CLIA’s UK & Ireland director has backed the safety measures currently employed in the cruise industry after a woman fell into the Adriatic.

Brit Kay Longstaff was travelling on the Norwegian Star when she went overboard, although the reasons for her fall are unclear.

She was rescued 10 hours later by the Croatian coastguard and taken to hospital in the town of Pula.

Longstaff later told reporters: “I’m very lucky to be alive. I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me.”

In a statement, Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland director, said there are “no known cases of someone acting responsibly who has accidentally fallen over the railing of a cruise ship”.

He added: “A cruise holiday is one of the safest forms of travel. Cruise ships today are the safest that ever sailed, thanks to the rules, regulations and technological innovations that govern their design.”

Harmer also referenced that rules on minimum railing and balcony heights of one metre and “other structural barriers” are in place “to prevent passengers, who are acting responsibly, from simply falling off a cruise ship”.

“Cruise lines are highly regulated with robust enforcement. The average ship undergoes dozens of announced and unannounced safety inspections per year, involving hundreds of man hours and covering thousands of specific requirements set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).”