Monday, April 1, 2024

Exactly What Happened To The Costa Concordia?

concordia cruise

Submerged in the Mediterranean’s depths, the vessel no longer traverses the world’s waters but has embarked on an eternal, anchored existence. The Costa Concordia shipwreck, challenging as it was, brought together numerous stakeholders, from environmentalists to engineers, all dedicated to mitigating its impact. Introducing oil booms and proactive fuel extraction efforts displayed an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship. Her maiden voyage in July 2006 foreshadowed what was meant to be a long-standing Mediterranean staple.

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Costa Concordia reveals its darkest secrets - CNN

Costa Concordia reveals its darkest secrets.

Posted: Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The Costa Concordia was owned by Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & PLC. When launched in 2005, it was Italy’s largest cruise ship, measuring 951 feet (290 metres) long with a passenger capacity of 3,780; by comparison, the Titanic was 882.5 feet (269 metres) long and could accommodate up to 2,435 passengers. It featured four swimming pools, a casino, and reportedly the largest spa on a ship. In July 2006 the vessel undertook its maiden voyage, a seven-day cruise of the Mediterranean Sea, with stops in Italy, France, and Spain. The liner hit a rock when it maneuvered too close to the island, prompting a chaotic evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew. Let’s delve into the specifics — the cruise industry witnessed the birth of new lifesaving protocols and evacuation drills that were now to be completed before a ship could even leave the harbor.

Costa Concordia Wreck Site Now

Captain Schettino claimed that Costa Cruises had instructed him to perform a sail-past salute, which is when a cruise ship makes a special maneuverer by sailing close to land. Costa Cruises, however, confirmed that Captain Schettino did not take the approved route for this display. Once it’s upright, the sponsons will be drained, and additional ones will be attached to the other side. With luck, the liner will be towed into an Italian port, where ship breakers will spend two years turning it into scrap metal, which will be sold. If all goes well, the two-hour par­buckling maneuver will climax months of work by 450 technicians.

concordia cruise

Investigation and trial

Approximately 500 international salvage experts collaborated on what would become a historic mission, utilizing advanced underwater platforms and cranes to parry further environmental injury. The Costa Concordia wreck site resonates with a quiet that belies the intense dramas once played out on its decks. What remains is a powerful testament to humanity’s respect for nature in the face of disruptive events.

Navigating Through Tragedy: Captain Francesco Schettino’s Role

For Concordia survivor Georgia Ananias, the COVID-19 infections are just the latest evidence that passenger safety still isn’t a top priority for the cruise ship industry. Passengers aboard the Concordia were largely left on their own to find life jackets and a functioning lifeboat after the captain steered the ship close too shore in a stunt. He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily. More than a year after it ran aground with 4,252 people aboard, shocking viewers worldwide, the cruise ship Costa Concordia remains wedged on rocks near the Italian island Giglio. Its owner, the Carnival Corporation, is spending $400 million on one of the largest salvage operations ever attempted, the Parbuckling Project.

Crew members underwent extensive training, focusing on their assigned roles and emergency response techniques. It was evident that the prior status quo could no longer stand, with the cruise ship crash Italy event catalyzing change. Reflecting on the Costa Concordia as it stands now, the remnants of the once majestic cruise liner continue to captivate and serve as a poignant emblem of a maritime catastrophe. The Costa Concordia wreck site evokes powerful emotions and is steeped in environmental concerns.

How the Wreck of a Cruise Liner Changed an Italian Island

The vessel was on the edge of an underwater cliff, leading to worries that the ship might slip and break apart, causing an oil spill. To lessen any potential damage, oil booms were placed around the wreckage, and in February 2012 salvage workers began removing more than 2,000 tons of fuel; the undertaking was completed the following month. Through the confusion, the captain somehow made it into a lifeboat before everyone else had made it off.

5 convicted over deadly Costa Concordia cruise liner wreck in Italy - CNN

5 convicted over deadly Costa Concordia cruise liner wreck in Italy.

Posted: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Launching of Italy’s Largest Cruise Liner

Several of the ship’s crew, notably Capt. Francesco Schettino, were charged with various crimes. But the report noted that some passengers testified that they didn’t hear the alarm to proceed to the lifeboats. Evacuation was made even more chaotic by the ship listing so far to starboard, making walking inside very difficult and lowering the lifeboats on one side, near to impossible. Making things worse, the crew had dropped the anchor incorrectly, causing the ship to flop over even more dramatically. Salvage crews completed setting the wreck of the Costa Concordia upright early Tuesday after a 19-hour-long operation off the Italian island of Giglio, where the huge cruise liner capsized 20 months ago.

Once Costa Concordia was upright, it needed to be raised up out of the water and refloated to be towed to a scrapyard. Five others, including two bridge officers and the ship’s hotel director, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and negligence in July. Captain Francesco Schettino has been charged with multiple counts of manslaughter and causing the wreck. The so-called parbuckling operation, in which the ship was painstakingly rotated upright, took longer than the hours initially estimated, but engineers said the project had gone exceptionally smoothly. Before this could happen, though, the ship had to be stabilized to prevent any further sinking or slipping. Moreover the "false bottom," that the ship would rest on after being brought to a vertical position had to be prepared.

The work done by salvage teams was not just a technical achievement but a concerted effort to preserve a vulnerable ecosystem that had the misfortune of being the stage for this tragedy. As the wake of the Costa Concordia tragedy continued to spread, the legal repercussions for those involved were swift and significant, signaling a new chapter of accountability following the maritime disaster. The latest news on Costa Concordia reverberated through the corridors of justice as several crew members faced the consequences of that fateful night.

The salute—a maritime tradition where ships pass close to shore in a display of honor or greeting—proved fateful for the Concordia, as it encountered unforeseen rocks. The sad anniversary comes as the cruise industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month warned people across-the-board not to go on cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of the risks of infection. Evidence introduced in Schettino’s trial suggests that the safety of his passengers and crew wasn’t his number one priority as he assessed the damage to the Concordia. The Concordia was supposed to take passengers on a seven-day Italian cruise from Civitavecchia to Savona.

A coast guard member angrily told him on the phone to “Get back on board, damn it! “I imagine it like a nail stuck to the wall that marks that date, as a before and after,” he said, recounting how he joined the rescue effort that night, helping pull ashore the dazed, injured and freezing passengers from lifeboats. Engineers were successful on Monday in shifting the hull of the Costa Concordia ocean liner from the Italian reef where it has lain stricken since January 2012, according to reports.

The ship's owner last week estimated the cost of the salvage operation at $795 million "and rising." Thunderstorms and lightning delayed the operation by around two hours, but at around 9 a.m. Local time (3 a.m. ET) Italian officials gave the all clear for the 500-strong team of engineers to begin moving the giant vessel. The daring attempt to pull the shipwrecked ocean liner upright began early Monday.

As the maritime community continues to remember the lives lost during the 2012 carnival sinking cruise ship tragedy, the commitment to perpetuating these enhanced cruise safety practices remains unwavering. To this day, the impact of the Costa Concordia disaster reverberates through every drill performed, every check made, and every safety briefing held on cruise ships roaming the seas. Such a colossal event reshaped an industry, and as we move forward, it steadfastly informs a global mission to secure the safety and enjoyment of passengers and crew for generations to come. During his trial, which I followed closely, the Concordia shipwreck captain faced severe backlash for mishandling the situation, culminating in a conviction for manslaughter and causing a maritime disaster. The court of public opinion was no kinder than the Italian legal system; Schettino infamously became emblematic of imprudent leadership at sea. His duties to the passengers and crew bound by trust and safety were, by adjudged accounts, all but neglected.

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