What Was Learned From the Costa Concordia?
The tragedy of the Costa Concordia proved there were a lot of lessons to be learned and additionally launched many new and necessary procedures to be put in place for cruise safety. All of the new procedures and policies had the same goal of ensuring that another event like that would never happen again.
On Jan. 13, 2012, the Italian luxury cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,200 members on board, ran aground and partially capsized off the coast of Giglio, Italy, and 32 passengers were killed. A tragic accident that splashed headlines for weeks and giving a big hit to the reputation of the safety of the cruise industry.
There was much speculation that the cruise ship’s captain abandoned the ship before he gave the emergency evacuation instructions to the people on the ship. Under questioning by Italian police, Capt. Francesco Schettino claimed that he tripped and fell into one of the rescue boats. Footage captured by people who were on the ship show the scramble and unpreparedness of the crew members for an emergency situation.
We’ve learned many important lessons from the Concordia. Staying calm during a time of emergency, trusting your instincts when the crew doesn’t seem confident in what to do, or noticing the when the atmosphere of the incident is chaotic could be the key to saving yours and your family’s lives.
Following that incident there are stricter guidelines in place for how safety and emergency situations are required to be handled on the ship. Another big takeaway from the Concordia incident is that communication is key. Everything from the messaging that the crew gives to the passengers to the way that the messages are communicated – via technology, loud speakers and more – have to follow proper procedures.
Stricter guidelines in the cruise industry for the captains will eliminate the room for human error and help prevent future cruise accidents from taking place. Protect yourself by understanding the right ways to remain safe on the ship during a time of emergency – follow instructions and trust your instincts.
