Posted on 01/29/2012 3:57:21 AM PST by nuconvert
With bodies still trapped inside Costa Concordia’s underwater tomb, Carnival (CCL: 30.48, 0.00, 0.00%) now finds itself at the heart of scrutiny only likely to rise along with the death toll.
Carnival’s worst-ever wreck and one of the most high-profile incidents since the Titanic sank 100 years ago, it’s hard to imagine such a massive company blaming the disaster on a single person -- even if he did abandon ship early and steer a little too close to shore.
Even worse, while Carnival has vehemently denied earlier reports that it would offer survivors a 30% discount off future cruises, instead offering $14,500 each in compensation plus the cost of travel and a refund for the ill-fated cruise, its failure to douse rumors before they spread like wildfire didn't help its PR battle.
Meanwhile, Carnival’s CEO, Micky Arison, has only publicly surfaced through a few 140-character blips on Twitter and a short statement, leaving things in the hands of its lesser-known Italian subsidiary and Concordia operator Costa Cruises.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxbusiness.com ...
I’ve seen TV reports that each survivor will receive one million dollars, at minimum, much less the families of the fatalities.
Plus American Express just sent out an advertisement for a cruise on the Costa CONCORDIA!!
That would be more than 3 billion dollars.
No survivor is getting a million dollars.....families of the deceased might get that much.
Heck, I’d consider taking a cruise at a discount. There’s gotta be a bar on the exposed side that still has booze in it. I’d set up a chair/sleeping bag on a wall and get busy.
I think Mickey Arinson, the owner of the NBA team Miami Heat, is one of the owners of the cruise line. Is he a big Democratic donor? Because for the life of me, I cannot help thinking if this cruise line were run by a Republican capitalist the media would be making hay of their personal responsibility...
I don’t know about his political affiliations, but this disaster isn’t helping his billionaire status. Look what came out a week before the Concordia sinking...
Carnival CEO and Miami Heat owner Micky Arison lands on Forbes’ ‘biggest losers’ list
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/05/2575521/after-stock-takes-a-hit-carnival.html#storylink=cpy
btw- I didn’t realize Arison was born in Israel and has dual citizenship.
I wouldn't be so sure - with all the aggregious errors involved and all the publicity, Carnival might do very well for itself it it can get away with so little a dent.
They still haven’t found the body of the 5 yr old girl....
The captain and the captain alone is in command of that ship. At sea or underway If the owners say one thing and he another there is no contest. He has final responsibility so he ought to be damn careful what “suggestions” he accedes to.
Carnival gets very high marks for handling this life-threatening situation. The captain became very involved in decisions and it was apparent they had to get my son in law to a hospital ASAP. The captain changed the course of the cruise ship, even announced to the passengers what was happening and asked for prayer from passengers for my SIL and daughter.
Our family is very grateful to Carnival for their handling of our family's crisis.
-——The captain and the captain alone is in command of that ship——
I thought it was reported that at the time of the collision the captain was having a meal. Was he actually on the bridge and in direct maneuvering command when the ship struck the reef?
That is impressive. Just goes to show that who runs the show is very, very important. As someone else said, the Captain is responsible regardless of the situation or who suggested what. The buck stops there.
This writer obviously doesn’t realize that Costa is a very big, very old, and very respected shipping line in Europe. It has 9 or 10 more ships the size of Concordia. They are quite capable of handling the situation — bashing Carnival is sort of senseless.
If he is asleep in his bunk the ship is presumably doing what he has ordered. He has “command” unless he is dead. Anything he does of course he must later be able to justify. It’s the command/responsibility thing; they need someone upon which to hang laurels or to hang until dead, depending upon how things go...
It will likely be in the area of $14k per survivor plus a discount on a future cruise in the neighborhood of 30%. The deceased, well, that will be litigated. The fine print that no one reads when they purchase tickets limits recoveries, even in cases of cruise line negligence, and in Carnival Concordia's case, the cases must be filed in some tiny village in Northern Italy as it is the jurisdiction agreed upon by purchasing tickets. Fine print - it's a bi$ch!
I know and understand all you said but that does not answer the question.
The right captain, boss, leader, or President makes all the difference. The wrong one makes for a disaster.
You can contract away normal risks associated with an activity, but no matter how hard you try it is very difficult to contract away your culpability for gross negligence such as taking deliberate action to put your ship on the rocks.
And the owners, and the owners alone, APPOINTED that man to be Captain and thereby their agent. They are thus totally responsible for any of his failures. They chose poorly.
They will try to put the captain’s behavior “outside the scope” of his employment and limit their exposure
30% off future cruises ?!?
lol
“They chose poorly.”
Poorly indeed! This guy’s lack of care, concern and interest in what the ship was doing after it struck the rocks, and then his back and forth with the Coast Guard was Homer Simpson come to life. I’d say they’re screwed.
“I thought it was reported that at the time of the collision the captain was having a meal. Was he actually on the bridge and in direct maneuvering command when the ship struck the reef?”
I recall that the 1st officer was dubious about the pass and sent word to the Captain of his concern and that the Captain, at dinner, waved it away. Or at some point before or after the rocks the captain waved away the bridge’s concern with the situation. Amazed the hell out of me. Will have to re-read. There were so many versions of events at the start with this story
I got that ad too, with a beautiful shot of the Concordia edging close to Venice on the cover. This is a collector’s item.
I think Mickey Arinson, the owner of the NBA team Miami Heat, is one of the owners of the cruise line.
The $14K amount is the correct one. A couple from Albuquerque was on the cruise and a news report had them saying they had recieved $28K and a full refund for cruise and airfare.
If (as some suggest) the Captain was involved (with a BJ?) and no other officer or crew was at the ready to take over as a matter of standard operation, what if the old boy dosed off or had a heart attack? It simply doesn't add up.
We were on a Carnival cruise in the Caribbean in 2010, on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. At noon, the captain came on the loudspeaker and told all passengers and non-essential crew to clear off the top deck. One passenger became critically ill and a helo from the Coast Guard station in Miami came out to the ship, in about two hours. It couldn’t land on the ship, so a corpseman was lowered on to the upper deck and was able to secure the patient in a special rig. He was lifted back up to the helo which left immediately. Don’t know how it came out, but kudos to that Italian captain and especially to the USCG rescue crew!
“——The captain and the captain alone is in command of that ship——
I thought it was reported that at the time of the collision the captain was having a meal. Was he actually on the bridge and in direct maneuvering command when the ship struck the reef?”
It doesn’t matter where he was on the ship, He STILL holds ultimate direct responsibility. Others might be faulted but it is still his baby! USN Ret.
Last night, the Captain had said in deposition that he was doing the course change by eye, not using the instruments, as he had done it 4 or 5 times in the past and he knew those waters well. Then he said he left the turn order too late and he doesn't know why that happened. I was just shaking my head.
Lightning, huge waves, and they pointed the boat and blasted at full speed right into it. Imagine a shopping mall where everyone is taking two sideway steps for every one step forward to maintain balance.
1st person - "Whoops, excuse me."
2nd person - "Hey that's okay, we're all in the same boat"
It was fun. And I guess they knew what they were doing. Powerful Ship!
CORPSMAN!! CORPSMAN!!! No Obamaisms PLEASE!
“It simply doesn’t add up. “
Exactly. My first thought upon hearing of the incident was: “HOW!?” You can program alarms with respect to the ships position at any given time, assuming the GPS is functional. I understand nothing about this incident.
It’s Princess or Royal Caribbean for me.. can’t afford the Cunard or Crystal cruises. May try a Celebrity before I keel over. :-)
never sailed with Carnival. Ya get what ya pay for, if your lucky I reckun.
Some folks want an experience they can remember the rest of their life. Some just like to party or lay around like walruses in the sun, sip and feed and read and nod.
I wonder if the folks onboard were advised of the closeness of the pass to Giglio? On any cruise I’ve been on that I remember, they’d let ya know a thing like that.
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