Many of the safety items that Coast Guard foreign passenger vessel examiners check for are directly related to the lessons learned from the Princess Sophia disaster. For example, the primary cause of the grounding was a loss of awareness of the navigational picture that allowed the vessel to strike a charted and well-known hazard. As part of a cruise ship examination, the exam team checks the functionality of navigational equipment such as electronic charting systems, radars, and depth sounders, as well as the ship crew’s proficiency with using these systems. The team also reviews crewmembers’ licenses and training certificates to ensure that they meet the minimum qualifications to fill these key shipboard positions. In this post, read about how, the past 100 years have allowed for the development of robust regulations to ensure the safety of all passengers booking passage on one of these non-U.S. vessels.