[SpartanAir]

Captain of grounded cruise ship arrested in Italy - World - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/01/14/cruise-italy.html)

Kind of old news by this evening...but terrifying for the people on board.

Just like the Titanic, the crew refused to acknowledge a problem and failed to help the people to the life boats.

12 Canadians on board, 2 French and a Peruvian crewman confirmed dead, 69 still unaccounted for.

The Captain was arrested in Italy and charged with involuntary manslaughter and abandoning ship.

Captain is not awesome like this man and his beard, who went down with his ship.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nC3mRZ8yhuc/Thd2F2lOgpI/AAAAAAAAAOM/caLDSHKrqlE/s1600/nm_titanic_smith_070628_ssv.jpg

A pair of survivors have been found in a cabin aboard a luxury cruise ship that ran aground off the Tuscan coast of Italy, the ANSA news agency reports.

Firefighters who had been searching the Costa Concordia for dozens who remained missing heard distinct shouts, "one in a male voice, the other in a female voice" coming from the cruiser liner, coast guard officer Marcello Fertitta said.

Fertitta, of the port captain's office in Livorno, told The Associated Press early Sunday that firefighters were having difficulty pinpointing where the pair was on the cruise ship and called in a specialized search team.

'We should have been in the life boats sooner, in my opinion.'— Passenger Alan Willits, of Wingham, Ont.

ANSA said earlier that rescuers had located two survivors in a cabin, and in good condition. A risky search by divers of the sunken, water-filled half of the ship for the missing was suspended at darkness Saturday night.

The trapped survivors were found more than 24 hours after the ship ran aground and lurched violently.

In another development, all Canadians aboard the stricken Costa Concordia are safe.

Based on information currently available, 12 Canadians were on the ship and they are well and accounted for, Foreign Affairs spokesman Claude Rochon said.

Three bodies have been recovered from the sea after the Italian cruise ship with 4,234 people aboard ran aground a few hundred metres off the tiny island of Giglio near the coast of Tuscany late Friday.

Italian officials are matching names on the cruise ship's list of passengers and crew with those of survivors and say the number of the unaccounted for has dropped to roughly 40 from as many as 70. A number of people have been taken to the French port of Marseille.

Earlier Saturday, the captain of the Costa Concordia was was arrested, according to a local prosecutor, and reportedly faces criminal charges.

The captain, Francesco Schettino, was detained for questioning by prosecutors, investigating him for suspected manslaughter, abandoning ship before all others, and causing a shipwreck, state TV and Sky TV said. Prosecutor Francesco Verusio was quoted by ANSA as saying Schettino deliberately chose a sea route that was too close to shore.

ANSA reported Schettino will be held until next week, when a judge will decide whether he should be released or formally put under arrest.

France said two of the victims were Frenchmen; a Peruvian diplomat identified the third victim as Tomas Alberto Costilla Mendoza, 49, a crewman from Peru. Some 30 people were injured, at least two seriously.

Divers with the Italian coast guard headed to the belly of the cruise ship to search for the missing after the ship ran aground Friday night.
Alan and Laurie Willits from Wingham, Ont. escaped in a life boat and are in Rome.Alan and Laurie Willits from Wingham, Ont. escaped in a life boat and are in Rome. (Willits family photo)

Capt. Cosimo Nicastro said Saturday divers were carrying out a risky operation to inspect the submerged half of the Costa Concordia in case anyone remained trapped inside.

Nicastro told Sky TG24 TV rescuers carried out an extensive search of the waters near the ship for hours and "we would have seen bodies," adding that "the place where they might be is in the belly of the ship."

The ship ran aground off the tiny island of Giglio, a popular vacation isle off Italy's central west coast, forcing thousands of passengers to jump into the Mediterranean Sea as water poured in through a 50-metre gash in the hull.

"They didn't send a mayday," officer Emilio Del Santo of the Coastal Authorities of Livorno told CNN. "The ship got in contact with us once the evacuation procedures were already ongoing."

Investigators will be examining how a ship travelling in calm waters, on a route that it normally does more than 50 times a year, could hit such a large rock.

The ship is operated by Costa Crociera SpA, which is owned by the U.S.-based cruise giant Carnival Corp. The Italian firm defended the actions of its crew and said it was co-operating with the investigation. Carnival Corp. issued a statement expressing sympathy that didn't address the allegations of delayed evacuation.

Schettino's lawyer, Bruno Leporatti told the agency: "I'd like to say that several hundred people owed their life to the expertise that the commander of the Costa Concordia showed during the emergency."

A top Costa executive said Saturday that despite some early reports that the captain was dining with passengers when his ship crashed into the reef, he was on the bridge.

"The ship was doing what it does 52 times a year, going along the route between Civitavecchia and Savona," a shaken-looking Gianni Onorato told reporters on Giglio.

He said the captain was an 11-year Costa veteran and that the cruise line was co-operating with Italian investigators to find out what went wrong.

Malcolm Latarche, editor of maritime magazine IHS Fairplay Solutions, said a loss of power coupled with a failure of backup systems could have caused the crew to lose control.

"I would say power failure caused by harmonic interference and then it can't propel straight or navigate and it hit rocks," Latarche said.

Two French passengers and a Peruvian crewman died in the accident, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. News reports said 69 people were still unaccounted for after the Costa Concordia hit a sandbar near the coast of Tuscany.
Costa Cruises statement

"Captain [Francesco] Schettino, who was on the bridge at the time, immediately understood the severity of the situation and performed a maneuver intended to protect both guests and crew, and initiated security procedures to prepare for an eventual ship evacuation.

Unfortunately, that operation was complicated by a sudden tilting of the ship that made disembarkation difficult.”

Some of the people aboard the Costa Concordia jumped and swam 350 metres to the island of Giglio. Others scrambled into lifeboats.

A couple from Wingham, Ont., are among the Canadian survivors. Alan and Laurie Willits were watching the magic show in the ship's main theatre when they felt an initial lurch, as if from a severe steering manoeuvre.

"[The ship] steered quickly to the right, the ship banked. It was sliding us out of our seats … and then there was a shudder. You could tell we definitely hit something," Willits told CBC News in a telephone interview from Rome on Saturday.

Willits said it took some time before passengers were informed of how serious the problem was.

"They were saying it was a generator problem. A generator problem would not make a ship start leaning," Willits said. "We should have been in the life boats sooner, in my opinion."

When the ship — carrying 4,234 passengers and crew — began listing, the signal to abandon ship was sounded. By Saturday morning, the ship could be seen lying on its side in the water.
Rocks emerge from the damaged side of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia that run aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, on Saturday.Rocks emerge from the damaged side of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia that run aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, on Saturday. (Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press)

"Passengers were eating dinner. It was around 9:35," CBC's Megan Williams said, reporting from Rome. "The ship groaned and the lights went out."

"They were told at the time that there was a short-circuit, that they had in fact not crashed. Other information has shown that in fact they did crash. They probably hit the rocks off the island of Giglio, which is about a mile off the coast of Tuscany. The ship should have been about six miles off the coast, so something clearly went wrong."

A lot of the lifeboats were apparently filled with water by the time passengers got to them, according to media reports.

Passengers complained the crew failed to give instructions on how to evacuate and once the emergency became clear, delayed lowering the lifeboats until the ship was listing too heavily for many of them to be released.
Costa Cruises history

2010: Two collisions, power failure blamed.
2009: Engine problems, fire in generator room.
2008: Almost collided with car transporter.

Crew member Fabio Costa described a chaotic scene near one of the lifeboats.

Google"Everything happened really, really fast. We saw the water coming in and the emergency signal, and everybody went to the place to try to get on the boat, but people started to panic. So they were pushing each other," he said.

"The crew was trying to help the passengers. A lot of people were falling down the stairs and they were hurt because things fell on them. When they had to get on the lifeboat, everyone was pushing each other, so it was pretty chaotic."

Helicopters plucked to safety about 50 people who were trapped on the ship after it listed so badly they couldn't launch lifeboats, Coast Guard Cmdr. Francesco Paolillo told The Associated Press in Rome by telephone from his command in the Tuscan port city of Livorno.

[BillyBishop]

damn...


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Collision_of_Costa_Concordia_DSC4191.jpg/640px-Collision_of_Costa_Concordia_DSC4191.jpg

[CorneringArtist]

Failboat arrived, literally. RIP to those who passed away.

[FerrariEnzo]

so sad that the captain was such a pussy...

RIP to all those people.

[jimzilla]

That is probably one of my worst nightmares.

RIP.

[TheKingdom2000]

1:57 in the video..
two canadians swim to shore a few hundred meters away...
and they were pretty old.. lol crazy!

[Durrann]

Man that's sad still
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[MG1]

Power failure must be the standard excuse when things go wrong. Along with, the backup systems didn't work.

Besides that, it sounds like there is lack of procedures when it comes to evacuation of passengers.

There were reports that when the passengers reached safety/shore, there was more chaos. Nobody seemed to know what to do. Fail, fail, and more fail.

RIP to those who did not make it out alive.

[fishCak3s]

RIP

[Soundy]

Passengers complained the crew failed to give instructions on how to evacuate and once the emergency became clear, delayed lowering the lifeboats until the ship was listing too heavily for many of them to be released.
Next time someone wants to complain about how much BC Ferries staff get paid, keep in mind that EVERY CREW MEMBER on those boats has to be Transport Canada certified in safety procedures - even the janitor has been fully trained in how to help you get off the boat safely.

[Anjew]

still a lot missing, i bet some might still be trapped in some air pockets.

[Gumby]

Next time someone wants to complain about how much BC Ferries staff get paid, keep in mind that EVERY CREW MEMBER on those boats has to be Transport Canada certified in safety procedures - even the janitor has been fully trained in how to help you get off the boat safely.
Cruise lines take safety very seriously too, or so they say, and I'm sure they practice drills all the time. I'm not saying a crew member on a cruise ship being paid pennies is as trained as BC ferries staff, but in the event of an emergency, many people just panic and all hell breaks loose!

[Raid3n]

12 Canadians on board, 2 French and a Peruvian crewman confirmed dead, 69 still unaccounted for.



In another development, all Canadians aboard the stricken Costa Concordia are safe.


:seriously:

[donjalapeno]

ive never gotten the point of going on a cruise for vacation...

1. expensive as fuck
2. your in a small room with a tiny ass window
3. your cramped on the ship with 2000 other people
4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port
5. sea sick
6. boring as fuck...

i rather just spend that money and have a safe trip in a nice resort.

[MG1]

Crew members were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they jumped ship first and then called for the evacuation, LOLOLOLOLOL.

Yeah, more like earthquake preparedness......... you can never be prepared for the real thing. If people stayed calm, everyone would most likely make it out alive, but when you see people running for their lives and blocking the doorway and shit, it's panic city - everybody for themselves.

As soon as they hit the rock, they should have started abandoning ship. No point in waiting till it's too late. Why even take a chance?

I bet the crew was not paying attention. Probably watching porn or making their own porn. Those Italians...........:Pbjt:

[MG1]

still a lot missing, i bet some might still be trapped in some air pockets.

really ugly way to die.........


Prayers go out. Hope they rescue as many as possible and not give up. They say shallow waters, so maybe they can get to any people who are still trapped alive.

[AzNightmare]

ive never gotten the point of going on a cruise for vacation...

1. expensive as fuck
2. your in a small room with a tiny ass window
3. your cramped on the ship with 2000 other people
4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port
5. sea sick
6. boring as fuck...

i rather just spend that money and have a safe trip in a nice resort.

:suspicious:
Have been on a cruise before?

Depending on the season and the ship, it's not necessarily that expensive,
or any more expensive than living in a hotel for a few days / week in some city.

Most people going on a cruise don't go for hanging out in a cabin.
Some people with money might live in the big suites, but most probably don't care, and only stay
in the cabin to shower and sleep.

There's enough stuff to do on the ship, especially if you go with a bunch of friends.
And if your single, there's nothing stopping you from meeting some girls, and the fact you will probably
hook up faster because you're stuck in a ship with them for many days.

Not everyone is prone to sea sickness.

And not to mention if you like eating good food, all your meals are paid for, and you're pretty much fine dining everyday.

So while I will admit, being on a cruise is not for everyone, I wouldn't completely write it out as pointless.

[Soundy]

4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port

So take an Alaskan cruise, something that follows the shoreline.

[Gumby]

ive never gotten the point of going on a cruise for vacation...

1. expensive as fuck
2. your in a small room with a tiny ass window
3. your cramped on the ship with 2000 other people
4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port
5. sea sick
6. boring as fuck...

i rather just spend that money and have a safe trip in a nice resort.
1) Define "expensive as fuck". You can go on a 7-day cruise on some of the newest/biggest ships in the Caribbean for around $1,000, which is $150 per day. That includes entertainment, all you can eat food, and lodging. What is not included is tips and booze.

2) Actually if you get the cheapest room, you don't even have a window...

3) The largest ships can carry 5000+ passengers... :p

4) For a 7 day cruise, there are usually 3 days "at sea".

5) Depending on where you're sailing, you might not even notice that you're on a boat.

6) There are TONS of activities. You can do whatever you want - wake up early and participate in everything, just work on your suntan all day, or anything in between.

Going to a resort, you can only visit one location. Want to visit another town? You gotta pack up and waste time at the airport and on planes. On a cruise ship, you can unpack on day 1 and it'll sail to your next destination at night.

[dinosaur]

ive never gotten the point of going on a cruise for vacation...

1. expensive as fuck
2. your in a small room with a tiny ass window
3. your cramped on the ship with 2000 other people
4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port
5. sea sick
6. boring as fuck...

i rather just spend that money and have a safe trip in a nice resort.

I agree with some of your points...

1. Not really....it is comparable to an all-inclusive resort
2. The rooms are small, and if you don't have a balcony the windows are not the greatest. Not to mention, we were on the lower deck so most of the time our window was under water....it was a little trippy.
3. It does suck being around thousands of people all the time, but the ships are big enough that it you don't notice it all the time.
4. That can happen. Took a 7 day cruise to Alaska...we had 6 hours in Juneau , 4 hours in Skagway, 5 hours in Ketchikan...not a lot of time off the ship, but those towns are SMALL and there is not a lot to do.
5. It was very rocky and I spend the first night on my knees with my head in the toilet.
6. Truth.

A few years ago my fam took a 7 day cruise to Alaska...and I will agree that it is boring a fuck. It probably didn't help that the cruises to Alaska tend to appeal to an older crowd. The ship was dead at 8pm and the casino was void of life after 8pm. There was not a lot to do except for swimming in the pool (which was closed most of the week) and sit in the hot tub. It was full of americans who seemed to make a sport out of eating. The food was OK, but it was very rich, HUGE portions, and for the most part really generic.

It also literally felt like we were traveling for 7 days straight (yes, i know we technically were) but it was not all that relaxing. We are always waiting to "get somewhere". If felt weird being waited on 24/7 by crew members who were being paid peanuts and the customer service was pretty fake (although everyone was nice).

Unlike all-inclusive resorts, but drinks are not included, which sucked b/c they were not cheap. The only thing I did enjoy was getting dress-up for dinner every night....but thats probably b/c I am a girl.

Would I take a cruise again? fuck no. I felt it was restrictive, boring, and when I got home, I didn't feel like I was just on vacation for a week...not very relaxing.

Maybe it would be different if it was a cruise in Mexico or the Caribbean?

[MG1]

I've heard a mix of good and bad stories about the Alaskan Cruise. Some have gone many times on the same cruise. One person has even gone seven times (WTF?).

I would go just for the scenery. And no, I'm not talking about women. I do look at other scenery, too.

I love water. I guess I'm used to it, spending countless hours/days on a small fishing boat n my younger days. One day, when my ship comes in, I will be able to take a few cruises up and down the coast and then do a Caribbean Cruise or Ocean Liner (Queen Mary 2).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/QM2_Grand_Lobby.JPG

[skyxx]

Caribbean cruises are the bees knees!!!! Totally different from Alaska. Tons more fun!!!!

[dinosaur]

I would go just for the scenery. And no, I'm not talking about women. I do look at other scenery, too.


It was really pretty, but no different than B.C. I was disappointed that we were too far from the coast line to see anything however...I was looking forward to seeing Haida Gwaii, but we passed at night.

It never felt like we were in Alaska as the port cities looked identical to B.C. We took the gondola up to the top of a mountain in Juneau and they had a little animal habitat building...there were 2-3 bald eagles in cages tied to a wood stump...was pretty depressing. A lot of americans were FREAKING out b/c they had never seen one so I guess we just take that from granted living here. Felt sorry for the eagles as they were dirty, tied down, and a little mangy.

Honestly, for the scenery....i'd rather just take a coastal road trip.

Caribbean cruises are the bees knees!!!!

:haha:

[Lomac]

Caribbean cruises are the bees knees!!!! Totally different from Alaska. Tons more fun!!!!

Yup. I did a 9 day Caribbean cruise a few years back. For us, the only time we were on the water was at night while we slept, except for one day when we passed through the Bermuda Triangle. The rest of the time you'd spend basically all day on land at your latest destination. It's definitely a far cry from the Alaskan cruises.

[Bouncing Bettys]

Just like the Titanic, the crew refused to acknowledge a problem and failed to help the people to the life boats.
Many officers and crew, including the Captain, remained on the ship to the very end. Even the band employed by the ship, who were not obligated to remain aboard or assist in any way, continued to play music till the end to help keep everyone calm. The knowledge that the ship was sinking was not made public in order to prevent a panic and the crew had difficulty convincing passengers to get into lifeboats early on. Many people did not understand the severity of the situation.

[dinosaur]

Just saw footage on the new of some people trapped inside while it was on its side....fucking terrifying!

Thankfully it was close to the shore...

[Gumby]

Maybe it would be different if it was a cruise in Mexico or the Caribbean?
If you're not a nature freak or retirement age, Caribbean/Mexico is WAY MORE FUN than Alaska. You will always find the biggest/newest ships in the Caribbean.

[metal]

I just got back from a 7 day Mexican cruise. Even though it was on Holland America, it was super fun. Can't imagine how lame an Alaskan cruise would be, coming from where we live, and the temperatures.
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[Soundy]

Alaska cruise:

http://photos.photosig.com/photos/28/75/1317528-32842999b6f72c53.jpg

Tropical cruise:

http://brucewaynehart.com/wordpress/wp-content/hurricane.jpg

[Mr.JDM]

Been on 7 cruises, alaska, mex riviera, bahamas, eastern, western and southern caribbean and panama canal. Will be going in june for asia cruise singapore to shanghai. don't think this costa accident will stop us from going on cruises.

2,000 passengers vs. 6,000 passengers
http://i40.tinypic.com/xm739w.jpg

who says cruise ship cabins are tiny??
2 bedroom, 2 level anyone
http://i39.tinypic.com/rgyw6u.jpg

looking out from second floor, private jacuzzi anyone?
http://i40.tinypic.com/b7c26w.jpg

Holland America's private island in the Bahamas - Halfmoon Cay
http://i44.tinypic.com/xm723m.jpg

[AzNightmare]

My parents are a big fan of going on cruises. They go at least once a year, sometimes more than that. It's beyond me how they enjoy it THAT much...
but they have a bunch of family friends to go with each time, and they get all these deals/upgrades for being loyal customers. So maybe that's why.

When I was in highschool, they would always bring me too, and it was all fun as we all had family friends and they had "kids" my age to hang out with.

I haven't gone back to one in a long time though, since I stopped going with my parents after highschool.
But of all the cruises I went on, I only went to Alaska once, and I can say for sure, Carribean is way better.
It's so cold in Alaska, there isn't much to look forward to at the ports. And it rains more often. Just going outside on deck is chilly.

Just doesn't seem much of a vacation spot going there. Maybe try it once just to say you've gone to Alaska before.
But an Alaskan cruise is pretty bland compared to a Caribbean one.

[cruz-in]

Caribbean cruises are the bees knees!!!! Totally different from Alaska. Tons more fun!!!!

totally.. more LG's less old people.

:fullofwin:

[cruz-in]

Been on 7 cruises, alaska, mex riviera, bahamas, eastern, western and southern caribbean and panama canal. Will be going in june for asia cruise singapore to shanghai. don't think this costa accident will stop us from going on cruises.


Holland America's private island in the Bahamas - Halfmoon Cay
http://i44.tinypic.com/xm723m.jpg

Oasis of the seas!

i just came back from a cruise to the caribbian and man it was sweet.

RELAX.... hungry in the middle of the night? theres a pizza place open till 3am... not to mention its free...same thing with coffee shops and desert places... get drunk... go to casino.... pass out in casino... wake up and get comp alcohol... go to your room and sleep for 5 hours and wake up and DO IT AGAIN hahah

[cruz-in]

best part is GETTING WASTED with your buddies and not worrying about DD ... everybody and get smashed be worry free..


thats why i like cruises.

[Ludepower]

best part is GETTING WASTED with your buddies and not worrying about DD ... everybody and get smashed be worry free..


thats why i like cruises.

How do you convince your buddies to go on a cruise? Vegas and Mexico are the first thing that comes to mind for the young crowd.

No offence...when I think of cruises...I think of a closterfobic trip for families and old people.

[StylinRed]

who says cruise ship cabins are tiny??
2 bedroom, 2 level anyone
http://i39.tinypic.com/rgyw6u.jpg



must say ive never been on a cruise (scared of drowning :blush:)

but damn nice room how much would that cost?

[Mr.JDM]

^ it was complimentary upgrade from royal caribbean. we booked a balcony cabin. but closer to the sailing we got a notice that we have been upgraded. most of the time cruise line will try and upgrade you. either higher category room or a better room. we got upgraded since we did a back to back cruise 4 day bahamas got off that one in miami, then drove to fort lauderdale same day and hopped on the oasis. believe this one was going for $5,000 for a 7 day caribbean cruise.

on our most recent trip 11 days panama canal in november. we booked balcony cheapest but as cruise fare is like stock market it goes up and down. so when we saw the price dropped. we asked our travel agent to adjust our price to the lower but was given a higher category room instead.( bigger balcony) since we are past our final payment for cruise. cruise line usually have 90 days final payment before sail date.

just love waking up in the morning knowing that your in a totally new place for a day. and if you actually calculate the amount of money you spend in vegas or in mexico all inclusive. it works out to be the same price as going on a 7 day cruise.

by the way all cruise lines have a private island beach destination in the caribbean/ bahamas

disney cruise - castaway cay, bahamas
princess cruise - princess cay, bahamas
holland america - halfmoon cay, bahamas
royal caribbean - coco cay, bahamas and labadee,haiti ( island of the coast of haiti, gated island and secure )
celebrity cruise ( owned by royal caribbean ) - labadee , haiti
norwegian cruise line - great stirrup cay, bahamas
carnival cruise - halfmoon cay, bahamas

by the way, i know alot of people might say cruising is for old people its not really the case. only time there will be tons of old people is if you do a longer cruise like 10 days or longer or cruise with holland america.

[InvisibleSoul]

The captain is a serious piece of turd.

Cruise disaster: as his ship took on water, captain told coastguard: It’s no emergency - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9019143/Cruise-disaster-as-his-ship-took-on-water-captain-told-coastguard-Its-no-emergency.html)

Francesco Schettino, 52, was so slow to raise the alarm that the first emergency services knew of the unfolding tragedy was when passengers used mobile phones to call the police.

Even when the coastguard radioed Mr Schettino to ask what was going on, he insisted the ship had merely suffered an electrical fault.

It was only at 10.30pm local time, an hour after rocks had ripped a 160ft gash in the ship’s hull, that the captain finally sent out a Mayday distress call. The delay led to difficulties in using lifeboats on the port side, because by then the ship was listing heavily to starboard.

Prosecutors in Italy will investigate whether Mr Schettino delayed evacuating the ship because he did not want to admit sailing too close to the shore.
He also faces accusations that he defied an order from the coastguard to return to the ship to supervise the evacuation after climbing into a lifeboat while hundreds of people remained aboard.

The chairman of the Costa Cruises company, Pier Luigi Foschi, laid the blame for the disaster squarely on the shoulders of the captain yesterday, saying he had made an “unapproved, unauthorised” deviation from the agreed route.
He had allegedly steered the 114,500-ton vessel to within 150 yards of the shore as a favour to the head waiter, Antonello Tievoli, whose family live on Giglio.
Mr Tievoli’s father Giuseppe said: “Antonello called and said that we should look out of the window at around 9.30pm because he would be on the ship and it would pass right by Giglio and we would see it. All the ships do it but they never come that close.”
The head waiter was invited on to the bridge where the captain reportedly said: “Come and see, Antonello, we’re right in front of Giglio.” He realised the ship was dangerously close to submerged rocks, and told Mr Schettino : “Watch out. We’re very close to the shore.”
His warning came too late and shortly after 9.40pm passengers heard a “terrifying groan” as the 1,000ft-long ship was torn open and its cabins were plunged into darkness by a power failure.

Coles notes:

Captain sails WAY too close to shore, because he wanted to show off to the family of the head waiter, who had a house close to the water.

After he wrecked the boat, he knew he was in serious doodoo, especially given the absurdity of the reason it happened, so he kept denying there was a problem on board, even after the boat started listing badly. Because he put off declaring an emergency, the rescue effort was severely hampered, and very possibly at least some of the people who died could have been saved.

[StylinRed]

^ it was complimentary upgrade from royal caribbean. we booked a balcony cabin. but closer to the sailing we got a notice that we have been upgraded. most of the time cruise line will try and upgrade you. either higher category room or a better room. we got upgraded since we did a back to back cruise 4 day bahamas got off that one in miami, then drove to fort lauderdale same day and hopped on the oasis. believe this one was going for $5,000 for a 7 day caribbean cruise.

on our most recent trip 11 days panama canal in november. we booked balcony cheapest but as cruise fare is like stock market it goes up and down. so when we saw the price dropped. we asked our travel agent to adjust our price to the lower but was given a higher category room instead.( bigger balcony) since we are past our final payment for cruise. cruise line usually have 90 days final payment before sail date.

just love waking up in the morning knowing that your in a totally new place for a day. and if you actually calculate the amount of money you spend in vegas or in mexico all inclusive. it works out to be the same price as going on a 7 day cruise.

by the way all cruise lines have a private island beach destination in the caribbean/ bahamas

disney cruise - castaway cay, bahamas
princess cruise - princess cay, bahamas
holland america - halfmoon cay, bahamas
royal caribbean - coco cay, bahamas and labadee,haiti ( island of the coast of haiti, gated island and secure )
celebrity cruise ( owned by royal caribbean ) - labadee , haiti
norwegian cruise line - great stirrup cay, bahamas
carnival cruise - halfmoon cay, bahamas

by the way, i know alot of people might say cruising is for old people its not really the case. only time there will be tons of old people is if you do a longer cruise like 10 days or longer or cruise with holland america.


ah i just checked out their website and i have to say its a lot more affordable than i imagined it would be cool for a family trip but id have to get over my fears ;) lol

[Mr.JDM]

ah i just checked out their website and i have to say its a lot more affordable than i imagined it would be cool for a family trip but id have to get over my fears ;) lol

you will be fine, just don't cruise in the caribbean when its hurricane season. unless you like the rocking and rolling of the ship and get sea sick :) but when i was on the oasis of the seas we never felt at all that the ship was at sea. almost no movement. smaller ship will be prone to the rocking and rolling if the seas do get bad.

[Slifer]

Wow, the captain deserves to be drowned alive.

[dinosaur]

^ :suspicious:

As opposed to "drowned" dead?

[lowside67]

It's amazing how far off course that ship was...

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/57918000/gif/_57918028_costa_concordia_route_464.gif

There is considerable evidence mounting that the captain intentionally piloted the ship close to the island to put on a "show" for the people of the island, of whom several were related to the head waiter on the ship, who was on the bridge for the maneuver. If this is verified, and it appears it has been, as there are posts that there were Facebooks ahead of the crash noting to look out to see the boat up close, the captain is DONE.

Stricken Italian liner shifts, 29 people missing | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/16/us-italy-ship-idUSTRE80D08220120116)

Mark

[Slifer]

:okay:

[Gumby]

^ it was complimentary upgrade from royal caribbean. we booked a balcony cabin. but closer to the sailing we got a notice that we have been upgraded. most of the time cruise line will try and upgrade you. either higher category room or a better room. we got upgraded since we did a back to back cruise 4 day bahamas got off that one in miami, then drove to fort lauderdale same day and hopped on the oasis. believe this one was going for $5,000 for a 7 day caribbean cruise.
Wow that is one heck of a sweet upgrade... I thought you just posted up a stock photo of one of Oasis' loft suites, but you actually got to stay in one!

by the way, i know alot of people might say cruising is for old people its not really the case. only time there will be tons of old people is if you do a longer cruise like 10 days or longer or cruise with holland america.
Cruising *was* for old people back in the day, mostly because it was so expensive. But starting in the late 90s, cruise fares became more affordable. Of course some lines/routes cater to the seniors, but you'll find many lines that target families and/or young adults too nowadays.

[Gh0stRider]

wow...nice cabin. must go on a cruise someday

[Mr.JDM]

oh definitely the best cruise/upgrade/vacation ever!! but after that experience getting all spoiled and all, it was tough to go back to an inside room or oceanview. so now we have this "standard" of at least a balcony mentality. hahah

other side of the balcony
http://i43.tinypic.com/35hp9i1.jpg

labadee
http://i43.tinypic.com/9rrrwn.jpg

belly flop contest
http://i44.tinypic.com/x6lxmo.jpg

or sit back and relax
http://i40.tinypic.com/dc3fht.jpg

[MG1]

Damn, I would sleep in a life boat just to be on that ship. god damn............

[Gh0stRider]

never knew balcony cabins existed. thought all the cabins were down under.

[Mr.JDM]

^ hahah no the below waterline cabins are the crew cabins but they do not get a window or any sort of view. just some really tight room.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

Been on 7 cruises, alaska, mex riviera, bahamas, eastern, western and southern caribbean and panama canal. Will be going in june for asia cruise singapore to shanghai. don't think this costa accident will stop us from going on cruises.

2,000 passengers vs. 6,000 passengers
http://i40.tinypic.com/xm739w.jpg


yeah i've been on a few cruises myself too. lol that shit is safe as hell.

when did you go? I went last year in april or may. i forget. that cruise is pretty sweet. it was so fuckin big.

[Gumby]

never knew balcony cabins existed. thought all the cabins were down under.
See - so much about the cruising experience that people don't know about. :D

[Lomac]

^ :suspicious:

As opposed to "drowned" dead?

Waterboarding.

[Mr.JDM]

yeah i've been on a few cruises myself too. lol that shit is safe as hell.

when did you go? I went last year in april or may. i forget. that cruise is pretty sweet. it was so fuckin big.


I went last year May 14

[BaoTurbo]

ive never gotten the point of going on a cruise for vacation...

1. expensive as fuck
2. your in a small room with a tiny ass window
3. your cramped on the ship with 2000 other people
4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port
5. sea sick
6. boring as fuck...

i rather just spend that money and have a safe trip in a nice resort.

1. Caribbean cruise was $1000 all inclusive in the lower decks
2. True, but you don't need to be in your room all day
3. You're together, but you're welcome to camp in the corner with all the space you want :)
4. You can pick cruises that has destinations.
5. Weaksauce so you get sea sick
6. Boring because you're not old enough or you just don't know how to enjoy yourself

[skyxx]

See - so much about the cruising experience that people don't know about. :D

So much eye candy.....

[Soundy]

Cruising *was* for old people back in the day, mostly because it was so expensive. But starting in the late 90s, cruise fares became more affordable. Of course some lines/routes cater to the seniors, but you'll find many lines that target families and/or young adults too nowadays.
Yeah, eight seasons of The Love Boat didn't hurt, either.


belly flop contest
http://i44.tinypic.com/x6lxmo.jpg

:moderatorban::moderatorban::moderatorban:

[sonick]

Me and 4 buddies, all mid-20's went on Royal Caribbean in Mexico 2 years ago; had a blast and ate like pigs. Two appys, two lobsters and dessert? Um, yes please!

Unfortunately due to the low margins of Mexican Riviera cruises and the dangers there, they've gotten rid of their ships in the area. Too bad, coz it was a cheap fun getaway for us in the west coast. Flying to Florida to go on the Caribbean is much more expensive.

I also went on the industry inaugural sailing (i.e. free booze!) of the Oasis of the Seas pictured earlier in this thread and it was just an amazing ship. I was on it for 3 nights (all sea days) and didn't get to experience everything.

[shawnly1000]

Surging online interest in Domnica Cemortan | The Upshot - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/surging-online-interest-domnica-cemortan-010036526.html)

Moldovan with ship captain defends his actions - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/moldovan-ship-captain-defends-actions-165606251.html)


"She defended Schettino, saying "he did a great thing, he saved over 3,000 lives," and added he stayed on deck until 11:50 p.m.
The ship hit the reef at 9:45 p.m." *Shakes my head*

[pinn3r]

can't believe this pussy of a 'captain' claims he "tripped and fell into a lifeboat" ... where's the goddamn dignity. I mean, at least owning up to your faulty actions would gain him some respect, at the least

the guy wins coward of the year

[underscore]

ive never gotten the point of going on a cruise for vacation...

1. expensive as fuck
2. your in a small room with a tiny ass window
3. your cramped on the ship with 2000 other people
4. all you see is ocean for days until you reach port
5. sea sick
6. boring as fuck...

i rather just spend that money and have a safe trip in a nice resort.

1. Resorts are usually more expensive
2. You only ever sleep, change and fuck in there
3. You are not at all cramped, those boats and fucking huge
4. You usually sail at night, so most of your waking time you're in port (depends on the cruise)
5. Take meds or stop being a bitch
6. Exciting as fuck. A cruise is pretty similar to a resort except you get to explore and see so much more than just your little resort area.

[tegra7]

best part is GETTING WASTED with your buddies and not worrying about DD ... everybody and get smashed be worry free..


thats why i like cruises.
What if you fall overboard?

[AzNightmare]

What if you fall overboard?


Well... to be honest, if you fall overboard while it's night time, your chances of survival are quite low...

It's quite hard to spot you in the dark, and you're just a very tiny dot in the ocean once you're in there.
The waves won't help as they are pulling you under and pushing you around from your initial landing location.

Also, the ship will be sailing away quite quickly. Quicker than you think.
If you're drunk, who knows if you can even swim properly. And it must be scary as hell for whoever's in the water.
It's pitch black and you can't even see where you are. And a shark might eat you too.

Anyone that tries to throw you a lifeline will probably end up missing, cause they simply can't see where you are in the dark.
Chances are low that you'll even be able to swim to the lifeline if it's not throw within a few meters from you.
The Deck is quite far from sea level. With the ship moving combined with the water pushing you around, it's like asking
someone (probably untrained) to try and shoot a moving target 70 feet away.
And the captain won't even be alerted quickly enough to stop the ship. It will take a while for rescue boats to come out and look for you.

And if you do get saved, you'll probably get detained for the rest of the cruise for being such a dumbass.

[Chronix]

for the ppl who goes on cruise from vancouver, do you guys fly down to US ports?

[sonick]

for the ppl who goes on cruise from vancouver, do you guys fly down to US ports?

Yes you have to get yourself to the port of departure.

[Mr.JDM]

What if you fall overboard?

how can you fall overboard? only time you can actually fall is if your dumb enough to climb over the railings? Rails are there for a reason not a diving platform?

for the ppl who goes on cruise from vancouver, do you guys fly down to US ports?

yup caribbean cruise home ports in fort lauderdale, orlando, miami. if you think about it. its like going in a 2 in 1 vacation. stay few days before and after the cruise. watch miami heats game. just down the street from port of miami :)

[Gumby]

yup caribbean cruise home ports in fort lauderdale, orlando, miami. if you think about it. its like going in a 2 in 1 vacation. stay few days before and after the cruise. watch miami heats game. just down the street from port of miami :)
Enjoy your departure port BEFORE you go on the cruise.

You don't want to have "all you can eat steaks and not pay a dime" for 7 days, then eat at a restaurant in Miami (for example) while having to look at prices on the menu.

I remember doing Disney World after a cruise and spending a ridiculous amount for lunch...

[Mr.JDM]

yeah tell me about it miami full of ballers. we usually just cheap out on meals down in miami. just there for sightseeing so 1-2 days is more than enough for us. thinking about it now makes me want to have cuban food for lunch.. haha

[ilvtofu]

http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/1936675_460s_v1.jpg

Lol

[underscore]

What if you fall overboard?

It's pretty hard to do, the sides of some boats have glass angled in on top of the regular glass, so unless you start piling up deck chairs it's hard to get over it. Even if you did, the crew would notice long before you got to the top.

[sonick]

Ya unless you're being stupid and sitting or standing on the railing (I've heard stories), it's highly unlikely you'll fall overboard.

[AzNightmare]

It's pretty hard to do, the sides of most boats have glass angled in on top of the regular glass, so unless you start piling up deck chairs it's hard to get over it. Even if you did, the crew would notice long before you got to the top.

No it's not. Only the front has angled glass, which is there to create a windshield.

I've never been on a ship where the sides had glass angled back like a security fence.
And if you decide to walk around at night time, there's not going to be many crew in sight, if any at all.

The height of the fence or glass might vary from ship to ship,
but I can guarantee it's not going to be a high glass wall all around the entire ship.

http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/28/2874/FKDPD00Z/posters/mans-feet-in-sandals-standing-on-the-railing-of-a-cruise-ship.jpg

http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/90275/90275,1239685797,4/stock-photo-cruise-ship-railing-and-life-buoy-28454008.jpg

http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100028987-Shadows-of-boat-rail.jpg

:suspicious:

It's not hard at all to jump over if anyone really wanted to commit suicide.

[underscore]

No it's not. Only the front has angled glass, which is there to create a windshield.

I've never been on a ship where the sides had glass angled back like a security fence.
And if you decide to walk around at night time, there's not going to be many crew in sight, if any at all.

The height of the fence or glass might vary from ship to ship,
but I can guarantee it's not going to be a high glass wall all around the entire ship.



http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/28/2874/FKDPD00Z/posters/mans-feet-in-sandals-standing-on-the-railing-of-a-cruise-ship.jpg

http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/90275/90275,1239685797,4/stock-photo-cruise-ship-railing-and-life-buoy-28454008.jpg

http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100028987-Shadows-of-boat-rail.jpg



:suspicious:

It's not hard at all to jump over if anyone really wanted to commit suicide.

really? The two ships I've been on had the angled glass all down the sides, and on the back there was a lower deck that was crew only or something, so even if you fell off the back you'd land on that. I'll correct my post.

As far as crew, again the ships I've been on had crew working and out-and-about pretty much all the time.

[midnight_r]

:badpokerface:

[metal]

All of the ships I've been on have only had railings for most of the upper decks, apart from the front areas. Just got back from Mexico, same deal on the MS Oosterdam

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/rmetal/Mexico%202012/DSC_0412.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/rmetal/Mexico%202012/DSC_0419.jpg

[TMT]

RIP to those who lost there lives and fuck this captain. Hope he realizes for the rest of his life hes a pussy

[Soundy]

Grounded Cruise Ship Now A Tourist Attraction | Gadling.com (http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/08/grounded-cruise-ship-now-a-tourist-attraction/)

It won't rank up there with the Pantheon or Colosseum in Rome but the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia is drawing tourists. The mayor of the island of Giglio where salvage efforts continue on the half-sunk cruise ship calls them "hit and run" tourists, stopping for the day, taking photos then moving on by night.

[Gridlock]

And lemons have become lemonade.
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