ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 5 -- The International Council of Cruise
Lines (ICCL) announced today its members have unanimously agreed to set
mandatory policies for cruise ship passenger and crew safety, security,
environment, operational procedures, health safety, and sanitation. These new
policies mark the first time an association of international maritime
operators has adopted mandatory standards on such a wide-ranging set of
topics. Adherence to the policies now will be required for continuation of
membership in the association.

"This major step for the cruise line industry establishes standards in areas
that go above and beyond both U.S. and international requirements," said
Michael Crye, ICCL president. "Since 1980, more than 60 million passengers
have safely traveled on cruise lines. The industry wants to ensure that this
excellent and enviable safety record continues."

Existing U.S. and international regulations require compliance on a broad
range of safety, environmental and health issues. These regulatory regimes
however, differ in some respects. The new ICCL mandatory standards will meet
or exceed U.S. or international standards in those areas addressed. For
example, existing regulations require cruise ships to have smoke detectors
sounding only on the bridge. New mandatory industry standards will require
each ICCL member vessel to have smoke alarms that sound in all passenger and
crew state rooms and adjacent corridors as well as on the bridge.

"Mandatory standards are another proactive step in maintaining the cruise
industry's position as the safest and most environmentally friendly form of
maritime transportation available," said ICCL Chairman, Richard Fain. "We take
our commitment to our passengers and the environment very seriously."

For most of the existing guidelines, each member line will integrate these
industry standards into its Safety Management System (SMS), which will ensure
compliance through internal audits and external audits conducted by
independent third-party auditors. These audits are part of the SMS, which is
mandated by the International Safety Management (ISM) code. The ISM Code is a
requirement that became applicable to internationally operating passenger
ships in 1998.

Examples of current ICCL policy guidelines, which will become mandatory
industry standards as a result of this decision, include the following areas:
* Safety (i.e. Lifejackets, Helicopter pick-up area, Infant Personal
Flotation Devices)
* Locally-Sounding Fire Alarms
* Security (i.e. Zero Tolerance for Crime, Passenger Safety)
* Environment (i.e. Waste Management Practices and Procedures)
* Medical (i.e. Facilities, Equipment, and Staff Qualifications)

Each of the existing guidelines will be reviewed within an ICCL working
group and updated as necessary. When appropriate, the guideline will then
become a mandatory industry standard. Compliance with the standard will become
a condition of membership in ICCL.

ICCL is a cruise industry trade association that represents the interests of
16 passenger cruise lines in the North American cruise market and more than 65
cruise industry suppliers. ICCL member lines operate 93 vessels that call upon
major ports in the United States and abroad. These vessels carry more than six
million passengers each year and account for approximately 90% of the North
American passenger cruise line industry.

/NOTE TO EDITORS: Interviews can be arranged by calling the contact below./