Ross Klein, a Newfoundland professor, has written four books on the cruise industry and maintains a database online.

CNN: July 8, 2012 -- Updated 1911 GMT (0311 HKT)

There were 79 onboard blazes from 1990 to 2011, according to a list compiled by Ross Klein, a professor who specializes in cruise industry issues at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada.

NPR: No Central Agency Oversees, Inspects Cruise Ships

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which provides regulations for cruise ships, does not keep complete records of marine casualties but recorded fewer than 300 incidents since 2000, while the independent website CruiseJunkie, run by sociology professor Ross Klein of Memorial University Newfoundland, has published reports of 644 incidents in the same period.

BBC: What is the safest mode of travel?