Norwegian Cruise Line announced their acceptance of the 2012 Quality Ship Management Award from American Maritime Safety (AMS).

This honor, which was bestowed during the maritime trade association’s annual safety awards in New York City, recognizes Norwegian’s extensive safety standards and pervasive safety culture.

In presenting the award, AMS praised Norwegian’s strict adherence to safety guidelines and highlighted the implementation of quality controls systems that enhance crewmember efficiency.  The organization focused on two of the line’s top safety projects, Norwegian’s Safety Culture Concept and Kaizen Project.

Norwegian’s Safety Culture Concept encompasses all of the line’s safety efforts under one umbrella, including Safety Thought of the Day, which changes automatically every 24 hours and is communicated daily to Norwegian’s team, as well as at the start and at the end of every meeting. Personal praise for good safety practices and a “no blame” environment are a high priority, along with recorded safety meetings and computer-based training modules.

The Kaizen Project seeks to increase team members’ efficiency while maintaining or raising their level of safety, and is accomplished through team member feedback. Many of the new practices that resulted from this program have been adopted fleet-wide to meet the project’s goals.

“This award is a testament to our valued team members, who work hard each and every day to provide our guests with an amazing vacation experience,” said Svein Sleipnes, Senior Vice President of Marine Operation for Norwegian Cruise Line.  “We are honored to accept the 2012 Quality Ship Management Award and will continue to strive for the highest safety standards for our guests and team members.”

AMS is a New York-based maritime trade association comprised of more than 400 vessel owners and operators that was established in 1988 to facilitate the maritime industry’s compliance with international shipping protocols and U.S. Coast Guard regulations.