This is the reason why in recent years, the Cruise Ship Association, ship owners, and Quang Ninh Province Tourism Association have regularly recommended that Quang Ninh Province consider abolishing the Cruise Ship Classification Appraisal Council.
Because, before being allowed to operate, all cruise ships have full documents and certificates to ensure operating conditions from specialized agencies, such as: fire prevention and fighting, inspection... and periodically, the above agencies check to reissue new licenses.
However, immediately after being inspected and re-licensed by specialized agencies, the Cruise Ship Classification Appraisal Council again established a team to re-inspect everything that the specialized teams had just inspected, and the members were again made up of members from the previous specialized inspection teams.
In particular, even newly manufactured cruise ships with full technical and safety certificates from specialized agencies will not be allowed to operate if they are not re-evaluated by the above Council.
This is wasteful and takes up a lot of time for businesses and ship owners, because many inspections have duplicate content.
The Council for the Classification of Tourist Ships was established under Decision 4088/2015/QD-UBND, dated December 21, 2015 of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province on temporary regulations on the management of tourist ship activities in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.
Listening to the opinions of businesses and ship owners, in Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, dated October 8, 2024 of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province on promulgating regulations on measures to manage the operation of inland waterway vehicles serving tourists in Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, the Council for classifying tourist ships no longer exists.
In the future, for periodic or unscheduled inspections when necessary, the Department of Transport will preside over the establishment of an interdisciplinary inspection team to inspect compliance with legal regulations, safety conditions, standards, quality, and criteria for tourist boats.
