Tag: cruise ships

Italy Cruise Ship Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino Speaking to the Media

Cruise Ship Crew Is Criticized A sixth body has been found in the wreckage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Tuscany as rescue workers continue searching for survivors in the part of the ship that is above water.The sixth body to be found on the cruise ship Costa off Giglio is still unidentified, though it has been confirmed by Italian news outlet Ansa that the man was a passenger on the ship. The man was found on the second deck in a part of the ship which was not flooded by water. He had his life vest on.Sixteen people are still unaccounted for after the Costa Concordia, which was carrying 4,234 passengers and crew, hit rocks Friday evening near Giglio, a small island off the coast of Tuscany. Investigators say the ship was an "incredibly close" 150 meters (roughly 500 feet) from the shore.The bodies of two passengers found wearing life jackets aboard the ship were identified Sunday, officials said. Both passengers were elderly men -- one Italian, the other Spanish. The bodies were found earlier Sunday near a gathering point in the submerged part of the luxury liner. Gregorio Borgia/AP PhotoItalian firefighters' scuba ...

Costa Concordia tragedy

The Captain abandoned first sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia tragedy

IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu expresses his condolences IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu has expressed his condolences and sympathy for all those caught up in tragic accidents involving ships over the weekend.Speaking at the opening of the IMO Sub-Committee on Stability, Load Lines and Fishing Vessel Safety today (16 January 2011) Mr Sekimizu said, "I wish to express my sincere condolences and sympathy on behalf of IMO to the families of those who have lost their lives the cruise ship Costa Concordia.""Further, I appreciate the Italian Coast Guard for their rescue operations over the night of the accident and the continued efforts deploying patrol boats, tugs, helicopters as well as diver teams, which have resulted in the highest number of people rescued in the history of the Italian Coast Guard.""Causes of this accident are still not yet established. We must wait for the casualty investigation and should not pre-judge or speculate at this stage. I would like to urge the Flag State administration to carry out the casualty investigation covering all aspects of this accident and provide the findings to the IMO under the provisions of SOLAS as soon as possible," he said.He added "IMO must not take this accident lightly. We ...

MSC Poesia pulled off the reef during the evening high tide

15 largest cruise ships emit as much sulfur dioxide pollution annually The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) has announced their 2011 "Dinosaur of the Year" award. The Dino of the Year trophy goes to people or companies of public interest, intended to draw attention to "the most ridiculous statement or anachronistic decision in connection with Nature and the Environment."This year's dinosaurs are the cruise ship industry. The German-based NABU singled out cruise lines AIDA and TUI, based in Germany, as the representatives of their branch.NABU President Olaf Tschimpke claims cruise ships emit particle pollution equivalent to 5 million cars driving the same distance as the cruise ship travels. NABU notes in particular that there is money for every sort of convenience and luxury for guests on board, but no investment has been made in switching cruise ships from heavy fuel oil or outfitting the ships with particle filters, to reduce the pollution emission rates. Also according to NABU, the 15 largest cruise ships emit as much sulfur dioxide pollution annually as all 760 million cars in the world.An AIDA spokesperson points the public to the annual AIDA Corporate Sustainability Report, where environmental efforts and successes are made transparent for ...

Asuka II to receive the Ecomarine system Japanese companies Sumitomo Electric Industries and NYK Cruises have agreed to install a Sumitomo 'Ecomarine' ultraviolet ballast water management (BWM) system on one of NYK's cruise ships.Asuka II will receive the Ecomarine system in January 2012, and it will undertake demonstration testing of the system, which is under development by Sumitomo Electric. The two companies will cooperate in onboard testing specified by the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments.Ecomarine incorporates filter units originally developed by Sumitomo Electric to separate large plankton and other aquatic organisms. The ballast water management system then eliminates any remaining small organisms with a medium-pressure ultraviolet system. The system has been designed to save power, while providing reliable removal of organisms. It is claimed to offer environmental benefits in comparison to other chemical-free ultraviolet BWM systems. The simple combination of filter units and compact, high-powered,medium-pressure UV system is said to offer ease of use and low maintenance.Sumitomo says that when tested on land using a setup comparable to actual use conditions (water treatment at 200 m3/h), Ecomarine demonstrated power consumption reduction and high organism removal capacity, as intended. The company has applied ...

The World Discoverer, which sank in the Solomon Islands in 2001