Video: 100 years since Titanic, cruise ships still vulnerable

>> said, this behemothessel with 17 decks, longer than the titanic, has ever modern convenience, every luxury and all the right electronics like most modern cruise ships . but now this. soou can't blame people for asking today if this is a safe way to go. nbc tom costello has been looking into the safety aspect for us tonight. law, cruise ships muste able n to evacuate their passengers within 30 minutes of an abandon ship order. but getting 4,200 people off europe's biggest cruise ship tookar longer.

>> five hours. five hours of struggling while this ship is sinking and trying to go against gravity and ying to pull ourselves up. ying to get away from breaking glass , bodies flying.

>> reporter: a potentially deadly mistake, the crew hadn't yet prided passengers with evacuation training. under maritime law , ships have 24 hou to provide evacuation training on lasting seven days or less. most do so befe ever leaving port. drills like this one that include learning how to put on a life vest and finding the nearest life boat . industry analysts are concerned by reports the crew seemed disoriented.

>> the crew forgot their training. they didn't seem to provide e direction, the support.

>> reporter: in statement, the crse line injury says accidents such as this one are an extremely raroccuence in the cruise industry and it insis uising is safe. roughly 16 million people took cruise vacations in 2011 on the most established lin. up from 15 million in 2010 . and the industry is growing. building 26 new ships in the last two years. whilcruise ships fly many flags, international standards dictate everything from ew competence and safety training to rese ocedures.

>> i think it's very safe.

>>reporter: coast guard lieutenant is liaison to the cruise indtry.

>> we evaluate how the ships and the crews respond to emergencies, including instructing passengers where they have to go for safety.

>>eporter: 100 years since "titanic", cruise ships are still vulnerable. in this case, to rocky reefs and bad decisions. tom coello, nbc news, washington.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46017207/

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