Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Costa Concordia - I survived

mickey_d_mouse

By mickey_d_mouse,
in Costa Cruises

Recommended Posts

vanki4

vanki4

Posted
Posted
Are you booked on the same ship as I very much doubt that will be cruising in a long time?

 

Jennie

 

Yes, I booked my trip a day before the disaster direct from Costa Cruises.

Regarding the possibility the ,,Concordia" to come back in operation:

This is not my/our main problem IMHO.

Hope all the missed persons to be saved , the survivors some how to be recovered from the injuries and the shock .

Link to comment
Share on other sites
musicorn

musicorn

Posted
Posted
We just want to go home and the travel insurance people are being difficult, emirates say they cant get us on a flight any earlier I JUST WANT TO GO HOME

 

I have tears running down my face reading this. As if you have not been through enough. I do hope you get home soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CruisinCat31

CruisinCat31

Posted
Posted
We just want to go home and the travel insurance people are being difficult, emirates say they cant get us on a flight any earlier I JUST WANT TO GO HOME

 

We want you home too, such a terrible experience for you and your family. We are all thinking of you.

 

Cathy

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NSWP

NSWP

Posted
Posted

Michelle, best wishes, glad you are safe and speedy journey home to OZ.

 

My prayers and thoughts are with you and all the other pax on board, of all nationalities.

 

I was in the Med in October on Ruby Princess, saw 'Costa Concordia', a beautiful looking ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Norwaylin

Norwaylin

Posted
Posted

Michelle wrote:

 

"We got of the ship dazed and confused trying to find a toilet for my 12 year old, a shopkeeper let people use his a long line for one toilet. The locals on the island gave us everything they had souvenier tshirts tops blankets."

 

I hope that these local people are recognized by their government and that they are thanked in the media for their generous acts.

 

I hope that Michelle, her daughter and others make safe trips to their homes. If you are able to do so, prepare a diary of some sort to document the trip. The information may help with any claims you will have to deal with regarding losses, etc. I also feel that getting medical care for the emotional trauma is a good idea for all involved.

 

Bless you all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dog

dog

Posted
Posted

michelle,

I am so relieved that you, your husband & daughter are safe.

Bless you all & may you be on your way home soon.

Please let us know when you get home, as we are thinking of you.

 

dog

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Red Mini Stapler

Red Mini Stapler

Posted
Posted

so glad to hear you guys are okay (besides the fact the travel insurance being a total butt), I hope that things speed up and you guys would be home safe and sound.

 

As for locals at Gigilo, I think they deserve more than recognition from the gov't, they deserve full compensation from costa for all the help and things they donated to the passengers as they did what the ship couldn't provide for them.

 

oh and i forgot to mention.... order massive room service and foot the bill to the costa!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sr12345

sr12345

Posted
Posted

Michelle,

Thanks for posting your story, particularly the part about the confusion during the abandon ship portion.

 

Your description about what happened after reaching shore, however, I find more through provoking. As cruise passengers, we expect everything to be planned and catered. Consider the logistics involved in planning for excursions, etc., during planned port visits. One of the criteria of being selected as a port-of-call is the locality's ability to support several thousand day visitors.

 

With cruise ships getting bigger and bigger, the passengers and crew now can exceed 4,000 people--roughly equivalent to 10 fully loaded jumbo jets. Particularly if you live in a smaller town or city, imagine what would happen in your home town if 4,000 people arrived unexpectedly, many of them not speaking the language, with only the (wet) clothes on their backs, and many injured. Think of the logistics involved in keeping track of them, communications, lodging, help, transport, etc.

 

I'm not defending Costa here--the description of the events onboard between the accident and the evacuation sound incredibly incompetent. However, I'm bringing up the point what as far as emergency support and organization once you hit shore, I doubt that most cruise lines could do much better, and many of the locations we visit/pass on cruises are far less able to quickly mobilize the resources necessary to accommodate that many refugees from such a large ship than this island only an hour away from mainland Italy. Compare that to how a small Alaskan fishing village along the inland passageway, or a small Caribbean island, or some hole-in-the-wall Mexican coastal village could support a similar accident.

 

In other words, based on Michelle's story, getting ashore is only half the battle, you need to plan to be resourceful once you reach shore until you make it home--regardless of the cruise line.

 

It's sobering...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sandielle

Sandielle

Posted
Posted

Michelle, thank you for having the courage to have to live through your experience again, to tell us your story. I am glad to hear the local people helped you with clothes etc, and hope the Aus. embassy can get you and your daughter safely home soon. We are all thinking of you and the others in this dreadful situation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lottie A

Lottie A

Posted
Posted

Like everyone else on the Forum I just wanted to say thank you for posting the tragic circumstances from an eye witness point of view. It must have been absolutely terrifying for you all and I hope you will be able to come to terms with what happened to you.

 

Costa certainly have a lot of questions to answer about how they have dealt with this tragedy.

 

I wish you all a safe journey home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cinta

cinta

Posted
Posted

Michelle,

Thank you so much for posting. I's so sorry you & your family had to go through this horrific accident, getting off the ship & to the island sound awful.

I've never sailed with Costa, only Cunard, but we are all under the Carnival umbrella so is worrying.

I'm so glad to hear you are safe & hope you have an uneventful trip home.

Please let others know here on CC we are thinking of them.

 

Sharon & Steve, England x

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail Beyond the Ordinary with Oceania Cruises
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: The Widest View in the Whole Wide World
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...