Cruise Ship Cruise Ship Security and ISPS Code 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is an 'International Ship Security Certificate' (ISSC) and how long is it valid?
- A certificate confirming the ship's security plan has been implemented and verified, valid for 5 years (Correct answer)
- A passenger safety briefing record, valid per voyage
- A port entry authorization, valid for 24 hours
- A flag state registration document, valid indefinitely
Correct answer: A certificate confirming the ship's security plan has been implemented and verified, valid for 5 years
The ISSC is issued after successful verification that the Ship Security Plan meets ISPS Code requirements; it is valid for 5 years subject to intermediate verifications, typically conducted every 2.5 years.
Question 2: A cruise ship's CCTV system installed under ISPS requirements must record footage for a minimum of:
- 24 hours
- 72 hours
- 7 days (Correct answer)
- 30 days
Correct answer: 7 days
Best practice guidance and many flag state requirements mandate that shipboard CCTV systems retain recorded footage for a minimum of 7 days to support security investigations of incidents.
Question 3: What action must a cruise ship take if it receives a bomb threat while in a US port?
- Immediately depart the port without notifying anyone
- Notify the Coast Guard, local law enforcement, and the company security officer immediately (Correct answer)
- Conduct an independent internal search before alerting authorities
- Announce the threat over the public address system first
Correct answer: Notify the Coast Guard, local law enforcement, and the company security officer immediately
Upon receiving a bomb threat, the crew must immediately notify the US Coast Guard, port security, and local law enforcement, as well as the Company Security Officer (CSO), following the Ship Security Plan procedures.
Question 4: What is 'piracy' as defined in international maritime law under UNCLOS?
- Any unauthorized boarding of a vessel
- Illegal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends on the high seas (Correct answer)
- Theft of cargo in port
- Unauthorized copying of navigational charts
Correct answer: Illegal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends on the high seas
UNCLOS Article 101 defines piracy as any illegal act of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends on the high seas or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state.
Question 5: What is the 'Best Management Practices' (BMP) guidance used by cruise ships transiting high-risk piracy areas?
- A mandatory IMO regulation on piracy countermeasures
- Industry self-protection guidance recommending citadels, razor wire, lookouts, and reporting to UKMTO (Correct answer)
- A Coast Guard training program for naval response
- A US Navy convoy protocol for commercial vessels
Correct answer: Industry self-protection guidance recommending citadels, razor wire, lookouts, and reporting to UKMTO
BMP (currently BMP5) is industry-developed guidance endorsed by naval authorities that recommends self-protection measures including razor wire barriers, citadels, increased watchkeeping, and reporting to the UKMTO in the High Risk Area.
Question 6: Which US federal agency has primary jurisdiction over security inspections of foreign-flagged cruise ships in US ports?
- FBI
- US Coast Guard (Correct answer)
- CBP (Customs and Border Protection)
- TSA (Transportation Security Administration)
Correct answer: US Coast Guard
The US Coast Guard has primary authority under 33 CFR Part 104 to conduct security boardings and inspections of vessels in US waters to verify ISPS Code compliance.
Cruise Ship Cruise Ship Security and ISPS Code 2
What is an 'International Ship Security Certificate' (ISSC) and how long is it valid?