The speaker, Jake, begins by recounting a tragic event that took place on January 13, 2012, when the Costa Concordia, a cruise ship owned by the Carnival Corporation, ran aground off the coast of Italy. The ship was the largest in the fleet and was valued at $570 million. It was designed to carry a maximum of 4,890 people, with 1,502 guest cabins and 601 crew cabins. The ship was captained by Francesco Schettino, an Italian man who had been working for Costa since 2002.
On the night of January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia was on a seven-day Mediterranean cruise starting from Civita Vecchia, Italy. The ship was making a deviation from the official course to perform a "sale by salute", a maneuver to give passengers a unique view of the island of Giglio. However, due to a miscommunication between the captain and the officer at the helm, the ship collided with underwater rocks, causing a 60-meter gash in the hull and breaching several watertight compartments.
The ship lost power in its generators and full propulsion from its two engines, causing panic among the passengers. The ship's emergency generators kicked in, and an announcement was made to passengers that the situation was under control. However, the ship continued to list and eventually sank. The majority of the bridge officers, including the captain, had their positions and were abandoned as the ship listed and sank.
The ship was eventually turned upright in September 2013, and the salvage operation was completed in July 2017. The total cost of the salvage operation was $1.2 billion. Following the disaster, six arrests and prosecutions were made, including several of the Concordia's first officers who were given jail sentences. The Costa Concordia was completely dismantled and sold for scrap metal.
The Carnival Corporation claimed that the disaster resulted in a loss of $410 million in declined revenue. However, the company also offered each of the Concordia survivors $13,000, which included the refund of their cruise. The company has since changed its CEO and has been focusing more on building back their safety reputation.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Costa Cruise Lines is owned by the Carnival Corporation.
2. The Carnival Corporation was founded in the mid-1800s.
3. Carnival purchased Costa Cruise Lines in 2000.
4. The Costa Concordia was the largest ship in Costa's fleet when it was launched in 2006.
5. The Costa Concordia was 952 feet long and had a beam of 116 feet.
6. The ship had 13 public decks and a top speed of 23 knots.
7. The Costa Concordia was built at a cost of $570 million.
8. The ship had 1,502 guest cabins and 601 crew cabins.
9. The Costa Concordia had a maximum capacity of 4,890 people.
10. Captain Francesco Schettino was in charge of the Costa Concordia when it set sail on January 11, 2012.
11. On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia deviated from its official route to perform a "sail by salute" near the island of Giglio.
12. At 9:44 p.m. on January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia collided with underwater rocks off the coast of Giglio.
13. The collision created a 60-meter gash in the ship's hull, breaching several watertight compartments.
14. The ship lost power and propulsion, and panic ensued among passengers.
15. An announcement was made to passengers at 9:51 p.m. stating that the situation was under control.
16. However, the bridge was informed that three compartments had been breached, and water had reached the main electrical panel.
17. The ship's crew was ordered to abandon ship at 10:35 p.m.
18. Rescue operations were launched, and passengers were evacuated from the ship.
19. The Costa Concordia eventually came to rest on the shoreline rocks at an 80-degree angle.
20. Thirty-two people lost their lives in the disaster.
21. The wreck of the Costa Concordia was eventually removed from the site and scrapped.
22. The total cost of the salvage operation was $1.2 billion.
23. Captain Schettino was charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning passengers.
24. Schettino was given a 16-year jail sentence for his role in the disaster.
25. The Carnival Corporation lost $410 million in revenue due to the disaster.
26. Costa Cruise Lines offered each of the Concordia survivors $13,000, including a refund of their cruise fare.