Two cruise ship passengers missing after falling overboard off Australia

Authorities were conducting an air and marine search Thursday off Australia’s east coast for two cruise passengers who were believed to have fallen overboard the night before. The couple, Australian citizens from New South Wales state, were discovered missing Thursday morning after the Carnival Spirit docked at Sydney’s Circular Quay, at the end of a 10-day journey, said New South Wales Police Superintendent Mark Hutchings. He said surveillance camera footage showed that the couple — a 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman whose names have not been released — fell from the ship’s mid deck Wednesday night, when the ship was about 120 kilometers (65 nautical miles) off the coast of Forster, a city 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of Sydney.

Two cruise ship passengers missing after falling overboard off Australia mercurynews
Carnival Cruise Passengers Fall Overboard Off Australia Coast Huffington Post
Cruise passengers fall overboard off Australia BBC
Two passengers vanish from Carnival cruise ship NBC
Huge rescue mission launched AOL Travel

Carnival passengers overboard: 2 cruise ship passengers fall off Spirit Examiner

Should I Buy Carnival?

Who doesn’t remember the Costa Concordia disaster, which killed 32 people in Jan. 2012? That was swiftly followed by a blaze on board sister liner Costa Allegra, which knocked out the power supply. Companies take time to recover from that kind of brand damage. Worse, the mishaps have continued this year — with three cruise liners all suffering technical problems

Should I Buy Carnival? Motley Fool
No such thing as bad publicity for cruises? -TravelMole

Carnival Cruise Lines And Why Third Party Travel Insurance Pays

Carnival Cruise Lines has had a rough few weeks, but as difficult as Triumph’s drift, Dream’s electrical failure and Legend’s propulsion problems have likely been on the Carnival Corp. PR team, these seaborne debacles have been harder still on the boats’ passengers. By way of making amends, Carnival has offered its indignant clients small amounts of cash and credits for exactly the sort of future cruises they probably want to avoid. That said, Carnival didn’t really have to offer the victims of their hospitality anything at all — an argument, if there ever was one, for third party insurance.

Carnival Cruise Lines And Why Third Party Travel Insurance Pays
Costa Concordia Salvage Update
Costa Concordia – IMO 9320544 – Callsign IBHD
Costa Concordia Ship Tour just before sinking on Friday 13th

What to do if your cruise ship becomes disabled

What to do if your cruise ship becomes disabled
Fox News
This is the third Carnival ship in less than two months to experience difficulties at sea. In February, the Carnival Triumph was crippled by an onboard fire in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving passengers stranded for days while the ship was towed back to land.

What to do if your cruise ship becomes disabled
Great Land ship leaves Port of Tacoma, ‘served the community well’ News Tribune
Fourth Carnival ship faces problems NBC News
Carnival lowers financial outlook after Triumph, ‘Fun Ship’ ship issues Miami Herald
Turning Carnival’s ship around Washington Post

Second Carnival Cruise Ship Having Trouble at Sea

ABC News ‎-
Another day, another Carnival cruise ship is having issues. The company announced late Thursday night that the Carnival Legend, currently off the coast of Honduras, is unable to sail at its optimal speed because of a technical problem, forcing the ship to cut short passengers’ vacation. The Carnival Legend has canceled its visit to Grand Cayman today so it can immediately return to its homeport in Tampa Bay, Fla., according to a news release. The Legend is on the last leg of a seven-day Caribbean cruise that departed Tampa March 10.

Second Carnival Cruise Ship Having Trouble at Sea ABC News
Carnival cruise line in more troubled waters CNN
Another problem cruise: Second Carnival ship in less than a week experiences trouble at sea Fox News
Another Carnival Cruise ship malfunctions at sea, the second time this week. Passengers on The Carnival Legend won’t be able to stop at the Grand Cayman Islands, due to technical issues with the ship’s thrusters. The beleaguered cruise company’s Carnival Dream was also plagued with troubles earlier this week. NY Daily News
Carnival nightmare: Another cruise ship reports trouble at sea WGN tv
Carnival Legend Cruise Ship Has Mechanical Problem Near Florida Huffington Post
More Trouble At Sea For Carnival Cruise Lines CBS Miami

New Carnival nightmare: Passengers being flown home from troubled cruise

Another Carnival cruise liner is experiencing problems with its propulsion system amid reports of power outages and overflowing toilets while docked in the Caribbean, one month after a fire crippled the Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico. A U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman in Miami told the Associated Press Thursday that Carnival Dream’s captain reported possible trouble with the ship’s propulsion system. Petty Officer Sabrina Laberdesque said the ship has sewage and power and officials are working to correct the problems. She says the Coast Guard is not involved because the ship is moored.

New Carnival nightmare: Passengers being flown home from troubled cruise Fox News

Costa Concordia Victims’ Last Moments Revealed

Sky News
More than 4,000 passengers and crew were onboard the doomed Costa Concordia when it struck rocks after Schettino allegedly changed course in order to carry out a sail-by salute of a Mediterranean island to impress holidaymakers.

Details of the final moments of the 32 people who died in the Costa Concordia cruise ship tragedy have emerged in a prosecution report.

The 60-page document makes up the official request to have captain Francesco Schettino – who was in charge at the time – sent for trial.
Costa Concordia Victims’ Last Moments Revealed News Sky Com

Pope Emeritus Benedict compared to Costa Concordia captain An Italian parish priest has caused uproar after burning a photograph of Benedict XVI during a church service and likening him to the disgraced captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship captain. The Telegraph

Tragedy and heroism as final moments of Costa Concordia victims are revealed. A five-year-old girl was unable to find a place on a lifeboat on the Costa Concordia, it has emerged, as compelling details of the nightmarish last moments of the victims were laid bare in a 60-page dossier deposited in an Italian court.

Costa Concordia captain speaks out – …– The Costa Concordia sits where she fell more than a year ago after hitting a rock off the coast of Italy. 7NEWS Boston News WHDH

Costa Concordia victims have jurisdiction victory in Florida

Breaking Travel News (press release)
Survivors of the Costa Concordia grounding off the Tuscan coast of Italy in January 2012 won a huge victory in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida last week, when the District Judge ordered the claims of 104 survivors …
Survivors of the Costa Concordia grounding off the Tuscan coast of Italy in January 2012 won a huge victory in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida last week, when the District Judge ordered the claims of 104 survivors remanded to the Florida State Court for continued litigation. The court’s February 15, 2013 order concerned two cases, Denise Abeid-Saba, et al., v. Carnival Corporation et al., and Scimone v. Carnival Corp., together representing the claims of 104 plaintiffs injured when the huge ship capsized after grounding on rocks just off the shore of Isola del Giglio.

Both cases were initially commenced in the Florida State Court against Carnival Corp. as the parent corporation as well as ship designers and the architect. The cases were removed to the Federal Court by the defendants under the CLASS ACTION FAIRNESS ACT OF 2005 (“CAFA”), which allows for the removal of so-called “mass actions” to the federal courts. As the District Court noted, however, the CAFA expressly excludes those cases that are consolidated by a defense motion to achieve the CAFA minimum of 100 plaintiffs. Since neither the Abeid-Saba action nor the Scimone action contained 100 plaintiffs, the Court held that neither was amenable to removal under CAFA. Defendants also plead “federal question” jurisdiction as a second basis for removal; the District Court rejected this argument as well, holding that the interests in the litigation of the Italian government, which took no position in the litigation and neither owned nor operated the doomed vessel, were “speculative at best.” A copy of the decision can be obtained by contacting the law firms.
Costa Concordia victims have jurisdiction victory in Florida Breaking Travel News

Executive Claims CARNIVAL TRIUMPH, CARNIVAL are the tip of the iceberg.

eReleases (press release)
American Flagship Executive Claims CARNIVAL TRIUMPH, CARNIVAL SPLENDOR and Even COSTA CONCORDIA Are But “Tip of the Iceberg”. NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — World City America Inc. President Stephanie Gallagher asks when will U.S. politicians and reporters ask the right questions about this NON-U.S. industry? American passengers account for over 90 percent of the revenues earned by over 150 foreign-flag cruise ships sailing out of U.S. ports. It’s a $40 BILLION-a-year industry that competes unfairly with American hotels, resorts, casinos and convention facilities. “Unfairly” because it is exempt from U.S. safety, environmental and labor regulations. It DOES NOT pay U.S. corporate taxes on its profits, and it is not required to hire American officers or crew.
American Flagship Executive Claims CARNIVAL TRIUMPH, CARNIVAL SPLENDOR and Even COSTA CONCORDIA Are But “Tip of the Iceberg” ereleases
Interview with Alberto- Rescuer of the Costa Concordia Passengers … Capturing Lavita.com

Supplies reach befouled cruise ship in Gulf of Mexico

CNN
(CNN) — Much-needed supplies and a third tugboat are heading across the Gulf of Mexico to try to make the end of the miserable voyage of the Carnival Triumph as comfortable as possible for hungry travelers who have waited in lines for hours for food  and other necessities.
Supplies reach befouled cruise ship in Gulf of Mexico CNN