Topic: Captain not solely to blame, says prosecutor

There has been a lot of interest in this subject, and rightly so.

The Captain is responsible for the ships safety, that is paramount. I can believe that the owners would try to interfere for a number of reasons, all of which would be commercial. But they would be very foolish to override the Captain, especially as he is surrounded by many senior officers who he would consult and who would bear witness to his actions.
He is not alone on the bridge.

Life boat drill. On Fred Olsons Boudicca we were shepherded into a restaurant and shown how to put on a life jacket, and that was it. We took the trouble to find out where our station was and how to get there from the cabin.
In all the Italian ships we have always had to go to the life boat station. In addition there were several announcements about the emergency drill. Seven short toots and one long one from the ships hooter. You then collected your life jacket from your cabin and went to your station. I can not believe that anyone , whatever language, was in any doubt as to what to in an emergency.
That form of drill should be standardised throughout the industry.

I wish to ask again (as I received no replies from my first posting of this query---Was anyone else on the Costa Riviera in 2001 for a 10 day Mediterranean Christmas Cruise--when she sailed from Genoa---listing to starboard slightly---then on the Sunday evening -she sailed at 16:00 hours----a lot of passengers (myself and wife included) had a lot of water etc (some passengers had sewage and ceilings come down in their cabins) in their cabins---A meeting was held in the Theatre on the Monday morning--many had stayed up all night rather than sleep in those conditions--and by the time we got to Naples (just after lunch)---the tables were now sloping to the port side badly---I was worried whether on the morning we were going to see Naples---we did and nearly 600 English Passengers walked off the ship, the ship went on to Messina where it was SCRAPPED!! All got home safely and Costa refused to admit liability BUT we arrived home on the Wednesday and a cheque for the full amount of our cruise was in the post on Thursday morning--and they offered us 50% off another Costa cruise---I have never taken that offer up----The Costa Riviera was an old ship--she should never have sailed from Genoa--The Italian papers on the Tuesday morning (in Italian of course) bore the Headline---600 British Passengers Mutineer at Naples! Surely I cannot be the only one who was on that cruise--it was blasted across the Sun, Daily Mirror, Telegraph and some passengers were on ITV in their Wednesday morning programe. NO THANK YOU COSTA---WELCOME P & O---you are not so bad!!

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Yes I agree, I always make sure we know where our lifeboat is and the number, if you are worried you don't have enough info always ask it might save your life.CG

If people didn't check before the 13th January, rest assured they will now.

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Muster stations should all be out on deck......not in big lounges, where in the event of a real emergency you have natural bottlenecking. On my next cruise I shall find my lifeboat, and quickest way to get to it!

You won't be the only one. I can picture the scene - hundreds of people on deck checking out where their life boat is.

My wife and I sailed on this ship earlier that year and it was without doubt the worst ship I have ever sailed on with our toilet cominh away from its base on the last day(and we are not that big!!) However the food was very good on that ship.Incidentally we have been with many cruise lines inc Princess,Festival,Thomsons,MSC, Costa,Thomas Cook but Costa Riviera was the worst. I sailed on Costa Concordia in November2011 and the ship was excellent.

Dear Mr Holmes of Llandrindod Wells

I have cruised to the Canaries from Liverpool on a 'banana boat' which was in better 'nick' than your Costa one.

Like you, I settled for P&O from 2009 because of their provision for disabled passengers but, on the down-side, P&O are as tight as a Duck's (watertight) backside when it comes to refunding deposits (for medical reasons) even with nine months notice of cancellation, reason apparently being that they have already included one's deposit(s) into the profit & loss balance sheet for their fiscal year and even a recommendation from His Holiness the Primate of Rome would fail to loosen their mercenary tight fist.

The name of your town, and which region is just about as land-locked as you can get, prompted this reply and reminds me of a time when I frequently motored down to Cardiff.

Llandrindod was the first break in the journey after negotiating a rather tortuous descent into the town via the 'scenic' route.

In those days there was a bakery/confectionery shop in the main street that 'doubled' as a cafe which served delicious bacon toasties - parking was a bit of a problem but I could usually manage using my disability blue badge - the staff in the caff were given to viewing me with some inquisitiveness as, a) they were unable to recognise my dialect and, (more importantly) b) I was not 'a local.'

For some reason the cafe later abandoned 'bacon butties' and I was obliged to continue a bit further to a garage/filling-station/cafe where the garage owners wife produced hearty meals and wonderful home made cakes - we got on famously, she being a member of the local choral society and capable of sight-reading complex 'scores,' one of which she produced for us to pore over, and myself (at the time) an organist/choirmaster and conductor of a moderate sized mixed voice choir - and no, it did not obtain discounted meals.

The other connection with your town is that being a well used venue for seminars and conferences, and given my aforementioned civic duties, occasionally required attending such functions which were held in the town's largest hotel where we also stayed overnight, I would expect that by virtue of its age the hotel must have an impressive history and, with all respect, seems to survive in a modern era whilst still being cocooned in a former more graceful one.

Despite the loss of my morning break at the cafe, I would often park the car for a while on the large municipal car park (with toilet facilities) facing the river, and spend a few moments of quiet contemplation and absorb the gentleness of this pastoral setting.

Oh! and incidentally, Llandrindod is generally accepted as 'neutral territory' and a compromise mid-Wales meeting place in the simmering
North - South Welsh 'divide.'

Best wishes,

Noswaith Dda

Gordon Rhys-Williams

Is it correct that if the Second Officer thought the Captains decision was dangerously wrong, then the Second Officer could overrule the Captain putting him under arrest, and take control himself? I think it is correct that both Captain and Second Officer should be held responsible for the havoc that errupted.

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Is it correct that if the Second Officer thought the Captains decision was dangerously wrong, then the Second Officer could overrule the Captain putting him under arrest, and take control himself? I think it is correct that both Captain and Second Officer should be held responsible for the havoc that errupted.

Dont get ahead of yourself,let the courts be the judge,there were at least three other officers senior to the 2/0.
the 2/0 could not put the captain under arrest,he could voice his concerns and have them noted in the OLB.


jim

My wife, myself and daughter sailed in the Costa Riviera on a Christmas cruise from Genoa around the Canaries, sometime either late 90's or early 2000's. It could not possibly be the same cruise as it all went very well. It was an old ship in every sense, and I was a bit ashamed of her in Madeira, when she was parked up alongside some really stunning looking ships.
Did this experienced put you off cruising for a while ?
I have been on several Costa cruises since, but I believe it was still being run by the family then. Anyway, I, unlike you, have happy memories of Costa, but I fear I will not be adding to them in the future.