Costa Allegra - Why Is This News?

[paddyhasneeds]

Seriously, why are the new channels lapping up interviews with parents and relatives of crew and passengers on the stricken ship?

I'm assuming cruise ships break down all fking day long so why is this considered newsworthy?

[Zaxxon]

So you need someone else to explain to you why an Italian cruise ship in trouble might be newsworthy? The second in a month?
And you think that cruiseliners break down every day? Or is it a wind up post?

[tomw2000]

Stops the masses having to think about the (dire) state of the world and gives the meedja some respite from making up more lies about bankers, windymills and govt. tax and spending?

[Streps]

I was just reading about "costa disaster happening again"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/i...

The media love reporting this kind of stuff happening to one company.

A fire raises eyebrows when the same company still has bodies being pulled out of one of the other cruise ships.

Edited by Streps on Tuesday 28th February 18:08

[thinfourth2]

paddyhasneeds said:

I'm assuming cruise ships break down all fking day long so why is this considered newsworthy?

They don't actually

A fire at sea is rare and quite frankly fking terrifying

If a fire gets out of control on a modern cruise ship then hundreds will die

[paddyhasneeds]

Zaxxon said:

So you need someone else to explain to you why an Italian cruise ship in trouble might be newsworthy? The second in a month?
And you think that cruiseliners break down every day? Or is it a wind up post?

One sank a month ago so it's now newsworthy?

If this one had broken down two months ago it sure as heck wouldn't be on the front page of the BBC News nor would Channel 5 be promoting interviews with concerned relatives.

And yes, I'm assuming that somewhere in the world on any given day a cruise liner probably does break down.

[Blib]

I believe that it's another case of what I call "Coach crash syndrome". Every summer it seems, a coach containing holidaying Brits crashes, several are killed, others injured. The news and papers are full of it.

For the next few weeks, any coach crash anywhere in the World is reported on. Especially, if a British citizen is unlucky enough to have been hurt.

Then, it all fades away. Coaches continue to crash. But, the news has moved on.

[carmonk]

It's called manufacturing the news. It's a non-event. Then again, it's more exiting than headlines such as "XYZ company profits down 6%!" and other such ste that passes for news these days.

[Eric Mc]

paddyhasneeds said:

One sank a month ago so it's now newsworthy?

If this one had broken down two months ago it sure as heck wouldn't be on the front page of the BBC News nor would Channel 5 be promoting interviews with concerned relatives.

And yes, I'm assuming that somewhere in the world on any given day a cruise liner probably does break down.

There's a difference between "breaking down" and "catching fire".

A fire on a large passenger ship is especially terrifying and has led to massive loss of life in the past.
Cruise liners do "break down" from time to time - but not that often. And it is newsworthy when the same company has had two very serious incidences within the space of a month.

I have heard some inside reports on how Costa operates and I would not be booking any cruises with them.

[Jimbeaux]

Here is another bit (armed robbery) involving a sister ship from the same company. Admittedly not on the ship, but organized by them. Bad luck:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/02/carn...

[Chrisgr31]

I am sure that previous fires and breakdowns of cruise ships/liners like the QE2 and Queen Mary etc have made the news in the past, but I think you'll find it is rare for one to be disabled and require towing. Then you have the issue that it is not far from where other ships have been hijacked by pirates, and then you throw in the fact a ship from the same fleet ran aground with bodies still being recovered and you have a story.

SALVAGE!

On the same subject but a different tangent what happens about salvage. Does the French fishing boat that is apparently currently towing it earn an absolute fortune for salvaging it?

[Crafty_]

Chrisgr31 said:

On the same subject but a different tangent what happens about salvage. Does the French fishing boat that is apparently currently towing it earn an absolute fortune for salvaging it?

I expect so. A mate works on the tugs, if a ship requests help/signals distress there is a mad dash to be the first tug to get a line secured to the ship - that stakes your claim. The owners of the ship then pretty much end up paying whatever the bill is.
The last one he did was a ship that managed to smack in to a jetty, nearly hit another ship and was in a difficult position to recover from without help.

[MiniMan64]

A symptom of 24/7 news channels I'm afraid.

Anything and everything is BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

[Popeyed]

Crafty_ said:

I expect so. A mate works on the tugs, if a ship requests help/signals distress there is a mad dash to be the first tug to get a line secured to the ship - that stakes your claim. The owners of the ship then pretty much end up paying whatever the bill is.
The last one he did was a ship that managed to smack in to a jetty, nearly hit another ship and was in a difficult position to recover from without help.

Totally incorrect. I used to work as Captain on large offshore anchor handling tugs more than capable of salvage work. Getting a line on a ship does not stake a claim to salvage, there has to be agreement, either formal such as signing a suitable version of Lloyds Open Form, or even verbal over the VHF that a third party is to offer salvage assistance.

As the ship in this case was in no immediate danger salvage will not be required; rather the owners will agree a towage contract to take the vessel to port so repairs can be affected. And with regard to who pays if salvage is called, you will find that insurance underwriters will foot the majority of the bill, not the shipowner.

[Chrisgr31]

Sky News are suggesting that the french fishing boat currently towing Costa Allegra has refused t hand her over to the tugs that have been sent out to her. Is that due to salvage rights?

[Popeyed]

Chrisgr31 said:

Sky News are suggesting that the french fishing boat currently towing Costa Allegra has refused t hand her over to the tugs that have been sent out to her. Is that due to salvage rights?

There has been nothing in the shipping press that suggests any salvage agreement has been agreed between Costa and the fishing boat. The tow line can easily be cut by the crew on the Costa Allegra, a few moments with a gas axe against the tow wire/rope will soon dispatch the fishing vessel.

[loafer123]

I am sure it won't have been salvage, but I am also sure it will be alot more profitable for them than fishing and a good, quick, easy resolution for the cruise company.

[onesickpuppy]

Jimbeaux said:

Here is another bit (armed robbery) involving a sister ship from the same company. Admittedly not on the ship, but organized by them. Bad luck:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/02/carn...

I noticed this in that link:

"The Carnival Splendor is the same ship that left passengers stranded off the coast of San Diego in 2010 when a fire erupted in the ship’s engine room."

They seem to have more than their fair share of bad luck.

[Jimbeaux]

onesickpuppy said:

Jimbeaux said:

Here is another bit (armed robbery) involving a sister ship from the same company. Admittedly not on the ship, but organized by them. Bad luck:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/02/carn...

I noticed this in that link:

"The Carnival Splendor is the same ship that left passengers stranded off the coast of San Diego in 2010 when a fire erupted in the ship’s engine room."

They seem to have more than their fair share of bad luck.

They sure do. That, or selective reporting makes it seem as others do not.