Costa Cruise Ship
 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/sinking-cru...0#.TxM-M6WJcfU

We been following this horrid incident and after returning from a Carnival cruise, thinking how lucky we were not to have chosen this cruise ship.

I am sure all our thoughts are with the families of the dead and injured.

http://a.abcnews.com/images/Internat..._120114_wg.jpg

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

You should always stay at least a football field's length away from the shore.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I don't think the Captain got that memo.

In fact i hear he is getting charged with manslaughter.

Quote
The 950-foot ship hit rocks in the shallow waters near the island on Friday night, and a panicked evacuation ensued. Captain Francesco Schettino is being held on suspicion of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship. However, he told Italian television, "We should have had deep water beneath us...:fingerscrossed:

We were about 300 metres (1,000ft) from the rocks more or less. We shouldn't have hit anything," and denied claims that he abandoned ship, "We were the last to leave the ship." However, a Coast Guard spokesman said, "Every danger in this area is on the nautical chart. This is a place were a lot of people come for diving and sailing. ... all the dangers are known...

We know where the ship was. We know it was too close to the island. ... we don't know why." Costa Cruises says that its ships use the route dozens of times a year.

I added the crossed fingers for effect :unsure:

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

We could always start a thread Italian cruise ship captains V Canadian cruise ship captains. Will BC and Northumberland Ferry captains be included?
Sad story makes you wonder what he was doing at the time.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Quote from the Dailymail

One passenger has accused the captain of drinking in one of the ship's bars on the night the vessel ran aground, before taking control after the crash.

Monique Maurek, 41, from the Netherlands, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'What scandalised me most was when I saw the captain spending much of the evening before we hit the rocks drinking in the bar with a beautiful woman on his arm.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I wonder if he was drinking Scotch on the rocks;)

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I hate how the media capitalize on the deaths and the apparent chaos.

4200 people were on that ship, 4195 survived!

Jesus, look on the bright side why don't you :blink:

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

The Queen of the North in BC was a ferry, not a cruise ship, but otherwise the comparison is a good one. In that instance the duty officer and helmsperson were, if stories are to be believed, engaged in affairs of an intimate nature rather than the safe navigation of the vessel. It was that incident that lead to all BC Ferries having "blackboxes" or Voyage Data Recorders fitted - something that they hadn't been required by regulatory bodies at that point.

The Costa Concordia will have a VDR fitted & hence the authorities will be able to get data on position, engine and rudder settings, audio from the bridge and outside etc. Hopefully that'll prove what was happening. At first blush the crew doesn't seem to have come out of this covered in glory. "Women, children, cowards and me first" and all that.

The more serious question that some commentators have touched on is the design of the ship. Not so much the water-tight doors and compartments to prevent/contain flooding, but rather the design of a vessel with vast open spaces - dining rooms, concert halls, night clubs etc. Once a ship lists over these become yawning chasms down which people fall & from which rescue is difficult. The same issue was at play in the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster many years ago. But ships designed for revenue generation rather than safety continue to be the norm.

Cruising doesn't really appeal to me - although I love being on the ocean. But if we did go on a cruise I think we'd be looking for a smaller vessel. 4000 pax on a ship? No thanks!

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

GET this into perspective - how many of them were BRITONS? !! Pathetic isn't it?

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

if you did 20 football field from the shore at Morecambe, you would still be only in 4ft of water...you need to look at your charts. A bit too generalist!

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

What about he swipe card doors on the cabins, once the power was lost ,they couldn't get out. What a nightmare!

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I hope I'm getting you wrongly, but it's not how many Britons might have died, but how many people in total.

I'm also sick to my stomach, but not wholly surprised at the behaviour of the Captain. Italian show off.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

He is banged up abroad now. And may he stay there, long time :fingerscrossed:

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

that could be enough to stop me ever going on a cruise, right there - but is it really true? - my hotel has swipe cards but only to unlock from the outside - simple lever to unlock from inside. Same risk in fire surely.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I can understand the uproar about the capitano but what about the sonar operator doing a Stevie Wonder impression or the navigator?