Welcome to Cruise Talk the Internet's most popular discussion forum dedicated to cruising. Stop by Cruise Talk anytime to post a message or find out what your fellow passengers and industry insiders are saying about a particular ship, cruise line or destination.
>>> Reader Reviews >>> CruisePage.com Photo Gallery >>> Join Our Cruise Club.
Latest News...Cunard has announced a major refurbishment of Queen Mary 2, the line’s flagship and the only vessel offering scheduled Transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York. The ship will enter dry dock at Damen Shiprepair Brest in France on March 31, 2027, and is scheduled to return to service on May 9, 2027. The project will introduce new accommodations, refreshed public spaces, expanded wellness facilities and upgrades to several signature venues...
Latest News...Seabourn has released the full itinerary for its 2029 World Cruise, a 138-day voyage aboard Seabourn Quest operating between Miami and Lisbon from January 7 to May 26, 2029. The sailing will cover more than 32,000 nautical miles and visit 58 destinations across 31 countries and territories, including 32 islands and more than 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the line, the voyage is designed ....
Latest News...Holland America Line has opened bookings for its 2028 Alaska season, introducing several new itineraries, first-time scenic cruising experiences and the Alaska debut of the reimagined Oosterdam. The program continues the line’s long-established presence in the region, offering voyages from seven to 18 days aboard Oosterdam, Noordam, Eurodam, Koningsdam, Westerdam and Zaandam...
What are the major changes to the SOLAS regulations that will be put into effect in 2010? I'd imagine the changes must be significant, as they are forcing some of the older ships into retirement. Also, when were the last major updates to the SOLAS regulations?
Thanks in advance,Rego007
The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is one of the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, in response to the Titanic disaster, the second in 1929, the third in 1948 and the fourth in 1960. After attempts at keeping exisitng conventions updated proved unsuccesful, a completely new Convention was adopted in 1974 and that, and its various amendments, is what is in force today.
The amendments you asked about - sometimes referred to as SOLAS 2010 - were adopted on 10 April 1992 (Resolution MSC.24(60)) and introduced new fire protection requirements for passenger ships constructed before 1 October 1994. Specifically, these new requirements were to be phased in during the 16 year period 1 October 1994 / 1 October 2010.
The April 1992 amendments are particularly important because they apply to existing ships. In the past, major changes to SOLAS had been restricted to new ships by so-called "grandfather clauses".
The specific requirements are contained in the new Regulations II-2/41-1 and 41-2.
In particular, according to paragraph 2.4 of Regulation 41-1, pre SOLAS 74 passenger ships shall comply with all the requirements of "chapter II-2" applicable to ships constructed on or after 25 May 1980 not later than 1 October 2010.
Put another way, these older ships must be brough up to the specs of the newer ships by 1 October 2010 at the latest. Practically speaking, this means that by October 2010 most of the materials onboard these ships must be non-combustible. The regulations also covered mandatory requirements for smoke detection and alarm and sprinkler systems in accommodation and service spaces, stairway enclosures and corridors. Other improvements involved the provision of emergency lighting, general emergency alarm systems and other means of communication.
Specifics can be found in the SOLAS documentation on the International Maritime Organization web site - click here.
IMO came into existence in 1958, and was made responsible for ensuring that existing conventions (SOLAS 1948 for example) were kept up to date. It was also given the task of developing new conventions as and when the need arose.
Joe at TravelPage.com
Rego007
Before then, ships could either have sprinklers or have all incombustible material.
Those that chose the latter route are ok. Theyve already had sprinklers retrofitted before 2005. A sprinkler retrofit is a big nasty job, but not uneconomic on a decent old ship that has a good niche.
However, those originally built with sprinklers now have to have the accomodation stripped back to the steell and start again, which is totally uneconomic.
Ultimate Bulletin BoardTM 6.1.0.3
More Vacation & Cruise Specials...