Cruise line popularity likely to sink after second incident at sea.

Only six weeks after the Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, was capsized after hitting a reef along the Isola del Giglio, another ship owned by the same company had to dock in the Republic of Seychelles after sitting adrift the Indian Ocean three days.

The BBC reported that the Costa Allegra was without power, depriving passengers of hot food and air conditioning for three days. Because the weather in Seychelles is hot and humid, I'm sure this made for a very sticky situation. But all kidding aside, what does this say for the cruise industry?

Luckily there were no fatalities, unlike the Costa Concoria incident which claimed over 27 lives. Maybe Americans can take comfort in the fact that they weren't American cruise ships. Costa Allegra and Costa Concordia however are operated by Costa Crociere of Genoa, Italy, which is owned by the Florida based Carnival.

So how safe are we when we board one of those luxury cruise lines on our next vacation? According to a blog posted in the transportation section of thehill.com on January 16, a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said the Costa Concordia accident was a "terrible tragedy," but not a common problem. The CLIA also reported that "accidents such as (the Costa Concordia) are extremely rare occurrences in the cruise industry and cruises continue to be one of the safest means of travel among all types of vacationing."

Here are just a couple of things you should keep in mind when deciding to book your next cruise:
1. A safety drill called a "Muster Drill" must be conducted within the first 24-hours of sailing. This drill should include instructions on how to use life jackets and where to gather in case of an emergency. Find out ahead of time what the safety procedures are. Once on board, they should be listed on the back of your cabin door.

2. One Fox News correspondent stressed that you should pick a cruise line that specializes in your native language. Having to listen to five languages simultaneously as most European ships do, can be very confusing and stressful in a life and death situation.

3. If disaster strikes: Look for the ship's officers, get your life jacket, and know where to find life rafts just in case life boats are not available.

Until the next incident out at sea (and let's hope there isn't another one), happy sailing everyone.