Monday, April 1, 2024

Key dates in Costa Concordia shipwreck, trial and cleanup

concordia cruise

Perhaps the most complex and expensive maritime salvage operation ever attempted saw the 114,500-ton ship pulled upright by a series of huge jacks and cables and set on artificial platforms drilled into the rocky sea bed. The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia was owned by Costa Cruises, an Italian cruise line company. This ship sank in 2012, but the echoes of the Costa Concordia tragedy still resonate powerfully. Beginning in February 2012, it became a requirement for all cruise ships to complete the drill while still docked in the embarkation port. While Captain Schettino made his way ashore, Mario Pellegrini, the deputy mayor of the Tuscan island of Gigilo where passengers were taken to, boarded the ship to assist with rescue efforts.

'We all suffer from PTSD': 10 years after the Costa Concordia cruise disaster, memories remain

The events unfolded on the night of January 2012, leaving an indelible mark on history as the cruise ship Costa Concordia sank in Italy. Muster drills are meant to familiarize all passengers with their assigned assembly stations and other cruise ship protocols. The drill is mandatory for all passengers, even those who have cruised before, as the assigned location is dependent on your stateroom and, therefore, will most likely be different on every cruise. The following days were spent searching for other survivors; however, they were halted at one point due to fearing the ship would sunk further, thus risking the lives of divers. The final mad scramble to evacuate the listing liner and then the extraordinary generosity of Giglio islanders who offered shoes, sweatshirts and shelter until the sun rose and passengers were ferried to the mainland. The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, March 26 after a column was struck by a container ship that reportedly lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River.

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In July 2014 the Concordia—outfitted with a number of steel containers serving as flotation devices—was towed to Genoa, Italy, where it was dismantled for scrap. The total cost of the disaster, including victims' compensation, refloating, towing and scrapping costs, is estimated at $2 billion, more than three times the ship's $612 million construction cost. Costa Cruises offered compensation to passengers (to a limit of €11,000 per person) to pay for all damages, including the value of the cruise; one third of the survivors took the offer. The Costa Concordia began taking on water after it struck a reef, leading to a chaotic evacuation process to save the lives of passengers and crew members. As an observer and reporter, I’ve seen firsthand how a once vibrant vacation remnant is now a silent watchdog, ensuring the sanctuary’s safety.

Environmental concerns and salvage

The crew and passengers faced a night of uncertainty, forced to abandon the comforts of their cabins for lifeboats and, in some instances, into the open sea. As the evacuation unfolded, the stark contrast between the sinking of the Costa Concordia and the luxury it stood for before the accident couldn’t have been more pronounced. On January 13, 2012, passengers boarded the Concordia, anticipating the exciting journey ahead. Unbeknownst to them, this trip would end drastically different than they had imagined. The first sign of trouble came when the cruise ship initiated a “salute” maneuver near Giglio Island, deviating from its original course.

What happened to the Costa Concordia?

After the Concordia ship sank, intensive efforts were necessary to secure the area and prevent further harm to the fragile marine ecosystem. Captain Schettino, often referred to as Captain Costa Concordia, has been pivotal in the narrative, facing widespread vilification for decisions that led to the shipwreck. The gravity of the captain’s choices that fateful night is anchored deeply in the consciousness of the maritime industry and those affected by the disaster. As I stand here today, the once majestic beacon of the cruise industry lies dormant. The Italian cruise ship crash changed the physical landscape and the lives of all involved.

concordia cruise

In 2012, Costa Concordia, a cruise ship owned by Costa Cruises, capsized off of the coast of Italy shortly after departing from Civitavecchia. While not as deadly as the infamous sinking of the Titanic in 1912, this incident resulted in some modifications to the safety guidelines within the cruise industry. Giglio’s vice mayor at the time, Mario Pellegrini, had climbed on board the listing ship that night to help coordinate the rescue, and found sheer chaos in the absence of orders from the captain or crew.

Tragic story of cruise ship disaster than killed 33 passengers - LADbible

Tragic story of cruise ship disaster than killed 33 passengers.

Posted: Thu, 07 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

These revisions were not mere suggestions but mandatory steps to solidify trust in cruise vacations for passengers and crew members alike. After the ship hit the reef, the engine room flooded and generators failed, causing a power outage that sent the ship adrift until it eventually crashed offshore and capsized. Evidence presented at the trial showed Schettino downplayed the severity of the situation in communications with the Coast Guard and delayed an evacuation order, then abandoned ship before all the passengers and crew were off. The hospitality of the tight-knit community of islanders kicked in, at first to give basic assistance to the 4,229 passengers and crew members who had to be evacuated from a listing vessel as high as a skyscraper. In no time, Giglio residents hosted thousands of journalists, law enforcement officers and rescue experts who descended on the port. In the months to come, salvage teams set up camp in the picturesque harbor to work on safely removing the ship, an operation that took more than two years to complete.

concordia cruise

The night of this tragic event happened in real time for me as the news broke here in the United States. I was working and publishing news items to our forums and the home page of Cruise Addicts. Sadly, this incredibly poor narrative is not fiction but a real-life catastrophe constructed by a myriad of poor choices. We look back at the life and career of the longtime host of "Sunday Morning," and "one of the most enduring and most endearing" people in broadcasting. A report from the United Nations determined that 1 million species are threatened with extinction.

Today, the Costa Concordia cruise ship bears a tale of caution, a lesson submerged in the depths of nautical annals. Before the concordia shipwreck turned the vessel into a byword for disaster, let me guide you through its glory days—the triumph of engineering and luxury it once represented. The anniversary comes as the cruise ship industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month warned people to avoid cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of the infection risk. Prosecutors blamed the delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship.

Approximately 300 souls remained onboard as the last crew detached, spurring a flurry of survival strategies, including climbing down ladders in a landscape where decks had transformed into walls. In my carnal pursuit of sharing this catastrophe’s account, I am reminded of how closely we skirt the edges between safety and danger and the immeasurable responsibility of those commanding such grand vessels. The sinking of the Costa Concordia, a spectacle of disbelief and sorrow, is a stark reminder of the fleeting nature of security in the face of human error and natural forces. The Costa Concordia was a testament to the prowess of its owner, Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of the world-renowned Carnival Corporation & PLC. Officially launched in 2005, this floating behemoth overtook the historic Titanic in size, spanning an impressive 951 feet. With an opulent passenger capacity of 3,780, it heralded a new era of maritime luxury.

The Costa Concordia, a haven of lavishness with sumptuous offerings, including four swimming pools, a casino, and a colossal spa, set the gold standard for luxury cruising. The seven-day Mediterranean sojourns quickly became iconic, treating guests to the enchanting shores of Italy, France, and Spain. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of cruise lines have implemented a virtual muster drill process that allows passengers to watch the safety briefings from their smartphones or stateroom television before visiting their muster station in person. Following the incident, an investigation was opened that focused on the faults in the procedures taken by the crew and Captain Schettino, especially after leaving the ship while passengers were still stranded.

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