Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture. agencies including Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Additional safety, security and health inspections are carried out by other U.S. Coast Guard during which almost an entire day is spent by Coast Guard personnel examining our lifesaving, nautical and other operating systems including observing mandatory emergency lifeboat drills. port is subject to a semi-annual Control Verification Inspection by the United States.

There are further inspections conducted by many of the countries that our ships visit. The Classification Society carries out a full ship inspection once a year plus does additional surveys of important safety and other ship equipment on a set schedule that ensures this equipment is regularly examined and tested. To ensure that both the IMO and flag state rules are complied with, every ship is also required to be registered with one of the internationally-recognized Classification Societies in the case of Holland America Line, it is Lloyds Register. The ships of Holland America Line all fly the flag of the country of Netherlands and meet the standards established by that country for its vessels. In addition to IMO requirements, every ship operates under the maritime laws of a specific country, referred to as the ship’s flag state.

SOLAS, which is regularly updated, establishes standards for constructing, equipping, manning and operating all passenger and cargo ships. One of the most important set of rules that is established and enforced by the IMO is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, referred to as SOLAS. The IMO, through its many assemblies, committees, boards and administrative offices, sets international standards that all passenger and cargo ships must comply with. At the international level, regulation of our industry begins with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency focused on the safety and security of shipping that is comprised of almost all of the countries in the world that have ships operating under their flags. Cruise ship safety is governed by numerous international, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations.

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