Q&A between American Maritime Officers and CLIA on the level of preparation of the officials of the cruise ships



Some declarations which released from the president of the association of the American officials of the merchant navy to the television channel Fox News American have made to go up all the furies the summits of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Interviewed for the service "Remembering the Titanic" with which he has agreed to make the point at the beginning on safety of the cruise ships after the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia happened last year to the Isola del Giglio, transmission that has gone on the air monday slid in the within of the program "Fox & Friends", the Maritime president of the American Officers (I LOVE), Thomas J. Bethel, has emphasized that nobody of the recent incidents has regarded cruise ships of American flag and that in nobody of these incidents official Americans were involved.

Tom Bethel has denounced that, although the their excellent degree of formation, to the officials Americans "is not offered the opportunity to obtain job on these fleeting ships", as - it has accused - "they are outside put game from officials of other flags that simply work in order less money". Among other things the president of I LOVE it has asserted that the recent damages been necessary to the systems of propulsion of various cruise ships are the result of the deficiency world-wise of prepared officials of car and have announced that, to such purpose, the association has started a program in order to place the graduates to acquaintance of the offered opportunities of qualified job from the marine industry, that guarantees "salaries that arrive to 100.000 dollars". Bethel has concluded asserting that the passengers would be very calmer and sure if they knew that there are official Americans on the bridges and the engine room of the cruise ships.

The declarations of Bethel have provoked the temper of the CLIA and Christine Duffy, president and managing director of international the crocieristica association, have sent a letter to it in which, specifying to comprise the Maritime interest of the American Officers in promoting the officials of the United States - "to which - have beaten again - the associates of the CLIA give job and that they hold in great consideration", he has emphasized "not to be able to fly over on the disinformation and the inaccuracies that are introduced without an answer on behalf of the industry of the cruises". "All the members of the crews, independently from the nationality - the representative of the CLIA has written - before lend service on a cruise ship are subordinates to a rigorous formation and participate to continuous tests and practices in order to fine tune their competences, all finalized to guarantee safety and the well-being of the passengers. In reality - Christine Duffy to Bethel has remembered - the officials of the companies pertaining to the CLIA are formed near the Center Star di Dania Beach, in Florida, that she is used as background for your television apparition in which you have put in doubt the level of formation of the officials of the cruise ships. As you know - he has added - to prescind from the company that employs them, every official and every marine one must be certifyd for how much she concerns the competence and the professionality with uniforms and rigorous prescribed international standards of formation from the International Maritime Organization, as indicated in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers of 1978 and next modifications (STCW). The same dispositions apply to the officials Americans".

"Many crocieristiche companies - Christine Duffy has still remembered - employ in their fleets a sure number of commanders and other American officials beside colleagues of other great marine nations. The competent marine officials of all the nationalities are invited to introduce question of employment near the crocieristiche companies. Moreover the officials of the cruise ships receive very competitive salaries, often of six figures and with wide benefits. This level of salary and wage exceeds the threshold of 100.000 dollars that you, in your interview, have indicated as a objective for the field of the cruises. On the other hand, if it is comprehensible that, as in charge of an union that represents a sure number of American officials, you - so as we - are full of pride for the qualifications of the members Americans of the crews, you are pity that you have chosen to defame the competence of the officials and the crews of the crocieristiche companies, many of which you are in reality official Americans. I hope - he has concluded the president and managing director of the CLIA - than in future you will introduce to public a more precise and balanced picture for that he concerns the formation and the qualifications of the marine officials".

When he has spoken about damages been necessary recently to some cruise ships, Bethel has not made some name, but the viewers Americans have sure thought that the president of I LOVE it same referring to the incidents happened on ships of Carnival Cruise Lines, with fires and problems to the systems of propulsion that have prevented the prosecuzione of the cruises, that they have been to the center of the attention of the average Americans. Same the Carnival Cruise Lines has yesterday announced the adoption of a program in order to increase safety and the efficiency of the energetic systems of the ships and in order to introduce new technologies antifire. The plan, that it previews investments for beyond 300 million dollars, previews also measures in order to increase comfort and the services to the passengers in the rare case the block of propulsive systems and constituents happened newly. "Today - it has evidenced the president and managing director of the American crocieristica company, Gerry Cahill - all the ships of Carnival Cruise Lines operate in sure way. Every ship has effective systems already in order to prevent, to find and to answer to emergency situations, and moreover we respect or we exceed all normative requirement. However - it has added - treasuring the lessons learned with the review of all our fleet after the fire on the Carnival Triumph and taking advantage of the new technologies, we have characterized areas of improvement in all our activities. These initiatives reflect our engagement in leading sure and reliable activities and in offering an pleasant crocieristica experience to the almost 4,5 million hosts who navigate every year with Carnival Cruise Lines".