Cruise ship evacuation raises safety concerns

Survivors from the Costa Concordia have described the evacuation of the grounded ship as chaotic. CBS News went to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to find out how crew members are trained to prepare for this kind of disaster.

"We want them to react in training as they will react in real life and that will ensure that the correct procedures are taken," says Capt. Jerry Pannell, Director of Training at Star Center, where junior and senior officers on cruise ships are trained.

The world's 256 registered cruise ships are supposed to follow a minimum international safety standard, but only one of them is registered in the U.S., where standards are higher. To save money, cruise lines often register ships in foreign countries, where the standards are not as strictly enforced.

For Strassmann's full report on the widely varying safety code enforcement on the world's cruiseliners, click on the player above.

Mark Strassmann

Mark Strassmann is CBS News' senior national correspondent based in Atlanta. He covers a wide range of stories, including space exploration. Strassmann is also the senior national correspondent for "Face the Nation."