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?

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I know its a tragic story but the devil inside of me cant help but think of this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdxqIBfEAw

Apologies if offence caused.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Sorry, if I was unclear Lorna, I was merely commenting on how parochial reportage can be - the bigger picture of loss gets fogged by the nationalities of the poor souls involved. I agree in spades as to what a bloody rotter this Italian Captain was. This accident is incredible, you sort of sadly expect this sort of stuff from overladen craft in some bits of the world, but not from a pleasure boat off the fragrant Tuscan coast.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I've never seen a swipe card needed for exiting a hotel room or cruise ship cabin. Swipe cards are only used for entry to rooms in my experience. My experience is also that in the event of a power failure, the locks open automatically.

What sonar operator? Military and research vessels often have sonar, but cruise ships do not. I believe you're referring to the depth finder which measures how much depth is between the keel and the bottom directly underneath the vessel. This is monitored from the bridge with the rest of the navigation instruments, and doesn't tell you how close any rocks are around you.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Each door has its own battery power pack and is individually operated, there is no connection with any central power system, so this is a mute point

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Ahhh - sorry. I was following the story in the Italian papers so didn't know that the English press might have bigged up the fact that Brits were on board.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

BBC news, the Captain says he was not trying to get into a life raft he fell into it :rofl: He was supervising events from a distance!

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Ha Ha yeh just heard on the news, he slipped and "fell offa da boot" "Do dappa day dappa dee" :huh: That's my best Italiano typed accent.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Along with his 1st Officer.....lol

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Did he trip over the small children & elderly who were waiting politely?:ohmy:

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

What sonar operator? Military and research vessels often have sonar, but cruise ships do not. I believe you're referring to the depth finder which measures how much depth is between the keel and the bottom directly underneath the vessel. This is monitored from the bridge with the rest of the navigation instruments, and doesn't tell you how close any rocks are around you.[/QUOTE]

And I suppose you would have me believe that there is no "cat of 9 tails" or "powder monkey" on board! Not much chance of the captain being "keel hauled" then?

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Installing access control doors all day long ,I would say no, not true in the slightest.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Individual power packs for each door would incur a lot of unnecessary weight and complexity when you consider how many doors there are on a ship that size. The swipe reader would be hard-wired into the ship's electrical system.

I've never installed a separate battery pack for each reader in any installation I've done. The only additional wiring is to the master controller/computer usually.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Strange, having worked the cruise ships for several years, we were always changing batteries on swipe locks, maybe they were trying to keep us busy, who knows, but it was a few years ago now.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I can only comment on what I've seen, as can you. As you've had to change these batteries, they must have been fitted, though I'm not sure why they're needed. Neiter do I see why one would need a swipe card to exit a room. :confused:

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Please explain why a cruise ship would ever enter the waters of Morecambe...?

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Lorna, what is the take on this in Italy? I belive that that coastguard who ordered 'Captain Courageous' back on board is being hailed as a hero? I was amazed to hear a quote today saying that this Captain was not 'one of the best, but THE best man ' that Costa cruises had!

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Because its in Lancashire no need to elaborate any further :thumbsup:
Come on what cruise line passengers wouldnt fancy going shellfish harvesting on Morecambe Bay or visiting the statue of its most famous son Eric Morecambe (Morecambe & Wise for the young ones). The potted shrimps are by Appointment to HM Queen.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

each lock was fitted with a small battery compartment, and took an equivalent of 2 rechargeable AA batteries, these things do not need a strong charge. Each set was routinely changed every 3 months unless required earlier, due to usage. I also have never heard of a swipe card required to exit a room, generally by depressing the handle from inside all deadbolts etc were automatically released. But these systems may well have changed in the last 5 years.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

every hotel I have been in has been like this (I have been working away) and cannot see how enything else is not a fire risk. Hope it was not any different in this case, or not elsewhere.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

No idea about cruise ships but in hotels the access system would be linked to the fire panel. This would cut power and release door if fire alarm was tripped.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

In an emergency, the power to door locks is always cut so that rescuers can get inside each room to check for people or deal with the emergency.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

I wonder how many will take advantage of this :(

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...it-threat.html

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Sorry, I've only just seen this.

Yes - he has been hailed as a hero and his words "vada a bordo cazzo!" (get on board dammit) have been printed on t-shirts and God knows how many have been sold.
I'm up North and many people here are embarassed by his behaviour. They already had enough of Berlusconi and his antics - and now Captain Coward and all his lies.

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Italian Cruise ship captain Francesco Schettino began his new job
as a bus driver yesterday! :thumbdown:

Re: Costa Cruise Ship
 

Yes!
Even I knew the answer to that one...or was it coke?