USCG forbids foreign passenger vessels' use of their own small craft for excursions. This is considered a violation of coastwise trading rules under the Passenger Vessel Services Act. Cruise lines that operate Zodiac excursions from their ships have had to adapt to comply.
In Windstar's case, it purchased US-made craft that, for Signature Expeditions in Alaska, are operated only by US citizens with US Coast Guard licenses.
Taking certification to a new level
'It was a big effort,' said Capt. Ben Lyons, CEO, Expedition Voyage Consultants. 'I'm proud that we were able to deliver their full staff needs—US citizens with US Coast Guard licenses. The USCG recently clarified their interpretations for this requirement, and the expedition industry as a whole hasn’t had these formalized requirements before.
'This is taking the certification up to a whole other level,' Lyons told Seatrade Cruise News.
The US-made Zodiacs are staying with Star Legend and supplement the tenders the ship already had. A new storage location and crane system was installed between the funnels on the top deck to house the Zodiacs.
The US requires all of the staff driving the Zodiacs for excursions in US waters have, at minimum, a USCG Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel license, according to Peter Butz, chief operations officer, Expedition Voyage Consultants.
'Some of our staff already had a USCG license when they were hired. Others were already skilled naturalists and Zodiac drivers, but because their Zodiac driving experience was outside of US waters, in places like Antarctica, the Sea of Cortez, the Arctic, etc., they had never been required to have a US Coast Guard license,' Butz explained. 'They already had the competency, they just needed go through the process to get the license.'
This requires documenting their sea time for USCG and, most importantly, passing the USCG written exam. The exam covers such topics as 'rules of the road,' navigation and safety.
Getting licensed takes time
Many Expedition Voyages Consulting staff who needed to get their license were fitting their study time in while they were working, Butz said. For most, it took 'a good couple of months between starting the whole process of gathering the required documentation, studying for the test, passing the exam and submitting everything for USCG review in order to be awarded their license.'
Besides guided Zodiac explorations, Windstar's Signature Expeditions offer kayak and hiking tours, all led by experts.
Windstar president John Delaney has said there's been 'very strong demand' for the program, which 'embraces the natural beauty of the region, and allows for the most authentic, destination-focused experiences for our guests.'
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