Ensuring maritime safety in times of rapid change

Facing new technologies, regulations, sustainability goals, and a significant generational change, leading cruise operators are focusing on crew development and digital literacy whilst integrating tools for risk management and safety. A robust technology-enabled safety culture and fostering collaboration across all levels is key. For their next generation of newbuilds, Carnival is partnering with DNV and Fincantieri to ensure they have the safety, technological, and training support needed to meet these complex challenges. 

Captain Domenico Rognoni, Senior Vice President of Fleet Governance and Nautical Operations at Carnival Cruise Line, can look back on more than 40 years with the company. Overseeing maritime compliance, the Miami Fleet Operations Center, and marine professional development, he today guides a fleet of 29 ships worldwide, including eleven in DNV class and three DNV-classed newbuilds, the company’s largest to date, currently under design at Fincantieri in Italy. As our interview partner, Capt. Rognoni shares fresh insights into how Carnival is preparing for current and future challenges. His leadership, and partnerships he has fostered with key industry partners, have been instrumental in strengthening Carnival’s reputation for safety, innovation, and operational excellence. 

New and experienced crew members have different needs

Regulatory shifts and technological change harbour both challenges and opportunities for the cruise industry, says Rognoni: “We’re dealing with two distinct groups on board. On the one hand, we’ve new crew members who have just completed their training. Whilst shipping is progressing, with new technologies and practices taking root, not all training institutions are, in my opinion, adapting their curricula at the same speed. Collaborating with DNV, we make sure our new staff is up to date in all respects.” 

The second challenge is keeping more experienced crew members up to date with new technologies and developments, says Rognoni: “The environment’s constantly changing, so we must make sure crews keep abreast of the state of the art, especially regarding the type of equipment we have on board.” Generic training must give way to a curriculum that expands the knowledge of crew members, he insists. “Particularly on new ships with new technology and equipment, we must make the effort to get people ready with focused training.”

A new approach to crew training

Carnival Corporation’s state-of-the-art, DNV-certified CSMART Academy in Almere, The Netherlands, boasts its own simulation facility where deck and technical crew receive thorough training across a wide spectrum of roles and skillsets, from nautical through to environmental. In addition, DNV has trained hundreds of ship superintendents, technical managers, and shipboard senior officers directly; custom-tailored a ship superintendent training course; and developed a train-the-trainer programme for Carnival.

“Whilst we do train on a regular basis, we’ve moved beyond training just to train,” describes Rognoni. “We developed a programme that goes beyond repeating and refreshing. Before we send new nautical or technical officers on board, they take a three-week course that covers our policies, procedures, and the way we manage the necessary requirements. We started this a few months ago and are very excited because we see this is the right approach.”

LNG paves the way to other alternative fuels

Three of Carnival Cruise Line’s vessels are LNG-fuelled, and several of the company’s newbuild projects will have LNG technology, as well. Regarding other alternative fuels, Carnival is taking a cautious approach, considering the extraordinary responsibility that comes with carrying thousands of guests on board, Rognoni points out. “We’re very diligent, looking at the technology development and closely following the developments at IMO; there are definitely going to be new fuel opportunities in the near future. But before we take the next step, we need to have a better understanding of the direction. In the end, we’re all very much aware that whatever we can do in a safe and sustainable way will protect the environment.” 

Officers get the required certification for operating LNG-fuelled vessels at the CSMART in Almere. Furthermore, DNV has supported Carnival in improving the LNG-related skills of engineers. “LNG certification is quite a detailed process covering many different aspects,” says Rognoni. “Operational safety and knowledge are top priorities. In addition to this training, crew members get hands-on-experience on LNG-fuelled ships for at least a month as a practical prerequisite for certification.”

Fostering crew welfare and well-being amid generational change

The crews are Carnival’s most important assets, says Rognoni: “We need to do the utmost for them. We’re very proud of the way we approach crew member well-being.” Every ship has an HR director on board who is the point of contact for all crew members for any need. There are activity programmes on every vessel to keep the crew members engaged. “We’ve people with different nationalities, so we’re very careful to account for different needs, including culinary cultures,” says Rognoni.  

Plus, in the era of the internet, people – especially the younger generation – are accustomed to staying connected with their families at home, so Carnival offers them extensive opportunities to keep in touch. But staying connected can also cause distraction. “We’re extremely careful to make sure that the use of mobile technology happens during off-duty times. As long as they’re on duty, we require them to fully focus on their jobs and have a high level of awareness,” says Rognoni.

Emergency response plans ensure safety in any situation

Whilst it is impossible to predict every situation that might occur, much can be done to keep a cruise ship, its guests, and its crew out of harm’s way, Rognoni stresses. First and foremost, it is important to be aware of what could happen and forego risks, such as a hurricane or other threat. “We do exercises. We’re in constant contact with our security team and our fleet operations centre as well as government agencies. If the weather forecast for example indicates any risk, we divert the vessel and change the ports of call.” And in case some kind of emergency does occur, all DNV-classed Carnival vessels are enrolled in DNV’s Emergency Response System (ERS) that ensures prompt, 24/7, around-the-world expert assistance.

Close collaboration for operational excellence

From its Miami Cruise Center in Florida, DNV has been catering to the needs of the cruise industry by providing comprehensive advisory, training, and certification services for many years. “We deliver daily operational support to our cruise customers to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently,” says Antonio Prestigiacomo, DNV Business Development Director and Head of the Miami Cruise Center. “This includes services such as fleet-wide management system certifications, extensive vessel management, and compliance training of senior shipboard officers and shoreside teams. Our partnership with Carnival has been advancing steadily, highlighted by recent leadership exchanges between the two companies.”

Digital inspections that support day‑to‑day safety performance

To facilitate Carnival’s rigorous internal inspection routines, DNV supported the development of a digital inspection application and implemented it jointly with Carnival. Called HESS Excellence, for Health, Environment, Safety, and Security, this digital platform is used to guide, track, and follow up on Carnival’s inspections of on-board equipment, practices, and systems. “We find it to be extremely useful and user-friendly,” says Rognoni. “It can be used by both the shipboard personnel for their own routing inspection work and by our land personnel to go on board and assess the ship’s readiness, working together with the crew to ensure that everything is kept at the highest level of safety. Everything is done in a consistent way. The crews are very happy with it.” 

This type of programme only works when the two organisations work closely together, Rognoni emphasizes: “We value the relationship with DNV very much. It’s a day-to-day collaboration process. We’ve needs, sometimes challenges, and working together to enhance the way we operate whilst getting good value from DNV’s expertise makes our relationship very strong. We are extremely happy about the interaction and engagement that we have on a day-to-day basis.”