Topic: Can Costa survive as a cruiseline?

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I can see another upgrade coming for us in February.............

I had a similar thought this morning and there'll be many more thinking like us.

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You had better hope that Costa does servive or else all those Italians might try P&O.

Great they will have to improve the menu

This incident is different to most others where cruise ships have been involved, in that there was no bad weather or any other external factor to explain what happened.

If it does turn out to be incompetence, both for the initial collision and the subsequent chaos, then I can't see many people choosing Costa over the next few years. Times are hard for the Cruise companies with the recession and over capacity anyway so, big as they undoubtedly are, I can't see the Costa brand surviving this.

I wonder who their insurers are?

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You had better hope that Costa does servive or else all those Italians might try P&O.

What! And not have pasta served at every meal?!!
Mamma Mia! (Love your "Cruising is like....being in the garden of eating." Priceless!) ;-)

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Early days I know, but everything is pointing to poor seamanship, poor evacuation procedures, a Captain under arrest for possible multiple manslaughter and not the best of accident records in recent years.

When you look at Carnival's Portfolio, Cunard, Princess, P&O, Yachts of Seabourn, Holland America, Costa is and always has been the joker in the pack.

It wouldn't be difficult to lose the Costa brand as the new ships are all clones of the Carnival fleet, change the shape of the funnel, paint it red white and blue and walla a new addition to the Carnival fleet.

I'd make a bet there are some serious talks going on around the boardroom table.........Wilba

As you say Wilba - early days. However, I think that you may well be correct. Costa has had a fairly turbulent history regarding mishaps in recent times. I would hazard a guess that there will be even fewer Brits using Costa in the future.

I see that the number of Brits amounted to about 1% of passengers (a figure the same as my one and only experience of Costa). Now, just to clarify that I'm not xenophobic, for me part of cruising is chatting to fellow passengers over coffee, breakfast etc.etc. and the fact that I only speak menu level Italian, similar level of French and a little better Spanish limits that little pleasure. Smiles and hand gestures are fine now and again but not all day long.

cheers
Harvey

I think it needs putting in perspective. It is obviously a tragedy that anyone has died, at present I understand it is 3. However, how many people take cruise each year? I don't know the answer, but it must be multi-millions. Statistically I think it is a very safe way to holiday. There were a spate of shark attacks last year, the resorts are still open. There was a major accident on the M5 last year, that is still open. There is always a risk when travelling, there is also a risk staying at home. Planes crash, cars crash, trains crash, buses crash. It is awful for the people involved, and I certainly wouldn't want it to happen to me or my family but we do need to look at these tragedies in proportion. It is part of modern living that we do travel so much, and I think we have to accept there is a risk, thankfully a very minimal one.

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The pictures remind me of The Herald of Free Enterprise. Townsend Thoresen didn't survive as a brand for very long after that disaster.

Bob

the herald of free enterprise had nothing to do with townsend thoresen it was owned and crewed by p&o

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the herald of free enterprise had nothing to do with townsend thoresen it was owned and crewed by p&o

Are you sure about that? I too thought it was a Townsend Thoresen RORO.

I always feel that after a disaster it is the safest time to travel as everyone becomes very concious of safety matters and tighten up procedures. I would imagine Costa will be making every effort to reassure their future passengers and memories are short.

It is so easy to become complacent and it always infuriates me on planes when the attendants are explaining the safety rules and some passengers don't even bother putting down their newspapers...Carol

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I think it needs putting in perspective. It is obviously a tragedy that anyone has died, at present I understand it is 3. However, how many people take cruise each year? I don't know the answer, but it must be multi-millions. Statistically I think it is a very safe way to holiday. There were a spate of shark attacks last year, the resorts are still open. There was a major accident on the M5 last year, that is still open. There is always a risk when travelling, there is also a risk staying at home. Planes crash, cars crash, trains crash, buses crash. It is awful for the people involved, and I certainly wouldn't want it to happen to me or my family but we do need to look at these tragedies in proportion. It is part of modern living that we do travel so much, and I think we have to accept there is a risk, thankfully a very minimal one.

The fact is that most people are not good at assesing "risk". It continues to be much more risky to travel by car than to cruse, fly or go by train, but we will all carry on doing it.

A sinking cruise ship with three deaths gets acres of publicity - and there will be the personal stories and the inquiry to come - while a multiple pile-up on the M5 with 7 dead and 50 injured gets one day and that's it.