One of the most infamous maritime disasters in recent history was triggered by a risky decision made by the captain of a luxury cruise ship.
The Costa Concordia, launched in 2005, was the pride of Italy’s cruise industry. At 290 meters long, it was the country’s largest cruise ship at the time and had room for 3,780 passengers and 1,100 crew—significantly more than the Titanic.
But tragedy struck on 13 January 2012, just hours into a Mediterranean voyage that began from the port of Civitavecchia, near Rome. Captain Francesco Schettino steered the ship off course to perform a close pass—or “sail by”—near the island of Giglio. The maneuver was meant to entertain passengers with a view and a horn salute to locals, but it proved disastrous.
The ship hit a reef around 9:45 pm, causing a 53-meter gash in its hull. The engine room flooded, power was lost, and the ship began drifting helplessly toward the shore. A miscommunication between the captain and an Indonesian helmsman reportedly delayed the correct maneuver, making matters worse.
Despite downplaying the situation initially, Schettino eventually acknowledged the emergency. Rescue efforts began around 10:40 pm, but confusion and delays followed. Shockingly, Schettino abandoned the ship before all passengers had evacuated, later claiming he had fallen into a lifeboat by accident.
By the next morning, 4,194 people had been rescued, though divers continued searching the wreckage for survivors. In total, 33 people lost their lives—including one member of the rescue team.
Legal consequences followed. Schettino and others faced charges, and in 2016, the captain was sentenced to over 16 years in prison after being found guilty on all counts. The estimated cost of the disaster was around $2 billion, with some passengers accepting compensation of up to $11,000
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