Princess Chatter

"More likely, salvagers would rely on cranes. It would not be easy—the wreck is far too massive for any single crane, Lacey says. The cranes not only would have to turn the ship upright, but hold it in place to keep it from sliding downward. To make their task easier, salvage teams would want to pump out as much water as possible, which would mean patching the massive gashes in its hull so that water does not rush back in, says Peter Tromp, manager at Dutch wreck removal company Euro Demolition.

Tromp doubts it could be done. Euro Demolition and Texas-based salvage firm T&T Bisso are partnering on a proposal to cut up the ship. "We think there's too much weight and too much damage to refloat it," Tromps says. Using cranes armed with metal shears capable of slicing five-centimeter-thick steel, the companies would carve the wreck into liftable chunks 200 to 300 metric tons in weight. Afterward, they would use electromagnets three meters in diameter to clean the seafloor of debris.

Towing, if it can be done, would be faster. "I've heard it's feasible to do it within six months," Lacey says. If Tromp and his colleagues do end up doing a chop job on the Costa Concordia, they estimate they can have it done in eight to 10 months."

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=raise-it-or-raze-it-how-will-italian-cruise-ship-be-salvaged&page=2

"Leaked documents published on Thursday contained claims of a hard-partying atmosphere on board two Costa Crociere ships including the Costa Concordia, with officers seen snorting cocaine and getting drunk on a regular basis.

The revelation was made as former Costa Cruises employees told prosecutors investigating the Concordia disaster that officers 'took drugs' while on duty and molested female staff members.

One woman, a nurse identified only as Valentina B and who worked with under fire Concordia skipper Francesco Schettino, claimed he regularly 'used women as goods to be bartered with.'

She described how she had been on the liner Atlantica with spineless Schettino, 52, who is accused of abandoning the Concordia after he steered it on to rocks and left more than 30 people dead, for a month between January and February 2010.

Her damning revelations to investigating prosecutor Francesco Verusio, were published by La Stampa newspaper and she said of her experiences with Genoa based Costa: 'I found corruption, prostitution and drugs.

'Do not tell me it’s my word against them - I saw directly with my own eyes senior officers take cocaine.

'To prove it all you need to do is carry out an examination of their hair.'

Her claims come just days after a cocaine test on strands of Schettino’s hair tested positive for cocaine but his legal team have asked for a second examination as they dispute the results and he has insisted that he does not drink or take drugs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108790/Costa-Concordia-Captain-Francesco-Schettino-crashed-ANOTHER-cruise-ship.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"It was also claimed that Capt Schettino had previously crashed another cruise ship.

In June 2010 he sailed the Aida Blu cruise ship too fast into the German port of Warnemunde causing damage.

“I did not know the speed limit and have not received notification of an infraction from the relevant authorities,” Capt Schettino told his employers in writing, adding there were “probably other factors” behind the crash."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/news/cruise-captain-not-wearing-glasses/story-fn32891l-1226288485908

"Captain Francesco Schettino 'manoeuvred at a speed of 7.7 to 7.9 knots during entry into the port of Warnemunde, causing damage to the Aida Blu cruise ship.' The incident happened in June 2010.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108790/Costa-Concordia-Captain-Francesco-Schettino-crashed-ANOTHER-cruise-ship.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"GROSSETO, Italy — The first hearing of the criminal investigation into the Costa Concordia's shipwreck was held in a theater Saturday instead of a courthouse because of high demand, with angry survivors seeking compensation, justice and the truth.

The judge at the hearing assigned four experts to analyze the cruise ship's data recorder and ordered them to report their findings in July, confirming predictions by Prosecutor Francesco Verusio that examination of the data, as well as of conversations involving officers on the ship's bridge, could take months.

Prosecutors must decide whether to seek a trial against the captain, other top officers and officials of Italian cruise company Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp. Crucial to their decision could be what the experts determine are such details as the Concordia's velocity when it slammed into a reef the night of Jan. 13 off Giglio island, its exact route and what commands were given by whom and when.

Participants acknowledged that the search for truth and justice will be a long one."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2017670672_webcosta05.html

"Ms Cemortan admits that not only had she been alone with Mr Schettino in his cabin earlier during the evening of the tragedy, but that they had shared a passionate kiss, which she suspects was a prelude to them becoming lovers."

http://www.news.com.au/world/costa-concordia-blonde-tells-about-her-relationship-with-captain/story-e6frfkz9-1226281876749

Domnica Cemortan said she was flirting with Captain Francesco Schettino on the bridge before the ship struck rocks Jan. 13, The Mail on Sunday reported.

The newspaper said it was possible that the smitten captain may have been trying to impress the 25 year old when the ship crashed, as early reports had

Cemortan revealed that she shared a passionate kiss with 52-year-old Schettino, but denied that they were lovers.

She said, "They are acting as if I'm some sort of femme fatale, but I don't sleep around. Yes, I was very attracted to Captain Schettino, and he was clearly interested in me. I admit that I had a big crush on him because he was very good-looking and very charming."

Cemortan worked on the ship for three weeks, but when her contract ended, she bought herself a ticket for the remainder of the ill-fated cruise. She claimed that her belongings, found in Schettino's cabin, were being stored there as a temporary measure.

"I admit that I was attracted to him, but honestly, we did not have sex," Cemortan said.

However, she went on, "He was always respectful when I was a member of his staff, but once I was a passenger, then it was different. I think we probably would have ended up in bed, eventually, but I never found out because of the crash."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/26/costa-concordia-blonde-sets-record-straight-on-shipwreck-captain/

Eight more bodies were found Wednesday aboard the shipwrecked Costa Concordia, Italian officials said Wednesday, and seven cruise line employees were being investigated.

The bodies were all found on a part of the ship known as bridge four, which is under water, Italian civil protection officials said. The discoveries raise the number of confirmed dead to 25, with seven people still missing."

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/22/world/europe/italy-cruise-ship/?hpt=ieu_c2

"On Wednesday, cruise ship owner Costa Crociere said seven other employees including three executives, were also under investigation for their role in the January 13 tragedy, in which 32 people are thought to have died."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/news/italian-shipwreck-captain-facing-new-charge/story-fn32891l-1226280216589