Disaster of Cruise Ship Concordia – Was It All One Man’s Fault?

There is evidence that when the captain of the Concordia, Francesco Schettino, realised what what happened he tried to execute a U turn in the giant cruise liner.

The ship is difficult to manoeuvre at any time. When it is holed with water pouring in, almost impossible. The ship should not have been so close to the shore but in many ways a disaster involving a modern cruise liner was always a probability. Even one hundred years after the sinking of the Titanic.

Ships like the Concordia are designed like skyscrapers that float. They have high sides but a smaller draught, that part of the ship which is under the water. The size of the draught has a direct effect on the stability of the ship. But this is where the conflict between profit and safety begins.

Safety – and passenger service

Ship owners want vessels with as many upper deck cabins as possible, they can charge more when passengers can look directly out to sea. Shopping areas and swimming pools need to be on upper decks also. The liner needs to offer all the facilities of a seaside resort – plus the novelty of taking a cruise.

For many passengers, a sea cruise is novelty. Often the reward that couples promise each other on retirement or for special holidays. For some time cruise line operators have been moving towards the profitable mass market, away from the high end luxury cruise which has lost its novelty value for the super rich.

The problem is the designs of the new super liners are still based on smaller ships. The compromise between safety standards in the hostile environment of the world’s oceans – and profitable operation – becomes ever more dangerous.

Another key area that contributes to profit is cost control – the labour required to offer a full service onboard is significant. Many of the crew tend to be from third world countries and they are usually kept on the ship for at least 10 months of the year. It does not lead to high morale or high safety standards. There are many reports of the Cordordia’s crew acting in an an untrained and panic stricken way. Putting their own safety before the passengers, women and children.

The captain of the Concordia will have to answer to a criminal court. But the operators of the liner need to answer questions too.