In this modern age how do you manage to sink a cruise ship?

[Stinsok]

Not trying to be funny.

Cruise ship aground: Search for missing off coast of Italy (+video) - CSMonitor.com

[Jhengsman]

A hundred years after a famous unsinkable ship was lost we are still so arrogant to believe that we are in total control. Over our own mistakes as well as over nature.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

^ bingo

[Steve]

Cutting edge technology < Cutting edge stupidity.

I liked the newschick report I saw on that:
"It's clear that it hit "something" and did not run aground."

Followed by a picture of the ship on it's side clearly run aground.

????

[nortonrider]

I don't understand how they can run so far off course with computerized maps of the shipping lanes, GPS, satellite tracking, etc...

Running aground in today's day in age just shouldn't happen.

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I don't understand how they can run so far off course with computerized maps of the shipping lanes, GPS, satellite tracking, etc...

The original -- and inaccurate -- story was that it hit "a sandbar," and they shift.

The truth was that it hit a great pile of rocks that had been there since long before the charts were made and the GPS navigational programming was done.

I really want to hear the outcome of this investigation.

[SoonerMatt]

The captain has been arrested and is being charged with abandoning ship and manslaughter. So far three people have died, 20 are injured, and "dozens" are still missing.

Two survivors rescued from grounded cruise ship - CNN.com

[BIG97BEN]

That's crazy stuff. Hate reading that when I have a cruise coming up in May.

[fourstringdrums]

Alcohol & or drugs would be my guess if not extreme ineptitude.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Have You worked with CCL/Costa staff?

Or have You any experience about the ships made at the Fincantieri shipyards?

Not that hard to believe if You have.

Regards
Sam

[nortonrider]

This Fincantieri?

"Fincantieri, one of Europe's largest shipbuilders with a track record dating back 200 years and a history of building more than 7000 ships."

What insight do you have as to why one of their cruise ships would veer 2 1/2 miles off course?
If I had to guess as to a cause of the grounding, I would say operator error.

[matti777]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

...If I had to guess as to a cause of the grounding, I would say operator error.

If I had to speculate (and I am) I would agree and say that they will find multiple human errors leading to this catastrophic end.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by nortonrider

This Fincantieri?

"Fincantieri, one of Europe's largest shipbuilders with a track record dating back 200 years and a history of building more than 7000 ships."

What insight do you have as to why one of their cruise ships would veer 2 1/2 miles off course?
If I had to guess as to a cause of the grounding, I would say operator error.

Yep, that's the one.

Well, I used to work in Åker-yards, doing some finishing jobs the Spirit class cruise ships built over here in Finland.

I didn't visit the Fincantieri yards, but a lot of my co-workers did, and according to them, even the dockside work made them nervous with the hull flexing. One test-cruise was usually more than enough to make them refuse any additional ones.

The construction method over there was (still is?) obsolete in todays standards, and made the long ships prone to warping.

A lot can happen in 10 years I know, but if the same companys capitain's transfer voyage pretty much ends with a hefty fine after speeding in the English channel is any indication about their level of professionalism, well...

Regards
Sam

[lowendfriend]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I don't understand how they can run so far off course with computerized maps of the shipping lanes, GPS, satellite tracking, etc...

Running aground in today's day in age just shouldn't happen.

Your comment is exactly WHY they still run aground....you get a captain who relies too much on the technology and doesn't pay attention to what's really going on. Or is just drunk.

I can appreciate that since I ran aground twice in my first season of boating with the whole electronics magilla on board...sonar, radar, GPS, sateliite weather.

[lowendfriend]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

What insight do you have as to why one of their cruise ships would veer 2 1/2 miles off course?
If I had to guess as to a cause of the grounding, I would say operator error.

Bingo!!

[colcifer]

Originally Posted by Jhengsman

A hundred years after a famous unsinkable ship was lost we are still so arrogant to believe that we are in total control. Over our own mistakes as well as over nature.

Common misconception: the Titanic was never advertised as unsinkable. The origin of the claim post-dates the sinking.

Anyhow, one of my favorite sayings: He who claims to have a fool-proof plan underestimates the ingenuity of fools.

[Munjibunga]

One time I damaged the propeller of a speedboat in shallow water on Lake Mead. Cost me 65 bucks.

[Tituscrow]

Breaking news this morning is that a Korean newlywed couple have been found alive in a cabin. Must have been terrifying.

[PSPookie]

Simple: inept piloting + flawed design = sunk ship.

Never underestimate the power of teh stoopid.

[blastoff99]

The BC ferry system managed to sink one of their boats a few years back:

Human error blamed for Queen of the North sinking - British Columbia - CBC News

Turns out the crew on the bridge (one male, one female) were, uh, not paying attention to the navigation of the ship, because they were doing Other Things.

I like how the article says they "lost situational awareness."