 

40 

People started to panic and getting frustrated as the ship is tilting more by the minute. We were getting frustrated, aggravated, 

and the crowd was pushing and shoving against each other, still 

no sign of any emergency alarms or any evacuation instructions 

from the captain. Finally the lifeboat crew let us on as they saw 

the crowd getting enraged and out of control. There was no order 

of boarding the lifeboat, and everyone was shoving, pushing, and 

kicking to get onto the lifeboat. 

At this point I would like to close it and pass the microphone off 

to my husband, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. SHARMA. So once on the lifeboat, people stand, stood, whatever they could do. Within 1 minute the boat was full with all the 

people, and now the lifeboat was overcrowded, and while the crewmembers were trying to disengage the boat from the ship, it would 

not happen, and at this point the crewmembers were asking people 

to get off the lifeboat because it is overcrowded. However, we did 

not see anybody at this point go to another lifeboat and risk it once 

finally when they got onto the lifeboat. 

Once we are in there, in the lifeboat, that was the most scary 

part of all the tragedy for us. When the lifeboat was still stuck and 

followed by the banging noise of the hammers or hammer-like 

equipment they were trying to use to break off the ropes, and once 

the ropes broke off, a ripping noise came like something had ripped 

from the boat, and now we landed right into the water from the 

fourth floor. 

We thought that now that we are onto the water at this point 

we will be able to at least get out if we have to because now we 

can see a rock nearby. 

Once we were on the water, it was not immediately that the boat 

started to move because of the overweight of the boat. We started 

seeing the blue smoke coming out of the boat, and it was not moving at all. It was making almost like a circle as there was a current 

nearby that was caused by the ship. The boat is not moving at all, 

and now we are seeing a tall, gigantic building of this ship leaning 

on top of our boat. 

At this point I asked my wife—who does not know how to 

swim—I said we have a life jacket. I am going to try to take this 

tarp off, and we are going to jump now because we are about 10 

minutes into the boat that has not moved an inch and the ship is 

moving on top of us every single second. 

So from this point as I am trying to lift the tarp in order to jump 

out of the lifeboat, I am unable to do that as instruction by the 

crewmember was to keep the tarp on while we were on the water, 

and a lot of people were working against or with me to pick up the 

tarp, but I was unable to do. 

And soon after, inch by inch the boat started to move and finally 

we were able to get away from the cruise ship, and that is when 

we spotted nearby there was a lighthouse, and we were able to get 

out. One of the things I noticed while we were on the boat, the 

Coast Guard from Italy were also nearby, and that is what was giving us assurance in case we had to jump out and stay onto that 

rock nearby. Somebody would come and get us. 

So we do thank the Coast Guard who were there, which we now 

learn that it was by the passengers who had called the Coast 

41 

Guard and not any member from the crew who had gone to the police or to the Coast Guard for help. 

Once on the shore, confusion and chaos continued. It was not an 

end, and how we would keep while we were on the ground, we were 

thinking that we were being assured by the crewmember all the 

time how and under control electrical issue can cause this ship to 

sink. While on the ship there was not one instance where crewmember or anybody had mentioned that there was anything wrong 

other than the electrical issue. So we felt very betrayed, very much 

lied to at that point, which I and my wife who were celebrating our 

fifth-year wedding anniversary trusted these people with our lives, 

and they took that for granted and were not honest with us at any 

given point. 

Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Well, that is a pretty compelling account of your 

experience. I had a number of questions, but your thoroughness of 

your statement, you have covered the questions that I had. 

Mr. Larsen. 

Mr. LARSEN. Thank you for your statement and your testimony. 

I am sorry about your experience. 

Having nothing to do with it, I am embarrassed by what happened. It is shocking what happened. 

Were you at any time informed by anyone that the vessel had 

struck a rock and was severely damaged, at any time? 

Mrs. SHARMA. No, never. 

Mr. LARSEN. Not at any time. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Never. Actually the first time we got to know that 

a rock has struck was when we were in the U.S. Embassy the next 

day. That is when we saw the picture of the ship completely submerged in water with the rock sticking out. 

Mr. LARSEN. A full 24 hours later about. At any time were you 

give any concise guidance about how to evacuate the ship, any 

time? 

Mr. SHARMA. No, there was no time at all as long as we were 

on the ship or onto the lifeboat that what to do, whatever. It was 

always the time, the crucial time that they had on their hand, not 

one person from the crew or anybody had mentioned that, what 

had happened and what to do in an emergency. 

Mr. LARSEN. Not even in embarkation, not even when things 

were calm and you were about to sit down to dinner or even before 

then? 

Mrs. SHARMA. No. 

Mr. SHARMA. No, nothing at all. 

Mr. LARSEN. Mrs. Sharma, you noted in your testimony that you 

spotted life jackets, and you leave me with the impression that you 

were not actually told where the life jackets were, but you happened to see them in your closet. 

Mrs. SHARMA. No. It was only because I was hanging one of his 

suits, and that was the only closet that did not have any shelves. 

It was easy for me to hang it in. That is when I ended up spotting 

the life jackets. They did not tell us where they were, but that is 

where, when I opened the closet and I saw the orange jackets 

there. 

42 

Mr. SHARMA. And I had no idea where the life jackets were. Only 

she knew where the life jackets were. 

Mr. LARSEN. On the outside, the Italian coast guard, it sounds 

like from your perspective, a good response from the Italian coast 

guard once they knew about it? 

Mr. SHARMA. Yes. 

Mr. LARSEN. Yes, yes. Well, again, I am glad you are here to give 

us your first-hand experience. I am sorry for your experience, but 

thank you very much for coming. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. SHARMA. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Guinta. 

Mr. GUINTA. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

And thank you for being here to account to what occurred, and 

again, I am sorry that both of you had to go through this as well 

as every member on that ship. 

A couple of quick questions that I have. Was this your first 

cruise ship or did you have experiences in other cruises? 

Mrs. SHARMA. This was our second cruise, but this was our first 

transatlantic cruise. 

Mr. GUINTA. So were there any differences between the one you 

took before and this one in terms of safety procedures? 

Mrs. SHARMA. Absolutely. The one that we took before we were 

explained. We went through the security drill. They told us that in 

case of emergency do not go back to your room. They showed us 

where the life jackets were on the muster station. They also made 

us go through the entire drill how we are supposed to get onto the 

lifeboat, what is the protocol. So we felt very safe in our first 

cruise. 

Mr. GUINTA. An did that happen for this cruise? 

Mrs. SHARMA. No. At no given point were we told where the muster stations were, what we are supposed to do, who we are supposed to contact. I mean, luckily we do not have any kids. I am 

grateful we do not because a lot of times the kids are separate from 

the parents. So, I mean, we had no information what to do. 

Mr. GUINTA. Is it fair to say that you feel you were not properly 

communicated to regarding safety requirements and standards on 

the ship while you were on the ship? 

Mrs. SHARMA. Correct. 

Mr. GUINTA. And then can you just talk a little bit about—I am 

trying to understand what was communicated to you while you 

were on the ship versus what was communicated to you after you 

vacated and once you were in safe ground. Were the two different 

in terms of what was occurring? 

Mr. SHARMA. So at any point while we were on the ship the crewmembers kept waiting for some announcement nearby the speaker, 

which never came from the captain, and only time they let us onto 

the boat because now people were very enraged and very angry as 

the ship had tilted enough, and at every point we were told that 

it is an electric issue and everything is under control, and we do 

not have to get off the boat at this point. 

Mr. GUINTA. So this is coming from either the crew or the staff 

on the ship? 

Mrs. SHARMA. Yes, it was somebody on behalf of the captain. 

43 

Mr. GUINTA. On behalf of the captain. 

Mrs. SHARMA. On behalf of the captain. 

Mr. GUINTA. And how long was that type of message communicated to you and other customers on the ship? For what length 

of time? 

Mr. SHARMA. So from 9:30 to 10:54. While we were on that lifeboat, the same message was being presented to us. The only reason 

I know the specific times is because I had taken a few photos, and 

I go back. They had recorded the timing on those pictures. 

Mr. GUINTA. And the final question I have is can you convey to 

this panel when you were first notified or aware of actual damage 

that occurred. Were you on the ship or was it when you were off 

the ship? 

Mrs. SHARMA. When we were off the ship. 

Mr. GUINTA. You were off. 

Mrs. SHARMA. And as I said before, the first time, I guess, we 

got to see the length of damage and what actually had happened 

or even that the captain was not on the ship was when we were 

in the U.S. embassy getting our emergency passports. That is when 

we came to know that the reason why the announcements were 

made on behalf of the captain was because the captain was not 

there. 

Mr. GUINTA. And then one final question. Since the completion 

of this tragedy, how has the company handled communicating with 

you? What have they offered you? Have they compensated you? 

Have they refunded your trip? What kind of experience have you 

had since? 

Mr. SHARMA. So we had made a lot of independent plan beyond 

this cruise ship for our vacation. So immediately the cruise line has 

refunded us for what was charged by them, and they had requested 

us to send other charges that had occurred and they will be refunding that as well. So the communication, all the communication happened via mail. 

Mr. GUINTA. OK. Well, thank you again for coming and testifying 

and sharing with us your experience, and again, my apologies to 

you. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Ms. Brown. 

Ms. BROWN. First of all, thank you so very much for coming. 

This is truly a teachable moment because everything you are 

saying is what it is that went wrong and how we can improve because from step one throughout the entire process everything absolutely was not handled properly. 

Did you all embark there or some other place? Because I understand this was not the first sailing. So had you just entered the 

ship? 

Mrs. SHARMA. Yes. This was our first day. That was another 

thing that we noticed when we were onboard. We got outside our 

room and like all the other people, they had some paperwork in 

their mailbox, and my husband happened to ask our stateroom attendant what is going on. Why do they have the paper and why 

we do not? 

And she said that it is because it is a nonstop cruise. So for the 

people who are in the other room, it is their last day and they are 

44 

disembarking in Savona, but since you embarked at Civitavecchia, 

this is your first day. 

Mr. SHARMA. And we were in 4 hours of our cruise. So we had 

just gotten onto the cruise that day. 

Ms. BROWN. Yes. You got on around dinnertime. 

Mr. SHARMA. Yes. 

Ms. BROWN. But I understand the new procedure is that regardless, before they sail, they will give you the safety information. 

You know, this is really like I said, step one, two and three. We 

need to record everything that happened to make sure that it never 

absolutely happens again. I am so happy for your safety and coming here to enlighten us as to what happened step by step. 

You know, I have heard so many different stories, but there is 

no excuse that the captain was not there, that he did not up his 

responsibility. I understand he was dining, but obviously you did 

not see him at dinner. 

Mrs. SHARMA. No, we did not. 

Ms. BROWN. He was not at the captain’s table. 

Mrs. SHARMA. No. 

Ms. BROWN. I am trying to make a little joke of it, but it is no 

joke. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Yes. 

Ms. BROWN. I mean, clearly, if you are the captain of a ship, you 

have a responsibility to make sure your passengers are safe. But 

you know, it goes back to this is one person. I cannot imagine anyone responding in that mannerism. 

And so I am happy that you all are safe, and thank you so much 

for coming. 

And I yield back the balance of my time. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Cummings. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

I agree with Ms. Brown that this is, indeed, a teachable moment, 

and I, too, am sorry that this happened to you. This fifth anniversary, was it fifth? 

Mrs. SHARMA. It was the fifth. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Wedding anniversary? 

Mrs. SHARMA. Yes. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I hope you do not mind me saying congratulations. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I am sorry you had to go through this hell, and 

hopefully nothing like this will ever happen again. 

But going back to the teachable moment, I know you have 

thought about this, and I want to thank you for your testimony. It 

was very, very clear. But when you look back, are there things? 

You said that you have been on cruises before, I think you said, 

and you got some kind of information about safety. There is going 

to be some testimony later on, and you may be already aware of 

this, that on February 9th, 2012, CLIA members instituted a new 

passenger muster policy requiring mandatory muster drills for embarking passengers prior to the departure from port, and this is a 

new policy which exceeds existing legal requirements. 

But to those people from the cruise industry that might be in the 

room, what would you like to make sure is in that drill? In other 

45 

words, just like when you get on the airplane and they tell you how 

to fasten your seatbelt and all that kind of thing, but what would 

you want? I mean, having had this experience, and none of us probably except some of the people that may have been on the ship 

with you all have gone through this type of experience. 

Looking back on it, what kind of information would you have 

loved to have seen or have heard when you got on the ship? 

Mrs. SHARMA. So the first thing that we would have liked to have 

seen is getting some kind of information, just even if it is the basic 

information, because in our previous cruise while we were signing 

in, they we telling us please proceed to this deck. This is where the 

security drill is going to be. And as soon as you hear ‘‘security’’ because personally, when we went onto this cruise we trusted the 

crewmembers and the captain that they know what they are doing. 

Nobody deserves to die on their vacation, let alone go through all 

of this trouble But we would have really loved to see some kind of 

assurance or some kind of direction saying, you know, where the 

life jackets are, where the lifeboats are, who is supposed to do who. 

Like you know, in our previous experience they had somebody responsible for Group A, somebody responsible for Group B. So we 

knew who to contact in terms of emergency, and they were supposed to stand there. So something like that would have been really nice to see. 

Language was another barrier that we felt there. The majority 

of the crewmembers, they did not speak English or had difficulty 

in communicating. So that made it a little more frustrating because 

we had to wait for somebody to translate it into English, and once 

the information passes from one person to the other, it changes. It 

starts to change. I think that also added to the aggravation and 

confusion at Costa Concordia. Mr. SHARMA. And a lot of times we tried to find people who spoke 

English and other languages when the announcement was being 

made to let us know what was the message. So we relied on like 

third parties to tell us what was happening. 

So like Divya said, the life jacket location would have been very 

nice because I actually had no idea. If it was not for our teamwork 

that she knew where the life jacket were, and we would not have 

had to go all the way from the third deck to ninth deck to just get 

our life jackets. That was a lot of time and a lot of energy wasted, 

and then coming down on fourth deck again just for the sake of a 

life jacket. 

We did not care at that point for any other luggage or any other 

things that were in the room to leave behind. It was only for the 

sake of the life jacket that we had to go up there. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Let me ask you this. You said that you had had 

contact with the crew folks, and I think I understood you to say 

they compensated you for certain losses that you may have sustained; is that right? 

Mr. SHARMA. So directly for what we paid for the cruise alone. 

So we had made our separate arrangements to get to the port, stay 

in a hotel, book our flights separately, which was not done with the 

Costa, which was done with other companies that we flew with. So 

the only thing that they refunded immediately was the charge on 

the credit card from Costa Concordia. 

46 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And to your knowledge, just in another minute, 

Mr. Chairman, to your knowledge, have you now released them 

from any further liability or have you been paid up to a certain 

point and then if there are other—in other words, if you had other 

expenses or you wanted to claim any kind of damages, have you 

signed anything that says the company is no longer liable? 

Mrs. SHARMA. No. No, we have not at this point. 

Mr. SHARMA. No, we have not. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Because we still haven’t—they did send us a claim 

form for all the things that we had lost in our cabin, but we have 

not signed anything that releases them for further liabilities, no. 

Mr. SHARMA. And also they had mentioned in one of their letters 

that they will try to recover our belongings and get back to us. At 

this point they would like to know the estimate of the valuables 

that we have left behind in case they are unable to get those to us. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I have got to ask you this. Would you take a 

cruise again? 

Mrs. SHARMA. Not in the near future, no. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. No? 

Mrs. SHARMA. No. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Ms. Brown, anything else? 

Ms. BROWN. I yield back my time. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Larsen. 

Mr. LARSEN. No, thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Sharma, thank you. Thank 

you very much for being here. It was very thorough, very compelling, and I am sure very difficult. But it helps us to piece together 

what our mandate was for getting a complete picture here. At least 

from my standpoint and, I think, from my colleagues, it again 

points to one individual whose incredible lack or loss of judgment 

has resulted in a lot of anguish and much worse for some others. 

So we believe we will be following up with the investigation as it 

continues, but your being here today was extremely helpful. We 

thank you very much. 

We do not have any more questions. We are now going to take 

a brief adjournment to go to our third panel. 

Mrs. SHARMA. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you. 

[Recess.] 

Mr. LOBIONDO. We will come back to order and recognize our 

third witness panel. First is Ms. Christine Duffy, who is president 

and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association. Ms. Duffy 

is accompanied by the association’s executive director, vice president Michael Crye. 

Also on the panel is Mr. George Wright, the senior vice president 

for marine operations at Princess Cruises. Mr. Wright is accompanied by Ms. Vicky Rey, vice president of guest services at Carnival Cruise Lines. 

Next is Captain Evans Hoyt, who is the captain of the Norwegian 

Cruise Lines’ Pride of America, the only U.S.-flagged, high-capacity 

cruise vessel currently in operation. 

47 

And our final witness is Mr. Brian Schoeneman, who is the legislative director for the Seafarers International Union. 

We thank you for being here. We welcome you. Ms. Duffy, you 

are free to proceed. 

TESTIMONY OF CHRISTINE DUFFY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, 

CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, ACCOMPANIED BY MICHAEL CRYE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, 

CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION; CAPTAIN 

GEORGE WRIGHT, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARINE OPERATIONS, PRINCESS CRUISES, ACCOMPANIED BY VICKY REY, 

VICE PRESIDENT, GUEST SERVICES AND SUPPORT, CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES; CAPTAIN EVANS HOYT, MASTER OF 

NORWEGIAN SPIRIT AND PRIDE OF AMERICA, NORWEGIAN 

CRUISE LINES; AND BRIAN W. SCHOENEMAN, LEGISLATIVE 

DIRECTOR, SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION 

Ms. DUFFY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman LoBiondo, 

Ranking Member Larsen, members of the subcommittee, thank you 

for inviting me to testify today. 

My name is Christine Duffy. I am president and CEO of Cruise 

Lines International Association, also known as CLIA. Sitting with 

me today is Michael Crye, executive vice president of technical and 

regulatory affairs and CLIA. Michael is a retired captain who 

served 24 years in the Coast Guard. 

Before I begin my remarks, let me just state also that the cruise 

industry and CLIA work very closely with and depend upon the 

Coast Guard, and we wish to express our condolences for the loss 

that they had last evening. 

I also want to acknowledge and express our apologies and thanks 

to Mr. and Mrs. Sharma who appeared today and testified to tell 

their story and their experience. 

I would certainly prefer to be with you today under very different 

circumstances. The Concordia incident has had a profound impact 

on our entire industry, and I speak for all of our cruise line members in expressing our deepest condolences to everyone that has 

been affected by this tragedy. As an industry, we are wholly committed to examining what happened, identifying lessons that can 

be learned, and to working with governments and regulators to insure that recommended measures are adopted. 

My remarks today will not focus on speculation over the causes 

of the Concordia incident. There are ongoing investigations by 

Italian maritime and law enforcement authorities, and we hope to 

have their conclusions as soon as possible. 

CLIA represents 26 major cruise lines serving North America 

and also serves more than 16,000 affiliated travel agents and agencies across the United States. Last year our member lines, 211 

ships, served 16.3 million passengers, up from 7.2 million in the 

year 2000. 

Safety is this industry’s number one priority. It is absolutely essential to our business. Nothing is more important than that. 

Every aspect of the cruise experience is heavily regulated and monitored under both U.S. and international maritime law. A United 

Nations agency, the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, 

48 

mandates global standards for the safety and the operation of 

cruise ships. 

The most important of these standards are detailed in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, or SOLAS, which 

provides the uniform worldwide set of mandates regarding safety 

equipment, crew training, evacuation, and emergency procedures 

and navigation safety standards. 

A vital part of SOLAS is the international safety management 

code, which assigns safety responsibilities and procedures so that 

every member of the onboard crew and cruise lines understands 

and is trained in his or her precise responsibilities, especially in 

the event of an emergency. The stringent standards embodied by 

the International Maritime Organization, SOLAS, and the ISM 

code have multiple layers of enforcement at the international, flag 

state, and port state level. 

In the United States, as we heard earlier, the U.S. Coast Guard 

enforces all maritime regulatory requirements through the announced and unannounced inspections and a rigorous annual inspection of every ship that embarks passengers in the United 

States. At any time the local coast guard captain of a port can prevent any cruise ship from departing if a serious violation of any 

regulation is found. 

Because of the cruise industry’s commitment to safety, supported 

by strict regulations and vigorous enforcement mechanisms, cruising is, as we heard from Vice Admiral Salerno, one of the very 

safest forms of recreational travel in the world. In the decade prior 

to the grounding of the Concordia, there were a total of 28 fatalities on cruise ships related to operational casualty out of 223 million passengers and crew who sailed during those years. Twentytwo of those fatalities involved crewmembers, and six involved passengers. 

Now, let me be very clear. Not a single fatality is acceptable to 

our industry, and we have and we will continue to work hard to 

prevent such incidents. We treat every one of these tragedies as a 

profound reminder of our duty to continuously improve our practices, procedures, and performance. 

The Concordia incident is no different. Almost immediately following the accident CLIA member cruise lines launched a cruise industry operational safety review, which is a comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety. This review is underway and will allow our cruise line 

members to share best practices on operational safety procedures, 

consulting with independent experts and collaborating closely with 

governments and regulatory bodies to implement necessary 

changes to enhance safety. 

I am pleased to report that on February 9th, CLIA members instituted the very first of these recommendations, announcing the 

new muster policy requiring that mandatory muster drills for embarking passengers be conducted prior to departure from port. This 

new policy, which has been undertaken voluntarily by CLIA members both here and abroad, exceeds existing legal requirements and 

became effective immediately. 

As additional best practices emerge from our review, recommendations will be made on an ongoing basis. This continues a 

49 

long tradition in our industry to focus on continuous improvements 

to proactively improve safety procedures. 

The cruise industry also has a strong record of working with 

Congress to initiate and enact new laws that are dedicated to advancing passenger safety. CLIA worked with many members of this 

subcommittee to assist in the development and enactment of the 

Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act in July of 2010, bringing 

consistency and clarity to the security and safety regulations for 

the cruise industry in the United States. 

CLIA member cruise lines are already in compliance with all effective provisions, including required crime reporting and logging, 

the use of latch and computerized key technology, maintenance of 

42-inch rail heights in all passenger areas, and peep holes in all 

cabins. We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies 

both in the United States and around the world to ensure that all 

of the bill’s provisions are fully implemented. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to provide this testimony 

and for us to detail the substantial oversight and accountability of 

cruise lines both in the United States and internationally. We remain fully and deeply committed to continuous enhancement of our 

guests and crewmembers, as it is without question our most important priority. 

I look forward to responding to your questions. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Ms. Duffy. 

Mr. Wright, you are recognized. 

Mr. WRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Larsen, and members of the subcommittee, my name is George Wright. I am the 

senior vice president for marine operations for Princess Cruises, 

which is a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation. 

On behalf of the entire Carnival family I want to say first of all 

that we are all deeply saddened by this tragic accident involving 

the Costa Concordia. Our thoughts and our hearts are with the 

passengers, the crew, and their families. 

The safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority, and 

every day we strive to achieve high levels of safety, and we are 

committed to intensifying this effort as much as we can. 

Prior to joining Princess Cruises, I served in the Coast Guard for 

27 years, retiring in the rank of captain. My last assignment was 

the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Los Angeles-Long Beach, and 

we were responsible for all Coast Guard operations in southern 

California. My duties varied widely from field operations to headquarters, including serving as a member on the U.S. delegation to 

the International Maritime Organization where we were committed 

to efforts to emphasize and focus on the role of the human element 

in preventing maritime casualties through the Coast Guard’s Prevention through People Program. 

My focus at Princess is to lead a team to provide safe, secure, 

and environmentally sound operations in compliance with the rules 

and regulations of the IMO, the United States, and other countries 

as well as with local, State, and regional requirements. We accomplish this through the establishment of policies and procedures that 

meet or exceed national and international requirements and 

through training, audits and inspections, both internal and external. 

50 

With respect to verifying compliance externally, the Coast Guard 

as the port state control authority in the United States can board 

and inspect our ships at any time. Regular Coast Guard inspections 

are conducted on cruise ships operating out of U.S. ports at least 

twice a year. 

Training is an integral part of safety, and we have strict standards for the qualifications of our captains and our deck officers, 

which include formal training and years and years of experience. 

Prior to being hired, our deck officers must be licensed to perform 

the functions required for their level of responsibility onboard. Officers and crewmembers undergo regular safety and emergency 

training. 

Our crewmembers focus on the mission of safe and secure and 

environmentally sound operations every day. Every crewmember is 

given a safety briefing and instruction as to their emergency duties 

based on their specific position on board when they sign onto the 

ship. They also participate in onboard safety drills, including fire 

and abandon ship drills, and attend at least one fire and abandon 

ship drill every month. 

Specific lifesaving and firefighting training is also provided in either shore-based or shipboard programs. We regularly inspect our 

lifesaving and other safety equipment, including lifeboats and life 

jackets to insure they are available and always in good working 

condition. Educating passengers regarding safety procedures is 

equally important. 

Regarding musters, CLIA announced a new muster policy, voluntarily adopted by all member lines, including Princess Cruises, 

which exceeds international requirements by calling for a mandatory muster of all embarking passengers prior to departing from 

port. During these musters key emergency procedures and where 

to go in case of an emergency are explained to the passengers. 

And finally, the Carnival group of companies have engaged outside industry leading experts in the fields of emergency response, 

training, and implementation to conduct an audit of all of the company’s emergency response and safety procedures, and to conduct 

a thorough review of the Concordia accident. This company-wide 

initiative will identify lessons learned and best practices to further 

ensure the security and safety of all of our passengers and crew. 

We are committed to taking the results of the internal audit and 

providing the recommendations to the industry-wide operational 

safety review so that the entire cruise industry can benefit from 

our learnings. 

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the subcommittee 

today and look forward to answering any questions you may have 

for me. 

Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Wright. 

Captain Hoyt, you are now recognized. 

Captain HOYT. Chairman LoBiondo, Ranking Member Larsen, 

honorable members of the subcommittee, before I begin my formal 

statement, I would like to give my condolences to those members 

of the U.S. Coast Guard who we have lost and also all those who 

have lost loved ones or who have suffered loss on the Costa 

Concordia. 

51 

My name is Evans Hoyt, and I currently serve as captain of Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America and have more than 30 

years of seafaring experience. I am pleased to testify before you 

this morning on behalf of the entire cruise industry. All of us in 

the cruise industry appreciate the time and consideration you are 

applying to this important issue, and we particularly appreciate 

you giving us this opportunity to appear before you and address 

your concerns. 

While I am unable to provide specific information or speculate on 

the causes of the Concordia incident, I can provide the subcommittee expert opinion on the training of cruise ship captains, 

ship oversight, and emergency preparedness. 

I am a captain for Norwegian Cruise Lines which operates both 

foreign-flag ships and a U.S.-flag ship. I have commanded four of 

Norwegian’s cruise ships since 2005 and have served as master in 

the U.S. and international fleet. Prior to joining Norwegian Cruise 

Lines I served as captain of the SS Cape Island for the U.S. Maritime Administration, conducting voyages in the Persian Gulf carrying military cargo and personnel in support of Operation Iraqi 

Freedom. 

I graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings 

Point in 1982, earned my Master Mariner’s license in 1988, taking 

my first deep sea command in 1990. 

As the captain, the master in command of a cruise ship, my highest priority is the safety of the passengers and crewmembers. I 

take into account every factor possible in determining the best 

course of action to insure the safety of my passengers and crew. 

The cruise industry is a heavily regulated industry with strong 

enforcement mechanisms. The International Maritime Organization mandates global standards for the safety and operation of 

cruise ships through adoption of treaties, regulations and regulations. The most important of these treaties is the International 

Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, ratified by the United 

States and most other nations. SOLAS provides comprehensive 

mandates on safety equipment, safety procedures, and emergency 

preparedness. 

The laws governing the operation of cruise ships, whether they 

are U.S.- or foreign-flag are comprehensive and stringent. Onboard 

operations are prescribed by an established mandatory safety management system which outlines shipboard and crew procedures necessary to prepare and respond to emergency situations. 

Written procedures for emergency preparedness, response to potential emergency situations, and an established program for shipboard personnel drills and exercises are required. These SMS procedures must be fully documented, and are subject to both internal 

and external audits by a comprehensive network of maritime experts from the flag state and shipping classifications’ societies. 

The U.S. Coast Guard conducts oversight of cruise ship operations through its flag state regulatory program for U.S. flag vessels and its port state control program for non-U.S.-flag vessels. 

The Coast Guard conducts annual inspections and regularly reinspects all cruise ships that embark passengers in U.S. parts. All 

seafarers, including captains and bridge officers, must be trained 

in accordance with the stringent IMO standards. The training of 

52 

cruise ship officers and crew sets some of the highest standards in 

the maritime industry. 

While cruise ships remain an extremely safe form of transportation, we as captains train for worst case situations with the safety of passengers and crew given the highest priority. 

Another critical part of a captain’s duties and responsibilities is 

the management of the bridge team or bridge resource management. Bridge resource management is a process by which all members of the bridge team coordinate expertise and maximize effectiveness of onboard systems and procedures during critical operations to enhance navigational safety. 

Additionally, all crewmembers receive training in emergency procedures, safety, security, and first aid. This training ensures the 

crewmember is familiar with the emergency operations and location of emergency equipment on that particular ship. 

Crewmembers are also required to participate in emergency 

drills. This training includes a mock search and rescue of passengers trapped in their staterooms. Safety in Life at Sea also addresses recordkeeping for these drills and training sessions. 

The cruise industry and entire maritime community is constantly 

reviewing and enhancing the operations and safety practices of 

ships in any way that can improve the safety and security of both 

passengers and crew. The cruise industry also operates to individual standards that are above the requirements of all agencies 

that regulate the industry. 

I again want to thank the subcommittee for the opportunity to 

testify this morning on behalf of the cruise industry and cruise ship 

captains. The cruise industry is committed to providing a safe and 

secure environment for everyone onboard our ships. Put simply, the 

well-being of our passengers and crewmembers is and will remain 

our highest priority. 

I would be pleased to answer any additional questions the subcommittee might have regarding these topics. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Captain Hoyt. I am certain we will 

have some questions for you. 

Mr. Schoeneman. 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Larsen, 

members of the subcommittee. My name is Brian Schoeneman, and 

I am the legislative director for the Seafarers International Union 

of North America. We represent unlicensed merchant mariners in 

a variety of capacities in both the domestic and international 

trades, including the cruise industry. 

On behalf of President Mike Sacco of the SIU and all of our 

members, we want to thank you for conducting this hearing and for 

all of your continued support of the United States Merchant Marines. 

The Costa Concordia accident has highlighted the critical need 

for qualified mariners and well trained crewmembers onboard 

cruise ships. It is especially important given that the vast majority 

of the shipboard personnel on cruise ships are hospitality staff, not 

mariners, that all crewmembers are well trained. In situations 

where every second counts, training makes all the difference. 

53 

Training has been a key benefit to SIU membership since our 

founding in 1983. Our training center, the Paul Hall Center for 

Maritime Training and Education, has been training mariners for 

almost half a century, and since its founding, the center has 

trained over 185,000 students and issued more than 250,000 safety 

and continuing education certificates to mariners. We have been 

training cruise ship personnel since 1978. 

We were proud to be a part of Norwegian Cruise Lines’ America’s 

Reestablishment of the American Flag Cruise Industry in 2005, 

and our members currently sail alongside Captain Hoyt on the 

Pride of America. In order to assist in the training of cruise ship personnel for 

NCL, we opened a new, state-of-the-art training facility at Barber’s 

Point in Hawaii. The facility provides basic safety and cruise ship 

center training to meet the needs of our U.S.-flag fleet and the increased demand for mariners in the Hawaiian trades. Since opening, we have trained over 4,000 crewmembers and have provided 

training to outside groups, including the Hawaiian National Guard. 

All of our training programs are designed to comply with the 

SOLAS requirements that were discussed earlier, the standards of 

training certification and watch keeping currently proved by the 

IMO, and all Coast Guard regulations. The specifics of our course 

curricula are available in my written testimony. 

At the end of the day, when it comes to training, all of our crewmembers, mariner and non-mariner alike, must know what to do 

in the event of an emergency not simply because they must do so 

under the law, but because so many lives depend upon their training and professionalism. And while we are confident that we provide the best training the world and that the Coast Guard is there 

to insure that our mariners have met all their legal requirements, 

we are less confident of this when it comes to vessels that are sailing under flags of convenience. 

We believe that the proliferation of the use of FOCs, especially 

in the cruise industry, creates a growing concern for safety. Today 

the vast majority of cruise ships calling on U.S. ports are sailing 

under the Bahaman, Panama, or Bermudan flags of convenience, 

among others. 

Now, to be clear, the issue is not whether proper standards for 

crewmember training are available internationally. We feel that 

SOLAS and STCW requirements are generally adequate so long as 

they are complied with. With the continued concern over fraudulent mariner documents and a world economic crisis that has put 

millions out of work, it is critical we know that the mariner who 

reports for duty is who she says she is, and that the documents she 

is providing is what it purports to be. 

That is best done under a system with strong flag state control, 

as we have in the United States, as Admiral Salerno made clear 

this morning. 

We are also concerned with the issue of communication between 

crewmembers and passengers. While this is not an issue on U.S.- 

flag vessels where most of the crew are American and speak 

English, on ships documented under an FOC, the crew is often of 

various nationalities and often do not speak the same language. 

Even onboard the Costa Concordia, which was an Italian-flag ship 

54 

not under an FOC, there were crewmembers from over 40 nationalities, and as our individuals who were onboard the vessel have 

testified this morning, there were issues with communication and 

a language barrier onboard that ship that contributed to some of 

the issues that were found there. We find it hard to believe, but 

breakdowns in communications in a crisis, they are simply going 

to be inevitable. 

Now, while crew training and communication are important, we 

believe that in best order to protect the passengers, the passengers 

themselves must feel confident that they know what to do in the 

event of an emergency, and that is why we strongly support the 

new emergency drill policy that CLIA has adopted that has been 

spoken of multiple times here this morning. 

This policy now requires mandatory musters for all embarking 

passengers prior to departure from a port, and as current law 

notes, that is not the case under IMO regulations. They simply require within 24 hours of embarkation a muster drill. 

As the Costa Concordia accident has proven, this is simply not 

good enough. Accidents can happen at any time, and passengers 

must understand what to do in an emergency even before the ship 

gets underway. That is just common sense. 

In conclusion, as we all work together to avoid accidents like the 

Costa Concordia, we must always remember that the best way to 

protect passengers and respond to an emergency is to insure that 

crewmembers are well trained and professional and passengers and 

crew alike know what to do in an emergency. Training saves lives. 

It is that simple. 

Thank you for allowing us to testify today, and I would be happy 

to answer any questions you may have. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you very much. 

Captain Hoyt, I would like to start with you, and I thank you 

again for being here and your testimony. I do not believe we have 

been acquainted before today, but I come away with the distinct 

impression that if you had been the captain of the Costa Concordia, we would not be having this hearing today. 

So I believe you heard Mr. and Mrs. Sharma’s testimony. 

Captain HOYT. Yes, sir. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Could you walk us through if you were a captain, 

and you are captain of Pride of America, or a ship that had an unforeseen accident how after the accident you would have handled 

that situation or you would have instructed the crew to handle that 

situation? 

Captain HOYT. Well, I would not want to comment on the actual 

Costa Concordia accident. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. We will do a hypothetical. 

Captain HOYT. In the event of an accident, we have the processes 

and procedures in place to put out general alarm at the moment 

where you need to bring passengers to muster stations. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. OK. I understand with the nature of the investigation you probably cannot go there. 

Can you say as captain of the Pride of America, would you have 

turned off the track for any reason in that similar situation? 

Captain HOYT. I do not see a situation where we would put ourselves into a similar situation as that, no, sir. 

55 

Mr. LOBIONDO. I think probably the balance of the questions 

would be a problem for you. I do not want to put you in that situation. 

Ms. Duffy, if we could turn to you, have you made or do you plan 

to make other policy changes in response to this accident? 

Ms. DUFFY. As I mentioned, we announced the operational safety 

review almost immediately following the Concordia incident. We 

are working through a process with our member lines, who are also 

conducting internal reviews, which is also required whenever there 

is an incident like this under the safety management code. So this 

review will have several different phases that it will go through, 

and there will be, we anticipate, other best practices and lessons 

learned that we will be able to implement and communicate particularly as the Italian authorities complete the ongoing investigation. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Does the association have a model policy on the 

abandoned ship policy? 

And if so, have your members adopted these policies? 

Ms. DUFFY. The association sits at the International Maritime 

Organization as the nongovernmental organization and with all of 

our members follows the regulations that are in place under the 

SOLAS, which was discussed, as well as the international safety 

management code and all of the crew training and emergency preparedness that is required of our members. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. So in light of all this, have you gone back and 

reviewed crew training on all of your ships since the accident? 

Ms. DUFFY. That is one of the areas under the operational safety 

review particularly focused on human factors, which will include 

crew training. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you. 

Mr. Schoeneman, can you tell us what the difference is between 

training aboard a U.S.-flag cruise vessel and a foreign vessel operating in compliance with training standards? 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. Sure. At least under our situation, we make 

sure that all of the members of the Seafarers receive the same 

training that qualifies them to sail both on a U.S.-flag vessel as 

well as on a foreign-flag ship. 

In general, the requirements are fairly similar. STCW and 

SOLAS requirements match what the Coast Guard requires for our 

members. All of our crewmembers on board U.S.-flag vessels, not 

simply the mariners, but also the hospitality staff, are required to 

take a number of course in addition to the standard basic life safety training, which provides firefighter training, personal survival 

training. They also get training on how to handle crowd management as well as human behavior in an emergency. So the folks at 

least are given the basic training to be able to direct passengers 

to their muster stations, get them on board their life crafts, and get 

those life crafts off the ship in a timely fashion. 

Some of our members are also given specific training on survival 

craft operations. We have a 37-hour course that trains members to 

do that. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Excuse me. How many hours? 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. Thirty-seven hour. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. OK. 

56 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. And we also have training for search and rescue onboard the vessel, as well as for folks who are responding. We 

have got a very good track record. Members of our union have responded in a number of emergency situations, not simply on cruise 

ships but also whenever there has been a need to get folks off of 

objects very quickly. In particular, I would highlight the committee 

recognizing that our members were the first on scene for the Miracle of the Hudson in New York when the airliner landed in the 

Hudson. Members of the SIU onboard ships in the Hudson River 

were able to take the crew folks off that passenger airliner very 

quickly. It is part of the training that all of our members are given, 

and we are very proud of what they have been able to accomplish. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you. 

Mr. Larsen. 

Mr. LARSEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I do not know why it was so ingrained in me. I could have been 

watching a lot of television, but this pop culture phrase certainly 

that was ingrained in me growing up was that the captain goes 

down with the ship. It is like the ultimate responsibility, you know, 

goes with the person in charge of the ship, and that lesson, you can 

apply that anywhere. Somebody has to be responsible when something is underway. 

I think that is why for U.S. viewers of news on this particular 

case, we are in such shock hearing about stories of this particular 

captain. It just runs counter to sort of everything that many of us 

just grew up learning, and so that is one of the reasons why we 

are here today, to try to understand not just what is behind that 

idea, but you know, what you all do on a cruise vessel to ensure 

that the responsibility is distributed and folks know what their jobs 

are. Ultimately, there is one person who knows what every job is, 

and that is the captain, but everyone else is supposed to do that 

job and this still gets into the question of training and so on that 

the Chairman has been asking about. 

So a couple of questions on that point about the responsibility on 

the ship. Captain Hoyt, the cruise line industry, I think, under 

SOLAS has to effectually evacuate people within 30 minutes from 

a ship under SOLAS, as I understand. How does that happen? How 

do you train for that? How do you do that? 

Captain HOYT. The training is constant and ongoing. I mean, the 

keys of it are the weekly trainings that we have, the all hands crew 

training in which we launch boats and have scenario-based training. 

In addition to that there is constant training going on throughout 

the month. Every day there is classes going on for one team or another that is part of the evacuation process, and it is through training and drilling that you are able to accomplish that mission. 

Mr. LARSEN. Does training take place while you are underway 

with the crew that is on the ship? 

Captain HOYT. Yes, sir. It is ongoing throughout, throughout the 

operation. 

Mr. LARSEN. Perhaps for Mr. Wright, are you captain? 

Mr. WRIGHT. A retired captain. 

Mr. LARSEN. That is a captain. Captain Wright, with regard to 

that training, when folks report for duty, you know, for the cruise 

57 

season, how much contact in your particular company, how much 

contact do you have with folks before they even get to the ship so 

that they are prepared for the first cruise as well as when they get 

the ongoing training as you are working through the season? 

Mr. WRIGHT. So they undergo all of the mandatory training that 

my colleagues have identified under STCW, and then we have a 

team of fleet safety instructors, and they have been trained in all 

of the required STCW mandatory training, such as proficiency in 

survival craft and rescue boats and survivability and all those, 

crowd management, crisis management, and they will go and stay 

on the ship, one or two trainers, for a week or two, maybe three 

times a year, and they then train the crew right on scene with the 

ship’s equipment, and spend the time that they can in that situation because they are taking away from their other duties. So they 

fit that in around the schedule. 

And so it is pretty comprehensive training for all of the people 

that have those emergency duties, including the muster personnel 

and stairway guides, so that if there is a horrible panic situation 

like that, they know the proper information to provide, including 

making sure that the stateroom stewards turn on the emergency 

channel that shows the passengers as soon as they get in the cabin, 

you know, the emergency procedures that they should follow and 

also show them where their life jackets are. 

So that is the kind of ongoing thing that we do onboard the ship. 

Mr. LARSEN. Mr. Schoeneman, can you talk about the retraining 

that has occurred at Barber’s Point? You talked about training 

4,000 folks, but certainly folks have to keep coming back through. 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. Sure. We do upgrades and upgrade training 

for all of our mariners based on the amount of time that they have 

been at sea. They are able to come back either to Barber’s Point 

or to Piney Point in Maryland to get upgrade training. 

We provide as much as we possibly can to our members to make 

sure that they know that they have the ability to come back and 

get that training, and it is a union benefit. Generally we do our 

best to make sure that when they walk up the gang plank that 

they know enough and are familiar enough with both the systems 

onboard the vessel, as well as general training guidelines, so that 

they can do their jobs as well as make sure they can get passengers 

on and off the ship in an emergency in the most efficient manner 

possible. 

So we put a very high emphasis on training with the SIU, and 

we look forward to working with CLIA and the others as they are 

working on their standards, and we would like to be a part of that. 

Mr. LARSEN. Captain Hoyt, how often do your crews practice 

mustering thousands of passengers? 

Captain HOYT. Three times per month. 

Mr. LARSEN. That is three times per month? 

Captain HOYT. Is the all hands training, emergency drill. Four 

times a month we do or the fourth week in the month we do part 

of the entire muster. Three times in the month we go through the 

entire process, including launching of lifeboats. So from the initial—— 

Mr. LARSEN. Including launch? 

58 

Captain HOYT. Yes. So from the initial stages of a planned scenario emergency up through the evacuation process. 

Mr. LARSEN. Do you have any unplanned scenario emergencies? 

Captain HOYT. Yes, we do. 

Mr. LARSEN. You do? What is the difference between a planned 

scenario emergency and an unplanned emergency? 

Captain HOYT. Well, we have scheduled drill times. 

Mr. LARSEN. Right. 

Captain HOYT. You are taking 1,000 crewmembers and putting 

them through these processes. So you have to pick the times at 

which to do that. 

Mr. LARSEN. I see. OK. 

Captain HOYT. In addition to that, we will also have unplanned 

emergencies, things that would activate certain sets of emergency 

response teams as part of a surprise drill just to help maintain 

readiness. 

Mr. LARSEN. Yes. OK. I think just one and maybe back to Captain Wright since you have had some experience up there. Well, I 

do not want to ask the question this way, but tell me about planning for the Arctic and the Antarctica, applying this kind of training into those settings. 

Mr. WRIGHT. So the planning for cruising in those regions? 

Mr. LARSEN. Planning for cruising, but planning for the emergencies in those settings. 

Mr. WRIGHT. Right. We have cruised in Antarctica several years, 

and the measures that we go to are to conduct an exhaustive risk 

assessment of the whole operation. Some of the measures that we 

implemented as a result of that risk assessment were to do some 

extra damage control training and provide equipment onboard the 

ship based on our experience in the military, and it was so successful that we decided to implement that on other ships. 

We also man the ship with two captains so that they could run 

on/off, and there was always a captain on the bridge or available 

to be on the bridge. We brought an ice pilot from Argentina to be 

on the ship to give us advice as well as another retired Coast 

Guard captain whose expertise was in icebreaker, full blown icebreaker duty through most of his career. So these two advisors 

would advise the ship, as well as we positioned a member of the 

Marine Operations Department in the Marine Rescue Coordination 

Centre in Punta Arenas. In the event the ship ran into the worst 

case scenario, we would already have a company, a Princess 

Cruise’s employee in the MRC Rescue Centre, and then finally we 

employed somebody like myself on the ship so there would be a 

senior ranking company officer there to immediately launch any 

kind of emergency operation we needed to do. 

Mr. LARSEN. Just one last question. Will these be applied in the 

Arctic as well or pretty much these are Antarctica? 

Mr. WRIGHT. We would look at applying any extra procedures in 

any region. We would always take a look at that. 

Mr. LARSEN. Yes, right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Ms. Brown. 

Ms. BROWN. Thank you. 

I think I will start with Ms. Duffy. I have a couple of questions. 

One, you mentioned operation safety, and I know that you are conVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00074 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
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ducting a policy review. When do you think it is going to be completed? 

I know you are changing the muster drill, but other safety recommendations. 

Ms. DUFFY. The process will be ongoing. So as we identify areas 

for best practices, we want to be able to proceed right away and 

have those implemented. 

And I should say that this work, while very specific and the 

Concordia incident was a catalyst for announcing this particular 

operational safety review, within CLIA we have at least 25 standing committees that meet on a regular basis throughout the year 

focused on issues of safety, security, environmental, all different aspects that brings different cruise line members together with the 

CLIA technical and regulatory team that we have in place, which 

are all ex or retired Coast Guard people with lots of expertise in 

these specific areas. 

So this is a process of continuous improvement all the time. 

Ms. BROWN. Having been a former member of CLIA, I heard a 

lot of discussions about English, and I know we all think everybody 

should speak English, but one of the reasons why you do cruises 

is because you get that international flavor, whether it is just to 

the Bahamas or Mexico. But one thing that is universal is money. 

Everybody understands you do not have enough. 

The question is safety. Are there ways to communicate that are 

not English that we could make sure everybody understands the 

procedure whether they speak English or whatever they speak? 

I mean, I visit a church. They have got 36 different languages 

in that church. So can you speak to that? 

Ms. DUFFY. As was said earlier, the crewmembers that are recruited to be put on a ship speak multiple languages, and there is 

a language of the ship, and that is the primary language that the 

crew communicates with onboard that ship. However, there are 

multiple languages spoken and focused on the demographics or the 

makeup of the passengers who are on that ship. 

So English is often spoken as one of the languages that you 

would find on any of the ships, but there is always an official language that the crew uses. I believe that for the bridge team and 

the team in the engine room that English is the international language for those groups. 

Ms. BROWN. Let me hear Captain Hoyt. I was very impressed 

with your expertise and your training. You know, you could be my 

captain any time. However, that training and expertise, I do not 

know how you deal with common sense because it seems like this 

particular captain lacked common sense, and that is something 

that my grandmamma had, and she did not go to college. 

So what can we do to identify that what happened did not happen again? Why was this captain allowed to change the 

preprogramming by the company? I mean, I know you need some 

flexibility, but I am just curious. 

Captain HOYT. Well, within our company there is a process by 

which a passage plan is developed. It is then confirmed by other 

members of the bridge team, and then it is implemented after a 

full brief of the navigation staff prior to departure. Any deviation 

from that that would be necessary for reasons of safety would enVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00075 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
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gender a new passage plan or an immediate deviation if necessary, 

which would then be discussed with the bridge team as a whole. 

We utilized a navigator/co-navigator system on the bridge of our 

ships, and that is how that system works for us, and that is what 

keeps a check and balance in the mix. 

Ms. BROWN. Mr. Wright, can you answer that also? 

Mr. WRIGHT. Very similar. The course is plotted by the team. 

You are required to have a voyage passage plan from berth to 

berth, and that is plotted in either electronic chart or paper chart 

or whatever system the ship is using, and that is all discussed 

ahead of time, a day or two or three, with the bridge team and the 

captain, agreed, signed off by the captain, and any deviation to that 

would be for avoiding another ship, weather, or some other type of 

situation. 

If there was a reason to deviate, then the team would regroup, 

decide what to do, approve it, again double check it just like Captain Hoyt, and then that is your passage plan. 

Ms. BROWN. With the railroads, I mean, if a car goes off a certain 

track, then the home office is notified. Is that true with the crews? 

I mean because this particular captain, this is not the first time 

that he deviated from the pattern that he is supposed to. 

Mr. WRIGHT. The ship is the best to lay down the track for their 

voyage from berth to berth because they are there. They are extremely familiar with the currents, the weather conditions, and the 

traffic pattern. So they set the chart. 

Now, in an electronic system, if you deviate from that track the 

bridge of the ship will get an alarm, and they would react to that. 

For example, if the ship is being set off course, but the office does 

not get notified of every deviation, and the office does not plan the 

berth to berth voyage for the ships. The ships are the best ones to 

do that. 

Ms. BROWN. So it is so important that we have the right captain 

on the ship. 

Mr. WRIGHT. It is important to have the right bridge team. 

Ms. BROWN. The whole team. 

Mr. WRIGHT. The whole team. 

Ms. BROWN. OK. 

Mr. WRIGHT. And so we have experience with the Center for 

Maritime Training, simulator for maritime training, where we will 

make sure we get all of our bridge officers and particularly all of 

the senior officers that are in charge of a watch through simulator 

training time, and also the academic side where they are taught 

about the human element. They are taught about incidents that 

have happened in our own companies within the Carnival Corporation, and then they run practices to make sure that does not happen in the simulator, so that it does not happen on the ship. 

Ms. BROWN. Well, thank you very much, and I yield back the balance of my time. 

We will all learn from this experience, I know. Thank you. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you. 

Ms. Hirono. 

Ms. HIRONO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank our witnesses 

for being here today. And I would especially like to thank Captain 

Hoyt who is taking time away from sailing the world on your sailVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:16 May 24, 2012 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\HEARINGS\112\CG\2-29-1~1\73104.TXT JEAN
61 

boat and from captaining the Pride of America around Hawaii to 

be here in DC to share your thoughts with us. 

The cruise industry is growing in Hawaii, and that is a good 

thing. Last year over 125,000 people traveled to Hawaii via cruise 

ships and spent $34 million, a 52-percent increase over 2010. For 

most people a cruise to Hawaii or the Caribbean or other destinations is an important component of our travel and tourism industry 

which is responsible for millions of jobs nationwide. 

Unfortunately, the Costa Concordia and other incidents remind 

us that tragedy can strike at any time. I recognize that there is an 

ongoing investigation into this incident, and I recognize also, and 

that is why you are all here, that the industry is taking steps to 

insure the safety of everyone aboard their vessels. 

However, I would like to focus my questions on the matters of 

existing maritime law, some of which have been on the books for 

over 100 years. I think we owe it to the victims of these tragedies 

and their families to have a candid discussion about whether these 

laws still work and whether we should revisit and update them. 

So one of these laws is the Death on the High Seas Act, over 90 

years old. Under this law, cruise passengers are only entitled to 

their economic damages. So that means that retirees, children, 

stay-at-home spouses, and low-income workers, in other words, people who have little or no economic value under the law, they are 

only entitled to the cost of their funerals or coffins. 

I would like to ask all of the panel members to just briefly respond to this question. Do you think it is equitable to deny maritime victims who die aboard your ships as a result of negligence 

the same protections that are afforded to those who die on land or 

in a commercial aviation accident on the high seas? 

Could you briefly give me your response, panelists? We can start 

from my left. 

Ms. DUFFY. So the Death on the High Seas Act I would say is 

a very complex piece of legislation. I am not an attorney and not 

in a position to be able to comment here on the specific provisions 

or measures of DOHSA at this time. What I can say is that the 

cruise industry will certainly work with Congress to look at any 

specific piece of legislation that addresses the interests of our passengers and the concerns that you have expressed, just as we have 

done with the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. 

Mr. WRIGHT. Congresswoman, I am a marine operations guy, and 

it really just would not be appropriate for me to comment on this. 

Captain HOYT. I am afraid I, too, am not that familiar with the 

Act, and it is outside of the scope of what it is I do on the ships. 

Ms. HIRONO. Well, maybe we need another hearing, but be that 

as it may though, suffice to say that people who do not have jobs, 

who are retired, children, under this law they are pretty much 

headed off at the pass in terms of any kind of recovery, and this 

100-year law I believe definitely needs to be revisited. 

I am sure that if you had your child, your parents, your retired 

parents on a ship—— 

[Applause.] 

Ms. HIRONO [continuing]. And were they to suffer death or injury, I am sure that you would want them to be fairly compensated. 

62 

Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter into the record under unanimous consent a February 21st Reuters article that talks about the 

various kinds of laws that are currently on the books that need to 

be revisited with regard to liability and compensation for those who 

are injured on the high seas, death or injury on the high seas, Mr. 

Chairman. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Without objection, so ordered. 

[The information follows:] 

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Insert offset folio 24 here 73104.024
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Insert offset folio 25 here 73104.025
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Insert offset folio 26 here 73104.026
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Ms. HIRONO. I would also like to note for the record the testimony of Dennis Young, which was placed into the record, I believe, 

by my Colleague Larsen. That really focuses on making sure that 

there are the hiring of very qualified and trained longshore workers to perform the kind of handling of operations and loading and 

unloading operations that they are particularly trained for, since 

this entire hearing is about safety. 

I would also like to note, Mr. Chairman, that while our testifiers 

unfortunately are not able to respond to the specific sets of questions that I have, suffice to say that the cruise industry does have 

major protections that limit recovery. They are able to put into 

their contracts things that are called forum clauses that the U.S. 

Supreme Court has said are OK, and this has led to the cruise industry placing all kinds of other limitations on who people can sue, 

where they can sue, how much recovery, what they are entitled to 

recovery, and that is very unlike many other industries where a 

rather larger panoply of remedies are available to them. 

So thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to ask my questions. I yield back. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Mr. Cummings. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Schoeneman, how many SIU members work in the cruise industry? 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. I believe right now it is approximately between two and 3,000. I believe about two to 3,000. I will have to 

double check that number for you, Mr. Cummings. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Would you get that for me please? 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. Sure. Not a problem. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Clearly, Ms. Duffy, we learned something from 

this, did we not? 

Ms. DUFFY. Yes, sir, we have. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And what do we learn from this incident? 

Let me tell you why I am asking you. This is not a setup question. CLIA, to its credit, decided that beginning on February 9th, 

that they were going to have this mandatory muster drills, and so 

that tells me that we learned something that caused CLIA to act 

so fast. 

And I am just wondering what did we learn and how was that 

decision made. 

Ms. DUFFY. I think what we learned as part of the incident was 

that the muster policy, while the regulation allowed for that to be 

conducted within 24 hours, that we would better serve our passengers and safety by conducting the muster prior to departing the 

port so that people immediately have the safety information and 

know where to go and what to do in the event of an emergency. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And I am asking this of all the representatives 

of the cruise lines. Do you believe that the experiences that we 

heard about from the couple an hour or so ago could occur on a vessel that serves the United States waters? Could that have happened? 

Ms. DUFFY. I do not believe that now that all of the muster drills 

are being conducted immediately at departure, prior to the departure. I think that people would have received the muster and 

known what to do with better direction. 

67 

Mr. CUMMINGS. But part of the testimony, too, though was that 

the crew did not seem to have a clue as to what was going on. You 

know, if you really think about it, when you get on a plane they 

tell you, you know, how to deal with the mask and seatbelts and 

all of that, but also the implication is that the airline folk, the staff 

knows what to do, and that situation on the Hudson a few years 

ago where they were able to land a plan miraculously and everybody got off in the water, they said that a lot of that was due to 

staff being prepared to do what they had to do, and that if they 

had not been prepared, those people would be dead. 

So I am just trying to figure out what about that part of it, the 

training piece? You heard their complaints about not the training, 

but nobody seemed to know what was going on. 

Ms. DUFFY. Unfortunately, it would be inappropriate for me to 

speculate on what happened specifically with the crew or the training related to the Concordia incident. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Well, let’s talk about yours. You talk about 

yours. 

Ms. DUFFY. I can say that all seafarers are trained in accordance 

with the International Maritime Organization standards that are 

outlined in the STCW, which is the International Convention on 

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, and that every officer for both navigation and engineering 

holds certificates of competency. All of the seafarers on the deck 

and the engines also hold certificates of proficiency, and as Captain 

Hoyt described, there is ongoing and regular safety drills and training that crew is provided. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And anybody else? 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. Mr. Cummings, I would say I feel fairly confident in saying that if this had happened on a U.S.-flag vessel the 

outcome would have been much different. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. A little bit louder. I did not hear you. I am sorry. 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. That if this had happened on a U.S.-flag vessel, the outcome would have been much different. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And how so? 

Mr. SCHOENEMAN. I believe that our members are trained and 

able to communicate effectively amongst themselves and with the 

passengers, and we would have been able to get our folks off the 

ship with a minimal loss of life. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I see. Anybody else? 

Captain HOYT. Mr. Cummings, I would also like to add that in 

terms of safety, there is never any room for complacency. This is 

something that we need to always be evaluating and reevaluating 

over the process. 

I would like to add that having commanded ships both in the 

international and the U.S. flag, that I would stand by the crews 

that I have had under both flags in Norwegian and their abilities 

to respond in an emergency. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. So going back to you, Ms. Duffy, just one last 

thing. Mr. Chairman, just one last thing. 

Ms. Duffy, you have got a C–SPAN audience here. What would 

you say to them? You know, you have got people now who do not 

have a lot of money. They are trying to eke out a little vacation. 

They are probably planning right now for when their kids get out 

68 

of school. What would you say to them about the cruise industry 

in light of all that we have heard? 

This is your moment. 

Ms. DUFFY. As I said, on behalf of the industry, that the 

Concordia incident is a terrible tragedy, and the cruise industry 

does extend our condolences to everybody that was affected. I hope 

that you can see the industry has been very proactive and transparent in immediately calling for the operational safety review, and 

that we have already begun to proceed with policies that have been 

implemented already. 

The cruise industry remains one of the very safest recreational 

activities and travel options. If you look at the safety record of the 

industry over the past decade prior to this incident, and I think we 

heard from Vice Admiral Salerno this morning, who also spoke to 

the strong safety record of the industry. The level of training, experience, investment in technology and innovation that has happened 

over the last decade as we have seen the cruise industry grow globally I think stands as testament to the safety, the commitment of 

our members to safety as our top priority. Otherwise we would not 

have a successful business. 

Not only is it the right thing to do, but we continuously focus on 

ways that we can improve the record that we have. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Mr. LOBIONDO. Thank you, Mr. Cummings. 

Without any further questions, I want to thank the current panel 

and the previous panels very much. As I think everyone can tell, 

this will be an ongoing situation for the subcommittee. 

We will have a lot of questions that we need answered to see 

where we go from here, but we appreciate your involvement. 

The committee stands adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 12:55 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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