Costa Cruises evades responsibility

After the Concordia capsized, the ship’s captain is under fire for abandoning the ship and its passengers

As the imminent 100th anniversary of the Titanic approaches, the death of another cruise liner caused hundreds reminiscent anguish.

On Jan. 13, the Concordia ran aground off the Tuscan Island of Giglio and capsized, claiming the lives of 16 passengers, but dozens are still unaccounted for.

In an effort to avoid imminent lawsuits, Costa Cruises has offered survivors of the capsized vessel 30 percent discounts on future cruises with the company.

This attempt to appease is hardly enticing and draws the implication that Costa Cruises is shirking personal responsibility. It is also a disrespectful gesture to the public, particularly the families who lost loved ones during the Concordia’s voyage.

“Each cruise line is required to conduct a drill prior to departure. I experienced this drill during my cruise with Costa Cruises. They teach you how to evacuate the liner in the event of an emergency,” Retired Army Cpl. George Bailey said.

Bailey traveled with Costa Cruises once, and his experience had been excellent.

“I sailed with Costa Cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Sea,” Bailey said. “It was without question one of the better cruises me and my wife have had.”

There are hundreds of others who disagree, and the ship’s captain didn’t help Costa Cruises’ image while the chaos of the event occurred. Captain Francesco Schettino reportedly jumped ship, forsaking his passengers and crew as the liner was sinking and escaped in a life raft, according to ABC News.

“He is definitely in serious trouble,” Bailey said. “I would fully expect some sort of felony charge pending against him, and wouldn’t be surprised if involuntary manslaughter is in the works. You can be sure an army of lawyers are swarming, dispatched from families of lost loved ones.”

“By default, there are certain laws that limit action taken against the company in the [case of an emergency]. There are contracts customers sign before they purchase tickets. Depending on what the conditions of limited liability are, legal action regarding liability will be limited,” Bailey said.

Julia Knopp, another Costa Cruises customer, recalled her experience with the liner she sailed on to be equally enjoyable. Her trip took her through the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.

“It was an awesome experience. It was very luxurious because it was on one of the more expensive cruises. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone.”

Regarding the captain’s actions, Knopp admitted that she sympathized with the deceased and the families who had lost loved ones and understood the rage they must be experiencing towards him and the company.

“I think [the captain] needs to take responsibility for what he did. He was in charge of the ship. I wouldn’t want him captain of a future cruise I was on. He should be fined or have his license revoked. When you are responsible for the lives of so many people and you abandon them like that, it’s not right. He should be cited for negligence and discharged.”

And while the Costa Cruises has now upped its compensation deal to a less-than-impressive $14,460—with an additional reimbursement for the cost of cruise tickets—the company still has a hard time ahead of it. It now faces an exhausting battle to redeem its reputation.