Costa Concordia sinking (merged threads)

[bellebaby]

By msnbc.com staff and news services

Updated at 3 p.m. ET:

 

The captain of the capsized Italian cruise ship was spotted on land during the evacuation, and he ignored pleas by officers that he return to his ship and honor his duty to stay aboard until everyone else was safely off the vessel, a Coast Guard official said Sunday.

 

"We did our duty," Italian Coast Guard Cmdr. Francesco Paolillo told The Associated Press, referring to efforts to get Francesco Schettino back on the Costa Concordia Friday night.

 

Schettino, who is in police custody while officials investigate the cause, has insisted he didn't leave the liner before all passengers were off, saying "we were the last ones to leave the ship."

 

According to the Italian navigation code, a captain who abandons a ship in danger can face up to 12 years in prison.

[Krazy Kruizers]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2086527/Costa-Concordia-accident-Pictures-cruise-ship-sinking-coast-Italy-Titanic-like-scene.html

 

Thank you for this link!!

[sail7seas]

Why is a color copy of passport any better than black and white? :confused:

I haven't bothered with color and laminated. Just a copy with the necessary information serves the same purpose, doesn't it?

 

I have a number of copies and I tuck them all over the place. We never go ashore without one in my purse.

 

[Robin7]

On the Volendam in 2008, she went dead in the water for a time while we were crossing the Tasman Sea from New Zealand to Australia. Seas were high at the time. 70mph winds (we had been unable to enter the fjords that afternoon) and 12-15 seas with an occassional larger one in the sequence (a direct quote from the captain). We were in our stateroom preparing for dinner when the power went out. We had one of those magic inside/outside cabins on Deck 7 aft so we had a window, but my in-laws did not. Thankfully, I had told them to pack a small flashlight. We always have one when we travel in case of problems with our hotel room (which has actually happened to us TWICE). Anyway, the Volendam had turned sideways to the swells and was just getting some really good rolling going when power was reestablished. I think it was out for about seven minutes. My mother-in-law was very grateful that I had told them to bring a flashlight!

 

The Concordia incident has made me think I need to add a small emergency bag to our packing list. I could put a baggie with a couple days of meds in it. A small first aid kit. One of my extra inhalers (because I know stress will make my asthsma act up). I'm sure there are other things that could go in it too. Leave it in the closet. Like I need something extra to pack, but it would be nice to have something like that to just grab if we ever face such a circumstance. Then I wouldn't have to remember everything, just grab it and go.

 

That gal in the survivor thread sat outside her cabin for an hour? Did I read that correctly? So there would have been time to grab stuff.

 

Robin

[ASIWISH]

It's being reported in Russian newspapers (there were a number of Russians onboard the ship) that several passengers from Kazakstan saw the Captin eating dinner with a young woman and drinking wine a bit before the crash. The newspapers also reported that several British passengers saw the same. No, I don't speak/read Russian but my husband does!

 

Let's wait for the investigation, huh?

[ASIWISH]

Costa Crociere SpA, the Genoa, Italy-based cruise company, issued a statement late Sunday carried by Italian media saying it "seems that the captain made errors of judgment that had very grave consequences: the route followed the ship turned out to be too close to the coast, and it seems that his decision in handling the emergency didn't follow Costa Crociere's procedures, which are in line, and in some cases, go beyond, international standards."

 

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/15/third-person-found-alive-after-search-for-survivors-deadly-shipwreck-resumes/#ixzz1jZNvY82E

[localady]

This is part of the statement posted today on the Costa website:

 

"We are working with investigators to find out precisely what went wrong aboard the Costa Concordia. While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship’s master, Captain Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences. The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and in handling the emergency the captain appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures. We are aware that the lead Prosecutor has leveled serious accusations against the ship’s captain, who joined Costa Crociere in 2002 as a safety officer and was appointed captain in 2006."

[ASIWISH]

This is part of the statement posted today on the Costa website:

 

"We are working with investigators to find out precisely what went wrong aboard the Costa Concordia. While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship’s master, Captain Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences. The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and in handling the emergency the captain appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures. We are aware that the lead Prosecutor has leveled serious accusations against the ship’s captain, who joined Costa Crociere in 2002 as a safety officer and was appointed captain in 2006."

 

Wow... I never would have guessed it... with all the checks and balances on the bridge.

 

Wow...

[localady]

Wow... I never would have guessed it... with all the checks and balances on the bridge.

 

Wow...

 

There are allegations that this was done before, as a show for the islanders of Giglio, there is a video showing this close pass performed previously allegedly by the Costa Concordia with the horns a honking, lit to the hilt, etc.

[Seago2]

Just saw this... This story just keeps getting worse IMHO.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/americans-15-passengers-missing-costa-concordia-cruise-ship-disaster-article-1.1006437

[PirateShark]

Just saw this... This story just keeps getting worse IMHO.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/americans-15-passengers-missing-costa-concordia-cruise-ship-disaster-article-1.1006437

 

 

God bless the purser who did what he could for everyone he could.

[Boytjie]

I've always thought the Muster Drills on Princess were well-organized and informative. People seemed to pay closer attention when they were seated inside rather than crammed in very close quarters out on deck. I haven't been to a HAL drill yet, so I can't comment on their procedures.

 

I have done both at-the-life-boat and in-a-lounge drills and always felt the ones outside make the issue of an emergency so much more real.

[ASIWISH]

I have done both at-the-life-boat and in-a-lounge drills and always felt the ones outside make the issue of an emergency so much more real.

 

Agreed, Peter.

[Boytjie]

"Costa 'showboating' may have caused Italy disaster"

 

http://my.news.yahoo.com/costa-showboating-may-caused-italy-disaster-193239989.html

[Cindy]

A suggestion I received from a staffer in the State Dept. is to have a good, color, photocopy of the front pages of your passport made and laminated to carry in your wallet at all times. Losing your actual passport while ashore can be a major headache. Losing the laminated copy is no big deal.

 

In the very unlikely event that you can't access your actual passport, such as this case, the copy makes it far easier to get a duplicate at any US Embassy. On the other hand getting a brand new passport overseas to replace an original one that gets lost or stolen can be a real nasty bit of business.

 

The photocopy of the passport pages also can be useful as identification along with a gov't issued photo id (driver license, for example) if required in a foreign city.

 

My husband and I always leave passports in the safe in our cabin. We sail next Sunday on the Ryndam and this Costa disaster has me nervous. I am going to fix a bag to keep with me but I was thinking about making photocopies of the passports and still leaving the originals in the safe. What do you more experienced cruisers think? Would copies be accepted if the real ones were lost? Thanks for any advice.

 

We have had several cruises, most recently our May 2011 TA on the Rotterdam were the ship kept our passports so we all wouldn't have to bring them to customs.

 

We always carry copies of our passports while off the ship.

 

 

Sorry, I meant to say passport cards...the actual passports stay locked in the safe! The baggie takes up very little space, so I can easily fit it in the small purse I carry around the ship.

[Indycal]

Is this possible :confused:. I know you can get locked out, but can you get locked IN?

"There were fears that the electronic card-key locks on the cabin doors may have locked when power went out, trapping passengers in their cabins."

 

Only in this day and age would someone take the time to update their Facebook page prior to rescue! Of course, I guess it is the modern day leaving a note in case you were not rescued...so glad she was rescued!!

 

"In between, she found time to update her Facebook status: “My name is Rose, it’s Friday the 13th and I’m one of the last survivors still on board the sinking cruise ship off the coast of Italy. Pray for us to be rescued."

 

 

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/americans-15-passengers-missing-costa-concordia-cruise-ship-disaster-article-1.1006437#ixzz1jZWjKdXs

[Pete Jackson]

This is part of the statement posted today on the Costa website:

 

"We are working with investigators to find out precisely what went wrong aboard the Costa Concordia. While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship’s master, Captain Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences. The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and in handling the emergency the captain appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures. We are aware that the lead Prosecutor has leveled serious accusations against the ship’s captain, who joined Costa Crociere in 2002 as a safety officer and was appointed captain in 2006."

 

They hope that throwing their captain under the bus will help deflect the investigators from delving into what corporate Costa knew about their ships regularly passing unnecessarily close to the island, and about how much standard Costa procedures were really being observed.

[world~citizen]

Wow... I never would have guessed it... with all the checks and balances on the bridge.

 

Wow...

 

As awful as it is it could have been worse. I am optimistic with respect to the two Americans unaccounted for, as many found their way into lifeboats and then to shore without reporting to officials. Apparently, none were available to report to. Russian TV is reporting 15 people unaccounted for as of the time of this post.

 

As to the performance of the officers, I suspect you "ain't heard nothing yet". At the very least the Deck Officer messed up, and system redundancies failed.

 

Lets hope those unaccounted for are found safely.

[peaches from georgia]

They hope that throwing their captain under the bus will help deflect the investigators from delving into what corporate Costa knew about their ships regularly passing unnecessarily close to the island, and about how much standard Costa procedures were really being observed.

You got it. The lawyers wrote that one.

[iceleven]

Actually, I appreciate that it is a new thread. Once the other threads go to 8 pages and more, I (and I am sure others) really lose patience and chose to not read the repetitive (however sincere) condolences and sad comments that really don't add any new information to the threads. This is fresh news to me and something I am glad to have not had to weed through all the others to read.

[world~citizen]

You got it. The lawyers wrote that one.

 

Yes this could be a shrewd insight into Costa's legal strategy. Blaming it on the Captain works better with air accidents because generally, there is no Captain to defend himself. This one is alive and well and has lawyered up.

 

While this Captain will be lucky to wear the uniform of a toilet attendant after this, I think Costa and the industry in general is in for a pretty good pranging.

 

Time will tell.

[dot73]

They hope that throwing their captain under the bus will help deflect the investigators from delving into what corporate Costa knew about their ships regularly passing unnecessarily close to the island, and about how much standard Costa procedures were really being observed.

The Captain threw himself under the bus; Costa didn't have to do it for him. The idiot gave an interview where he was inconsistent with his answers. As for leaving the ship early, his response was "WE were the last to leave the ship". He did not say "I". I would love to know how many "officers" left the ship before the passengers and crew. I hope they had more courage than their captain did. There are many captains out there right now shaking their heads and feeling shame that one of their own abandoned his passengers and crew. Even if it's shown that mechanical or human error caused this accident, this man needs to go to jail for abandoning the ship. From what I have read on various websites, under Italian law, he can get up to 12 years for abandoning the ship even though he may be found not to be negligent for the accident. I don't know why bothers me so much, but I have always had the utmost respect, and still do, for captains of ships and planes, and perhaps this is the reason that I am so upset with this captain.

[Host Walt]

Why is a color copy of passport any better than black and white? :confused:

I haven't bothered with color and laminated. Just a copy with the necessary information serves the same purpose, doesn't it?

 

I have a number of copies and I tuck them all over the place. We never go ashore without one in my purse.

 

Color replicates the actual pages and photo much better than black & white and will help in establishing it as a more authentic copy.

 

That said, B&W should do because it's not intended to be an "official" document.

[mainelycruising]

As one with over thirty cruises with HAL, and as one who was told in 1998 that the takeover by Carnival was a good thing for Holland America:

 

It wasn't, isn't, and never will be. It has been tragic watching one of the original lines gradually emasculated by the profit seeking bean counters in Miami. It has been hard listening to fellow HAL loyalists sadly but loyally note the constant attrition of the standards and customs that HAL once had. The HAL of today is not the HAL that was. I know it needed saving, but sometimes it is better for a great line to die than to be killed by a thousand cuts.

 

Sorry. I am emotionally invested in HAL. I loathe Carnival. LOATHE IT.

[kazu]

Why is a color copy of passport any better than black and white? :confused:

I haven't bothered with color and laminated. Just a copy with the necessary information serves the same purpose, doesn't it?

 

I have a number of copies and I tuck them all over the place. We never go ashore without one in my purse.

 

 

Sail,

 

If you can, colour is far better as it identifies you. Say you are left behind or in the situation of these poor Costa passengers. In exceptional circumstances you may not have to wait for a passport - the embassy can 'vouch' that this is legit and you can get on the plane.

 

If it helps get you home, get you on the plane, whatever it's worth doing the colour print out IMO as they can see your picture better. And if if you are using it for id - a colour picture is always better :)