Allegra Passenger interviewed after disembarkation

[KatetheWanderer]

Interesting that while starvation continues for a fourth decade in east Africa, it only took 24 hours to helicopter food out to a stricken cruise ship full of fat tourists off that very coast... :rolleyes:

 

Tragically ironic. Thought the same thing myself. Compared to the starving Somalis, even the slimmer among us are hogs at the trough. The world is a crazy place. I sponsor one child in Kenya for $30 a month. What I spend on handbags and heels in a year could sponsor ten. But I don't. I am still trying to figure out my story at the pearly gates. Falling back on the general aid my country gives might not work. I will probably have some serious 'splaining to do.

[Q.E.D.]

How rude is that Q.E.D! Where you on that ship to be able to give a true sense of their girth.

Lighten up. It's a fact that most tourists/cruise ship passengers are overweight.

 

Tragically ironic. Thought the same thing myself. Compared to the starving Somalis, even the slimmer among us are hogs at the trough.

And then they complain that having to eat "white bread and thick salami" was "deplorable. Bet those starving Africans wouldn't think so. :rolleyes:

[RuthlessBoss]

Maybe Costa should have gotten them to port 12 hours earlier by not trying to save money on the towing expenses. Clearly "Costa's hands" were not tied in regards to minimizing the time that their passengers were at risk.

Am I missing something here? I thought the ship was non functioning.

[greg-nc]

Am I missing something here? I thought the ship was non functioning.

 

Yes, Costa contracted with a slower French fishing boat to tow the disabled ship. When two faster tugs showed up to tow the ship, Costa refused for a long period of time to allow them to tow the Allegra because it would cost Costa more money. This failure to use the faster tugs made it so the ship would be at sea for an additional 12 hours with the passengers in discomfort and at risk.

 

Costa already will have to pay the French fishing boat owners over 1 million euros. They did not have to pay the faster tugs an equivalent amount. Until multiple governments got involved and demanded that Costa use the tugs.

[RuthlessBoss]

Yes, Costa contracted with a slower French fishing boat to tow the disabled ship. When two faster tugs showed up to tow the ship, Costa refused for a long period of time to allow them to tow the Allegra because it would cost Costa more money. This failure to use the faster tugs made it so the ship would be at sea for an additional 12 hours with the passengers in discomfort and at risk.

 

Costa already will have to pay the French fishing boat owners over 1 million euros. They did not have to pay the faster tugs an equivalent amount. Until multiple governments got involved and demanded that Costa use the tugs.

Thanks for the clear info.

[Capricruiser]

Yes, Costa contracted with a slower French fishing boat to tow the disabled ship. When two faster tugs showed up to tow the ship, Costa refused for a long period of time to allow them to tow the Allegra because it would cost Costa more money. This failure to use the faster tugs made it so the ship would be at sea for an additional 12 hours with the passengers in discomfort and at risk.

 

Costa already will have to pay the French fishing boat owners over 1 million euros. They did not have to pay the faster tugs an equivalent amount. Until multiple governments got involved and demanded that Costa use the tugs.

Are you SURE of your information?

[sylmack]

Yes, Costa contracted with a slower French fishing boat to tow the disabled ship. When two faster tugs showed up to tow the ship, Costa refused for a long period of time to allow them to tow the Allegra because it would cost Costa more money. This failure to use the faster tugs made it so the ship would be at sea for an additional 12 hours with the passengers in discomfort and at risk.

 

Costa already will have to pay the French fishing boat owners over 1 million euros. They did not have to pay the faster tugs an equivalent amount. Until multiple governments got involved and demanded that Costa use the tugs.

 

Something doesn't add up....didn't Costa call the tugs ?

[greg-nc]

Are you SURE of your information?

 

Yes, I am. There have been multiple articles and statements from government officials from multiple nations.

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/story/2012-02-29/Passengers-on-disabled-cruise-ship-to-fly-to-Rome/53298918/1

[Ratt]

Yes, I am. There have been multiple articles and statements from government officials from multiple nations.

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/story/2012-02-29/Passengers-on-disabled-cruise-ship-to-fly-to-Rome/53298918/1

 

What I get from the article is that Costa contracted with the fishing boat, the government officials are saying it would be faster to use the tugs, Costa says that the tugs wouldn't be faster, the fishing boat company says the decision is all Costa's, when the tugs arrive and the fishing boat is already towing the ship there is a long discussion and in the end the fishing boat continues on.

 

And so my conclusion is that the government officials are just trying to make themselves look like they care. The fishing boat company is trying not to look bad, the tug boat company is trying not to look bad and Costa is trying not to look bad.

 

I didn't see anything in the article that made me believe any one side more than the other.

[KatetheWanderer]

What I get from the article is that Costa contracted with the fishing boat, the government officials are saying it would be faster to use the tugs, Costa says that the tugs wouldn't be faster, the fishing boat company says the decision is all Costa's, when the tugs arrive and the fishing boat is already towing the ship there is a long discussion and in the end the fishing boat continues on.

 

And so my conclusion is that the government officials are just trying to make themselves look like they care. The fishing boat company is trying not to look bad, the tug boat company is trying not to look bad and Costa is trying not to look bad.

 

I didn't see anything in the article that made me believe any one side more than the other.

 

The truth matters little because Costa cannot do anything right now. The whole industry is suffering from the media glare of attention. Lots of bad things happen on ships. We'll be hearing more of the gory details from the various lines. My bad vulture keeps hoping that it will drive prices down. However, the new uncertaintly about what kind of floodgates of litigation might be opened with the Concordia cases means that all the ships' insurance rates will likely skyrocket. If Concordia passengers are able to beat Costa's carrier contracts and the maritime liability limits or even put them in a legal limbo for a few years, then all the lines will be paying higher rates from the increasingly nervous insurers. Every slip and fall on the jello salad will be the case of the century for the right cruise industry plaintiff lawyer. The very tragic loss of the over thirty souls on the Concordia heralded a new era of cruiser martyrdom for anyone with a beef ....or with two many salamis after a fire. Costa's problems are all the lines' problems for the near future.

[G.M.T.]

Costs has nothing to do with it.

 

There was a contract (salvage) between the owner of the fishing boat and Costa based on established and very intricate maritime law formulated over centuries. Costa would not and could not just cut the tow rope. The french fishing boat literally owned the Allegra during the tow.

 

Ron

[sunshine 229]

Lighten up. It's a fact that most tourists/cruise ship passengers are overweight.

 

And then they complain that having to eat "white bread and thick salami" was "deplorable. Bet those starving Africans wouldn't think so. :rolleyes:

 

I'm always a little taken aback when posts like these appear on a cruise board.

Yes there are many people in the world who have less than most Americans and are in dire circumstances.

 

Since you are here posting on a cruise board however, I assume that you have not sold all your goods, emptied all your bank accounts and given it all away to the poor (in any country of your choice.) That is am assumption, I admit, and if i am wrong and you are in fact now pennyless and living in a convent knitting socks for the orpahns of Africa please correct me and accept my apology.

 

If my assumption is correct however, what is the point of your post? If it is to judge the people who have spent their money on a cruise and have the right to expect a certain level of service in return for that money, who are you to judge them for that?

[KatetheWanderer]

I'm always a little taken aback when posts like these appear on a cruise board.

Yes there are many people in the world who have less than most Americans and are in dire circumstances.

 

Since you are here posting on a cruise board however, I assume that you have not sold all your goods, emptied all your bank accounts and given it all away to the poor (in any country of your choice.) That is am assumption, I admit, and if i am wrong and you are in fact now pennyless and living in a convent knitting socks for the orpahns of Africa please correct me and accept my apology.

 

If my assumption is correct however, what is the point of your post? If it is to judge the people who have spent their money on a cruise and have the right to expect a certain level of service in return for that money, who are you to judge them for that?

 

I didn't take the post to be about judging the cruisers. It is about the juxtaposition of the two vastly different worlds in the broader perspective of relative fortunes. The ship of a few hundred eating sandwiches and cookies for three days and drinking Pellegrino isn't really huge news compared to so many millions dying in heartbreaking conditions. The press is all over the cruise ship story. It's kind of crazy when you think about it. Having been in Africa a few times, I am fairly certain the irony wouldn't have escaped me had I been on the ship. Especially if I were feeling sorry for myself. That is not to say I wouldn't have expected the cruise line to rescue me and offer me fair compensation which Costa is apparently doing for the passengers. The last time I had a vacation screwed up due to an airline delay or equipment failure, I got squat. More than a few times, I have been stuck in an airport (once a couple of days in Newark at the holidays) waiting for an available seat while developing an unsightly cinnabon-top.

[Q.E.D.]

I didn't take the post to be about judging the cruisers. It is about the juxtaposition of the two vastly different worlds in the broader perspective of relative fortunes.

 

Right.

[Host Mick]

Not to mention that much of the aid is taken by corrupt government officials and never reaches the people who really need it.

 

Getting off-topic but do a search for a Wall St. Journal article on why foreign aid is hurting Africa.

[Dmetrius]

Costs has nothing to do with it.

 

There was a contract (salvage) between the owner of the fishing boat and Costa based on established and very intricate maritime law formulated over centuries. Costa would not and could not just cut the tow rope. The french fishing boat literally owned the Allegra during the tow.

People know so little about the intricacies of Salvage. There are factors like...who threw the attachment rope to who? Did Allegra throw/provide the rope over to the tug?

or did it happen the other way around? No difference, you say? THINK AGAIN.

 

My best guess is that the French fishing boat was nearest to Allegra adrift and said YEEEhaawww...yo axx is MINE, and took Allegra into tow, knowing full well he'd get some serious salvage money.

When tugs arrived(sent by others) he simply continued towing at whatever was his full speed, thus not allowing the others to tow, not to mention probably warning them off HIS PROPERTY i.e., Allegra!

No-one was gonna cash in on his big prize. So what if the people on board had to suffer an extra 12 hrs? That's not his French concern.