Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry has defended safety and security on board the Carnival Spirit as hope fades for two missing passengers who fell overboard.
Sherry insisted the safety of guests “is the number one priority” and stressed the railings on the Spirit exceed the minimum industry requirements.
An internal review will be held to assess whether anything could have been done better but there was no suggestion security was lapse, she said.
Sherry said CCTV cameras are monitored by four security staff at any one time although the focus is on areas of the ship where most passengers are congregated.
Sherry dismissed media suggestions that passengers “often” fall overboard as “simply not true”.
“I have been in this role for six years and there have been two similar incidents in that time,” she told reporters earlier today.
Her comments came as hopse of finding Paul Rossington, 30, and his 26-year-old girlfriend Kristen Schroder faded. Air and marine rescue teams continue to scour 500 square nautical miles of sea off the NSW coast.
It is still unclear from CCTV footage whether the couple jumped or fell from a mid-ship deck of the Spirit on Wednesday night.
They were discovered missing after the ship berthed at Sydney on Thursday morning.
The couple, from Barraba, NSW, were travelling with seven family members on the 10-day Pacific Island cruise.
Sherry, who is also deputy chair of the Cruise lines Industry Association, described the circumstances as “terrible”.
“We are a very regulated industry and safety and security is our number priority, our number one priority,” she said.
Sherry said that with the railings on the Carnival Spirit 5cm higher than minimum requirements it was “highly unlikely” anyone could trip and fall overboard.
“We try and mitigate anything that might happen,” she said.
