New Video Educates Passengers on Evacuation in the Arctic

A new informational video launched by Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPPR) in collaboration with the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) aims to improve passenger safety during maritime emergencies in the Arctic.

The video covers essential topics such as actions to take upon hearing the alarm, what to expect in lifeboats or life rafts, procedures for transferring to a rescue vessel, and what happens after being rescued.

Funded by the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the whiteboard-style animation video is designed for universal understanding. The video could be shown at muster stations, during safety drills, in living areas onboard expedition vessels, and could also be shared with passengers ahead of their journey.

The project was originally launched following a key finding from the 2022 ARCSAR LIVEX exercise, organized by an EU Horizon Project ARCSAR, which revealed a critical gap in passenger preparedness during mass rescue operations (MROs).

Arctic Search and Rescue (SAR) exercise findings have highlighted the need to enhance communication and improve cruise passenger awareness of what to do in the event of a maritime emergency evacuation, particularly beyond the initial safety briefing. The lack of knowledge on what to expect might pose challenges for responders and can result in delayed evacuation procedures.

“The aim of this video is simple: to turn uncertainty into understanding. If passengers know what to expect and how to act, they become part of the solution during an emergency,” said Benjamin Strong, EPPR Chair, U.S. Coast Guard.

The initiative particularly targets the Arctic expedition cruise industry, where vessels typically carry fewer than 200 passengers and navigate remote high-latitude areas under strict Polar Code compliance. With AECO representing nearly all cruise operators in this sector, the project benefited from close cooperation with industry stakeholders.

The development of the video focused on identifying behavioral gaps among passengers during evacuations and presenting storylines that could guide ideal responses. By setting clear expectations and familiarizing passengers with real-life rescue scenarios, the objective of the video is to reduce panic and confusion during emergencies and facilitate smoother operations for Arctic SAR teams in case of an incident.