This formal USCG resident training is administered, three (3) times each year for up to fifteen (15) USCG active duty, reserve, and civilian members as well as ten (10) cruise industry stakeholders (cruise line representatives, ship officers, classification society surveyors/managers, foreign flag administration representatives, other government agencies, manufactures and other stakeholders that are instrumental in daily operation, inspection and/or oversight of the cruise industry).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coast Guard Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise (CSNCOE) had to cancel the Foreign Passenger Vessel Examiner (FPVE) courses scheduled for May and June 2020. We are currently working on obtaining a new contract for Fiscal Year 2021 with the hope of holding a course in late spring or early summer.

The course is designed to provide instruction on the U.S. process for conducting foreign passenger vessel exams. A Cruise Vessel of at least 70,000 gross tons host the FPVE course onboard a vessel while underway. Throughout the course of instruction, teams are given scenarios that could be expected during a typical Coast Guard cruise ship examination and are asked to evaluate and decide on a course of action. Additionally, instruction is provided on the international standards pertaining to fire safety systems, lifesaving, machinery space equipment and processes, emergency escape arrangements, environmental protection systems, and crew roles & responsibilities. The interactions among participants over the six-day course reinforce the value of frequent communications and close working relationships among the cruise industry community and Coast Guard. Likewise, participants gain valuable insight, and a mutual understanding of the impacts their decisions have on cruise industry safety, security, and commercial viability.

This course has recently become a prerequisite for all Coast Guard members wishing to obtain the Foreign Passenger Vessel Examiner qualification.

This course is the same as the previously titled Advanced Foreign Passenger Vessel Examiner (AFPVE) course. Enrollment into the FPVE course is not necessary for those who completed the AFPVE course after January 2009.