Photo by Stuart McMahon shows EXPLORER in Greenock's docks in May this year after inspections.

EXPLORER sinking: Union questions safety of cruise ships in remote locations
Unions says other incidents have occurred this year and is an issue of concern...



IN THE wake of the sinking of the passenger ship Explorer off Antarctica, Nautilus UK has raised concerns over the operation of cruise ships in increasingly remote locations.

The Union says the loss of the Liberian-flagged Explorer, which sank after being holed in the Antarctic Ocean, is the latest in a series of similar incidents - with at least three others in 2007 alone.

'The growing trend to run cruises in increasingly exotic and remote locations, often in inherently dangerous conditions, is an issue of increasing concern,' said assistant general secretary Mark Dickinson.

'There are many questions about the suitability of some ships to operate in such potentially adverse conditions, often well away from adequate search and rescue cover.'

Other concerns highlighted by Nautilus UK include the adequacy of life-saving equipment and abandonment procedures.

The Union says these issues need to be addressed as part of a broader review of cruise ship safety, and has raised its concerns through the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations.

The mv EXPLORER was recorded at Greenock in May this year with a number of deficiencies.

According to Equasis:
 

However authorities insist she would not have been allowed to leave port had their been any concerns about the safety of the vessel.

mv EXPLORER was built in 1969.

In August of this year seven passengers on board the ALEKSEY MARYSHEV, undertaking an adventure trip to the Arctic,  were injured when part of a glacier calved off and fell onto the deck of the vessel.