Costa Concordia

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For details of the 2012 grounding and partial sinking of the ship, see Costa Concordia disaster.
Costa Concordia 2.JPG
Costa Concordia on 31 July 2009
Career
Name: Costa Concordia
Owner: Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator: Costa Crociere
Port of registry:  Italy
Route: Western Mediterranean
Ordered: 19 January 2004
Builder: Fincantieri Sestri Ponente, Italy
Cost: €450 million (£372 million, US$570 million)
Yard number: 6122
Launched: 2 September 2005 (2005-09-02)
Christened: 7 July 2006[1]
Acquired: 30 June 2006
Maiden voyage: 14 July 2006
In service: July 2006
Out of service: 13 January 2012
Identification: Call sign: IBHD
IMO number: 9320544
MMSI number: 247158500
Status: Capsized off Isola del Giglio, salvage in progress
General characteristics [2]
Class & type: Concordia-class cruise ship
Tonnage: 114,137 GT
Length: 290.20 m (952 ft 1 in) (overall)
247.4 m (811 ft 8 in) (between perpendiculars)
Beam: 35.50 m (116 ft 6 in)
Draught: 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
Depth: 14.18 m (46 ft 6 in)
Decks: 13
Installed power: 6 × Wärtsilä 12V46C
75,600 kW (101,380 hp) (combined)
Propulsion: Diesel-electric; two shafts
Alstom propulsion motors (2 × 21 MW)
Two fixed pitch propellers
Speed: 19.6 knots (36 km/h; 23 mph) (service)
23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) (maximum)
Capacity: 3,780 passengers
Crew: 1,100

MS Costa Concordia (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkɔsta konˈkɔrdja]) is a Concordia-class cruise ship built in 2004 by the Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yards in Italy and operated from 2005 by Costa Crociere (a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation). The name Concordia was intended to express the wish for "continuing harmony, unity, and peace between European nations."[3]

Costa Concordia was the first of the Concordia-class cruise ships, followed by sister ships Costa Serena, Costa Pacifica, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, and Carnival Splendor built for Carnival Cruise Lines. When the 114,137 GT Costa Concordia and her sisters entered service, they were among the largest ships built in Italy until the construction of the 130,000 GT Dream-class cruise ships.

On 13 January 2012 at about 9:45 pm, in calm seas and overcast weather, under command of Captain Francesco Schettino, Costa Concordia struck a rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea just off the eastern shore of Isola del Giglio, off the western coast of Italy about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Rome.[4][5] This tore a 50 m (160 ft) gash on the port (left) side of her hull, which almost immediately flooded parts of the engine room and caused loss of power to her propulsion and electrical systems. With water flooding in and listing, the ship drifted back to Giglio Island, where she grounded just 500 m (550 yd) north of the village of Giglio Porto, lying on her starboard (right) side in shallow water with most of her starboard side under water.[6][7] Despite the gradual sinking of the ship, its complete loss of power, and its proximity to shore in calm seas, an order to abandon ship was not issued until over an hour after the initial impact. Although international maritime law requires all passengers to be evacuated within 30 minutes of an order to abandon ship, the evacuation of Costa Concordia took over six hours and not all passengers were evacuated. Of the 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew known to have been aboard, 30 people died, and two more passengers are missing and presumed dead.[8]

Contents

Concept and construction [edit]

The largest Italian cruise ship ever conceived, Costa Concordia was ordered on 19 January 2004 by Carnival Corporation in Fincantieri and built in the Sestri Ponente yard in Genoa,[9] as yard number 6122.[10] At the vessel's launch at Sestri Ponente on 2 September 2005,[11] the champagne bottle, released by model Eva Herzigová, failed to break, an inauspicious omen in maritime superstition.[12] The ship was delivered to Costa on 30 June 2006.[13] She cost €450 million (£372 million, US$570 million) to build.[14]

Description [edit]

Costa Concordia is 290.20 metres (952 ft 1 in) long, with a beam of 35.50 metres (116 ft 6 in) and a draught of 8.20 metres (26 ft 11 in). She has a diesel-electric power plant consisting of six 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46C[15] four-stroke medium-speed diesel generating sets with a combined output of 75.6 megawatts (101,400 hp). These main generators provided power for all shipboard consumers from propulsion motors to hotel functions like lighting and air conditioning. The ship was propelled by two 21-megawatt electric motors coupled to fixed-pitch propellers.[16] Her service speed was 19.6 knots (36 km/h; 23 mph),[10] but during sea trials, she achieved a speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph).

Layout [edit]

Costa Concordia has 13 public decks; Deck 1 is the lowest:[17]

  • Deck 1 Olanda
  • Deck 2 Svezia
  • Deck 3 Belgio
  • Deck 4 Grecia
  • Deck 5 Italia
  • Deck 6 Gran Bretagna           
  • Deck 7 Irlanda
  • Deck 8 Portogallo
  • Deck 9 Francia
  • Deck 10 Germania
  • Deck 11 Spagna
  • Deck 12 Austria
  • Deck 13 Polonia

Amenities [edit]

Costa Concordia has approximately 1,500 cabins; 505 have private balconies and 55 have direct access to Samsara Spa and are considered Spa staterooms; 58 suites have private balconies and 12 have direct access to the spa. Costa Concordia has one of the world's largest exercise facility areas at sea, the Samsara Spa, a two-level, 6,000 m2 (64,600 sq ft) fitness center, with gym, a thalassotherapy pool, sauna, Turkish bath and a solarium.[18] The ship has four swimming pools, two with retractable roofs, five jacuzzis, five spas, and a poolside movie theatre on the main pool deck.[18]

There are five on-board restaurants, with Club Concordia and Samsara taking reservations-only dining. There are thirteen bars, including a cigar and cognac bar and a coffee and chocolate bar.

Entertainment options include a three-level theatre, casino, and a futuristic disco. There is a children's area equipped with video game products. The ship has a Grand Prix motor racing simulator and an internet café.[19]

Accidents and incidents [edit]

Costa Concordia is located in Italy
Location where Costa Concordia ran aground

2008 bow damage [edit]

On 22 November 2008, Costa Concordia suffered damage to her bow when high winds over the Sicilian city of Palermo pushed the ship against its dock. There were no injuries and repairs started soon after.[19][20][21]

2012 grounding and partial sinking [edit]

Main article: Costa Concordia disaster

On 13 January 2012, at 21:45 local time (UTC+1), Costa Concordia hit a rock off Isola del Giglio (42°21′55″N 10°55′17″E / 42.36528°N 10.92139°E / 42.36528; 10.92139 (Costa Concordia 2012 grounding)).[4][5] A 53-metre (174 ft) long gash was made in the hull, along 3 compartments of the engine room (deck 0); power to the engines and ship services was cut off. Taking on water, the vessel started to list to port.

Costa Concordia after dawn with lifeboats at shore.

Without power, the ship drifted astern but was now listing heavily to starboard.[7][22] The ship, pushed by winds laterally, drifted back and grounded near shore, then partly capsized onto her starboard side, in an unsteady position on a rocky underwater ledge. Almost half of the ship remained above water, but it was in danger of sinking completely into a trough 70 metres (230 ft) deep.[23]

She was carrying 3,229 passengers and 1,023 crew members,[24][25] all but 32 of whom were rescued; as of 22 March 2012 (2012-03-22), 30 bodies had been found, with two people known to be missing[26][27] and presumed dead.[28] There may have been other people not listed on board.[29] The search for bodies was abandoned at the end of January.[30]

An investigation focused on shortcomings in the procedures followed by the crew and the actions of the captain.[5][31] About 300 passengers were left on board, most of whom were rescued by helicopter or motorboats in the area.[31]

Salvage [edit]

See also: Costa Concordia salvage
Costa Concordia the morning after running aground.

Salvage experts Smit International assessed removal of Costa Concordia and her 2,380 tonnes of fuel.[31][32] Smit assessed that any salvage operation could take up to ten months,[33] and the ship may be a constructive total loss. Smit were contracted to remove her fuel, and during the operation it was reported that the ship had shifted 60 cm (23.6 in) since grounding,[28] but there was no immediate prospect of her breaking up or sinking deeper.[28]

Following a competitive tender, in May 2012 it was announced that Titan Salvage and Italian firm Micoperi had won the salvage contracts.[34] Their plan, expected to cost $300m and therefore expected to be the most expensive salvage ever, is to:[35]

  • Secure the hull to the land using steel cables, to stop her falling into the deeper sea
  • Build a horizontal underwater platform below the ship
  • Bring the hull to vertical, by winching the hull onto the platform
  • Attach airtight tanks, called sponsons, to either side of the hull
  • Refloat the hull and tanks
  • Recovery tow to an Italian port

According to the BBC, the wreck will be removed by September 2013 and it will then be cut up.[36]

Culture and media [edit]

In 2010, Costa Concordia provided the decadent setting for Jean-Luc Godard's film Film Socialisme.[37]

A documentary broadcast in the United Kingdom, titled Terror at Sea: The Sinking of the Costa Concordia, and another first broadcast on 11 April 2012 on Channel 4, titled The Sinking of the Concordia: Caught on Camera, featured footage filmed by the passengers and crew.

Furthermore, a documentary, titled Cruise Ship Disaster: Inside the Concordia, was first broadcast on the Discovery Channel, and another, titled Inside Costa Concordia: Voices of Disaster, was first broadcast by National Geographic.[38] The season 39 Nova episode Why Ships Sink discusses the sinking of Concordia.[39] ABC's 20/20 aired a special on the sinking and interviews with the survivors on 2/15/13, following the engine fire on Carnival Triumph. It became a major media story, when it caught fire off the coast of Mexico. The blaze left the vessel listing to the side, drifting in Gulf of Mexico currents and the more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board in limbo. It took five days for the ship to dock at the Alabama Cruise Terminal, three days after it was due.[40]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Eva Herzigova to be the Godmother of Costa Concordia". freesun.be. 21 June 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2012. 
  2. ^ "Costa Concordia (9320544)". Leonardo Info. Registro Italiano Navale. https://www.leonardoinfo.com/leonardoInfo/LeoInfoLogInExternalServlet?ImoNum=9320544. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Malta on new liner's itinerary". The Times of Malta. 19 September 2005. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012. 
  4. ^ a b Gaia Pianigiani (22 January 2012). "Costa Concordia May Have Had Unregistered Passengers". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
  5. ^ a b c John Hooper (24 January 2012). "Costa Concordia captain not solely to blame, says prosecutor". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
  6. ^ "Naufragio al Giglio, tre morti annegati Fermati comandante e primo ufficiale, Corriere de la Sera", Corriere della Sera (in Italian), 14 January 2012, retrieved 2012-12-30  Confirms that vessel was holed. (Italian)
  7. ^ a b Christopher Booker (2012-01-21). "The EU ignored years of expert warnings on cruise ship safety". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-12-30.  Discusses stability issue when large modern ships are holed. Explains heeling first in direction of hole, then in opposite direction.
  8. ^ "Costa Concordia: Five more bodies found". BBC News Online. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012. 
  9. ^ "Costa Crociere Orders A New Ship From Fincantieri With An Investment Of Around 450 Million Euros". press release. Fincantieri. 19 January 2004. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
  10. ^ a b "M/S Costa Concordia". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 14 January 2012. 
  11. ^ "Costa Concordia, The Largest Italian Cruise Ship, is Launched in Genoa". press release. Fincantieri. 2 September 2005. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
  12. ^ Levy, Megan (16 January 2012). "Cursed Concordia 'born bad, ended up worse'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 January 2012. 
  13. ^ "Costa Crociere Takes Delivery From Fincantieri Of The New Flagship Costa Concordia". press release. Fincantieri. 30 June 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
  14. ^ "Italy cruise ship Costa Concordia aground near Giglio". BBC News Online. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012. 
  15. ^ "Costa Concordia 3,780 Berths, Cruise Vessel, Built 2006", Ship data from: Clarkson Research Services Limited (TradeWinds), retrieved 28 January 2012 
  16. ^ Generazione di Energia A Bordo di Navi da Crociera. Cetena. p. 7. [dead link]
  17. ^ "Costa Concordia deck plans". ATC Cruises Ltd. Retrieved 2012-12-30. 
  18. ^ a b "Company Profile". Costa Crociere dba Costa Cruises. 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
  19. ^ a b "At least 3 dead as cruise ship runs aground; captain arrested". New York Post. Associated Press. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-30. 
  20. ^ "Cruise liner damaged after leaving Malta". The Times of Malta. 23 November 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2012. 
  21. ^ "Costa Concordia search operation resumes (underwater video)". BBC News Online. 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2012-01-21. 
  22. ^ Akwagyiram, Alexis (14 January 2012). "Italy cruise ship Costa Concordia: Search for missing". BBC News Online. Retrieved 14 January 2012. 
  23. ^ Marco Bertacche (2012-01-23). "Concordia at ‘High Risk’ of Sinking, Italian Minister Says". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2012-12-31. 
  24. ^ "Carnival Corporation & plc Statement Regarding Costa Concordia". Carnival Corporation & plc. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012. 
  25. ^ Winfield, Nicole; Frances D'Emilio (14 January 2012). "Coast guard: cruise ship runs aground off Italy, 3 bodies found; helicopters rescue others". WXYZ-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 January 2012. 
  26. ^ "5 More Bodies Found In Concordia Cruise Wreck". NPR. Associated Press. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012. {{|date=December 2012}}
  27. ^ Mikey. "Mikey's Cruise Blog: Costa Concordia". Mikeys Cruise Blog. Retrieved 12 April 2012. 
  28. ^ a b c "Costa Concordia: stricken cruise ship has shifted 24 inches". The Daily Telegraph. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012. 
  29. ^ "Costa Concordia: 13 confirmed dead after body found". BBC News Online. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012. 
  30. ^ "Costa Concordia wreck: Search of cruise ship abandoned". BBC News Online. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012. 
  31. ^ a b c Jones, Gavin; Denti, Antonio (15 January 2012). "Two more bodies found on ship, three people rescued". Reuters. Retrieved 24 February 2012. 
  32. ^ "Two more bodies found in Costa Concordia shipwreck". Calgary Herald. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2012-01-23. 
  33. ^ "Costa Concordia recovery 'will take up to 10 months'". BBC News Online. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012. 
  34. ^ "Costa Concordia Update: U.S. Salvage Company Wins Bid". Cruise Fever. 28 April 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012. 
  35. ^ "Costa Concordia salvage team prepares for 'largest refloat in history'". The Guardian. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012. 
  36. ^ "Costa Concordia 'out by September'". BBC News. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013. 
  37. ^ Brooks, Xan (15 January 2012). "Costa Concordia provides setting for a 2010 Jean-Luc Godard film". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2012. 
  38. ^ Inside Costa Concordia: Voices of Disaster, National Geographic Channel, retrieved 2012-12-31 
  39. ^ Challis, J. (2012), "Nova: Why Ships Sink", Nova DVD (PBS, WGBH Educational Foundation), retrieved 2012-12-31 
  40. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/travel/cruise-ship-fire/index.html

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