From Titanic to Concordia

7 Feb

Article first published as From Titanic to Concordia on Technorati.

The Titanic

With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking upon us this spring, the  comparisons with last month’s Costa Concordia disaster is one that TV producers  have found too tempting to avoid.  The former event, of course, claimed more  than 1,500 lives in the icy waters of the mid-Atlantic.  In the latter, 17 are  confirmed dead, some 60 injured and 15 still unaccounted for after a  Friday-the-13th grounding off of an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The captain of the Titanic went down with the ship.  The captain of the  Concordia fell into a lifeboat.  Aside from the inevitable panic ensuing as  terrified passengers scrambled into lifeboats, do significant similarities exist  between the two maritime disasters?  A century’s worth of books, documentaries  and movies have dissected the Titanic’s fortunes, but the Concordia’s tale is  still to unfold.  And, two cable channels hope to conjure up Titanic-style  ratings in telling the Concordia’s story.

National  Geographic Channel will air “Italian Cruise Ship Disaster:  The Untold  Stories” on Sunday, Feb. 12.  The program promises passenger interviews, crew  member stories, CGI recreating the ship’s rocky collision and submersion off the  island of Giglio; as well as previously-unaired video of the Concordia’s demise.  And, Nat Geo isn’t the only cable channel scheduled to air a Concordia  documentary.

The Discovery  Channel announced plans to air a special this spring focusing on the  Concordia salvage process.  That task poses challenges unlike anything else in  history, the Concordia being substantially larger and bulkier than the Titanic.  The cable channel offerings come on the heels of a sensationalistic “20/20” episode airing on ABC a week after the Concordia disaster.

A more well-balanced program, “The Wreck of the Costa Concordia,” aired  recently on the Canada’s CBC News “Fifth Estate.”  The program featured  testimonials from individuals such as the ship’s doctor, who treated injured  passengers on board while the ship listed precariously.  Another subject: a  local politician from Giglio, who went on board to help rescue passengers.  Both  unsung heroes for now, but if the Titanic is any indication, a century of  notoriety awaits them both.

Costa Concordia

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In Concordia’s Wake, Cruise Lines Attempt to Reassure

25 Jan

Nearly two weeks after the Costa Concordia tragedy off the coast of Tuscany, the story still garners daily headlines around the world.  And it no doubt will for quite some time.  In addition to the ongoing recovery efforts, coverage is now turning to the nascent legal wrangling surrounding the shipwreck.  As a former practicing attorney who once represented the world’s largest marine insurer-Lloyds of London-I can say with certainty that we will be reading about Concordia litigation for years.  And,  there will also be plenty that we never read about.  Such is the stuff of legal settlements.  Concordia’s story is still unfolding, with varying degrees of damage control leading the way.   The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s largest trade association, has been working overtime since the accident providing “talking points” to member lines and cruise-selling agents.  And, in the last few days, cruise executives from Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines sent out email blasts regarding the safety of their respective lines.

In his January 23rd email, Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Dan Hanrahan professed that he was conflicted about speaking out on his own lines’ safety record.  (And, I for one found the email in pretty bad taste.)  ”[T]he concerns that have been raised about the safety of cruise ships compelled me to take the opportunity to share what an intense focus we have always placed on safety, and how rigorously we put that focus into practice every day,” said Hanrahan.  ”[Y]ou also may be interested to know that the leader of Celebrity Cruises’ Captains is a highly experienced former officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, Greg Purdy.  As the head of our Marine Operations Department, Greg’s highest priority is to guide and monitor the safety of our fleet.  His own experience at sea, including serving as Captain of a Coast Guard vessel, combined with his depth of knowledge of cruise ship safety, ensures that he and the entire Celebrity Marine team continue to build on our strong safety culture,” he added.

In the same vein, Norwegian Cruise Lines’  CEO Kevin Sheehan today communicated that his line’s captains “are experienced seafarers with an average of 33 years at sea.  All of our Captains come up through the ranks progressing from Second Officer to First Officer and then Chief Officer up to Staff Captain before they can become Captains. On average, it takes at least 15 years for a Captain to be promoted into that role. We further ensure that our Captains regularly undergo rigorous simulation training on navigation and bridge operations,” said Sheehan.

Of course, in touting the experience of their own captains, the clear message from the competing lines is that the Costa Concordia’s captain Francesco Schettino’s own credentials fell short.  That may be.  But, could even the most skilled captain (a Sully Sullenberger of the high seas, if you will) have prevented the pandemonium that results from a listing ship filled with thousands of hapless passengers?http://www.dailycruisepost.com/BingSiteAuth.xml

Let’s hope we never find out.

Hanrahan

Sheehan

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Cruising Loreto’s World Heritage Islands

19 Jan

Baja California

History beckons in Baja, the “lower” of the two Californias settled by the Spaniards in the 17th century.  From the point of view of geography and population, it may be lower than its  neighboring namesake, but Baja California takes no backseat in terms of natural beauty, history and allure.  That holds especially true for the enchanting towns of the Sea of Cortez.  I spent the long weekend at one of them-Loreto-a two-hour direct flight from LAX on Alaska Airlines.  Site of the first Spanish mission in the Californias, the town’s macho fishing culture and year-round sunshine have attracted gringos from El Norte (among them John Steinbeck) for generations.  And now the new 181-room Villa Del Palmar resort in nearby Ensenada Blanca hopes to entice high-end visitors with an expansive spa facility and grounds surrounded by mangroves and mountain ridges where deer tread in the early morning around countless species of cacti.

Villa Del Palmar

Native vegetation surrounds the resort

Billing its location as the “Islands of Loreto” shrewdly highlights the resort’s most stunning attribute:  the series of islands the dot the coast.  Five of those islands comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site; a place whose waters hold migrating whales, flying manta rays and marine life so diverse that Jacques Cousteau dubbed it “the world’s aquarium.”  The islands themselves boast big-horned sheep and the blue-footed booby.  Relaxing within view of them evoked a tranquility and even a spirituality that reminded me of another UNESCO World Heritage Site known for it’s geologic outcroppings:  Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay.

Islands of Loreto

Mountains meet the Sea of Cortez

And, a cruise around those islands on a sunny January day reminded me of the smooth-as-glass waters of Glacier Bay.  Interestingly, a cruise line known for its Alaska itineraries, American Safari Cruises, plies these waters in small luxury yachts.  And, Holland America will call at Loreto in 2012 as well.  My encounters with town officials, residents and fellow travelers during my short visit gave me the distinct impression that Loreto is poised for a boom.  Not a Cabo-izing, alas, but something more authentic that befits this historic destination for a new age.

Cruising through a World Heritage Site

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Carnival Corp Reviews Safety Procedure

19 Jan

Following the tragic Costa Concordia accident, Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of Costa Cruises and nine leading cruise lines around the world, today announced a comprehensive audit and review of all safety and emergency response procedures across all of the company’s cruise lines.
Carnival Corporation & plc and the cruise industry as a whole have maintained an excellent safety record over the years. “However, this tragedy has called into question our company’s safety and emergency response procedures and practices,” said Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. “While I have every confidence in the safety of our vessels and the professionalism of our crews, this review will evaluate all practices and procedures to make sure that this kind of accident doesn’t happen again.”
The review is being led by Captain James Hunn, a retired U.S. Navy Captain and currently the company’s senior vice president of Maritime Policy & Compliance. Following a 32-year career in the Navy, Hunn has held senior positions at Carnival Corporation & plc for nearly a decade, focusing on corporate-wide efforts to establish maritime policy standards, while overseeing the company’s health, environmental, safety, and security practices.
Hunn and senior health and safety executives from each of the lines will review all safety and emergency response policies and procedures, officer and crew training and evaluation, bridge management and company-wide response and support efforts. Hunn will report to the Health, Environment, Safety & Security Committee of the Board, and to Howard Frank, vice chairman and chief operations officer of Carnival Corporation & plc.
In addition, the Health, Environment, Safety & Security Committee is engaging outside industry-leading experts in the fields of emergency response organization, training and implementation to conduct an audit of all of the company’s emergency response and safety procedures and to conduct a thorough review of the Costa Concordia accident.
Frank said, “This company-wide initiative will identify lessons learned and best practices to further ensure the security and safety of all of our passengers and crew.”
Carnival Corporation & plc also supports the call for a comprehensive evaluation of safety regulations by the International Maritime Organization, which was requested earlier today by the Cruise Lines International Association.

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Costa, Carnival on their Committment

18 Jan

Costa Cruise Lines and its parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc, today confirmed their commitment to provide full support to those passengers, crew and families of the victims of the Costa Concordia grounding.
“I give my personal assurance that we will take care of each and every one of our guests, crew and their families affected by this tragic event. Our company was founded on this principle and it will remain our focus,” said Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.
In this spirit, Costa has been arranging lodging and transportation for affected passengers and crew members to return home. Every passenger and crew member or their family is being contacted and the company has offered its assistance and counseling as needed, and will be addressing personal possessions lost on board. Costa has also begun the process of refunding all voyage costs including both passenger cruise fares and all costs incurred while on board. Our senior management teams are working together to determine additional support.
“During this time of tragedy, we are doing our very best to provide the needed support to the Costa Concordia passengers, crew and their families,” said Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and CEO of Costa Cruises.

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Latest Statement from Carnival Corp CEO Arison

17 Jan

This statement is from Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of Costa Cruises.

We are deeply saddened by the reports of additional deaths following the grounding of the Costa Concordia. On behalf of the entire Carnival Corporation & plc team, I offer our heartfelt condolences to all of those families affected by this tragedy.
Our immediate priority continues to be supporting rescue and recovery efforts and looking after our guests and crew members, along with securing the vessel to ensure there is no environmental impact.  My senior management team and I have been in continuous contact with the Costa executive team in Italy and we have our senior level technical experts on the ground to provide additional support for this tragic and highly unusual incident.
While this is a terribly sad time for everyone involved, we want to recognize the tremendous efforts of Concordia’s crew, who along with the Italian Coast Guard and authorities, helped to evacuate more than 4,000 passengers and crew members from the ship in very difficult conditions. And we continue to offer our deep gratitude to the Italian authorities for their support and ongoing efforts.
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

Costa Concordia Runs Aground in Italy

14 Jan

With word this afternoon that the Costa Concordia has apparently run aground shortly after departing Rome’s port of Civitavecchia, I’ll leave it to my fellow industry observers to make the inevitable Friday the 13th references.  The images of the listing vessel do look dicey and unconfirmed reports that I’m looking at in Italian indicate that not everyone was evacuated safely.  My thoughts go out to the passengers, and let’s hope that the news about this developing situation gets better.

Costa Concordia

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