Topic: E-mail from Costa

I received this e-mail today -



I feel I must to write to you at such a delicate time, since you have placed your trust and confidence in us as a member of our CostaClub.

The terrible Costa Concordia accident has affected us all very deeply, involving our Guests, our employees and one of our splendid ships.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by this tragic incident and to their families. Around 1.100 Costa Cruises staff members worldwide have been working tirelessly since Friday night to deal with this emergency: providing support for the ongoing search and rescue operations, assisting Guests and crew, and making the necessary arrangements so they can return home safely.

This dramatic and exceptional event, which appears to have been caused by a human error, should never have occurred and no such incident must ever happen again.

At this time we are aware of acts of heroism on the part of crew members who saved other people's lives regardless of the risk to their own safety.
The crew of the Costa Concordia acted bravely and swiftly in an extremely difficult situation and succeeded - despite the terribly demanding conditions - in evacuating more than 4.000 people in the shortest possible time: we are proud of our commitment and dedication to your safety.

Anyone who knows us is aware that Costa Cruises operates in full compliance with all safety regulations and that our internal procedures are in line with - and in some cases even stricter than - those laid down in international standards.

All our crew members under go specific training on dealing with an emergency and assisting Guests in the event of an order to abandon ship. Each member of our crews holds a BST (Basic Safety Training) certificate and all perform fortnightly ship evacuation drills. Roles, responsibilities and duties are clearly defined and assigned to handle any such emergency. The level of preparedness of Costa Cruises' crews is also periodically verified by Coast Guard authorities and independent classification societies to ensure that it is in line with the requirements specified in the SMS (Safety Management System).

All our cruise Guests take part in a muster/lifeboat drill within 24 hours of sailing, as required by international law. Costa Cruises has a computerized system enabling us to check that all Guests participate in the safety drill.

Also, in order to guarantee maximum safety, the number of lifejackets, lifeboats and life rafts on each Costa ship is determined based on the maximum number of persons that can be carried on board plus an additional percentage as a safety margin. Lifeboats carry survival kits with food and water, first aid supplies and signaling and communication devices. Lifeboats are regularly inspected both by Costa personnel and by certification bodies. All Costa Cruises ships are certified by RINA (Italian Shipping Register), built to the highest standards and equipped with state-of-the-art technology. We are fully aware of our responsibility to those who place their trust in us; the many expressions of appreciation that we have received over the last few days from Guests who have sailed on our ships and know our people are a great encouragement to us at this time.

This demonstration of your trust and confidence in us, and the pleasure of seeing you on board our ships again, will be the greatest reward for all our efforts.


Yours most sincerely and gratefully,

Pier Luigi Foschi
Chairman & CEO Costa Cruises[/SIZE][/FONT]

What a shame that her sister ship passed the island and as a poster "Tracy Britton" said on face book did not slow down and throw a wreath into the water

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What a shame that her sister ship passed the island and as a poster "Tracy Britton" said on face book did not slow down and throw a wreath into the water

Ahh, Facebook. That arbiter of all the world. One more reason why I will never tread its pages.

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Ahh, Facebook. That arbiter of all the world. One more reason why I will never tread its pages.

You should try it, there are no holds barred and no moderators

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You should try it, there are no holds barred and no moderators

And that's a recommendation?

Was it Groucho Marx who said he wouldn't belong to any club who had him as a member?

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And that's a recommendation?

Was it Groucho Marx who said he wouldn't belong to any club who had him as a member?

Who was it said let the fun begin

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Who was it said let the fun begin

You probably, as it's not entirely original.

I received this email also today.

I feel It would have been a nice gesture if the Serena did slow down and place a wreath or flowers in the water near the Concordia.

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I received this email also today.

I feel It would have been a nice gesture if the Serena did slow down and place a wreath or flowers in the water near the Concordia.

Spot on even her Captain was onboard the Concordia and was organizing the rescue when the real Captain had fallen into a lifeboat

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You probably, as it's not entirely original.

I may be older than you think