The Costa Concordia catastrophe will go down in history as the worst
cruise ship tragedy since the Titanic sank 100 years ago.
While the cause is unconfirmed, much blame has been heaped upon
the captain and whether navigational disciplines and emergency
procedures were adequately followed.
It has been noted that a muster drill (also known as a lifeboat drill or
safety drill) had not yet been held for newly embarked passengers.
The drill, which advises on the use of lifejackets, escape routes and
where to assemble in an emergency, was reportedly scheduled for 5pm
the next day.
Some cruise lines conduct this drill before sailing, but international
law only requires it to be held within 24 hours of departure from the
first port (and repeated for any passengers who board at a later port).
This leaves thousands of people unprepared for anything that may
happen until then.
The other issue is that participation is not always strictly enforced –
there is often no roll call or ID cards swiped.
But even with 100% attendance, nobody can be forced to listen or to
fully absorb the information, especially when they are excited on the
first day of their holiday.
A further challenge on European ships is that it’s easy to ‘switch off’
when the presentation is repeated in several languages; likewise, in an
emergency, it is harder to communicate with so many people of
varying nationalities.
However, crew on these vessels are multilingual (especially on Costa,
as I observed on my cruise aboard Costa Deliziosa in 2010) and well
trained for these moments.
Unfortunately, all of this great training can be futile when panicked
passengers are scrambling to get out any way they can.
Impact on the industry
In the past 25 years, there have been only one similar event (with
fatalities) on a cruise ship: in 2007, when Louis Cruise Lines’ Sea
Diamond sank after
hitting a reef near
Santorini, killing two.
Overall, modern
cruising is regarded as
relatively safe,
considering the millions of people carried incident-free.
All passenger ships are equipped with enclosed lifeboats (equal to, or
more than, the maximum capacity); cabins and public areas must have
smoke detectors and alarms; escape routes are marked by lights; and
safety advice is displayed on every cabin door.
The conflict comes when these ships are expected to also provide
entertainment, and ‘scenic cruising’ is a popular part of this experience.
Passengers (and spectators on land) enjoy the spectacle of sailing
close to shore, in destinations such as the Mediterranean, New
Zealand’s Milford Sound and Norway’s Trollfjord.
On this occasion, it seems the Concordia was too close, in shallow
water, in the dark – a tragic triple-whammy, but one that can be
avoided in the future.
Costa is certain to very publicly review its procedures and crew
(including captains) training.
Will the image of the half-submerged ship, and passengers’
harrowing stories and videos, turn people off cruising?
Do plane crashes stop people from flying or car accidents deter them
from driving? Yes, some. But most will probably see it as a once-off
accident, which would never happen to them.
