costa cruises News

Dates for removing the Costa Concordia from its perch 300 metres from the Italian island of Giglio have come and gone but the cruise liner hasn't moved. In fact the next stage, rotating the ship, has yet to happen, though it likely will happen soon.

Tests released to the public on the island of Giglio in the Tuscan Bay reveal that water quality around the partially-submerged Costa Concordia is good. The tests reveal that the water by the ship is of the same quality as elsewhere in the area.

As I write we are but two weeks shy of the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. Naturally the date won't get the attention that the 100 year anniversary did, but it’s worthy of note.

The Bulgarian technician credited with saving hundreds of lives on the Costa Concordia has been named his country's 'Man of the Year'. The award was handed out Monday at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia and Petar Petrov's wife and son accepted it for him.

More than two months of hearings are over and prosecutors in Grosetto, Italy looking into the tragedy of the Costa Concordia have concluded the case should go to a criminal trial. They will file a request for an indictment by the end of January.

Costa Cruises, the owner/operator of the Costa Concordia, which went down nearly a year ago with the loss of 32 passengers and crew, is building a replacement. The construction of the 132,500 ton Costa Diadema began in Italy Monday.

The company that owns the Costa Concordia, Costa Cruises, has put up a website detailing the progress of the salvage operation. The ship sank off the shore of the Italian island of Giglio on Jan. 13 and is being refloated.

The day of reckoning comes fast for Francesco Schettino, captain of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia. Preliminary hearings for his impending trial start Monday; he's charged with manslaughter, contravening laws of the sea and abandoning his ship.

The ocean liner Allegra, from the same fleet as the ill-fated Costa Concordia, is on the seller's block with a likelihood it will be sold for scrap. The ship is much smaller than the Concordia at 28,500 tonnes and carries 820 passengers.

The biggest lawsuit to arise over the sinking of the Italian cruise liner, the Costa Concordia, was launched in a New York court this week. The suit seeks $400 million from Carnival Corp. and Costa Crociere for "serious negligence."