The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) participated
in a hearing on draft regulations for accessibility guidelines
for passenger vessels, proposed by the Architectural and Transportation
Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board, www.access-board.gov
).
ICCL member lines are dedicated to providing an enjoyable vacation
experience for all our guests. The draft guidelines are based
on a report submitted to the Access Board by the Passenger Vessel
Access Advisory Committee. The ICCL has been an active member
of this committee and participated fully in each and every meeting.
However, the ICCL believes the deadline for comments on this
extensive draft Guideline and Advance Notice of Proposed Rule
Making needs to be extended. We say this in light of the complexity
of the issue and the fact that the Access Board asked questions
on and/or requested comment on approximately 150 items and sub-items
listed in the various documents that were published.
The ICCL will continue to participate in the deliberations on
this important issue. All passengers should be able to enjoy
a cruise vacation. We believe that this industry has made great
strides in providing accessibility on board cruise ships and
that accessibility is improving with each new ship designed
and delivered to the fleet.
The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) represents
the interests of 16 passenger cruise lines that call on major
ports in the United States and abroad. ICCL member lines include:
Carnival Cruise Lines; Celebrity Cruises; Costa Cruise Line
N.V.; Crystal Cruises; Cunard Line; Disney Cruise Line; Holland
America Line; NCL America; Norwegian Cruise Line; Orient Lines;
Princess Cruises; Radisson Seven Seas Cruises; Royal Caribbean
International; Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises; and
Windstar Cruises. These vessels account for approximately 90
percent of the North American passenger cruise-line industry.
