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10 years later, Costa Concordia survivors share their stories from doomed cruise ship

Ten years after the deadly Costa Concordia cruise line disaster in Italy, survivors still vividly remember scenes of chaos they say were like something straight out of the movie "Titanic."

NBC News correspondent Kelly Cobiella caught up with a group of survivors on TODAY Wednesday, a decade after they escaped a maritime disaster that claimed the lives of 32 people. The Italian cruise ship ran aground off the tiny Italian island of Giglio after striking an underground rock and capsizing.

"I think it’s the panic, the feeling of panic, is what’s carried through over 10 years," Ian Donoff, who was on the cruise with his wife Janice for their honeymoon, told Cobiella. "And it’s just as strong now."

More than 4,000 passengers and crew were on board when the ship crashed into rocks in the dark in the Mediterranean Sea, sending seawater rushing into the vessel as people scrambled for their lives.

The ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, had been performing a sail-past salute of Giglio when he steered the ship too close to the island and hit the jagged reef, opening a 230-foot gash in the side of the cruise liner.

Passengers struggled to escape in the darkness, clambering to get to the life boats. Alaska resident Nate Lukes was with his wife, Cary, and their four daughters aboard the ship and remembers the chaos that ensued as the ship started to sink.

"There was really a melee there is the best way to describe it," he told Cobiella. "It's very similar to the movie 'Titanic.' People were jumping onto the top of the lifeboats and pushing down women and children to try to get to them."

The lifeboats wouldn't drop down because the ship was tilted on its side, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on the side of the ship for hours in the cold. People were left to clamber down a rope ladder over a distance equivalent to 11 stories.

"Everybody was rushing for the lifeboats," Nate Lukes said. "I felt like (my daughters) were going to get trampled, and putting my arms around them and just holding them together and letting the sea of people go by us."

Schettino was convicted of multiple manslaughter as well as abandoning ship after leaving before all the passengers had reached safety. He is now serving a 16-year prison sentence .

It took nearly two years for the damaged ship to be raised from its side before it was towed away to be scrapped.

The calamity caused changes in the cruise industry like carrying more lifejackets and holding emergency drills before leaving port.

A decade after that harrowing night, the survivors are grateful to have made it out alive. None of the survivors who spoke with Cobiella have been on a cruise since that day.

"I said that if we survive this, then our marriage will have to survive forever," Ian Donoff said.

Scott Stump is a trending reporter and the writer of the daily newsletter This is TODAY (which you should subscribe to here! ) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and a daily delight right to your inbox. He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else. 

'We all suffer from PTSD': 10 years after the Costa Concordia cruise disaster, memories remain

GIGLIO, Italy — Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for the passengers on board and the residents who welcomed them ashore, the memories of that harrowing, freezing night remain vividly etched into their minds.

The dinner plates that flew off the tables when the rocks first gashed the hull. The blackout after the ship's engine room flooded and its generators failed. The final mad scramble to evacuate the listing liner and then the extraordinary generosity of Giglio islanders who offered shoes, sweatshirts and shelter until the sun rose and passengers were ferried to the mainland.

Italy on Thursday is marking the 10th anniversary of the Concordia disaster with a daylong commemoration that will end with a candlelit vigil near the moment the ship hit the reef: 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2012. The events will honor the 32 people who died that night, the 4,200 survivors, but also the residents of Giglio, who took in passengers and crew and then lived with the Concordia's wrecked carcass off their shore for another two years until it was righted and hauled away for scrap.

► CDC travel guidance: CDC warns 'avoid cruise travel' after more than 5,000 COVID cases in two weeks amid omicron

“For us islanders, when we remember some event, we always refer to whether it was before or after the Concordia,” said Matteo Coppa, who was 23 and fishing on the jetty when the darkened Concordia listed toward shore and then collapsed onto its side in the water.

“I imagine it like a nail stuck to the wall that marks that date, as a before and after,” he said, recounting how he joined the rescue effort that night, helping pull ashore the dazed, injured and freezing passengers from lifeboats.

The sad anniversary comes as the cruise industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month  warned people across-the-board not to go on cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of the risks of infection.

► 'We found out while we were flying': Last-minute cruise cancellations leave travelers scrambling

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'We all suffer from PTSD'

For Concordia survivor Georgia Ananias, the COVID-19 infections are just the latest evidence that passenger safety still isn’t a top priority for the cruise ship industry. Passengers aboard the Concordia were largely left on their own to find life jackets and a functioning lifeboat after the captain steered the ship close too shore in a stunt. He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily.

“I always said this will not define me, but you have no choice," Ananias said in an interview from her home in Los Angeles, Calif. “We all suffer from PTSD. We had a lot of guilt that we survived and 32 other people died.”

Prosecutors blamed the delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated.

Ananias and her family declined Costa’s initial $14,500 compensation offered to each passenger and sued Costa, a unit of U.S.-based Carnival Corp., to try to cover the cost of their medical bills and therapy for the post-traumatic stress they have suffered. But after eight years in the U.S. and then Italian court system, they lost their case.

“I think people need to be aware that when you go on a cruise, that if there is a problem, you will not have the justice that you may be used to in the country in which you are living,” said Ananias, who went onto become a top official in the International Cruise Victims association, an advocacy group that lobbies to improve safety aboard ships and increase transparency and accountability in the industry.

Costa didn’t respond to emails seeking comment on the anniversary.

► Royal Caribbean cancels sailings: Pushes back restart on several ships over COVID

'We did something incredible'

Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, stressed in a statement to The Associated Press that passenger and crew safety was the industry's top priority, and that cruising remains one of the safest vacation experiences available.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the victims of the Concordia tragedy and their families on this sad anniversary," CLIA said. It said it has worked over the past 10 years with the International Maritime Organization and the maritime industry to “drive a safety culture that is based on continuous improvement."

For Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli, the memories of that night run the gamut: the horror of seeing the capsized ship, the scramble to coordinate rescue services on shore, the recovery of the first bodies and then the pride that islanders rose to the occasion to tend to the survivors.

► Cruising during COVID-19: Cancellation, refund policies vary by cruise line

Ortelli was later on hand when, in September 2013, the 115,000-ton, 1,000-foot long cruise ship was righted vertical off its seabed graveyard in an extraordinary feat of engineering. But the night of the disaster, a Friday the 13th, remains seared in his memory.

“It was a night that, in addition to being a tragedy, had a beautiful side because the response of the people was a spontaneous gesture that was appreciated around the world,” Ortelli said.

It seemed the natural thing to do at the time. “But then we realized that on that night, in just a few hours, we did something incredible.”

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10 years later, Costa Concordia disaster is still vivid for survivors

The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia lays on its starboard side after it ran aground off the coast of Italy in 2012.

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Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio . But for the passengers on board and the residents who welcomed them ashore, the memories of that harrowing, freezing night remain vividly etched into their minds.

The dinner plates that flew off the tables when the rocks first gashed the hull. The blackout after the ship’s engine room flooded and its generators failed. The final mad scramble to evacuate the listing liner and then the extraordinary generosity of Giglio islanders who offered shoes, sweatshirts and shelter until the sun rose and passengers were ferried to the mainland.

Italy on Thursday is marking the 10th anniversary of the Concordia disaster with a daylong commemoration that will end with a candlelit vigil near the moment the ship hit the reef: 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2012. The events will honor the 32 people who died that night, the 4,200 survivors, but also the residents of Giglio, who took in passengers and crew and then lived with the Concordia’s wrecked carcass off their shore for another two years until it was righted and hauled away for scrap.

“For us islanders, when we remember some event, we always refer to whether it was before or after the Concordia,” said Matteo Coppa, who was 23 and fishing on the jetty when the darkened Concordia listed toward shore and then collapsed onto its side in the water.

“I imagine it like a nail stuck to the wall that marks that date, as a before and after,” he said, recounting how he joined the rescue effort that night, helping pull ashore the dazed, injured and freezing passengers from lifeboats.

The sad anniversary comes as the cruise industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month warned people across-the-board not to go on cruises , regardless of their vaccination status, because of the risks of infection.

A couple stands on a rear balcony of the Ruby Princess cruise ship while docked in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a cruise ship that docked in San Francisco on Thursday after a dozen vaccinated passengers tested positive for coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

A dozen passengers on cruise ship test positive for coronavirus

The passengers, whose infections were found through random testing, were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, according to the Port of San Francisco.

Jan. 7, 2022

For Concordia survivor Georgia Ananias, the COVID-19 infections are just the latest evidence that passenger safety still isn’t a top priority for the cruise ship industry. Passengers aboard the Concordia were largely left on their own to find life jackets and a functioning lifeboat after the captain steered the ship close too shore in a stunt. He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily.

“I always said this will not define me, but you have no choice,” Ananias said in an interview from her home in Los Angeles. “We all suffer from PTSD. We had a lot of guilt that we survived and 32 other people died.”

Prosecutors blamed the delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated.

Ananias and her family declined Costa’s initial $14,500 compensation offered to each passenger and sued Costa, a unit of U.S.-based Carnival Corp., to try to cover the cost of their medical bills and therapy for the post-traumatic stress they have suffered. But after eight years in the U.S. and then Italian court system, they lost their case.

“I think people need to be aware that when you go on a cruise, that if there is a problem, you will not have the justice that you may be used to in the country in which you are living,” said Ananias, who went onto become a top official in the International Cruise Victims association, an advocacy group that lobbies to improve safety aboard ships and increase transparency and accountability in the industry.

Costa didn’t respond to emails seeking comment on the anniversary.

Cruise Lines International Assn., the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, stressed in a statement to the Associated Press that passenger and crew safety were the industry’s top priority, and that cruising remains one of the safest vacation experiences available.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the victims of the Concordia tragedy and their families on this sad anniversary,” CLIA said. It said it has worked over the past 10 years with the International Maritime Organization and the maritime industry to “drive a safety culture that is based on continuous improvement.”

For Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli, the memories of that night run the gamut: the horror of seeing the capsized ship, the scramble to coordinate rescue services on shore, the recovery of the first bodies and then the pride that islanders rose to the occasion to tend to the survivors.

Ortelli was later on hand when, in September 2013, the 115,000-ton, 1,000-foot long cruise ship was righted vertical off its seabed graveyard in an extraordinary feat of engineering. But the night of the disaster, a Friday the 13th, remains seared in his memory.

“It was a night that, in addition to being a tragedy, had a beautiful side because the response of the people was a spontaneous gesture that was appreciated around the world,” Ortelli said.

It seemed the natural thing to do at the time. “But then we realized that on that night, in just a few hours, we did something incredible.”

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Mediterranean Cruise Accident Roils Wave Season

The Costa Concordia suffered the industry’s worst accident in recent years when the it crashed off the coast of Italy

Anonymous Cruise Editor

Updated October 2, 2014

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

The Costa Concordia, a 114,500-ton cruise ship sailing the Mediterranean, suffered the cruise industry’s worst accident in recent years when the vessel crashed into rocks near the small island of Giglio, off the coast of Italy.

The five-year-old Concordia, carrying more than 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crewmembers, had embarked from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, only a few hours earlier on the evening of January 13, 2012. Passengers noted there was no lifeboat drill conducted after the ship’s departure and complained that the crew did not provide instructions on how to evacuate. Heavy listing meant many of lifeboats could not be released, and several passengers and crewmembers were killed during the incident.

Although Costa Cruises—owned by Miami-based Carnival Corporation—caters primarily to the European market, the accident is rocking the cruise industry. Cruise experts were bracing for a downturn in bookings in the middle of Wave Season, the three-month period when many cruises are booked for the coming year.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

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Cruise ship Costa Concordia

Italians launch rescue bid after cruise liner runs aground

A luxury cruise ship has run aground off the coast of Tuscany, gashing open the hull and forcing some 4,200 people aboard to evacuate on lifeboats to a nearby island. At least three people have died, the Italian coast guard said.

Helicopters were working to rescue some 50 people still trapped aboard the badly listing Costa Concordia , said Coast Guard Commander Francesco Paolillo.

Paolillo said it wasn't known if the dead were passengers or crew, nor were the nationalities of the victims immediately known. It is understood there were several British passengers on board.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that some people had jumped overboard in the scramble to evacuate the ship, which had just begun a Mediterranean cruise.

The evacuees were taking refuge in schools, hotels, and a church on the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, a popular vacation isle about 18 miles (25 kilometres) off Italy's central west coast.

ANSA quoted two Italian journalists who happened to be among the passengers taking the Mediterranean cruise as saying the accident happened during dinner hour.

"We were dining when the lights went out, and suddenly we heard a bang and the dishes fell to the floor," ANSA quoted one of the journalist-passengers, Luciano Castro, as saying.

"It was like a scene from the Titanic," another passenger aboard, journalist Mara Parmegiani, told ANSA.

Paolillo said the exact dynamics of the accident were still unclear, but that the first alarm went off about 10:30pm (2130 GMT), about three hours after the Concordia had begun its voyage from the port of Civitavecchia, enroute to its first port of call, Savona, in northwestern Italy.

The coast guard official, speaking from the port captain's office in the Tuscan port of Livorno, said the vessel "hit an obstacle" - it wasn't clear if it might have hit a rocky reef in the waters off Giglio - "ripping a gash 50 metres (165 feet) across" on the left side of the ship, and started taking on water.

The cruise liner's captain then tried to steer his ship toward shallow waters, near Giglio's small port, to make evacuation by lifeboat easier. But after the ship started listing badly onto its right side, lifeboat evacuation was no longer feasible, Paolillo said.

Five helicopters, from the coast guard, navy and air force, were taking turns airlifting survivors still aboard and ferrying them to safely. A Coast guard member was airlifted to the vessel to help people get aboard a small basket so they could be hoisted up to the helicopter, said Captain Cosimo Nicastro, another Coast Guard official.

A statement from Costa Cruises, the company that runs the ship, confirmed that the evacuation of the 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew had begun, "but the position of the ship, which is worsening, is making more difficult the last part of the evacuation."

Costa Cruises' statement did not mention any casualties, and said it had not yet determined the cause of the problem.

Costa Cruises said the Costa Concordia was sailing on a cruise across the Mediterranean Sea, starting from Civitavecchia with scheduled calls to Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Cagliari and Palermo.

It said about 1,000 Italian passengers were onboard, as well as more than 500 Germans, about 160 French and about 1,000 crew members.

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As Divers Search Cruise Ship, Reason for Crash Is Unclear

mediterranean cruise accident

By Gaia Pianigiani and Rachel Donadio

  • Jan. 14, 2012

ROME — As shaken survivors spoke of a mad crush to flee a sinking cruise ship off the Tuscan coast of Italy on Saturday, raising questions about the crew’s preparedness, Italian authorities arrested the ship’s captain amid concerns that the megaship had steered dangerously off course.

At least three people were killed in the accident, and divers combed the ship’s underwater cabins all day for those still missing, up to 60 people. Early Sunday, rescuers found two survivors still inside the ship, raising hopes that others might still be alive.

The Costa Concordia, carrying 4,200 passengers and crew on a weeklong Mediterranean cruise, slammed into an undetermined object near the island of Giglio on Friday night as passengers for the late seating had just started dinner, tucking into appetizers of grilled mushrooms and scallops.

“In a moment, everything was up in the air,” said Alessandra Grasso, 24, a passenger from Sicily. “People, chairs, glasses, food.”

Anxious survivors, many comparing the experience to the movie “Titanic,” recounted a chaotic and terrifying scene in which some crawled through hallways to escape down perilous ladders to lifeboats, while others leapt overboard into the wintry Tyrrhenian Sea.

Ulrike Schweda, 63, from Germany, was caught in a crowd of people pushing toward a lifeboat, and slipped on the deck. “The most terrible thing was seeing children trying to get down this ladder they had put on the side of the boat,” she said.

Two French citizens and a Peruvian crew member were reported dead, according to a hospital official in Grosseto, Tuscany.

Divers searched until nightfall for the missing, perilously probing the 2,000 cabins for survivors while the Leviathan ship lay on its side in the water, a boulder poking through a 160-foot gash in its hull. The Italian Coast Guard said 50 to 60 people were still unaccounted for.

Early Sunday, an Italian fire brigade found a honeymooning couple from Korea still alive inside a cabin. Luca Cari, a brigade spokesman, said the couple had been taken to a local hospital to be examined. There were conflicting reports about whether the ship was off course in reef-filled waters just miles from the shore or whether an electrical failure had caused the crew to lose control. Passengers spoke of faulty evacuation procedures and unprepared staff who told them nothing was wrong — until the ship began tipping over.

After questioning him for several hours, the Italian police detained the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, and the first officer, for questioning on charges of manslaughter, failure to offer assistance and abandonment of ship, the police said.

Before his detention, Captain Schettino told Italian television that the ship had hit a reef that was not on its navigation charts.

Gianni Onorato, the president of the Costa cruise company, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise lines, said the ship had been sailing its “regularly scheduled itinerary” from Civitavecchia to Savona, Italy, when it struck “a submerged rock.”

He said Captain Schettino “immediately understood the severity of the situation” and “performed a maneuver intended to protect both guests and crew.”

The Italian coast guard said the captain had tried to turn the ship toward port in Giglio to make an evacuation easier, but it began to tip over as it reached the port.

Cruise Ship Runs Aground in Italy

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Local media reports said the ship had passed between the Tuscan coast and Giglio, a popular tourist destination 18 miles offshore, rather than in the open sea on the far side of the island. The newspaper Corriere della Sera cited local fishermen who said it was uncommon for a ship the size of the Costa Concordia to take that route.

However, Cristiano de Musso, a cruise company spokesman, said the ship had not deviated from the course it follows “52 times a year.”

Passengers described scenes of chaos as they tried to evacuate. Ms. Grasso said waiters instructed diners to remain seated even as the ship began listing. The captain initially told passengers that the ship had an electrical problem, according to media reports.

Once she boarded a lifeboat, Ms. Grasso said, the helmsman appeared ill equipped to bring the scores of travelers on his vessel to safety: he kept banging into the ship, unable to steer the lifeboat to the shore, until a passenger shoved him aside and took the lead.

“No crew member was trained for an evacuation,” she said.

A crew member, Fabio Costa, told BBC News that he had been working when he heard a crash. “We had no idea how serious it was until we got out and we looked through the window,” he said. “We saw the water coming closer and closer.”

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Of the struggle to reach the lifeboats, as passengers pushed one another and stumbled on stairs amid falling objects, Mr. Costa said, “People panicking and pushing each other didn’t help at all.”

Mr. Onorato, the cruise company president, said only that the captain “initiated security procedures to prepare for an eventual ship evacuation.” He did not respond to further questions on the matter.

The cruise company said that the passengers included about 1,000 Italians, 500 Germans and 160 French, and the crew numbered about 1,000. The United States State Department estimated that 126 Americans had been onboard. It was not known whether any were among the missing.

Giancarlo Sammatrice, 22, a cook from Vittoria, Sicily, was on vacation with his girlfriend. “I have always been scared of those boats, but my girlfriend kept on saying that it was romantic, and I gave in,” he said. “There were not enough lifeboats. The pilots were not sailors but waiters who had no idea how to maneuver and kept on having us turning in circles.”

“It was the first and certainly the last cruise of my life,” he said.

An earlier version of this article contained incorrect attribution for information about the nationalities of the passengers. The numbers were provided by the Costa cruise company, not by Fabio Costa, a crew member.

How we handle corrections

Gaia Pianigiani reported from Rome, and Rachel Donadio from Athens. Matt Flegenheimer contributed reporting from New York.

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People injured after P&O cruise ship involved in 'weather-related incident' in Mallorca

It is reported that P&O ship Britannia, carrying thousands of passengers, crashed into a freight vessel on Sunday morning.

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News reporter @Reemul_B

Monday 28 August 2023 07:42, UK

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P&O cruise ship Britannia

People have been injured after a P&O cruise liner was involved in a "weather-related incident" in Mallorca, the company has said.

It is reported that P&O ship Britannia, carrying thousands of travellers, crashed into a freight vessel on Sunday morning during severe storms.

One passenger's footage showed fierce gusts sweeping across the waves from the ship's window.

Storm in Palma Mallorca breaks it’s moorings and pushes P&O Britannia into another ship and onto rocks. Ship not compromised and being pushed back into position by tugs pic.twitter.com/0RbdQIhPRT — Stephen Marsh (@millermanuk) August 27, 2023

P&O Cruises told Sky News the ship was involved in a "weather-related incident" alongside the port in Palma, Mallorca's capital.

The company added that a "small number of people" sustained minor injuries and were being treated by their onboard medical team.

It added that it would make an assessment of Britannia, which would remain in Palma for the night with "onboard entertainment and activities scheduled".

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According to the company's website, Britannia has 13 guest decks and an operating capacity of 3,647 guests and 1,350 crew.

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Cruise Ship Sinks Near Greece; 2 Missing

April 6, 2007 / 12:32 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A Mediterranean cruise ship that struck a volcanic reef and forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists sank on Friday, 15 hours after it began taking on water off the coast of the Greek island of Santorini. A Frenchman and his daughter were missing, officials said.

The death throes of the Sea Diamond were broadcast around the world Friday morning, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips .

Passengers on Thursday climbed down rope ladders to coast guard boats below in a three-hour rescue that involved Greece's military, commercial ships and the island's local fishermen. About 700 of the 1200 passengers on the five-day cruise were American, many of them students. There were also groups from Canada and Spain.

Authorities said two French passengers — a 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter — had still not been accounted for, and lists of rescued passengers were being rechecked.

Tourism Minister Fanny Palli Petralia said she had spoken with the missing passenger's wife.

"The lady said her cabin filled with water when the ship struck rocks and that she narrowly escaped," Petralia said. "She was not sure whether her husband and daughter made it out because things happened so suddenly ... in a few seconds. Her other child was up on deck and was evacuated safely."

Those rescued said most people remained calm though there were some tense moments.

The Sea Diamond struck rocks in the sea-filled crater formed by a volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago. But the waters are well-charted, reports Phillips .

Tourists gathered on clifftop towns and villages to watch the rescue.

"We realized there was a serious problem ... We exited our cabin and it was tough to be able to walk out of the ship. A lot of people were very emotional over it, upset, very frightened," said Stephen Johnson, a Canadian passenger.

An Australian passenger, Katie Sumner, said the early stages of the rescue were chaotic.

"We heard a big shudder and then the whole boat started to tilt," Sumner said.

"All of our glasses were sliding everywhere and our warning that the ship was sinking was some of the staff running down the corridor screaming out 'life jackets' and banging on doors, so we got no time to, sort of, get ready or anything, we just left as we were."

The 469-foot Sea Diamond was operated by Louis Cruise Lines, part of a Cyprus-based tourism group. The Merchant Marine Ministry said 1,195 passengers and 391 crew members were on board.

"Whoever is responsible for this will be held accountable in the strictest way," Petralia said. "Greece is a major tourism destination and incidents like this must not be allowed to occur. ... Authorities handled the rescue very well."

Most of the rescued passengers arrived at Athens' main port of Piraeus Friday on a chartered ferry and a Louis cruise ship.

Authorities on Santorini said they were working to contain a small oil spillage from the sunken ship.

The Sea Diamond's captain and three officers were being interviewed Friday by coast guard investigators who flew to Santorini.

More than 300 rescued passengers arrived at Athens' main port of Piraeus early Friday on a chartered ferry, and more were due to arrive later in the day on another Louis cruise ship.

More from CBS News

mediterranean cruise accident

Cruise ship crashes off Mallorca as thousands of terrified passengers seen in tears

A packed cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers has crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of the beautifial island of Mallorca after it snapped its moorings.

Holidaymakers were left stranded after gales sent the P&O Britannia hurtling into another vessel into the city of Palma in the Balearic island. It was reported that a storm “suddenly hit” the island with heavy rain and hail accompanied by strong 55mph gusts. The huge ship, worth close to $600million, is currently said to be anchored less than a mile from the shore following the terrifying accident.

Passengers were told “this is not a drill”, by the captain earlier after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water. Terrifying footage shows poolside furniture being tossed around as frantic staff attempted to calm customers on board the 140,000-tonne ship. Thousands have been left in waiting rooms as they await updates.

One woman, who is on the ship with her partner and two children, said: “We have now been told we’re allowed to leave our cabins but we can’t do anything on the ship and all the crew are in their life jackets and doing all of their emergency things. The side of the boat is battered."

She said: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship. We were up browsing on our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.

"We went out onto our balcony and could see debris in the ocean and all the damage to the side of the boat and our lifeboat. The captain said: ‘Everyone, this is not a drill.’ Lots of people were running around looking panicked. Then they came around again and said everyone needs to get back to their cabins. We’re still none the wiser. I can’t see how they’ll be able to sail it again after this.”

It comes as flights across the islands face cancellations and delays over the challenging weather conditions. The Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that 84 storm-related incidents were reported inside an hour today.

A witness to the event told the publication: "What a mess. A 200-tonne ship has carried it to the other side of the harbour like it was straw. Something must surely have been damaged. It went like a missile to the other side."

The Britannia set sail from Southampton in the United Kingdom on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise, including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza. The ship can carry up to 3,647 passengers and is 330 meters in length. She has a crew of 1,398.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises, which runs the ship, said: “We are aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning while the ship was alongside in Palma de Mallorca. We are working to assess the situation. The captain is keeping all guests updated.”

Passengers on the Britannia cruise ship were in floods of tears after the storm hit

Tragedy on the Mediterranean: Cruise ship runs…

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Tragedy on the mediterranean: cruise ship runs aground off coast of italy, 17 still missing.

The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy,  early Saturday. The ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, sending water pouring in through a 160-foot  gash in the hull and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel, the Italian coast guard said. The number of dead and injured is not yet confirmed Coast Guard Cmdr. Francesco Paolillo said.

The captain of a luxury cruise liner that ran aground off the coast of Italy was arrested for abandoning his ship – while more than a dozen people remained unaccounted for.

The massive Costa Concordia – which was carrying more than 4,000 people, including 126 Americans – took on so much water through a 160-foot gash that the ship quickly listed to its side, preventing many of its life boats from being launched.

Six people were confirmed dead and 17 others were missing, potentially lost on the capsized ship, the largest vessel ever to sink.

The 114,500-ton vessel’s captain, Francesco Schettino , was charged with manslaughter and leaving his post after the horrific wreck, which comes just months before the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

SEE: GRIPPING PHOTOS OF THE SINKING OF THE COSTA CONCORDIA.

The tragedy unfolded as many of the guests settled down to a candlelight dinner, the Mediterranean Sea passing serenely outside the grand windows of their luxury cruise ship.

But what was to have been a week-long dream vacation was suddenly interrupted by the nightmarish sound of steel of giving way – and a violent crash that toppled everything in the tony dining room.

The cruise ship plunged into darkness – and then chaos.

“They were at dinner at the time, and they just heard a bang and felt a jolt and all of a sudden the ship tilted,” said Phyllis Papa of Wallingford, Conn., whose sister and niece were aboard the glitzy liner.

“There was a lot of chaos no one knew what to do or where to go, and they couldn’t walk because it was tilting so bad,” Papa said. “Everyone was screaming. They thought they were going to die.”

Officials at the United States Embassy in Rome said all of the Americans onboard the ill-fated ship were accounted for.

“They had nothing but there clothes on, they lost everything,” said Papa, who spoke to her sister Maria and niece, Melissa Goduti , in the hours after their brush with a watery grave. “They watched it sink.”

Carrying 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew members, the Costa Concordia was on its usual weekly route across the Mediterranean Sea and departed Civitavecchia – the port of Rome – three hours before disaster struck.

The liner’s captain told investigators that the 950-foot-long ship hit a submerged rock – which Schettino claimed was not on his navigation chart – that immediately ripped a savage gash in the ship’s side.

Schettino tried to steer the vessel toward the shallow water off the island’s coast – but the Costa Concordia took on so much water, navigation was nearly impossible.

Investigators are probing whether Schettino, 52, delayed in sounding a mandatory mayday that could have more quickly brought help to the wounded ship, according to ANSA, an Italian news agency.

Schettino denied the charge and claimed he was the last survivor off the ship. His first mate, Ciro Ambrosio , was also being held.

Several passengers complained the crew tried to downplay the accident, claiming that a simple technical failure had caused the lights to go out – and didn’t move to evacuate people until 45 minutes after the collision.

“My dad said, ‘You need to start lowering these boats. We want to get off,'” said Lindsay Underwood of Wingham, Ontario, whose mother and father, Laurie and Alan Willits , were aboard.

“He and my mom stayed there until they started lowering the boats,” Underwood said. “Somebody screwed up major.”

Passengers recounted terrifying images of cabins filled with water and panicked tourists trying to climb to safety as the ship began to tilt at a frightening angle.

Witnesses said some vacationers jumped into the sea. Their fates were unknown.

Fishing boats in the area rescued scores of passengers while Italian naval helicopters plucked another 50 stranded on the ship.

Thousands of the passengers were moved to Giglio Island, far outnumbering the tiny island’s population. Many of them remained huddled on the island Saturday night, waiting to be transported back to the mainland.

Passengers reported that the ship, which had been at sea for more than a week, had yet to run its first evacuation drill.

That initial dry-run had been scheduled for Saturday afternoon – when instead the ship was lying flat on its side, mostly submerged in the cold water. Rescue workers swarmed the lifeless vessel looking for survivors and clues as to what led to the deadly crash.

“I want to express our deep sorrow for this terrible tragedy,” said Gianni Onorato , president of Costa Cruises, which operates the ship.

An Italian news agency reported that the vessel had been in one previous accident, though no one was injured when the Concordia slammed into a Palermo dock in 2008.

With Helen Kennedy and News Wire Services

More in World News

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World News | Israel launches drone strike on Iran in retaliation for attack

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P&O UK unveils summer 2026 cruises with early booking discount

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P&O Cruises UK has unveiled its summer 2026 program, accompanied by an enticing early-bird booking promotion.

The itinerary collection encompasses 20+ seven-night Mediterranean voyages out of Southampton , featuring most of the fleet. Arvia and Iona will each undertake 4 new 7-night Mediterranean routes, with ports of call Bilbao , La Coruna , Vigo , and Cherbourg . Prices start at GBP 649 pp.

Moreover, Arvia will offer 14-night western Mediterranean itineraries, with 6 ports of call, including her inaugural voyage to Rome-Civitavecchia , starting at GBP 1,149 pp.

The 2026 program emphasizes more overnight stays and late part stays. Britannia will offer evening departures in 7 ports, while Azura and Arcadia will present overnight stops in Valletta , Quebec , Boston , and New York .

Aurora will introduce 21-night central Mediterranean and 24-night eastern Mediterranean cruises with refreshed itineraries, priced from GBP 2,549. Additionally, Aurora will revisit Istanbul for the first time since 2015, with prices starting at GBP 2,249 for the August 19, 2026 departure from Southampton.

Azura will continue her fly-cruise itineraries from Malta, featuring western, central, and eastern Mediterranean routes.

Britannia's 21-night Central Mediterranean itinerary will highlight Croatia, priced from GBP 1,999, with departures on June 5, 2026. Britannia will also offer a new 14-night Iceland itinerary, starting at GBP 1,499.

Iona will embark on 7-night Norwegian fjords itineraries throughout summer 2026, with a lead-in price of GBP 629.

The collection includes 4 special event cruises, 3 coinciding with total solar eclipses. Ventura will offer a 14-night Atlantic Coast cruise from GBP 1,499, while Arcadia will sail an Iceland and British Isles voyage from Southampton, starting at GBP 1,840, with an optional overnight stay in Greenock to witness the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Aurora will host a Northern Lights sailing departing on October 20, 2026, with prices from GBP 1,249.

Bookings made by June 4 for voyages between March 20 and October 31, 2026, qualify for a 10% discount on applicable Select Price sailings, along with a 10% deposit offer on Select Price and Early Saver bookings.

  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Cool Cruiser

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

5,000+ Club

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

RachelG

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

  • 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

greygypsy

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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  1. Liner Captain Is Questioned in Capsizing Off Italy Coast

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  2. Maritime history: Costa Concordia disaster

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  3. Pictures: 5 Cruise Ship Disasters That Changed Travel

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  4. Cruise ship disaster: another 5 bodies found, death toll rises to 11

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  5. Cruise Ship Crashes at Barcelona Port

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  6. Two Bodies Found Near Costa Concordia Wreck : The Two-Way : NPR

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COMMENTS

  1. Costa Concordia disaster

    disaster. /  42.36528°N 10.92167°E  / 42.36528; 10.92167. On 13 January 2012, the seven-year-old Costa Cruises vessel Costa Concordia was on the first leg of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea when she deviated from her planned route at Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, sailed closer to the island, and struck a rock formation on the sea floor.

  2. Costa Concordia disaster

    Costa Concordia disaster, the capsizing of an Italian cruise ship on January 13, 2012, after it struck rocks off the coast of Giglio Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.More than 4,200 people were rescued, though 32 people died in the disaster.Several of the ship's crew, notably Capt. Francesco Schettino, were charged with various crimes.. Construction and maiden voyage

  3. 10 years later, Costa Concordia survivors share their stories from

    Survivors remember scenes of chaos like something out of 'Titanic,' a decade after the Italian cruise ship ran aground in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 32 people. Jan. 12, 2022, 1:20 PM UTC.

  4. How the Wreck of a Cruise Liner Changed an Italian Island

    How the Wreck of a Cruise Liner Changed an Italian Island. Ten years ago the Costa Concordia ran aground off the Tuscan island of Giglio, killing 32 people and entwining the lives of others ...

  5. Survivor recounts Costa Concordia cruise capsizing 10 years later

    Associated Press. 0:00. 1:35. GIGLIO, Italy — Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for the passengers ...

  6. 10 years later, Costa Concordia disaster haunts survivors

    Associated Press. Jan. 12, 2022 2 PM PT. GIGLIO, Italy —. Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for ...

  7. Mediterranean Cruise Accident Roils Wave Season

    The Costa Concordia, a 114,500-ton cruise ship sailing the Mediterranean, suffered the cruise industry's worst accident in recent years when the vessel crashed into rocks near the small island of Giglio, off the coast of Italy. ... the accident is rocking the cruise industry. Cruise experts were bracing for a downturn in bookings in the ...

  8. Two survivors rescued from grounded cruise ship

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  9. Italians launch rescue bid after cruise liner runs aground

    Fri 13 Jan 2012 20.35 EST. A luxury cruise ship has run aground off the coast of Tuscany, gashing open the hull and forcing some 4,200 people aboard to evacuate on lifeboats to a nearby island. At ...

  10. Cruise Accident

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  11. As Divers Search Cruise Ship, Reason for Crash Is Unclear

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  12. Greek migrant boat wreck may be Mediterranean's 'worst ever ...

    The sinking of a packed migrant boat off the coast of Greece may be "the worst tragedy ever" in the Mediterranean sea, according to the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

  13. What happened to the Costa Concordia?

    On January 13, 2012, Costa Concordia departed from Civitavecchia, Italy on a 7-night Mediterranean cruise with 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew members onboard around 7:20pm. The ship was en route to its first port of call when Captain Francesco Schettino, who had worked for Costa Cruises for eleven years, strayed from the ship's original course, sailing close to the Tuscan island of Giglio.

  14. People injured after P&O cruise ship involved in 'weather-related

    People have been injured after a P&O cruise liner was involved in a "weather-related incident" in Mallorca, the company has said. It is reported that P&O ship Britannia, carrying thousands of ...

  15. Costa Smeralda accidents and incidents

    Costa Smeralda cruise ship accidents and incidents reports, Costa Cruises cruise law news, testimonials. ... The incident occurred during the 7-day Mediterranean Cruise (itinerary Sept 12-19, roundtrip from Palma de Mallorca/Majorca Island, Balearic Spain) with call ports in Italy (Palermo/Sep 14, Civitavecchia-Rome/Sep 15, Savona/Sep 16 ...

  16. Cruise Ship Sinks Near Greece; 2 Missing

    A Mediterranean cruise ship that struck a volcanic reef and forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists sank on Friday, 15 hours after it began taking on water off the coast of the Greek island ...

  17. Cruise ship crashes off Mallorca as thousands of terrified ...

    The Britannia set sail from Southampton in the United Kingdom on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise, including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza. The ship can carry up to 3,647 passengers and is 330 ...

  18. Tragedy on the Mediterranean: Cruise ship runs aground off coast of

    The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, early Saturday. The ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, sending water ...

  19. P&O Cruises unveils Summer 2026 program with early ...

    P&O Cruises has unveiled its summer 2026 program, accompanied by an enticing early-bird booking promotion.. The collection encompasses 20+ seven-night Mediterranean voyages departing from Southampton UK, featuring most of the fleet. Arvia and Iona will each undertake 4 new 7-night southern Mediterranean routes, with ports of call including Bilbao, La Coruna, Vigo, and Cherbourg.

  20. 1 killed, several injured in shuttle bus accident at Honolulu cruise

    Carnival Cruise Line said nine guests from the Carnival Miracle ship were among those involved in the accident, including the woman who died. The Illinois woman was celebrating her wedding ...

  21. St. Petersburg to Moscow on Zosima Shaskov with Gate 1

    Will be leaving on a river cruise 9/5 - 9/16/14 from STP to Moscow on MS Zosima Shaskov, totally unfamiliar with boat and area, any info will help. Ive been warned about what to do and not to do as far as food and water, which has already frightened me. We are a group of 12.

  22. Moscow Day Trip

    Moscow Day Trip, Seabourn Cruise Line. Cruise Critic; Research

  23. New footage shows 2019 plane crash at Moscow airport

    New footage shows the crash-landing of Aeroflot Flight 1492, which burst into flames as it tried to make an emergency landing at a Moscow airport on May 5, 2...

  24. Best of Moscow by high speed train

    Sure would appreciate someone who has taken Best of Moscow by high speed train from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day. Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also wha...