Costa Concordia - I survived

[Sea Monster 2]

Michelle, thank you for posting. You, your daughter and all of the other victims remain in our thoughts. I am a survivor of the Haiti quake; you should be prepared for a lot of unpredictable emotions for a while, and please keep a close eye on your daughter, because sometimes kids can't express what they're feeling and keep it inside. You may carry this with you for a lot longer than you might expect. I can feel your emotions still surging in your words, and I hope you can tell yourself that now you are both safe and that it IS over, even though you're not home yet. You are safe and you will both be OK. I also spent three days in entirely inappropriate-- and by the end, completely filthy-- clothes, with no opportunity to bathe, and when we left here it was with the clothes on our backs, not knowing where we were going or how we would get there. I was so grateful to have the US government evacuating Americans, I still can't put it into words, and you are fortunate to be from a country that will provide you with consular assistance-- most won't or can't help their citizens in a situation like this. I wish you Godspeed getting home, and hope that you both will cope with this as well as possible.

[Activated95b]

Michelle:

I'm so glad to hear that you and your daughter are ok. Hope that you can go home soon.

 

 

Sr. 12345:

I can't. But my message is, that we can all learn a lot from this kind of tragedy. We all need to have an emergency plan. Where are we going to meet? At our cabin or at our muster station? We need to have "virtual copies" of our passports, but we also need to have our credit card numbers in case you need to buy a plane ticket. Have a small backpack with a flashlight and first aid kit ready at your cabin closet.

Looks like passangers had time to go to their cabins. If you do have the time, go to your room and change to warmer clothes and comfortable shoes. And get your lifejacket!!! They tell you at the muster drills that they will have lifejackts at your station, but it looks like that this is not what happened at the Concordia.

.

 

 

One thing i always take with me are ziplock bags. My wallet, passport and cell phone each go into a bag just in case I get caught in a rainstorm or get wet. (Old trick I learned in the Army.)

[travelberlin]

thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on CC... we wish you a safe home..

 

just a thought here... all cruise ships practice emergency drills.. however, these drills are all praticed in the best of conditions.. now we know what hapens in a real emergency.

You are absolutely right. Sometimes have the feeling that our expectations are we should wait until somebody helps us. How about thinking also in such a situation how can we help others?

[Mad dogs and Englishmen]

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

 

Michelle, our thoughts and prayers are with you and everyone who has been affected by this disaster.

Praying that you will soon be able to get a flight home.

God bless you all

 

Anne-Marie xx

[CapsR1]

Michelle, Thank you so much for posting that you and your family are safe. Very sorry that you had to deal with such a traumatic experience.

One thing I know is that when accidents happen, safety concerns are often addressed after the fact when the people in charge realize that their "old" system was not adequate.

Case in point was the airline in Washington, D.C. that crashed into a bridge 30 years ago this past week due to the pilots not de-icing the plane prior to take off which resulted in their instruments giving incorrect readings. New rules were instated requiring de-icing to be mandatory for all planes waiting in weather at a certain degree or less prior to take off.

Unfortunately, this was AFTER the fact that many lives were lost.

Godspeed to you and your family, I hope you get home soon.

[Giovanina]

What a terrible tragedy! Thank goodness your family is safe Michelle, but what you went through is just horrible. The disgrace is the way it was handled by the officers and crew. Every report I've read cites little or no help from anyone from Costa. And now it appears they haven't even been much help with those who have been rescued.

[seattle2000]

RuthlessBoss, she and her young child just escaped a chaotic sinking ship with only the clothes on their back. She is understandably in shock, spent a lot of time not knowing what was happening, where to go, or where her next meal or bed was going to be until she arrived in Rome. She is still wearing her clothing from two days ago, has no money or passport, and still trying to get home.

 

There are certainly people in this tragedy with much worse circumstances, but she has been through her own significant ordeal as well. She and her child are still in the middle of working out emergency travel arrangements, and they are still not yet safe at home yet.

 

Give her a break, ok?

[moncrystal]

Safe travels home, Michelle.

[Cruzin Terri]

Michelle,

I wish you a safe and uneventful trip home. Thanks for telling us of your experiences.

We hope all the survivors will get home safely and speedy recoverymtomthose who were injured.

Our condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.

Terri

[IndyDenise]

Michelle,

 

I am glad that you and your daughter are safe..and I am so sorry that Costa refuses to help you further. It is shameful of them to treat you this way!:mad:

 

I hope you can get home soon. I just wanted you to know that many people feel badly for your situation.

[5waldos]

Thank heaven's you and your family are safe. It must have been horrifying to all involved. May you trip home be soon and safe.

 

Sounds like Costa is not being much help. But please remember that they still have 17 people missing and perhaps trapped on the ship. Their first responsibility is to those people. I cannot imagine the chaos at their headquarters, and how no idea how many people they have available to work on this. But it is not an infinite number.

[SueseaQ]

Michelle, thank you for taking the time to post the details of this horrible event, and more specifically your ordeal. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been for you and your family. Thank the Good Lord, you are safe now. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and with those who lost loved ones in this tragic event.

I join the cruise critic family in offering prayers for a speedy and safe journey back to Oz.

[dougo in oz]

Michelle

 

First of all, thank you for having the presence of mind to post and allow us to have a unique insight into what happened to you and your family, what you were feeling, what you did to survive and how Costa handled the situation from your perspective.

 

Secondly, it's so tragic that people were hurt and lost their lives ... the outcome of an inquiry / investigation will be eagerly awaited by all of us whether we are cruisers or simply concerned citizens.

 

Thirdly, I think the main frustration for anyone in this situation - be they passenger or crew is lack of communication from the top (mainly) and assumptions that the now known cause of the damage was something else ... and this seems to be what happened in this case which resulted in crew telling passengers not to get their life jackets or to go to their cabin etc (according to the various news reports I've seen / read).

 

Fourthly, no-one expects that the vessel they're on will have an accident ... but accidents do happen. Being prepared for an emergency in any situation is admirable, and having an emergency kit is fine, but in the initial moments of panic, who wants to chance it and go back to the cabin? Not me... and besides, depending on the type of damage the heavy doors that seal off some areas may be activated and you may not be able to get back to your cabin...or worse still, locked behind the doors and not able to get out.

 

Fifthly, will Carnival come to the party? Who knows? With the so very public news about the accident, I think they will have to .. had it been a small but localised / life threatening issue where news of the incident was contained, they would definitely be in denial !

 

Hurry home Michelle ....

[ducklite]

Thank heaven's you and your family are safe. It must have been horrifying to all involved. May you trip home be soon and safe.

 

Sounds like Costa is not being much help. But please remember that they still have 17 people missing and perhaps trapped on the ship. Their first responsibility is to those people. I cannot imagine the chaos at their headquarters, and how no idea how many people they have available to work on this. But it is not an infinite number.

 

Not to be crass, but the search and rescue folks aren't the guest service folks who should be shore side assisting passengers. Search and rescue would be a function of the local coast guard/navy and emergency services, not guest service people from the cruise line's offices. There's no reason that they can't perform both functions at the same time.

[Shari2]

Michelle...I'm so sorry you are going through all of this. I can only imagine how horrible it would be. Thank you for sharing your story with us. God bless you and your daughter... and safe travels home.

[cmaygar]

So glad that you and your family are safe! Terrible to hear about the lack of sense of urgency by Costa to help their passengers at least rest comfortably prior to your return home. That is inexcusable as was this seemingly senseless accident.

[wrp96]

Michelle I'm so glad to read that you and your daughter are safe. May you get home soon.

[dazza74]

So glad u r ok

[Fury1995]

If you read my posts, I never made reference to getting OFF the ship!! I referenced once on dry land!!! (while others were still waiting to get to dry land).:mad:

 

Respectfully, I have read your posts and have been responding directly to what you have said. You stated the rescued should be grateful they are on dry land, not complaining about the lack on conveniences while others are still missing and possibly in need of rescue while making it sound like they are complaining about the service in the main dining room...

 

Those rescued first should be grateful they are even on land, but the complaints of lack of conveniences has started, while they forgot the rest of the people still waiting for their rescue just to get to the land. Gee, "I was cold, I was hungry, my Hilton room didn't give me new clothes etc"

 

Pretty sure I am reading your posts correctly. I replied (in brief) that I wouldn't be concerned with anything else but myself and loved ones safety and well being... and that and only that would be my priority..

 

 

At the end of the day, any day.. my family comes first for me (especially children). If I were on this voyage, especially with kids, I would be making darn sure they are not any more "inconvenienced" than they already have been. The OP is with her 12 year.. Her focus and priority (as it should be) is getting her child somewhere safe away from this disaster. Until she and her child is home, everything is somewhat more than inconvenient.

[Waihekean]

Dear Michelle, "HANG IN THERE"

try to get a bit of rest wherever you can in preparation to flying down under.

Kiss and hug your daughter and "HOLD ON TIGHT".

 

You will get through this, take it a day at a time, again 'HANG IN THERE"

[Aussie Gal]

Michelle,

 

I know how frustrating it must be to not know when you will be able to fly home and then have that very long flight ahead of you but hang in there and hopefully after a good nights sleep or rest you may find Emirates have found seats for you and your family.

 

You are in our thoughts as are all the other passengers and crew who were on the ship.

 

Jennie

[lovecruisedeals]

Sitting here in the Hilton Garden Inn, Rome Airport waiting for passports and a flight home. We have nothing just the clothes on our back, ( evening wear with a hurried coat thrown over the back, my 12 year old is dressed in a short halter neck dress with a windcheater and the temps here are very cold but we have been given nothing else by Costa our embassy have given us cash and are taking us shopping for essentials. Costa have put us up in this hotel but told us nothign and given us no further help than that. They left the hotel yesterday afternoon abandoning us here alone dazed bruised and confused.

 

After the ship Hit it listed people rang and panicked we were told to go to our rooms, glad ours was the 6th deck and not below. The announcements were that we had electrical porblems everything was under control, the english was announced by our international host. We were told this twice. and then by the staff numerous times, I think they believed it as well. We could not go into our cabin as our welcome spumante and glasses was shattered all over the floor and there were no lights, we could see the island was close from the balcony window so did not panic thinking everything would be okay. Cabin staff told us not to get our life jackets it was not neccesary we sat on stools and the floor joking with them, this went on for what seemed like an hour, the boat struck just after 9pm I think. Then a message came over the speakers all of the staff left immediately.

 

We were left alone as the abandon ship sirens screamed, we grabbed a coat and shoes in place of high heels our life vests, put them on and headed for the lifeboats. We stood on the deck for ages before the cabin staff told us to enter the lifeboats. We got into the boats we had a waiter in the drivers seat and some boys in white overalls, the lifeboat filled to capacity and they shut the door, people screamed the door was purshed open and people continued to enter the boat overflowing it the waiter in the drivers seat trying repatedly to get an answer form the bridge to drop the lifeboat. I dont believe that message ever came eventually an Indian engineer came who said he should be the driver the gate was sealed and they started to drop the boat, it was horryfying the boat was too heavy it lurched all of as standing were thrown to the floor the boat stuck on the side of the ship with men desperatly trying to lever it off the side of the boat.

 

Eneutally we got to the sea the waiter was too short to see out the top of the boat to steer they circled around the boat for ages and ages, eventually the engineer steered with the waiter on his shoulders we just kept circling with the shore so close and all those people still on the boat and we kept circling. Lifeboats crashed into each other they were empty but they were not going back to the boat they had no orders no instructions. Eventually we tried to dock but crashed into the wharf circled a bit more and docked.

 

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. We were herded to the school, some to the church, here we sat on cold floors on our life vests this was about midnight when we got there. No one spoke English everyone was talking and we had no idea where we were or what was happening the staff were the waiters etc and no time did we see an officer. I saw the International english speaking host and asked him what was happening he said he had no idea and was as dazed and confused as me, I told him where we were and to come back and tell us, he never came back, from time to time we ventured out of the school to look and see what was happening as the ship submerged on its side where our cabin was. Eventually a lady in a shop or meeting place of some kind spoke english, she told me there was a queue for the ferry to the mainland. We joined the queue, and gave our names ( the first time) and got on the next ferry.

 

1 hour later we arrived on the mainland, we were given warmer blankets and pushed towards a tent we went through and had our names taken again we were then pushed through to a bus and taken to a school and told to stand in a corner for the port where we embarked, there were not enough chairs. We sat there for three or four hours we were then called to a bus, but when we got there we were told this bus was only for people who had cars at Civitivecchia, we had to wait for the airport bus.

 

We were then bussed to the Hilton Garden Inn and given a room, we were still told nothing given nothing by Costa, constantly I asked them and was always told to wait while they spoke to people in more common languages, Costa have done nothing but give us the room.

 

:(What a terrible ordeal to go through. I have heard nothing positive about Costa's handling of this emergency. I have cruised with them twice before [Mediterranean and Caribbean] - although the ships are beautiful, that is about the only compliment I can give. Although the ships are Italian, they are also mass marketed to an English speaking market - however, English is often not understood or spoken with any amount of proficiency. Generally I found the staff rude and lacking common courtesies and simple pleasantries. I was actually considering a trans-Atlantic with them from Brazil to Italy in March [willing to give them another chance] - I liked the itinerary and the price was very reasonable. I will definitely re-consider trying them again. Although they come under the Carnival banner, I think I will stick to my preferred line under that banner - Princess - I have found Princess crews to always be fist rate, polite and accommodating.

[peg013]

I will answer no more. I know family comes first to a point. They were safe on LAND, not on the ship. They were PHYSICALLY SAFE at that point. Traumatized, yes. Inconvenienced, yes. I've made it through 3 hurricanes in 6 weeks, lost EVERYTHING (as did a multitude of people) Things do work out. None of us knew what to do either with the aftermath. But I came out of it safely. Maybe now you'll see why some of us have a different outlook, once a person is deemed SAFE.

 

Having been through what you have been through should have left you with a little empathy. So sad that it didn't.

[seattle2000]

RuthlessBoss, she is still stranded in a foreign country with her child, and is still working to get emergency travel documents, tickets, and a few essentials. She may be off the sinking ship, but her situation is still ongoing and she is not yet physically home and safe. Her ordeal is not yet over.

[Sea Monster 2]

I will answer no more. I know family comes first to a point. They were safe on LAND, not on the ship. They were PHYSICALLY SAFE at that point. Traumatized, yes. Inconvenienced, yes. I've made it through 3 hurricanes in 6 weeks, lost EVERYTHING (as did a multitude of people) Things do work out. None of us knew what to do either with the aftermath. But I came out of it safely. Maybe now you'll see why some of us have a different outlook, once a person is deemed SAFE.

 

Perhaps you feel that you would have a cooler, more selfless approach precisely because you have been through something like this already and now have some perspective. Most people live their entire lives without finding their lives at risk, and in my experience most are overwhelmed both during and after such an event. Being so concerned for her and her child's well-being does not mean that she has no concern or sympathy for others, nor does it mean that she was not supportive of and helpful to other victims. Her child's welfare should absolutely be her first priority. As a fellow survivor of disaster, I think some sympathy is in order here. She will know soon enough that life goes on and things return (mostly) to normal, but give her a little time to get there. Let them absorb what has happened and learn to cope.