Costa Condordia VDR Playback

Those of you with nautical backgrounds might find this interesting - it is the AIS/VDR playback of the Costa Concordia's last 15 minutes afloat, narrated by some expert or other. http://vimeo.com/35351659

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Terrific information Tim. Informative as usual.
Cheers
Griff

Really informative. Would be interested if you have any professional observations Tim.

I do, but I wouldn't publish them on the internet. In the professional bodies it will be the subject of many hours of debate and I'm sure there will be all sorts of experts spouting off their views about mega-large passenger ships. This might serve as a wake-up call for the cruise industry that ever bigger ships don't necessarily mean better ships. Thank goodness it wasn't a fire, it was bad enough as it was, but a fire in one of those floating Butlins holiday camps scares the daylights out of those of us who work in other parts of the industry. Would I go on one of them for a holiday? No way.

Cruising is my favourite way to holiday, I love it. I've not been on the really big ships as yet, the biggest one being the P&O Aurora. I get the feeling that lines will be phasing out the smaller family friendly ships in favour of the bigger ones.

I had thought that the ships were unsinkable (I am sure I read that somewhere), due to chambers - not all can fill with water, and can limp back to the nearest port? Also, the ships have huge automatic fire doors everywhere, which lead me to believe all would be well if the worst happened. Many travellers get calls from the bridge just prior to dinner sittings - steam from straighteners, which have been picked up as potential fires.

My experience has been that all are called to muster stations within an hour of the ship setting sail, and that weekly drills are carried out, the lifeboats being dropped, with a full drill every two weeks when none of the staff are available (usually on a port day). On those days some staff don protective suits from head to toe, breathing apparatus, the lot.

I don't think this debacle will put me off, but I will sure pay more attention to how to put my life jacket on quickly - particularly as I can't swim!

LDT, it would be a "busman's" holiday for me although many colleagues of mine went crusiing on the P&O ships when we were part of the group and said it was fantastic. Cruising is actually considered to one of the safest and most secure ways of holidaying as very few passengers have come to grief (other than the self inflicted type) on cruise ships, they have an enviable safety history but the design of modern cruise ships is geared to have balconies for all, huge atriums and shopping arcades that are not sub-divided and are from the tank top to the highest deck.
Regardless of whatever you have read there is no such thing as an unsinkable ship (well not one that I know of!) - yes they have huge amounts of subdividing but if you flood a large number of subdivisions or a number of larger subdivisions, as the Coast Concordia shows, they can still come to grief.
Today in Dubai there are 4 monster sized cruisers on the passenger terminal, the day before 4 different ships - I don't know what the huge attraction is to sail through pirate invested waters in the Arabian Sea or to visit Dubai then Mumbai is but all I have heard from port officials here is that there are no spare berths on the ships calling here - 3500 pasengers + 900 more crew hitting a port at once I think spoils a place, but 14000pax + 4000 crew........................................ the great thing for me is that instead of having to pay to see all the places you visit on a cruise ship I get paid to see them - you thoough have the option to go ashore, I often don't get the chance!

I too love cruising and have only ever cruised with rccl. I'm going next month to celebrate my father in laws birthday and going ncl for the first time. Cruising can be very good value for money and a great way to see lots in a short period of time. As Tim has said, historically, it's the safest way to holiday.

I must admit i am a bit concerned now. I know it's still 'safe' and probably the safest time to cruise but seeing those images and hearing survivors accounts put an undeniable fear into your system.

On another note, apparently costa Cruises have offered all survivors 30% off their next cruise. How insensitive is that?

Hopefully you will book with another member of the Carnival Cruises group and not Costa - maybe P&O, Princess Cruises, Cunard.......... then my Carnival Cruise shares might recover some of the value they have lost!

Tim - I would love your lifestyle/job!

I have tended to shy away from the huge ships for some of the reasons you set out, but it is becoming more and more difficult as many of the smaller ships are being set aside for adults only, and we travel as a family group. With any luck the cruise companies will now reconsider moving toward the very big ones but I doubt it, as their profit margin must be way higher, hence the trend.

I agree that would not be pleasant to be visiting Dubai with so many other ships there at the same time and the resultant chaos in places of interest, no matter how well organised the excursions.

Back to the Costa Concordia, I really cannot understand that with all the technology that must have been on the ship, how the captain must have ignored warnings. With no offence to any of our Euro neighbours, it does seem that the Italians do have a reputation for flouting health and safety regs more than most. What I also can't understand is how one of the officers didn't intervene (i.e. call ashore) of perhaps to question the captain is simply unheard of on board (no matter what a plonker he is)? I look forward to the investigation reporting in due course.

DDX - I'm sure that once aboard you will forget about the tragedy, brought about by sheer stupidity. I would brace yourself for muster as soon as you set sail, possibly more than once during the cruise, and series of safety announcements throughout your trip, to reassure passengers that safety is of paramount importance. Wishing you a great time, I am envious!