Costa Concordia Accident – A Different Perspective

The Costa Concordia accident has very much been a ‘trail by media so far’ with Captain Schettino being branded the sole cause of the tragedy.  Now I doubt this his decesions and actions were flawed, but just about every serious accident has ‘multiple-cuasation’.  In other words there is normally a number of factors which combine to cause the accident and not just one single factor.

 In fact, the chief prosecutor, Beniamino Deidda, in charge of the inquiry has implored investigators to look beyond the behaviour of the captain to the role played by the liner’s owners, Costa Cruises.

He said investigators needed to avert their gaze to the decisions taken by “the employer; that is to say, the ship’s owner”.

There are some alternative viewpoints which are largely being overlooked by the press:

• Concordia is the  biggest ship to be lost (in terms of passenger number), in peace time, for 100 years. That’s not a bad record for the cruise industry!

• The Captain probably saved lives by turning the ship around a beaching the ship very near land.

• Full evacuation of a big-modern ship is considered the last resort. This may have explained the delay.

• This was the most successful evacuation of a big ship in history. 99% survived*.

(*I do not  intend any disrespect to those who tragically lost their lives).

Concordia Captain: “this time I ordered the turn too late”

This story continues to reveal new/different information on a daily basis:

The captain of the cruise ship that capsized on Friday, killing at least 11 people, has admitted making a navigation mistake, Italian media say.

Captain Francesco Schettino told investigators he had “ordered the turn too late” as the luxury ship sailed close to an island, according to a leaked interrogation transcript.

According to the leaked transcript quoted by Italian media, Capt Schettino said the route of the Costa Concordia on the first day of its Mediterranean cruise had been decided as it left the port of Civitavecchia, near Rome, on Friday.

The captain reportedly told the investigating judge in the city of Grosseto that he had decided to sail close to Giglio to salute a former captain who had a home on the Tuscan island.

“I was navigating by sight because I knew the depths well and I had done this manoeuvre three or four times,” he reportedly said.

“But this time I ordered the turn too late and I ended up in water that was too shallow. I don’t know why it happened.”

(Source BBC News)

Concordia Accident – Not So Clear Cut?

This BBC News footage below suggests that the Concordia Accident may not simply a case of a ‘rouge’ Captain at the helm:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16607837

(Non-uk viewers may not be able to watch the link, sorry).

Somebody had  previously decided that passing even closer to the island was a safe manoeuver for the ship.  The Captain said that there was not supposed top be any rocks on the route and previously the ship had not found any.  I think Costa have some explaining to do!

As I said below it is quite WRONG for Costa/Carnival to blame him BEFORE the inquiry. What happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’?  Carnival were protecting their cruise product by giving the Captain the sole  blame.

As for the Captain being a coward, as the papers have said -  the guy was probably in ‘shock’ and may not have been mentally or physically capable of assisting the evacuation.

The Captain is responsible for the largest passenger ship loss since the Titanic

Carnival cruise Lines have taken the unprecedented step of effectively admitting that Captain Francesco Schettino was responsible for the loss of the largest passenger ship In peace time for  a hundred years.  This is a very unusual step for Carnival to take even before the investigation is complete.

At present (15 January) five deaths have been reported.

Here is Carnivals official statement:

Sunday, January 15th 2012

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. Time 8.15 pm (CET) We at Costa Cruises are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected.

Over the past 48 hours, more than 1,100 Costa employees have been working tirelessly in the wake of this terrible event. We are working closely with the authorities to support ongoing search-and-rescue operations, and are focusing on ensuring that all guests and crewmembers return home safely.

Our immediate priority is to account for all passengers and crew, and to secure the vessel to ensure that there are no environmental impacts. We have engaged the services of a top specialized salvage company to develop an action plan and help establish a protection perimeter around the ship. It should be noted that the Prosecutor has seized the ship and the DVR— the so-called “black box” containing all navigation data — and the vessel can be accessed by Costa only with permission from the authorities.

We are working with investigators to find out precisely what went wrong aboard the Costa Concordia. While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship’s master, Captain Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences. The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and in handling the emergency the captain appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures. We are aware that the lead Prosecutor has leveled serious accusations against the ship’s captain, who joined Costa Crociere in 2002 as a safety officer and was appointed captain in 2006.

In light of these accusations and the continuing investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.

As we are learning more about the event and the evacuation, however, it is becoming clear that the crew of the Costa Concordia acted bravely and swiftly to help evacuate more than 4,000 individuals during a very challenging situation. We are very grateful for all they have done.

Costa is committed to ensuring that no such incident ever occurs again. Our number-one priority is always the safety and security of our guests and crew, and we comply with all safety regulations. (See background on Costa safety below).

Background on Costa’s Commitment to Safety

Costa complies very strictly with all safety regulations and our personnel are committed, first and foremost, to guest safety and security.

All crewmembers hold a BST (Basic Safety Training) certificate and are trained and prepared in emergency management and to assist passengers abandoning the ship with numerous drills.Roles, responsibilities and duties are clearly assigned to all crewmembers. Every two weeks all crewmembers perform a ship evacuation simulation. A lifeboat and evacuation drill for all guests is conducted within 24 hours of embarking, as required by law. Costa has a computerized system that ensures all passengers undergo this drill.

The skills of Costa crew are periodically tested by Coast Guard authorities and an independent classification organization, per SMS (Safety Management Systems) requirements.

There are lifeboats and jackets on board in excess of the number required for all passengers and crew. Lifeboats are equipped with food and water supplies, first-aid kits and communication and signaling equipment. All life-saving appliances meet international standards and are subject to close, regular inspection by shipboard personnel and certification authorities. All Costa ships are certified by RINA and have been built to the highest standards and technologies.

Malcolm says: It is unprecedented for a cruise line to BLAME the Captain even before the official enquiry has taken place.  Whatever happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’?

I think Carnival are effectively saying “There nothing wrong with our ships, so please keep booking our cruises”.

O.K. the Captain may well  shoulder some blame, but most accidents are actually a case of ‘cumulative-causation’.  That is several unfortunate factors coming together at once.

The Captain may well not have been on the Bridge at the time – mind you he is still ultimately responsible. He would certainly not been alone on the bridge.  Comments please.

This BBC video report  is interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16586647

“Concordia a Modern Day Titanic” (Cruise ship Disaster)

“Concordia a Modern Day Titanic”  That’s what some are calling this tragedy. After all, this year is the Titanic’s 100th anniversary. Quite different ships and situations of course, with less loss of life this time, but never the less shocking!

Official statement from Costa owners Carnival Corporation & plc in Miami.

On January 13, 2012, Costa Cruises’ vessel, the Costa Concordia, departed from Civitavecchia, Italy with approximately 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members on a seven-day voyage. At approximately 10:00pm CET, the vessel struck rock off the coast of Isola del Giglio, Italy and sustained significant damage causing the ship to list severely. The order was given to abandon ship and deploy the lifeboats.

Tragically, there are reports of some deaths and injuries. This is a terrible tragedy and we are deeply saddened. Carnival Corporation & plc offers our sympathies and heartfelt condolences to all of the Costa Concordia guests, crew members and their families. Carnival Corporation & plc and Costa Cruises are committing our full resources to provide assistance and ensure that all guests and crew are looked after.

We want to express our deep gratitude to the Italian Coast Guard and local authorities and community members who have gone to extraordinary lengths to assist in the evacuation of the ship and provide support for our guests and crew.

We are working to fully understand the cause of what occurred. The safety of our guests and crew members remains the number one priority of Carnival Corporation & plc and all of our cruise lines.

Costa Concordia was sailing on a Mediterranean cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome) with scheduled calls at Savona, Italy; Marseille, France; Barcelona, Spain; Palma de Mallorca; Cagliari and Palermo, Italy.

(Reuters) – The captain of the Italian cruise ship which ran aground late on Friday appears to have taken the vessel very close to the shore in a dangerous manner, officials said on Saturday.

At least three people died in the disaster. The huge, 290 meter long vessel, carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, ran aground in shallow waters off the Tuscan island of Giglio but the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

“There was a dangerous close approach which very probably caused the accident, although it will be for the investigation to establish that fully,” coast guard spokesman Luciano Nicastro told SkyTG24.

He said the captain then attempted a safety manoeuvre, setting anchor and bringing the ship closer to the shore to facilitate a rescue.

“This was an operation which allowed thousands of people to be taken ashore quickly and in a reasonably safe manner,” he said.

The ANSA news agency quoted the state prosecutor of the town of Grosetto as saying that the captain brought the ship close to shore “very clumsily.”

(Reporting By James Mackenzie; Editing by Peter Graff)

Costa Concordia Runs Aground – Lives Lost!

14 January 2012

At least three people are reported to have died after a cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany in Italy.

Coastguards were forced to evacuate more than 4,000 passengers and crew from the Costa Concordia, near to the Isola del Giglio.

The ship had sailed earlier on Friday from Civitavecchia port near Rome for a Mediterranean cruise. Passengers were eating dinner, when they heard a loud bang.

Cruise ship shop worker Fabio Costa described scenes of chaos as ”people started to panic”.

Three people are confirmed dead after a cruise ship carrying more than 4,000 people ran aground off Italy.

There were scenes of panic as the Costa Concordia hit a sandbar on Friday evening near the island of Giglio and listed about 20 degrees.

Most people reached land by lifeboats but some swam to shore.

At least 50 people have not yet been accounted for, Italian officials say, but they caution that the passenger list may not be fully up to date.

Coast guard vessels are combing the waters around the ship, while divers are searching the submerged decks.

The regional prefect’s office said 4,165 out of 4,234 people on board had been accounted for, the Italian news agency Ansa reported.

Italian, German, French and British nationals were among the 3,200 passengers on board. There were also 1,000 crew.

Three people were confirmed dead, Italian coast guard officials said on Saturday morning – fewer than the six or eight deaths reported by Italian media earlier. Fourteen people were injured.

Below we can see catastrophic ‘gash’:

Below: A close-up:

Malcolm Says: Sad news indeed, which has implications for the whole cruise ship industry. This is just not supposed to happen to a big modern ship!  How did the ship hit a rocks, given the fact that the ship and many others take this route every week?  What about the hi-tech radar and sonar systems on-board?  Why did the ship list and capsize so quickly  given modern design of bulkheads and water tight doors? How well was the evacuation handled? Have modern cruise ships become to big for their own safety?

Concordia was only built in 2006 and is the biggest ship in the Costa fleet, at 114, 147 gross tonne. There are some sister ships in operation. This accident has serious implications for this particular ship design and in fact, all cruise ship design.

Happy New Year!

A Happy New Year to all of my readers. I’ve been a little quiet recently, but now I’m back on-line!

Towards the end of 2011 I finally got around to trying out the ‘classic’ ship, ‘Marco Polo’.

Now I must admit that it was the cheapest cruise that I’ve ever taken.  So was it a low quality experience on a rusty little old tub (1965) or did the experience far exceed the fare paid?

Well I’m afraid that will have to wait a while until I write my full review.

SeaFrance in Troubled Waters

23rd November, 2011: Cross Channel ferry operator SeaFrance services were  suspended following court action to decide the future of the stricken carrier.  However they failed to resume services, despite being given the go-ahead by a court inFrance.

With the ferry company now under the control of administrators, passengers had hoped to see the carrier return to the seas yesterday.

The Dover-Calais operator has been given until January 28th to attract buyers, or its services will stop altogether.

Rival DFDS and LD Lines have proposed a joint offer for the firm, valued at €5 million while an employee co-operative has offered €1 for the ferry operator.

However, French court ruled that both offers were too low.

The Tribunal de Commerce inParissaid SeaFrance, which was placed in administration after losing €240m last year, was worth more.

In the meantime, rival P&O Ferries has increased services in an attempt to attract SeaFrance passengers.

See my review of SeaFrances competition: http://wp.me/PfRKD-126

Queen Mary 2 Interior Design

The QM2 is a wonderful ship, but like all ships she does have some quirks. 

Have you ever wondered why the QM2′s ‘Kings Court’ (buffet) has a long, confusing, far from ideal, design?  Why is the Night Club (G32) is so out of keeping with the rest of the ship in terms of decor and can only accesses through the ‘Queens Room’. ( The dance music can leak through G32′s doors out into the more sedate ‘Queens Room’.) Why was ‘Todd English’ picked for the alternative dining restaurant.

Gerry Ellis, a former chief officer of the Queen Elizabeth 2  served as the QM2 project coordinator.  He explained for Travelpage.com how the QM2′s design was all a compromise:

The layouts of the rooms were a continually changing scene through the 5 years leading up to the delivery of the ship. Many of the locations are where they are for good reason, often structural, sometimes compromise for operational reasons.

Todd English was originally to be a Lido style restaurant that opened up onto the aft deck. It was also intended to be linked strongly to the Lido on deck 7 through the staircase on the port side. That staircase was considered as an escalator or a wider sweeping stair to ensure the connection was made. There was then a campaign to get recognisable chef’s or restaurants on-board that would match the product that was being sold. Originally, Todd English was to be “Rules” restaurant. Rules is the oldest restaurant in London, is very popular amongst politicians and city business men. Their menu is very traditional old style English – surprisingly good. Actually exceptionally good. They have their own land and parks in Scotland where you can bag your own fowl and the restaurant will serve it to you a little while later in London. It was all very old style upper class England, very authentic and would have been lapped up in the States. It was then decided that that was too specific and narrow spectrum and Todd English came on scene. By now of course, the idea of going back to a simple Lido restaurant was forgotten and we have what we have now. The link to the Lido on deck 7 was not required to be as strong so the staircase was reduced to the one on the port side that we have now.

The Grills need a specific galley with different equipment and layout. The supply for these needs to be on elevator and crew stairways in line with the stores, below. The one galley serves both restaurants and this means the Grill chef’s can operate together. One of the only viable locations for this was where they are now. They needed to be somewhere next to open deck as this gives them a cache that would not exist if they were internal or lower down.

G32 was originally “The Yacht Club” by the way and was a much more gentile, cocktail bar like the one on QE2 – It was then decided we needed a conventional night club and we changed the decor and the name – (G32 was my idea). The transition between the entrance and the Queen’s room was always going to be awkward. The challenge was the change in deck level between the aft end of the Britannia restaurant, through the Queens room and into G32. There is a half deck height change in order to accommodate the ‘tween deck passages through the restaurant between the upper and lower levels (it was very difficult to envisage this in the design stages and caused many headaches…)

 In addition, there is no passenger staircase at the entrance to G32 as there is crew area above and stores below. Only a small crew staircase. We were taking advantage of the availability of space that could be used for a public room but that could only be accessed through the same deck. Because it is so isolated, it means it is a good space for a nightclub as no passenger cabins are disturbed. That brings us back to the challenge of the transition from the Queen’s room. There was just enough space to put an ‘airlock’ with a double door arrangement. This is negated when both sets of doors are opened at the same time. This arrangement was obviously a compromise but the alternative was to use the space as storage. There was not sufficient capacity on the stairs to build extra cabins.

The Lido (Kings Court) was going to be a sprawling affair and an attempt was made to give each section a character of its own to break it down, this led to the idea of using the space in the evening in separate restaurants. I think this works well, actually better than during the day when the theming may not be strong enough to delineate the areas. The design of the ship did not help here. She has a very strong ‘backbone’ in the centre of the ship that acts like a structural spine. It means that the space outboard of this structure is slightly less than on a conventional cruise ship without this very strong box spine. It was always going to be a challenge.

There was a great deal of planning went into the ship. The team wrestled with this type of problem for many, many hours. There was often a challenge due to the nature of the ship being an Ocean Liner with non conventional shape and not an empty box to layout as freely as normal. She is a very different animal and I stand by the design and layout as the best that could have been done with the restrictions and parameters that we had, some of which I have touched on here.

Gerry Ellis (2006)

Cunard Queen Mary 2 Refit Details

In January 2012 Queen Mary 2 will celebrate her 8^th birthday. We have through every year of her life continued to invest in her. Well in late November Queen Mary 2 will be taken out of service, and out of the water, for a planned refit in Hamburg, Germany. She will be out of service for 14 days.

Staterooms – We will refurbish all 1,310  staterooms on board Queen Mary 2. Each of the Queen’s Grill Grand Duplex, Master and Penthouse Suites will receive a fresh individual design. All of our Queen’s Grill Suites, Princess Grill and Britannia Staterooms will receive new carpets, curtains, bedcovers, linen and some will also see new soft furnishings. The designs will be very much in keeping with the current designs and with the overall ship – but with a fresh look.

Golden Lion Pub – our guests have worn the Pub out. The Pub lunches are more popular than ever, the bar area is always busy and sport and musical events are increasingly popular. So we have completely redesigned this room. Below are a couple of shots of how the new Pub will look. It recreates the best of British Pubs as well as the comfortable American Country Club feel. We will achieve more comfortable seats and more of them. We will have new and improved screens for sporting events and we will still be able to have our famous Jazz evenings and daytime activities.

The New Golden Lion

New Golden Lion

 

Commodore Club–one of the most iconic bar locations at sea up on deck 9 forward. No radical changes here – but as you can see form the design layout below we are investing in new carpets and refurbishing and adding to our beautiful white leather furniture.

New Commodore Club

Children’s Club – one of Cunard’s best keep secrets. We have excellent facilities – but although they were industry leading in 2004 it is time for us to invest further in the facilities. We will refurbish the area, including the very latest in electronic gaming and entertainment.

Sir Samuel’s – Originally designed when the ship came into service as a venue to offer the very best in classic wines. The advent of Cappuccinos, Lattes and Espresso has changed our approach and the room is very busy day and night. So time for new carpets and some new chair covers which will give the room a real lift.

Grill Restaurants – We will lay down a new carpet design for both the Queen’s Grill and Princess Grill Restaurants. These will be very much in keeping with the overall design but I think will give a lighter feel to both restaurants – which remain amongst the best restaurants at sea or on land.

New Queens Grill

Carpets – We will be refreshing the carpets in many areas of decks 2 and 3 both in public rooms and through our wonderful central walkways and landings.

What are we not doing -  Kings Court: Given it’s location, and the fact that it covers such a large area with many sections – some of our guests have in the past found ‘Kings Court’ (the buffet area) can be quite confusing. To make significant changes to the actual structure of this area would be very difficult and prohibitively expensive given it’s scale. So we have been tackling this in different ways. We have been looking carefully at customer flow, our food and beverage offering and in particular how we best manage the service in Kings Court.  (Malcom Says: I’m told that the long/narrowish structure of ‘kings Court’ is becuse the QM2 is an Ocean Liner with a very strong ‘back bone’ so it cannot be a larger open plan buffet area, like on-board many other mega-ships.)

Down Below – Interestingly part of the technical work will be to add a Skycon to the ship. What is a Skycon I hear you say? You may have seen them on other ships but surprisingly Queen Mary 2 did not have this feature. It is a small rail that goes round the higher decks of the ship, to which you add a cage for the deck crew to clean and maintain many of the external railings and windows.

Peter Shanks

(Edited from “We Are Cunard” Blog)

Old Golden Lion (Image: Solent Richard)

 Read my QM2 review here:  http://wp.me/PfRKD-4