Author Topic: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy  (Read 349243 times)

Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #345 on: October 03, 2012, 09:57:55 AM »
"Bookings at Costa Cruises are bouncing back from the sharp drop seen in the months after the Costa Concordia accident, and the brand should be back to profitability by next year, according to executives at the line's parent company."

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/09/costa-cruises-return-profits/70001165/1


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #346 on: October 03, 2012, 10:00:20 AM »
"The cruise industry continues to work on a global level to improve the safety of passengers and crew, which is our number one priority," said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Travel Pulse."

http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/25/costa-concordia-grounding-brings-more-safety-rules-awareness/


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #347 on: October 03, 2012, 10:17:33 AM »
"Communication issues were also reportedly identified as a contributing factor in the Concordia. For example, it was reported that some of the crew in charge of lifeboats did not understand Italian, the working language on the vessel. The reports also indicate communication issues due to language barriers on the bridge, particularly between the captain and an Indonesian helmsman."

http://www.maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/Maritime-Training-Issues/September-2012/The-Human-Factor-on-the-Costa-Concordia--How-to-Ad.aspx


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #348 on: October 03, 2012, 10:20:37 AM »
"(AGI) Grosseto - The crew of the cruise liner Costa Concordia was awarded the title of 'Seafarer of the year' in the Lloyd's List Global awards 2012. "Captain Francesco Schettino was delighted to know that his crew was awarded the prize 'for the courage and professional skills' shown during the Costa Concordia shipwreck, off the shores of Giglio Island", a statement of the law firm defending Schettino - who is under investigation and could be charged with multiple manslaughter - reads. The statement also stresses the importance of the "constant training" ordered by Schettino in the four months during which he was the ship captain. . ."

http://www.agi.it/english-version/italy/elenco-notizie/201209282200-cro-ren1106-costa_concordia_s_schettino_claims_credit_for_crew_prize

Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #349 on: October 03, 2012, 10:26:03 AM »
"But what happens if the critical area along the edge where the ship is rotated breaks apart? No one can say with absolute certainty that it will work -- and there is no plan B."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/how-the-costa-concordia-will-be-salvaged-a-857683.html




Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #350 on: October 15, 2012, 07:28:02 PM »
"Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia, has launched legal action to get his job back, nine months after the luxury cruise liner capsized with the loss of 32 lives.

Captain Francesco Schettino is also claiming back pay, after it emerged that he had been dismissed by Costa Cruises, the company that owns the Concordia, in July.


"Costa Crociere confirms that it has concluded the disciplinary procedure against Schettino, following the sinking of the Costa Concordia, ordering his dismissal," the company said in a statement."

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg&region=3&m_id=_rms~~AY!v&w_id=8339&news_id=2003472

Offline RichC

  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 2093
    • View Profile
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #351 on: October 16, 2012, 07:32:28 AM »
"Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia, has launched legal action to get his job back, nine months after the luxury cruise liner capsized with the loss of 32 lives.

Captain Francesco Schettino is also claiming back pay, after it emerged that he had been dismissed by Costa Cruises, the company that owns the Concordia, in July.


"Costa Crociere confirms that it has concluded the disciplinary procedure against Schettino, following the sinking of the Costa Concordia, ordering his dismissal," the company said in a statement."

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg&region=3&m_id=_rms~~AY!v&w_id=8339&news_id=2003472

If they do reinstate him as a captain I can only wonder what that would do to the image of any of the other captains as well as the stock price.
Would anyone feel comfortable sailing with someone like that.  ::)

Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #352 on: October 18, 2012, 03:51:30 AM »
"Claims by the captain of the Costa Concordia that he saved lives by steering the ship closer to land when it struck rocks off the coast of Italy last January were disputed in court during the second day of a pre-trial hearing.

Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, an admiral in the Italian navy on a panel of experts studying the cause of the disaster, told the court in Grosseto, Tuscany that the fact the ship swung closer to land was luck rather than any skill by Captain Francesco Schettino.

He said the ship was pushed towards the shore by the wind and waves, contradicting Captain Schettino's insistence that he saved lives by steering the 1,000ft-long vessel close to the island of Giglio.

The court also heard that an echo sounder device that measured the depth of water beneath the vessel had been "inexplicably" switched off before the Concordia struck the rocks. Costa Cruises told the hearing that the ship had been equipped with more radar systems than needed, and that enough of them had been in operation to meet legal requirements.

However, Codacons, a consumer rights group, said the echo sounder could have helped prevent the disaster and avoid the 32 deaths.

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg&region=3&m_id=_rms~~AY!v&w_id=8352&news_id=2003553


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #353 on: October 18, 2012, 03:58:59 AM »
"Meanwhile, it has emerged that the operation to salvage the Concordia will take at least six months longer than planned. Rescuers who had hoped the ship could be refloated and towed away in January now said that it is more likely to June at the earliest before the ship can be moved."

More than 400 divers, engineers and salvage experts are working on the operation, which is expected to cost £250m."

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg&region=3&m_id=_rms~~AY!v&w_id=8352&news_id=2003553


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #354 on: October 18, 2012, 02:12:31 PM »
It also said Costa Crociere "after learning from the captain of the ship of the situation, did not put itself at the disposal of the relevant authorities".
"The report found that Schettino ordered a change in the ship's course to carry out a "salute" to Giglio -- a seafaring tradition in Italy -- and arrived on the bridge when the liner was only two nautical miles from the island.

It said that fellow officers failed to warn the captain that the ship was too close to the shore and travelling too fast and that the helmsman mistakenly steered right instead of left moments before the impact.

After the liner hit the rock, tearing a massive gash in its hull, Schettino provided "false information" to the authorities about the situation on board and declared an emergency only with "considerable delay", the report said.

Some of the crew members who were meant to help passengers during the emergency did not have the correct training or an understanding of Italian.


But Costa Crociere's lawyer Marco De Luca said the hearings had shown his client had "very exhaustive ordinary and emergency management procedures" and ships that were "extremely advanced and modern from every point of view".

The experts also found Costa Crociere "could not have provided any technical assistance, considering the speed with which the ship flooded and ran aground".

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jRbRAm0SsKe91NmeNgMy12SAgWpg?docId=CNG.b7490d699f872ba1c830ddc9ac429b95.d91

Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #355 on: October 18, 2012, 02:18:04 PM »
"Schettino's defense team highlighted the role played by an Indonesian helmsman they said had misunderstood orders given by Schettino to avoid the rocks off Giglio. In a statement after the hearing was concluded, they said the expert report showed that Schettino's orders may not have been carried out correctly and the accident may have been avoided had they been."

"On Monday, the court heard evidence that the maps used on the ship were not adequate, that the vessel came too close to shore at too high a speed and that the crew was not properly prepared for the evacuation."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/15/us-concordia-hearing-schettino-idUSBRE89E18820121015


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #356 on: October 18, 2012, 02:27:22 PM »
"Jacob Rusli, who is not currently under investigation for the tragedy, allegedly did not hear properly or misunderstood the captain's orders.

But the chief prosecutor in the hearing, Francesco Verusio, pointed out that the ship was travelling at around 15 knots and that even if the helmsman had properly executed the order, it would have been too late to avoid the rocks."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9611581/Costa-Concordia-dont-blame-Francesco-Schettino-say-supporters.html


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #357 on: October 20, 2012, 04:28:47 PM »
Officers were also heard shouting contradictory instructions as the disaster unfolded.  The black box identified him shouting 'hard  to port!’ just before the liner struck a rock in calm waters close to the Italian island of Giglio.  At the same time his second in command yells ‘hard to starboard!’.  Moments before the disaster Schettino is also heard saying: ‘Let’s go and do a salute (to Giglio).’  But as the ship, carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew, goes close to the shore, he shouts at a helmsman to go to starboard to avoid catastrophe.  After hitting the rocks, Schettino orders watertight compartments in the ship to be closed. He is heard asking: ‘So are we really going down? I don’t understand.’

Another officers is heard saying: 'Our ass is dragging along the seabed.' Schettino asked: 'What did we hit?' On being told that the Concordia had hit the reef, Schettino says: 'Are we really going down? I don't understand.' An officer is heard saying: 'It's the salute he wanted.'
 The recording concluded with an officer telling everyone to ‘abandon the ship’.

Marine experts have already said that a crowd-pleasing but risky manoeuvre in which the huge vessel passed close to Giglio was to blame for the collision on January 13.  The experts - two admirals and two engineers - lay most of the blame for the collision and botched evacuation on Schettino. But they also noted that not all crew members understood Italian, not all had current certification, and not all passengers had had the chance to participate in evacuation drills.

Passengers described a confused and delayed evacuation, with many of the lifeboats unable to be lowered because the boat was listing too far to one side.
 Some jumped into the Mediterranean and swam to Giglio, while others had to be plucked from the vessel by rescue helicopters hours after the collision.

Schettino has insisted that by guiding the stricken ship to shallower waters near Giglio's port instead of immediately ordering an evacuation he potentially saved lives. He has claimed that another official, and not he, was at the helm when the ship struck.  The timeline in the expert report, however, makes clear that he had assumed command six minutes before the ship struck the reef.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2217900/Black-box-recording-doomed-Costa-Concordia-reveals-chaos-ship-hit-rock.html


« Last Edit: December 10, 2012, 09:58:14 PM by Host Mike »

Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #358 on: October 22, 2012, 04:09:27 PM »
"Giuseppe Pilon, who rushed to the Concordia's engine room immediately after the accident, and another engine room officer, Giovanni Iaccarino, spoke publicly about the tragedy for the first time on Sunday night.

Mr Pilon said that Captain Schettino did not understand how desperate the situation was despite direct communication from the engine room.

"The local generator was completely flooded, we no longer had control of anything so I called Captain Schettino and he asked me about Engine 4 and 5 and I said to him, 'Captain, you haven't understood the situation – the water is up to the first deck.'

"They didn't tell me they had struck a rock... So I thought we had a leak. I didn't even know that we were close to Giglio."

Mr Iaccarino, who also appeared on the 'Domenica Live' TV talk show with Mr Pilon said Capt Schettino told officer Roberto Bosio: "Tonight we are in big trouble".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9625515/Costa-Concordia-captain-failed-to-understand-scale-of-disaster.html


Offline Host Mike

  • Administrator
  • Commodore
  • *****
  • Posts: 9775
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Princess Only
Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #359 on: October 23, 2012, 10:06:37 AM »
"The water was rising fast, it was terrible," Mr Iaccarino said. "I called the bridge to make them aware of the seriousness of the situation and they responded in an incredibly calm way.

"I was desperate because no one was giving any orders and the water was already up to the stern's elevators."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9625515/Costa-Concordia-captain-failed-to-understand-scale-of-disaster.html