On and off yesterday, I would turn on the news to catch up with the Costa Concordia disaster. The BBC Coverage is excellent. There are discussions going on all over the web about the capsizing, and good coverage is everywhere. The Sun also has very good coverage with a raw bit of footage from a passenger. Both Ship Parade and Maritime Matters has updated news of the sinking. Most importantly, Shipspotting has several discussion boards with up-to-the-minute news and conjuncture as has Yahoo's Liners List.
How could it have happened in this day with all our modern electronics, many ask? Others say, as the ships have grown larger, the focus is on passenger comfort and entertainment instead of safety. “Will this be the end of cruising,” writes someone on Google?
Other sinkings have aroused a similar uproar. When the Andrea Doria sank in 1956, the public as well as naval architects began a discussion that has never quieted. Of course the sinking of the Lusitania and the Titanic are still with us, and books continue being written about these two ships. Within the ship focused community, folks are still talking about the 2007 sinking of the Sea Diamond in a remarkably similar situation in Greece. The badly handled disembarkation parallels that of the Oceanos sinking in 1991 where the entertainment staff coordinated the rescue efforts not the crew.
As I begin to consider cruising again, I’m fascinated by the safety aspects of this capsize. Were the crew so busy watching their electronics that no one looked outside the window?
Lately we have seen “We bought a Zoo”, eh…..we’ve seen the new Sherlock Holmes, yes, yes, yes… this is a see it again, and yesterday we saw “War Horse.” What a beautifully filmed masterpiece. I don’t know if I can bear to see it again despite its magnificence. What I do know is that during the load before the last one, there was a small leak behind the washing machine. After the last load, there was a bigger leak. So, before the first load today, we need to get it fixed. Hopefully it’s a simple fix.
Very interesting & very upsetting -- and now the captain has been detained.
ReplyDeletePS We're cruising The Med and Adriatic in the spring.
Does it count as "sinking" if she is only listing in the water? Re SH....yes.
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of cruise ships. I want something retro like Agatha Christie would write about. I have been on only one cruise..a Disney cruise with my grandkids. It was fun, way too programed, and being an outdoors person...a little claustrophobic. I get seasick...yet I was one of the few not on a patch and not getting seasick on this ride! Everyone else was very queasy that last day. I may take a cruise to Alaska...but that would be the only one I would consider. There is no way one can safely get this many people off a ship when it is starting to sink!
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the ship on television, but have been following the news online. Dreadful! What a terrible way to die.
ReplyDeleteThere is always so much mystery when a ship sinks. This one is no exception. I hope the story is figured out soon.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I have heard; it seems the safety drill was postponed and the captain didn't do his job properly. We are leaving on a cruise in 3 weeks. We always have our safety drill within a couple of hours of boarding and often before we even leave port. I will be paying extra attention this time....Last year we were on the biggest cruise ship...you couldn't get to the outside to see the ocean on many decks...not my idea of a cruise at all.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I have heard; it seems the safety drill was postponed and the captain didn't do his job properly. We are leaving on a cruise in 3 weeks. We always have our safety drill within a couple of hours of boarding and often before we even leave port. I will be paying extra attention this time....Last year we were on the biggest cruise ship...you couldn't get to the outside to see the ocean on many decks...not my idea of a cruise at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links. This is awful. I looked for the piece of reef after you told me about it. Dianne
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