Concordia News: Please Post Here

[qtlikeme]

Thanks for this account qtlikeme. I remember you were on this thread early on and were actually on the Concordia that night. Have you been able to put this past you? Has it been easy or not so easy? Were you able to settle with Costa or are you with the groups that are still waiting?

 

I will never forget! It has not been easy but thankfully with counselling and medication early on I was able to sleep again and now more than 6 months later my mind is healed but the event is never very far from my thoughts!

 

We settled with Costa and are planning a dream vacation this fall. I appreciate the wonderful life that we have and our second chance. I could not have tolerated waiting for a settlement in the courts. Every one has to make their own decision however.

 

I read this thread almost daily! How long will it keep going????

[Uniall]

I mentioned a few pages back a photograph taken on board Costa Concordia on the 12th January, 2012...24 hours prior to the accident.

 

I have had permission to post it here from the family that is in the photo with Francesco Schettino.

 

The photo is important...the body language, facial expression of Francesco Schettino is not comfortable, almost fearful. He has, in the months since the accident been portayed as someone who loved being infront of a camera lens...this photo shows that for whatever reason, he was not comfortable at all being there.

 

That is the look and body language of a man with alot on his plate, someone who is not comfortable and who is under strain....even overwhelmed by something. It was seconds later that the Chief Engineer took him to one side and spoke to him, the colour drained from his face and he left the area for a time. Prior to the photo, the husband in the photo spoke to him and he said that Francesco came across as if he was pre-occupied and not at all himself. The family had also sailed with him before and noticed a marked change in his demeanor.

 

Remeber, this is 24 hours BEFORE the accident.

 

You're putting your own self serving spin on what the photo shows. The Captain could just as well be thinking "how can I get away from this stupid photo op and prepare the Captain's Cabin for Amore and Dominica".

[sidari]

If one were prone to be a conspiracy theorist, they might suspect that "Costa Smurfette" and "Stella_Mare" are either your alter egos or were recruited by you to register with CruiseCritic.com and become members of your Captain Schittino Fan Club. :eek:

 

It's strange that they became new members with the sole purpose of posting on this thread. In the real world, coincidences do happen but two in the same day pushes reality a bit much

 

Uni .... It`s hard work being retired at 52 and having to work just for the fun of it .. :)

it just gets in the way of posting on cc and reading some of the nonsense you appear to be posting recently ... :eek:

 

While i can claim to know one of the posters via other cruise forums i do not know the most recent one! this person knows way more than i do about cruising and cruise ships and probably more than 99% of posters on cc.

 

It seems that you do not like being told by a woman who knows way more than you are ever going to learn about cruising ...:D

 

Now excuse me while i go and catch up on the previous 3 or more pages.

Edited August 8, 2012 by sidari

[SomeBeach]

I mentioned a few pages back a photograph taken on board Costa Concordia on the 12th January, 2012...24 hours prior to the accident.

 

I have had permission to post it here from the family that is in the photo with Francesco Schettino.

 

The photo is important...the body language, facial expression of Francesco Schettino is not comfortable, almost fearful. He has, in the months since the accident been portayed as someone who loved being infront of a camera lens...this photo shows that for whatever reason, he was not comfortable at all being there.

 

That is the look and body language of a man with alot on his plate, someone who is not comfortable and who is under strain....even overwhelmed by something. It was seconds later that the Chief Engineer took him to one side and spoke to him, the colour drained from his face and he left the area for a time. Prior to the photo, the husband in the photo spoke to him and he said that Francesco came across as if he was pre-occupied and not at all himself. The family had also sailed with him before and noticed a marked change in his demeanor.

 

Remeber, this is 24 hours BEFORE the accident.

 

It was also reported that his wife was leaving the ship the next morning and his mistress was boarding. :D Could stress a man out knowing they could be in the same area.

That aside, IF the Captain was made aware of some issue with the ship, which seems to be what you are implying, then all the more reason he should not have attempted his stunt.

I think I'm going to have to join some others that are no longer going to respond to you. I feel you are an apologist for the Captain, looking to devert attention from him for a decision that was ultimately his own call.

[SomeBeach]

I will never forget! It has not been easy but thankfully with counselling and medication early on I was able to sleep again and now more than 6 months later my mind is healed but the event is never very far from my thoughts!

 

We settled with Costa and are planning a dream vacation this fall. I appreciate the wonderful life that we have and our second chance. I could not have tolerated waiting for a settlement in the courts. Every one has to make their own decision however.

 

I read this thread almost daily! How long will it keep going????

 

qtlikeme, it's nice to read something from you. I hope you continue your journey to recovery and wish you a most enjoyable dream vacation.

[MorganMars]

I thought that I had, but it I will try to make it more clear:

 

Question 1: There are too many "What ifs." A few possible scenarios (of many):

What if

the watertight doors are closed and they muster passengers and crew into the lifeboats and the wind blows the ship toward shore and into the lifeboats being launched on the leeward side, because the ship has no power and cannot be maneuvered.

What if

the watertight doors are closed but too many compartments are breached to make a difference and the ship capsizes in deep water on top of the lifeboats being launched.

What if

the watertight doors are closed but the ship still gets blown ashore. The ship still ends up aground, on its side, with the same, similar or even worse results.

Question 2: I think it is a matter of opinion.

 

If you are asking if I think there was too much of a delay in abandoning the ship, then IMHO, yes, but I wasn't there. I bow to qtlikeme's greater experience.

 

Fair enough MM. But you did not answer my original question:

 

Original question Posted by cruiserfanfromct to MorganMars

Which begs the question, if the Concordia hadn't run aground again a second time and the watertight doors closed like they were required and the muster procedure starting much earlier, would this have saved more lives? What do you think?

[watertheodds]

I have never been on a cruise that allowed elevator use for a muster drill or did a fly by and I have done the Med twice and Alaska among many other destinations on HAL, RCCL, Celebrity, Princess and NCL. During my drills there are ship employees on each landing directing everyone to the stairwells. Had a proper abandon ship been announced perhaps emergency evauation would have been done correctly. Yes 4000 some odd people made it off the ship that night but I would like to know how many of those people had to swim, climb ropes and save themselves. I think it sounds like Costa runs a sloppy operation from top to bottom. IMO

[Uniall]

If one were prone to be a conspiracy theorist, they might suspect that "Costa Smurfette" and "Stella_Mare" are either your alter egos or were recruited by you to register with CruiseCritic.com and become members of your Captain Schittino Fan Club. :eek:

 

It's strange that they became new members with the sole purpose of posting on this thread. In the real world, coincidences do happen but two in the same day pushes reality a bit much

 

Uni .... It`s hard work being retired at 52 and having to work just for the fun of it .. :)

it just gets in the way of posting on cc and reading some of the nonsense you appear to be posting recently ... :eek:

 

While i can claim to know one of the posters via other cruise forums i do not know the most recent one! this person knows way more than i do about cruising and cruise ships and probably more than 99% of posters on cc.

 

It seems that you do not like being told by a woman who knows way more than you are ever going to learn about cruising ...:D

 

Now excuse me while i go and catch up on the previous 3 or more pages.

 

Gender has nothing to do with my problem with Smurfette. I've been married to a strong woman for 25 years. We met as political opponents for public office and she defeated me. As principal (headmistress to you) she ran a secondary school with 3500 students and 300 employees in an inner city schoo where she kept the street gangs at bay and out o the school. Her favorite self description is "I'm one tough broad with a Ph.D." Oh did I mention she did post graduate work at Oxford.

 

I object to Smurf because of the strong possiblity that Smurf is an employee/agent provocatuer of Costa Cruise Lines as evidenced by free access to inside imformation.

 

The copius wordage of Smurf's posts are merely an attempt to obfuscate the the truth with a bombardment of irrelevent facts to muddy the central core truth: Captain Coward is guilty and Costa Cruise Lines is probably guilty of killing 32 people and causing great bodily and pschological harm to thousands of people.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Uniall

[sidari]

Morgan ... depending on where the watertight doors were open and if they were open around the area of damage,it may well be that the compartments walls were ripped open as it seems they were which means that even if the doors were closed water would have bypassed them rendering them useless anyway!

 

One serious point that does need to be looked at is why the ship began to sink stern first and to starboard when the hole was midships and on the port side?

 

"Just as I did as a prosecutor, I speak as the voice of the dead victims and demand justice for them"

 

Uni .... so how many cases are you taking on then?

[sidari]

Watertheodds ... We have cruised once with Costa as you can see from our cruise list, the muster drill was carried out in Savona our starting point with as far as i know every passenger listed on the cruise taking part, every stairway had crew members telling people where to go in order to get to their muster stations,every card given to you before going onto the ship with your muster station on it was collected by a Costa employee responsible for a given lifeboat station.

 

People, humans will do strange things when faced with life and death issues. 99% of people who enter a shopping mall when faced with smoke from a fire will try to leave the way they entered the building despite an emergancy exit being just metres away.

 

People are told not to use lifts/elevators in fires but how many still do!

 

people were found dead in lifts/elevators on Concordia despite being told not to use them in an emergancy.

 

One thing that is not currently known unless someone can provide a link is the cause of death for the people onboard Concordia, and before some smart ass says the Captain i thought i would get in there first!!

[stella_mare]

Sidari

 

If one were prone to be a conspiracy theorist, they might suspect that "Costa Smurfette" and "Stella_Mare" are either your alter egos or were recruited by you to register with CruiseCritic.com and become members of your Captain Schittino Fan Club. :eek:

 

It's strange that they became new members with the sole purpose of posting on this thread. In the real world, coincidences do happen but two in the same day pushes reality a bit much. :rolleyes:

 

I wonder if any or all of you work at 5 Gainsford St., SE 1, London, UK ? :D

 

 

Hello Uniall,

 

I can assure you that I am not an alter ego of anyone on this board, nor do I work or live in London - but that sounds like a lovely idea!

 

I do agree with you about Capt. Schettino's egregious risk-taking and lack of full attention which (IMO) caused the ship to hit the rock and capsize, and his utter failure to fulfill his DUTIES as captain of the ship. The factors that Smurfette raises also come into play, and while they may factor into the culpability of other parties, they do not lessen Schettino's culpability for his own decisions and actions, or lack thereof.

 

I do think that Schettino suffered a leave-taking of his senses as the crisis unfolded. Who could have anticipated that? (How are crews trained to recognize that scenario?) We expect, and rightly so, that all captains are trained to fulfill their duties just as professionally and heroically as Scully did when he guided his plane down on the Hudson river. He kept his cool and didn't lie to his passengers. ("Brace for impact!") Probably, most captains are trained to act accordingly and do. But it didn't kick in with Schettino. Like Smurfette, I find that to be a compelling part of what transpired, and it's not defending Schettino to consider why he was incapable of facing his moment of truth with more professionalism. He likely thought he was made of tougher stuff. So did his crew. Passengers had reason to count on it, too. (Otherwise, why step foot on a cruise or an airplane?) I understand Smurfette's point here. It was, perhaps, his human weakness. All the more mind-boggling because of our expectations. And yet, Schettino, aware of the damage and the very dire situation, somehow had at least enough "presence of mind" to worry about his own job and future. Mind-boggling, indeed. His only duty was the safety of the 4,000 souls on board.

[sidari]

"I can assure you that I am not an alter ego of anyone on this board, nor do I work or live in London - but that sounds like a lovely idea!"

 

Stella ... are you mad? London! far nicer places in the UK than London.

[watertheodds]

Quote:

Watertheodds ... We have cruised once with Costa as you can see from our cruise list, the muster drill was carried out in Savona our starting point with as far as i know every passenger listed on the cruise taking part, every stairway had crew members telling people where to go in order to get to their muster stations,every card given to you before going onto the ship with your muster station on it was collected by a Costa employee responsible for a given lifeboat station.

 

People, humans will do strange things when faced with life and death issues. 99% of people who enter a shopping mall when faced with smoke from a fire will try to leave the way they entered the building despite an emergancy exit being just metres away.

 

People are told not to use lifts/elevators in fires but how many still do!

 

people were found dead in lifts/elevators on Concordia despite being told not to use them in an emergancy.

 

One thing that is not currently known unless someone can provide a link is the cause of death for the people onboard Concordia, and before some smart ass says the Captain i thought i would get in there first!!

 

I agree, however if a timely, official abandon ship had been ordered when the ship hit the rock then the emergency operation would have had a better chance of being done in the manner of how the drill is done. Instead, passengers that understood the gravity of the situation took matters into their own hands before emergency crews were spurred into action. This captain just didn't do anything right. How the hell did he get to that position? In my mind, Costa has to answer that question.

[MorganMars]

Micki,

 

I deeply appreciate all that you have contributed to these discussions and your posts have always been informative, however, in this I feel I must disagree. I see Smurfette as nothing more or less than she claims to be, a very logical person with a big picture viewpoint. I also know that many times people lurk on these boards for some time before finally deciding to make a contribution to the discussion. I do the same thing. This thread was actually becoming a bit stale and one sided until she chimed in. It is hard to be a Mr. Spock on a forum. I hope there is room for all of us here.

 

Regards,

MorganMars

 

 

I think I'm going to have to join some others that are no longer going to respond to you. I feel you are an apologist for the Captain, looking to devert attention from him for a decision that was ultimately his own call.

[MorganMars]

Morgan ... depending on where the watertight doors were open and if they were open around the area of damage,it may well be that the compartments walls were ripped open as it seems they were which means that even if the doors were closed water would have bypassed them rendering them useless anyway!

 

Exactly!

 

One serious point that does need to be looked at is why the ship began to sink stern first and to starboard when the hole was midships and on the port side?

 

Yes, I would like to know if that was due to the weight of the water shifting from one side to the other and why, or if was the result of the way the ship settled on the bottom, or if some other factors came in to play.

 

Regards,

MorganMars

[SomeBeach]

Micki,

 

I deeply appreciate all that you have contributed to these discussions and your posts have always been informative, however, in this I feel I must disagree. I see Smurfette as nothing more or less than she claims to be, a very logical person with a big picture viewpoint. I also know that many times people lurk on these boards for some time before finally deciding to make a contribution to the discussion. I do the same thing. This thread was actually becoming a bit stale and one sided until she chimed in. It is hard to be a Mr. Spock on a forum. I hope there is room for all of us here.

 

Regards,

MorganMars

 

MorganMars, I thank you for the compliment. From you, that means something and I appreciate it. I try not to offer to many opinions or speculations because even tho I have a not favorable opinion of the Captain, I am waiting for the facts.

I commented in one of my posts that I thought CS offered some valid points but that was in the early going. Then comes the one making it sound like we should look at Schettino as a hero for bringing certain things to the attention of the world kind of got to me. I mean really, if you think there is a problem with sail-byes or ship design, there's a better way to bring it to peoples attention than ripping your ship open.

Post 1804, was in response to the quoted post by CS. Now it's as if the Captain was psychic because of how he looked in a picture taken the night before.

Even if I eliminate that part of the post and stick with with the Chief Engineer speaking to him and the captain seeming even more distrubed by whatever may have been said, it's third party info from someone claiming to be friends with him and commenting after the accident.

To me CS is playing "what if" without saying what if.

Again, this is just my opinion. CS or anyone for that matter is entitled to theirs. If anyone follows me closely they will note I very seldom get into these debates. Sometimes I just can't help making my own statement. :D

Someone help me out here. Wasn't Concordia going to have some repair work done when it arrived in port on Jan 14th? I seem to recall that there was an issue, possibly electrical that was scheduled to be checked that day.

[SomeBeach]

Exactly!

 

 

 

Yes, I would like to know if that was due to the weight of the water shifting from one side to the other and why, or if was the result of the way the ship settled on the bottom, or if some other factors came in to play.

 

Regards,

MorganMars

 

When the ship was coming into the Island, wasn't a large hole ripped into the starboard side? I remember a picture that showed a large opening tho I do think that was more to the front of the ship.

Playing "what if" it could be possible that another hole was made further back. (yes, pure speculation)

[MorganMars]

Micki,

 

I see where you are coming from. We all have our triggers, don't we? I enjoy having multiple views on this forum that are respectfully submitted. We're good.:cool:

 

Regards,

MorganMars

 

MorganMars, I thank you for the compliment. From you, that means something and I appreciate it. I try not to offer to many opinions or speculations because even tho I have a not favorable opinion of the Captain, I am waiting for the facts.

 

I commented in one of my posts that I thought CS offered some valid points but that was in the early going. Then comes the one making it sound like we should look at Schettino as a hero for bringing certain things to the attention of the world kind of got to me. I mean really, if you think there is a problem with sail-byes or ship design, there's a better way to bring it to peoples attention than ripping your ship open.

 

Post 1804, was in response to the quoted post by CS. Now it's as if the Captain was psychic because of how he looked in a picture taken the night before.

Even if I eliminate that part of the post and stick with with the Chief Engineer speaking to him and the captain seeming even more distrubed by whatever may have been said, it's third party info from someone claiming to be friends with him and commenting after the accident.

To me CS is playing "what if" without saying what if.

 

Again, this is just my opinion. CS or anyone for that matter is entitled to theirs. If anyone follows me closely they will note I very seldom get into these debates. Sometimes I just can't help making my own statement. :D

 

Someone help me out here. Wasn't Concordia going to have some repair work done when it arrived in port on Jan 14th? I seem to recall that there was an issue, possibly electrical that was scheduled to be checked that day.

[cruiserfanfromct]

I thought that I had, but it I will try to make it more clear:

 

No, you did not answer my question. Below was your answer which was a question to me asking if I was saying that this latest article had convinced me that closing the watertight doors would have resulted in no loss of life. To answer your question, No, one article does not convince me of anything.

 

Your answers to the What ifs below where not my questions but thanks for the answers to the What ifs anyway. Peace. :cool:

 

With all the "what ifs," are you saying that this latest article has convinced you that closing the watertight doors would have resulted in no loss of life? As to what I think, I think that everything at this point is just opinion.

 

Regards,

MorganMars

 

Question 1: There are too many "What ifs." A few possible scenarios (of many):

What if

the watertight doors are closed and they muster passengers and crew into the lifeboats and the wind blows the ship toward shore and into the lifeboats being launched on the leeward side, because the ship has no power and cannot be maneuvered.

What if

the watertight doors are closed but too many compartments are breached to make a difference and the ship capsizes in deep water on top of the lifeboats being launched.

What if

the watertight doors are closed but the ship still gets blown ashore. The ship still ends up aground, on its side, with the same, similar or even worse results.

Question 2: I think it is a matter of opinion.

 

If you are asking if I think there was too much of a delay in abandoning the ship, then IMHO, yes, but I wasn't there. I bow to qtlikeme's greater experience.

[MorganMars]

Micki,

 

The gash from the initial contact with the reef is about 160' long located on the aft port side, so it includes about 17% of the length of a vessel that is 952' long. The ship is lying on her starboard side and there is no doubt additional damage there, just from the weight of the ship on the rocks and the movement that took place when there were concerns about the ship slipping into deeper water.

 

I do not know how many compartments would have been breached by such a gash.

 

Regards,

MorganMars

 

When the ship was coming into the Island, wasn't a large hole ripped into the starboard side? I remember a picture that showed a large opening tho I do think that was more to the front of the ship.

Playing "what if" it could be possible that another hole was made further back. (yes, pure speculation)

[cruiserfanfromct]

...How the hell did he get to that position? In my mind, Costa has to answer that question.

What is astonishing is that he was hired by Costa in 2002 and became captain just 4 years later in 2006. Fast promotions are sometimes obtained by lying, manipulating and cheating your way up through the ranks and conning, cajoling and brown-nosing to the very top.

 

The training and promotion process that put a man like Francesco Schettino in command of a cruise liner with thousands of passengers and crew in his charge, apparently missed the character flaw that allowed him to recklessly jeopardize and abandon his vessel and charge for some self-gratifying, boneheaded purpose. One thing is for certain, Costa's promotion system is in serious need of repair.

[Max49]

[quote name=CostaSmurfette;

 

It has always been wrong....just as leaving watertight doors open is wrong....just as driving a red light is wrong.....just like driving over railway lines when a train is bearing down on you is wrong...doesn't mean that people do not do it though....

 

Hi Smurfette' date=' you've brought alot to this discussion, I'm just starting to try to digest it all. I have not figured out who or why you are trying to defend , but just because we may have all ran a red light before, does not compare with diliberately running a red light with 4000 other passengers just on for the ride and my wrecklessness killed 32 innocent and powerless people and did billions of dollars in damage. I'm a risk taker too, or at least used to be, however, I never took risks with my wife, a friend, or any one else on the back of my motorcycle.

 

 

 

 

They're all only risking them selves, except for "Capt" Schettino

 

.

 

Ironically Schettino did everyone a favour...he woke the industry up to a highly dangerous practice that the cruise lines always knew about but did nothing to stop...now their hands have been forced, and rightly so.[/quote]

 

"Everyone" ? That's a little insulting, don't you think?

 

Edited August 9, 2012 by Max49

[stella_mare]

When the ship was coming into the Island, wasn't a large hole ripped into the starboard side? I remember a picture that showed a large opening tho I do think that was more to the front of the ship.

Playing "what if" it could be possible that another hole was made further back. (yes, pure speculation)

 

Hello, SomeBeach.

 

Were they able to get photos of the starboard side? Have seen only the port side photos with the long gash and embedded rock. I wondered if there had been damage to starboard while the ship was enroute, but thought they'd have to wait unitl the ship was raised/removed before they could inspect it (unless divers found something?)

[cruiserfanfromct]

Someone help me out here. Wasn't Concordia going to have some repair work done when it arrived in port on Jan 14th? I seem to recall that there was an issue, possibly electrical that was scheduled to be checked that day.

I believe it was the black box that was scheduled to be repaired on January 14th:

 

Messages exchanged by Pierfrancesco Ferro, head of Costa’s technical department, and the maintenance company show that a decision was taken to defer repairs on the black box until 14 January, when the Concordia was due to arrive at the port of Savona.

 

Here's the link to the full article: http://www.corriere.it/International/english/articoli/2012/07/03/fiorenza-sarzanini.shtml

[SomeBeach]

Hello, SomeBeach.

 

Were they able to get photos of the starboard side? Have seen only the port side photos with the long gash and embedded rock. I wondered if there had been damage to starboard while the ship was enroute, but thought they'd have to wait unitl the ship was raised/removed before they could inspect it (unless divers found something?)

 

 

This was an underwater picture. You could see the large hole, not really in length but in depth. The metal was ripped back, not up as if it happened when the ship capsized. Laying on the seabed were several lounge chairs and the visible hole. I remember asking if anyone thought it was from the crew quarters because it looked like a bed was visible.

I brought the pix to one of the threads but I believe it was one that has been closed.