The Costa Concordia is a stern reminder to travelers that they should educate themselves on the risks and procedures involved with cruise lines before embarking. There are so many reports surfacing about the terror and disorganized evacuation efforts of this ship as it tilted to its side with a 160-foot gash from running aground. There are stories of people fighting over life jackets and rescue boats as the ship began to lean precariously into the water. The stories are reminiscent of the tales of the Titanic, with panic and crazed passengers fearing for their lives. It is ironic that this event should take place so close to the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
There are constant reminders of the hazards of ship travel that take us back to the sinking 100 years ago of the Titanic. The passengers of the Condordia, like that of the Titanic, were told that it was a minor problem to be fixed and were not given evacuation instructions until it was too late. There appears to be a breakdown in evacuation procedures as well. Normally there is a safety course given to all passengers within the first 24 hours of boarding a ship. The Costa Condordia did not appear to educate its passengers or staff on proper evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.
The ship’s captain, Captain Francesco Schettino, is also being charged with manslaughter for leaving his ship in the midst of the evacuation. It is Italian law that the captain of a ship stay until all souls are accounted for. There are many accounts of this captain fleeing the ship before all of the passengers were safely on dry land. This captain may also be responsible for navigating too close to the shore, although there are claims that he was using navigation equipment. Those who live on the island of Giglio claim that no cruise ships have ever dared to come so close to their shore as the Costa Concordia had on Friday, January 13, 2012. There are also some reports that he may have been consuming alcohol before the ship struck the ground.
In the end, the cruise line will face close scrutiny as they must account for the breakdown of information to their passengers during the emergency and their treatment afterward. Sadly, there will also be mourning for those who lost the lives of those passengers who lost their lives. Hopefully this event will spark enough attention to cruise ship safety to change the way evacuation and safety procedures are carried out aboard cruise lines.