The grounding of Costa Concordia is an event that the world will not soon forget. Rescue workers will soon become recovery workers as 20-some passengers remain unaccounted for. It was almost the event everyone who makes a living via the cruise industry fears more than any other.
There’s an understanding among those that promote, sell and work the industry, a silent understanding that is rarely spoken. It’s the “What if?” question that everyone knows the answer to.
What if a ship sinks, full of passengers, in the middle of the ocean?
Everyone associated with the cruise industry knows the answer: It’s over.
Not just for those people but for the entire cruise industry as we know it.
It’s the reason everyone from travel agents to dock workers at the ports takes the matter so seriously. It’s the reason someone showing up at the pier with the wrong documentation does not get on the ship. It’s why luggage is searched, security perimeters are maintained around vessels and industry standards are far higher than any government entity could ask for or monitor effectively.
It’s why those who question the resolve of the cruise industry to maintain safety standards and a high degree of security are misguided. It’s why those who think the cruise industry does not already have stringent safety and security measures in place are in error.
One bomb. One attack. One catastrophic event, causing loss of life in the thousands of souls and the party is over.
Costa Concordia was almost that event. It was, is, and will go down in history as a tragedy. Not a disaster. Titanic was a disaster. To call Concordia a disaster or to damn the entire cruise industry in a wide sweeping gesture, disrespects the memory of the 1500 passengers that died on the Titanic but still cry out today, demanding the best safety protocols.
By the same token, to say that one rogue captain, run amok, sealed the fate of Costa Concordia, to have such a narrow focus, is just as inaccurate.
A good system for security and safety is in place but Costa Concordia rocked the world of security and safety.
Not long ago we noted that clearly, business-as-usual won’t work for the cruise industry. In an appropriate, responsible move yesterday, Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation said “this tragedy has called into question our company’s safety and emergency response procedures and practices.”
Noting the excellent safety record his organization has maintained over the years, Arison called for a complete audit and review of safety and emergency response procedures across all the Carnival Corp brands.
“While I have every confidence in the safety of our vessels and the professionalism of our crews, this review will evaluate all practices and procedures to make sure that this kind of accident doesn’t happen again,” said Arison in a statement.
It’s the right move, at the right time, by the right guy.
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