| Summary: | Cruise traffic in the Arctic is a hot topic today since the melting ice has allowed for new possibilities for the cruise ship companies to frequent new and interesting routes. The climate around the poles is not only recognizable by the stunning views and landscape, but also by extreme cold, ice and strong winds, combined with an ever-changing weather that can hit without warning. IMO:s legal framework The Polar Code sets the requirements for ships in the Arctic and Antarctic, which makes the subject highly relevant since the code entered into force on January the 1st, 2017. This study covers the risks associated with cruise traffic in the polar regions, and has analyzed The Polar Code from an LSA (Life-Saving Appliances) perspective. The study also examines how the implementation of the code will affect LSA onboard, and investigates the opinions that professional navigational officers who frequents the polar regions has regarding The Polar Code. This has been achieved by a literature study and by conducting semi-structured interviews. The results of the study show that new equipment must be acquired onboard the ships to fulfill the new and tougher requirements set by The Polar Code. Lack of space onboard the cruise ships has been pointed out as a major issue, and the acquisitions of new equipment might possibly call for reconstructions or other logistic solutions onboard to accommodate the new LSA. The most substantial risk faced in the Arctic and Antarctic is that of the ice, which presents danger in many ways. This is how The Polar Code describes the risk that ice entails; Ice, as it may affect hull structure, stability characteristics, machinery systems, navigation, the outdoor working environment, maintenance and emergency preparedness tasks and malfunction of safety equipment and systems. All of interview participants shared the opinion that ice presented the most significant risk, and that smaller part of icebergs, so called growlers constituted the most prominent danger for the ship’s hull. These ...
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