Author Topic: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy  (Read 349219 times)

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #180 on: February 02, 2012, 09:10:36 PM »
"In the chaotic evacuation of the Costa Concordia, passengers and crew abandoned almost everything on board the cruise ship: jewels, cash, champagne, antiques, 19th-century Bohemian crystal glassware and thousands of art objects, including 300-year-old woodblock prints by a Japanese master.

Now, a veritable treasure lies beneath the pristine Italian waters where the luxury liner ran aground last month."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/costa-concordia-shipwreck-treasure-trove-passengers-abandoned-belongings-article-1.1016261

"It could just be a matter of time before anyone from common thieves to underwater teams run by the Mafia and specialising in recovering booty try to steal it.

"As long as there are bodies in there, it's considered off base to everybody because it's a grave," said Robert Marx, a veteran diver and the author of books on treasure hunting.

"But when all the bodies are out, there will be a mad dash for the valuables."

The Costa Concordia was essentially a floating luxury hotel. Many of the passengers embarked on the ill-fated cruise with their finest clothes and jewels so they could parade them in casinos and at gala dinners beneath towering chandeliered ceilings."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9059054/Costa-Concordia-Threat-of-Mafia-treasure-hunters.html

« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 01:18:25 PM by Host Mike »

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #181 on: February 02, 2012, 09:26:19 PM »
The young woman who, reports suggest, may have proved a distraction for the captain of the Costa Concordia liner as it ran aground three weeks ago with the loss of 32 lives, said she is "in love" with the disgraced officer.

It also emerged that divers retrieved her personal belongings from the cabin of Mr Schettino, who is married with a teenage daughter. Previously, Ms Cemortan said she had only been called to the ship's bridge after the accident to translate vital information that officers wanted to relay to Russian passengers.

Ms Cemortan soon emerged as a key witness to events as surviving passengers came forward to say that both she and the captain had dined together, with Mr Schettino consuming "several glasses" of wine shortly before the collision.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/its-true--im-in-love-with-the-costa-cruise-captain-says-dancer-6348752.html

"Clothing and lingerie belonging to the Moldovan blonde spotted with the captain of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia on the night of the disaster have reportedly been found in his cabin.

Divers found the clothing, and a beauty case, when they searched Capt Francesco Schettino's cabin,The Telegraph reported."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/lingerie-found-in-captains-cabin/story-e6frf7lf-1226261691337

"Domnica Cemortan, 25, said that she had a "weakness" for the skipper of the doomed vessel, Francesco Schettino, sources told the local press."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/hostess-lingerie-found-in-the-room-of-the-costa-concordia-captain/story-fnb64oi6-1226261631929

"Her revelations come after several Concordia crew members openly described her "close" relationship with Schettino on Facebook after the disaster"

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4104588/Costa-Concordia-news-Domnica-Cemortan-Im-in-love-with-Captain-Coward-Francesco-Schettino.html

Ms Cemortan had worked for Costa Cruises as a dancer and passenger rep, but she was on the week-long cruise as a guest.

"It has been reported that she did not have her own cabin. La Repubblica newspaper offered an explanation for the unusual arrangement when it claimed that some of the former dancer's belongings were found in Capt Schettino's cabin, suggesting that they were sharing."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9057729/Costa-Concordia-clothing-and-lingerie-of-Moldovan-dancer-found-in-Captain-Schettinos-cabin.html

"According to one report, rescue workers searching the stricken vessel found her dresses, underwear, cosmetics and other effects in his cabin."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/02/costa-concordia-cruise-ship-rep?newsfeed=true

« Last Edit: December 10, 2012, 10:30:30 PM by Host Mike »

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #182 on: February 02, 2012, 09:40:09 PM »
"Ms Cemortan is a former employee of Costa Cruises, the company that operates the Costa Concordia.

"When the accident happened, I was on the bridge," she is reported as telling investigators.

The reported testimony contradicts that of the captain himself - according to Il Messagero newspaper - who told investigators that there were no non-crew members on the ship's bridge at the time of the impact."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16860501

Editor: Ms. Cemortan is said to have previously claimed that she was not on the bridge when the ship hit the rocks. Oh what a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive. (Sir Walter Scott)
« Last Edit: December 10, 2012, 10:31:28 PM by Host Mike »

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #183 on: February 02, 2012, 09:59:30 PM »
"The last person to be rescued from Italy's shipwrecked Costa Concordia has said he pounded on a wall with a frying pan to alert rescuers.

Manrico Giampedroni, the ship's purser, waited 36 hours before being rescued from the belly of the ship.

He has been released from hospital in Grosseto, Italy, where he was treated for injuries.

He described falling through a door into the ship's restaurant as he tried to save passengers.

"I remember ending up in the Milan restaurant... A door opened suddenly and I fell in," he said, describing being trapped in the room as tables and chairs moved in the water.


"To get the rescuers' attention, I used a pan to make some noise. From the windows, I could see the rescue teams and I tried to scream. When I saw the first fireman I embraced him. Those guys were incredible. In three hours I was out of there."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16831624

« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 05:44:41 PM by Host Mike »

Offline NSWP

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #184 on: February 02, 2012, 11:44:13 PM »
Oh dear, I reckon the Capitanos wife is not happy. ::)
CHEERS..Les from Batemans Bay, NSW, Australia

Princess Elite Cruiser, (480 days,) also cruised with Celebrity, P&O Australia and P&O UK, HAL, Carnival, Cunard and Sitmar. Plus Sydney Harbour Ferries !!

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #185 on: February 03, 2012, 05:05:23 PM »
"The wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship will be re-floated and removed in its entirety rather than being cut up for scrap, a senior Italian official has said.

The salvage operation is expected to take up to 10 months, meaning that the ship will spend at least a year wedged on rocks in clear sight of Giglio's port and main settlement.

"This timeline represents the best possible outcome in a situation of this kind, although it cannot be excluded that there will be delays given the complexity of the operation," Genoa-based Costa Cruises said in a statement."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9059365/Costa-Concordia-will-be-refloated-and-removed-whole.html

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #186 on: February 05, 2012, 04:12:41 AM »
"A Pregant woman who miscarried after the cruise ship wreck off the coast of Italy last month is set to sue the vessel's owners for one million euros ($A1.2 million) in damages, Italian media says.

The 30-year-old Italian, identified only as Cristina M, was four months pregnant when she set off on the Costa Concordia cruise on January 13. Though she escaped the sinking ship in a lifeboat, she was admitted to hospital last week with a miscarriage.

Her doctors said she likely lost her baby because of the intense psychological stress suffered both during the night-time evacuation and when her lifeboat smashed up against rocks as it headed for the nearby shore.

Christina M's lawyers will add her to a class action against Costa Crociere and seek one million euros ($A1.2 million) in damages for the miscarriage, reports said."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/news/costa-cruise-survivor-sues-over-miscarriage/story-fn32891l-1226262993061

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #187 on: February 05, 2012, 02:11:16 PM »
"Leonardo Cherici, 34, from Civitavecchia, the very port from which Concordia set sail, was one of the first divers into the ship, smashing his way into the restaurant on deck four with an iron bar in what was initially a frantic hunt for survivors, but which turned into the sombre task of recovering bodies.

Those they recovered had to be carefully removed and taken to the surface in a delicate operation, as after days in the water any sharp movement could have led to damaged body parts breaking away in their hands.

Cherici was the first diver to find victims from the disaster – two elderly men who were both wearing life jackets.

‘They were next to each other by a muster station,’ he says.

‘And that’s what really hit me – they were so close to the lifeboats and so close to being saved. One of them was holding a woman’s handbag, which I later found out belonged to his wife.

‘The first thing we had to do was cut the life jackets off. If we don’t do that it’s like trying to carry a balloon underwater. You try not to get emotional, but it’s very difficult. We are not robots; we have feelings and emotions like everyone else.

When you see the victims wearing life jackets and so close to the lifeboats, you start asking yourself questions. Why didn’t they make it into a lifeboat? Why didn’t they jump into the water? You can only hope they were knocked out by the impact as the ship turned, otherwise if they were still alive they would have been in the dark and helpless, terrified as they were engulfed by a mountain of water.

‘That’s when you start to reflect on things,’ he adds.

‘These people were on a holiday and supposed to be enjoying themselves – they were all dressed very elegantly as if they were going to a party. The bodies I’ve recovered before from drownings have been in swimming costumes, not evening wear.’

‘The other problem we’re facing is that food and flesh are starting to rot down there and the water is getting very polluted.

'One of the guys told me that some of the water went into his mask and the stench was unbearable.

'That’s why after the last few dives we’ve had to disinfect the divers and the suits with sprays and detergents to make sure they’re not exposing themselves to any bacteriological risks. They’re being washed in units that are designed for germ warfare.’"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2094871/Costa-Concordia-Grim-quest-bodies-board-capsized-cruise-ship.html?ITO=1490



Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #188 on: February 05, 2012, 02:16:21 PM »
"Rough seas buffeted the wreck, again delaying the operation to start removing the 500,000 gallons of diesel and heavy oil in its fuel tanks.

A large gap opened up between two glass panels that formed part of the vessel's roof, raising fears that the bad weather is weakening the structure of the luxury liner."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9056642/Costa-Concordia-Moldovan-dancer-says-she-was-in-love-with-Captain-Schettino.html

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #189 on: February 06, 2012, 09:46:06 PM »
"The captain of the capsized Costa Concordia could be sentenced to a cumulative total of more than 2,500 years in prison if convicted of causing a shipwreck, abandoning ship and multiple counts of manslaughter, it emerged on Monday. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9064722/Costa-Concordia-Capt-Francesco-Schettino-could-be-sentenced-to-over-2500-years.html

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #190 on: February 07, 2012, 02:56:23 PM »
""An Italian court refused Tuesday to lift an order of house arrest for Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off a Tuscan island last month.

The court in Florence rejected two requests: one from prosecutors to jail Schettino and another from Schettino to be freed."

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/story/2012-02-07/Costa-Concordia-captain-remains-under-house-arrest/53000450/1

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #191 on: February 07, 2012, 03:01:05 PM »
"In photos to be published on Wednesday, Capt Francesco Schettino is seen with Domnica Cemortan, 25, enjoying a seafood meal in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d’Azur.

The couple were photographed in the restaurant on Dec 13, according to Chi, an Italian weekly magazine.

Miss Cemortan reportedly told investigators last week she was “in love” with Capt Schettino, as Italian newspapers said that divers had found her lingerie, clothing and make-up bag in his cabin.

She denied both claims in an interview with another magazine, Oggi. “They are all lies. I wasn’t born yesterday. The information was put out to put pressure on the captain. They want to isolate him, even from his family,” she said.

“I never said to magistrates 'I love Schettino’. They say they’ve found my bikini in his cabin. What have they found on this bikini that connects it to me? Was my name written on it, was there my photograph, or my DNA?”


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9067136/Costa-Concordia-cruise-captain-dined-on-crab-and-oysters-with-dancer.html
« Last Edit: December 10, 2012, 10:33:21 PM by Host Mike »

Offline RichC

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #192 on: February 08, 2012, 03:59:06 AM »
"In photos to be published on Wednesday, Capt Francesco Schettino is seen with Domnica Cemortan, 25, enjoying a seafood meal in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d’Azur.

The couple were photographed in the restaurant on Dec 13, according to Chi, an Italian weekly magazine.

Miss Cemortan reportedly told investigators last week she was “in love” with Capt Schettino, as Italian newspapers said that divers had found her lingerie, clothing and make-up bag in his cabin.

She denied both claims in an interview with another magazine, Oggi. “They are all lies. I wasn’t born yesterday. The information was put out to put pressure on the captain. They want to isolate him, even from his family,” she said.

“I never said to magistrates 'I love Schettino’. They say they’ve found my bikini in his cabin. What have they found on this bikini that connects it to me? Was my name written on it, was there my photograph, or my DNA?”


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9067136/Costa-Concordia-cruise-captain-dined-on-crab-and-oysters-with-dancer.html

Maybe the Captain liked wearing bikinis on his off time parading around the cabin?   ::)

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #193 on: February 08, 2012, 04:01:49 AM »


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097999/Costa-Concordia-captain-pictured-sharing-oysters-Domnica-Cemortan-month-liner-crash.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"In photos to be published today, Captain Francesco Schettino is seen with Domnica Cemortan, 25, enjoying a seafood meal in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d'Azur.

The couple were photographed in the restaurant on December 13, according to Chi, an Italian weekly magazine."

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/the-trials-of-domnica-and-the-captain-making-a-meal-of--in-love-claim-20120208-1rckr.html
« Last Edit: February 08, 2012, 04:13:18 AM by Host Mike »

Offline Host Mike

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Re: Carnival owned cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off Italy
« Reply #194 on: February 08, 2012, 04:09:17 AM »
"While Nat Geo's "Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories" premiers in the U.S. Feb. 12, touted as the first U.S. docu detailing the luxury liner disaster, Nat Geo's Italian outpost is producing another one-hour TV special with a more international focus, destined to air on most of its global 165 subscription channels outside the U.S. by March.

Italo production company Doclabs, which is producing the as-yet-untitled special, was on the scene a few hours after the ship carrying more than 4,200 passengers ran aground, killing 17 and injuring more then 60, with 15 others still not accounted for. But Nat Geo has also been using its global reach to run messages on its international channels urging survivors to upload footage and get in touch.

The onslaught of announced TV specials about the Titanic-like tragedy in Italy also includes Discovery Channel in the U.S., whose docu will be out this spring, and Channel 4 in the U.K., whose "Terror at Sea: The Sinking of the Concordia" aired Jan. 31."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-201202071210reedbusivarietynvr1118049820feb07,0,1869288.story