| Orion Rescue Operation

With news headlines over the weekend
showing one of our member lines
performing heroics in the Southern
Ocean (as it rescued a stricken French
sailor), I thought we should all clearly
understand what the “law of the sea”
involves when a ship is called upon in
such times.
The cruise industry takes very seriously
its obligation to be a responsible member
of the maritime community and assist
others on the seas that are in distress.
While it is unfortunate that sanctioned
and safely executed diversions from
itineraries to assist other ships in distress
may create an inconvenience for cruise
ship passengers, such actions are an
important and humane response.
Additionally, the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS), to which ICCA member lines
adhere, states that “the master of a ship
at sea which is in a position to be able to
provide assistance, on receiving
information from any source that
persons are in distress at sea, is bound to
proceed with all speed to their
assistance, if possible informing them or
the search and rescue service that the
ship is doing so”.
This obligation to provide assistance
applies regardless of the nationality or
status of such persons or circumstances
in which they are found.
In this case a happy ending and no
doubt any readers of this column would
join me in congratulating the Captain,
crew and all the team at Orion Expedition
Cruises on their efforts.