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The Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

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A cruise is supposed to be a week of rest, relaxation, and adventure, but for the people on the cruises on this list, it was a nightmare. This list is full of the worst cruise ship disasters in history, from disease outbreaks, to power outages, to shipwrecks.  

This list will make you think twice about going on that cruise to the Caribbean. Disasters like these are, statistically, not that common. But still, you would not want to be stuck on any of these unfortunate maritime adventures.

Viking Sky: Lost Power In Dangerous Waters Off The Coast Of Norway

March 14, 2019, the Viking Sky set sail off the coast of Norway with more than 890 passengers on board. For unknown reasons, the ship lost power in particularly dangerous waters off the Norwegian coast called Hustadvika. An evacuation team began airlifting passengers to safety via helicopter. The ship rocked in the waves and high winds, causing glass to shatter, heavy objects to fall and slide, and cabins to flood. 

The ship was stranded for 24 hours before it regained power and was tugged back to shore. Twenty people were injured, everyone's trips were refunded, and the rest of the cruise was canceled. 

Titanic: Hit An Iceberg

Though Titanic wasn't technically a cruise ship, its demise is the worst maritime mishap in history. The ship, which was supposed to be unsinkable, hit an iceberg and went under. About 1,500 people perished.

Costa Concordia: Ran Aground

S. S. Eastland: Tipped Over At Port

Seabourn spirits: bombarded by pirates.

In 2005, Seabourn Spirits was bombarded off the coast of Somalia by two boats of pirates . The ship's captain was able to outrun them, and thankfully only one person  was injured. The ship made it to port to repair the damage from grenades.

Royal Pacific: Collided With Fishing Trawler

In 1992, the Royal Pacific collided with a Taiwanese fishing trawler due to poor visibility in the middle of the night. The collision caused the cruise ship to sink, and 30 of the 530 passengers perished. 

Star Princess: Fire On Ship

In 2006, a fire broke out on the Star Princess while it was on its way to Jamaica. Three hundred rooms were damaged, 13 people had to be treated for smoke inhalation, and one person suffered a coronary because of the smoke. The cause of the fire was a discarded cigarette.

MTS Oceanos: Capsized Due To Negligence

The MTS Oceanos was carrying 571 passengers on a short cruise from East London to Durban, South Africa. The ship had been neglected and badly needed repairs, but it sailed anyway. It capsized because of a hole in the bulkhead. The captain abandoned ship without even bothering to send a distress call, but thankfully an entertainer named Moss Hills put out an SOS and successfully evacuated everyone on board. 

Carnival Triumph: No Working Toilets

Pacific Sun: Harsh Storm

Louis Majesty: Rogue Waves

Celebrity Mercury: Norovirus Outbreak

Carnival Splendor: Lost Power

Explorer of the Seas: Record Number Of Sick People

M.s. black watch: legionnaires disease.

Norwegian Dawn: Cabins Flooded

In April 2005, a rogue 70-foot wave hit the Norwegian Dawn , smashing windows and flooding 62 cabins. The ship encountered stormy weather on its way back to New York City from the Bahamas. About 300 passengers chose to get off early, in Charleston.

In the middle of the ocean, no one can hear you scream.

Flannels or FlipFlops

13 of The Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

Posted: March 11, 2024 | Last updated: March 11, 2024

Have you ever wondered what could go wrong on a luxurious cruise ship? With its grand buffets, endless entertainment, and picturesque views, it may seem like a floating paradise. However, beneath the glitz and glamour lies a dark history of disasters that have struck some of the most iconic cruise ships in the world.

From catastrophic engine failures to deadly onboard fires, cruise ships have faced numerous challenges that have left passengers and crew members in grave danger. But what are the worst cruise ship disasters in history? How did they happen, and what lessons can be learned from these tragic events?

Titanic Disaster

The most famous and well-known of all cruise ship disasters, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 was a tragic event that claimed the lives of over 1,500 passengers and crew members. The unsinkable luxury liner struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City, leading to its demise.

The Titanic disaster was caused by a combination of factors, including inadequate safety measures, poor decision-making, and overconfidence in the ship’s engineering capabilities. This tragedy brought about significant changes in maritime safety regulations.

Costa Concordia Disaster

In 2012, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio in Tuscany, resulting in the death of 32 passengers and crew members. The disaster also had a major economic impact. The Costa Concordia was one of the largest and most expensive cruise ships in the world, with a price tag of $570 million. Its loss not only caused financial losses for the company but also affected the local economy and tourism in the area.

Additionally, the rescue operation was one of the largest and most complex maritime operations ever carried out. It required a multinational effort involving divers, helicopters, and specialized equipment to safely evacuate over 4,000 passengers and crew members from the partially submerged ship. The Costa Concordia disaster was primarily due to human error. The captain’s negligence and lack of proper emergency procedures contributed to this tragedy. It also highlighted the need for stricter regulations on ship navigation and safety protocols.

Dona Paz Disaster

On December 20, 1987, the Philippine passenger ferry Dona Paz collided with an oil tanker, resulting in a massive fire that claimed the lives of over 4,000 people. The lack of life jackets and overcrowding on board contributed to the high death toll.

The Dona Paz disaster was a result of several factors, including a lack of safety regulations, inadequate crew training, and failure to enforce passenger limits. It also exposed the corruption within the Philippine maritime industry. It was discovered that the ferry operator had been operating without a valid license and had bribed government officials to overlook safety violations. This event shed light on the need for stricter regulations and enforcement of laws in the maritime industry, calling for accountability from both vessel operators and government agencies.

Moby Prince Disaster

In 1991, the Italian ferry Moby Prince collided with an oil tanker in Livorno harbor, resulting in a fire that killed 140 people. This disaster was caused by a series of navigational errors and miscommunication between the two ships.

The Moby Prince disaster highlighted the importance of proper communication and coordination among ships at sea. It also brought attention to the need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations, especially in heavily trafficked areas.

Sea wise Giant Disaster

Formerly known as the Knock Nevis, the Seawise Giant was once the largest ship in the world. However, in 1988, during its first voyage under its new name, it collided with a tanker and caught fire, causing extensive damage to the ship.

The Seawise Giant disaster was due to poor visibility and miscommunication between the two ships. It also raised concerns about the safety of ultra-large vessels and prompted stricter regulations for their operation.

SS Eastland Disaster

In 1915, the steamship SS Eastland overturned while docked in Chicago, resulting in the deaths of over 800 passengers and crew members. The ship’s design flaws and overcrowding were major contributors to this tragedy.

The SS Eastland disaster was caused by a combination of issues, including poor design and overloading of the ship beyond its capacity. It also highlighted the need for stricter regulations on passenger vessels and proper safety procedures.

SS Sultana Disaster

During the final days of the American Civil War in 1865, the steamboat SS Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing over 1,800 passengers and crew members. The ship was dangerously overcrowded with Union soldiers returning home from war.

The SS Sultana disaster was a result of greed and negligence , as the ship’s owners were more concerned with profit than passenger safety. It also led to changes in government contracts for the transportation of soldiers.

RMS Lusitania Disaster

In 1915, during World War I, the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people. The tragedy sparked international outrage and played a significant role in the United States joining the war.

The RMS Lusitania disaster was primarily caused by the decision to sail through a known war zone, despite warnings from the British government. It also highlighted the dangers of passenger ships being used for wartime purposes.

MV Wilhelm Gustloff Disaster

During World War II, the German ship MV Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk by a Soviet submarine, resulting in the deaths of over 9,000 passengers and crew members. The majority of those on board were civilians fleeing from the advancing Red Army.

The MV Wilhelm Gustloff disaster was a result of wartime circumstances and poor decision-making by both sides. It also brought to light the tragedy of civilian casualties in war and sparked debate over the legality of targeting civilian ships.

SS Morro Castle Fire (1934)

On the night of September 7th, 1934, the SS Morro Castle caught fire just off the coast of New Jersey. The ship had departed from Havana on its return journey to New York when a fire broke out in the first-class writing room. The crew was unable to contain the fire, which quickly spread throughout the ship due to high winds.

The disaster was made worse by the fact that many of the passengers and crew were unprepared for such an emergency. The captain of the SS Morro Castle had not conducted proper safety drills and many of the lifeboats were not able to be released due to rust and disrepair. This led to a chaotic and panicked evacuation, resulting in the loss of 137 lives, and many passengers were left stranded on board as the fire engulfed the vessel.

MV Sewol Disaster

In 2014, the South Korean passenger ferry MV Sewol capsized and sank, killing over 300 people, mostly high school students on a field trip. The disaster was caused by a combination of factors, including overloading of cargo and failure to properly secure it.

The MV Sewol disaster brought attention to the issue of lax safety regulations and corruption in the shipping industry. It also led to changes in emergency response procedures and stricter enforcement of passenger limits on ferries.

Oceanos Disaster

In August 1991, the Greek cruise ship Oceanos began taking on water and eventually sank off the coast of South Africa. All passengers were successfully evacuated, but this disaster highlighted the negligence and lack of training by the crew.

The crew members were not properly trained to handle emergencies, resulting in chaos and confusion during the evacuation process. This lack of preparation led to delays in alerting passengers and executing a timely evacuation. Despite encountering rough seas and high winds, the captain did not follow standard safety protocols such as securing watertight doors and properly informing the passengers of the situation. This ultimately led to the ship sinking faster than expected.

MS Estonia Disaster

In September 1994, the MS Estonia ferry sank in the Baltic Sea while en route from Tallinn to Stockholm. Over 850 people lost their lives, making it one of the deadliest European maritime disasters. The crew of MS Estonia failed to follow proper emergency procedures, such as closing the watertight doors and activating the distress signal immediately after realizing the ship was taking on water. This delay in response greatly reduced the chances of survival for passengers.

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'We all suffer from PTSD': 10 years after the Costa Concordia cruise disaster, memories remain

GIGLIO, Italy — Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for the passengers on board and the residents who welcomed them ashore, the memories of that harrowing, freezing night remain vividly etched into their minds.

The dinner plates that flew off the tables when the rocks first gashed the hull. The blackout after the ship's engine room flooded and its generators failed. The final mad scramble to evacuate the listing liner and then the extraordinary generosity of Giglio islanders who offered shoes, sweatshirts and shelter until the sun rose and passengers were ferried to the mainland.

Italy on Thursday is marking the 10th anniversary of the Concordia disaster with a daylong commemoration that will end with a candlelit vigil near the moment the ship hit the reef: 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2012. The events will honor the 32 people who died that night, the 4,200 survivors, but also the residents of Giglio, who took in passengers and crew and then lived with the Concordia's wrecked carcass off their shore for another two years until it was righted and hauled away for scrap.

► CDC travel guidance: CDC warns 'avoid cruise travel' after more than 5,000 COVID cases in two weeks amid omicron

“For us islanders, when we remember some event, we always refer to whether it was before or after the Concordia,” said Matteo Coppa, who was 23 and fishing on the jetty when the darkened Concordia listed toward shore and then collapsed onto its side in the water.

“I imagine it like a nail stuck to the wall that marks that date, as a before and after,” he said, recounting how he joined the rescue effort that night, helping pull ashore the dazed, injured and freezing passengers from lifeboats.

The sad anniversary comes as the cruise industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month  warned people across-the-board not to go on cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of the risks of infection.

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'We all suffer from PTSD'

For Concordia survivor Georgia Ananias, the COVID-19 infections are just the latest evidence that passenger safety still isn’t a top priority for the cruise ship industry. Passengers aboard the Concordia were largely left on their own to find life jackets and a functioning lifeboat after the captain steered the ship close too shore in a stunt. He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily.

“I always said this will not define me, but you have no choice," Ananias said in an interview from her home in Los Angeles, Calif. “We all suffer from PTSD. We had a lot of guilt that we survived and 32 other people died.”

Prosecutors blamed the delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated.

Ananias and her family declined Costa’s initial $14,500 compensation offered to each passenger and sued Costa, a unit of U.S.-based Carnival Corp., to try to cover the cost of their medical bills and therapy for the post-traumatic stress they have suffered. But after eight years in the U.S. and then Italian court system, they lost their case.

“I think people need to be aware that when you go on a cruise, that if there is a problem, you will not have the justice that you may be used to in the country in which you are living,” said Ananias, who went onto become a top official in the International Cruise Victims association, an advocacy group that lobbies to improve safety aboard ships and increase transparency and accountability in the industry.

Costa didn’t respond to emails seeking comment on the anniversary.

► Royal Caribbean cancels sailings: Pushes back restart on several ships over COVID

'We did something incredible'

Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, stressed in a statement to The Associated Press that passenger and crew safety was the industry's top priority, and that cruising remains one of the safest vacation experiences available.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the victims of the Concordia tragedy and their families on this sad anniversary," CLIA said. It said it has worked over the past 10 years with the International Maritime Organization and the maritime industry to “drive a safety culture that is based on continuous improvement."

For Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli, the memories of that night run the gamut: the horror of seeing the capsized ship, the scramble to coordinate rescue services on shore, the recovery of the first bodies and then the pride that islanders rose to the occasion to tend to the survivors.

► Cruising during COVID-19: Cancellation, refund policies vary by cruise line

Ortelli was later on hand when, in September 2013, the 115,000-ton, 1,000-foot long cruise ship was righted vertical off its seabed graveyard in an extraordinary feat of engineering. But the night of the disaster, a Friday the 13th, remains seared in his memory.

“It was a night that, in addition to being a tragedy, had a beautiful side because the response of the people was a spontaneous gesture that was appreciated around the world,” Ortelli said.

It seemed the natural thing to do at the time. “But then we realized that on that night, in just a few hours, we did something incredible.”

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The world’s worst cruise ship disasters

Tragedies aboard cruise ships live on in infamy as the sinking of RMS Titanic, the biggest cruise disaster in history, bears witness. Ship-technology.com lists the worst ever cruise ship disasters.

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RMS Titanic

The sinking of RMS Titanic in April 1912 remains the worst, and the most infamous, cruise ship disaster in history. The sinking of the biggest passenger ship ever built at the time resulted in the death of more than 1,500 of the 2,208 people onboard.

The accident occurred when the ship hit an iceberg while cruising at its maximum speed of 23k on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The massive loss of life in the North Atlantic Ocean resulted mainly from hypothermia.

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RMS Titanic was the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners operated by White Star Line. It was constructed by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast in three years and was designed by the naval architect Thomas Andrews.

RMS Titanic measured 269.11m in length, 28.042m in breadth, had a gross tonnage of 46,328t and comprised nine decks. The cruise ship was equipped with 20 lifeboats for 1,178 people.

The steamship’s three propellers were driven by two four-cylinder, triple-expansion, inverted reciprocating steam engines and one four-blade low-pressure Parsons turbine.

RMS Lusitania

The sinking of RMS Lusitania in May 1915, after being hit by the German military submarine U-20, caused 1,201 deaths during a voyage from New York to Liverpool. She was considered the largest, fastest and most luxurious ship in the world at the time of her launch in June 1906.

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The Lusitania disaster resulted in the death of many Americans and became one of the major reasons behind the US entering World War I.

The German submarine targeted the submarine as a naval ship, as it was also carrying war weapons for the British.

RMS Lusitania was built by John Brown and Co. of Scotland and completed its maiden voyage in September 1907. The steamship was owned and operated by Cunard Company; a rival of White Star Line, which owned the Titanic.

RMS Lusitania had an overall length of 239.8m, beam of 26.7m, draft of 10.2m, depth of 18.4m, gross tonnage of 31,550t and ten decks. It was designed to accmmodate 2,165 passengers and 827 crew members. It was equipped with four 375kW generator sets and possessed a service speed of 25k and a maximum speed of 26.35k.

RMS Empress of Ireland

RMS Empress of Ireland, which sank in the Saint Lawrence River in May 1914, claimed the lives of 1,012 people out of the 1,477 people onboard. It was the second major cruise ship disaster after the Titanic disaster. The Ocean Liner operated on the North Atlantic route between Quebec and Liverpool in England.

The passenger steamship collided with the 6,000t Norwegian collier, the Storstad, following a thick fog which engulfed the river. Just five of the 42 lifeboats could be launched into the water due to the listing of the vessel on her starboard side. The accident was aggravated by the cold conditions, failure to close the ship’s watertight doors and failure to close all portholes aboard.

RMS Empress of Ireland was owned by Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. It was designed by Francis Elgar and built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering. The ocean liner was launched in January 1906 and completed her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montreal in June 1906.

The cruise ship was 168m long, its beam measured 20m and gross tonnage was 14,191t. The ship was equipped with two steam engines and two quadruple expansion propellers, which provided a maximum operating speed of 20k.

MS Estonia, formerly known as Viking Sally, Silja Star and Wasa King during different periods from 1980 to 1993, sank in September 1994 during its voyage from Tallinn to Stockholm, resulting in 852 deaths, while 137 people were saved through rescue operations.

The cruise ferry accident was caused by rough sea conditions in the Baltic Sea, when wind speeds ranged from 35mph to 45mph. The bad sea conditions forced the ship to initially list on the starboard side and later sink completely.

The ferry was constructed by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, in 1980. The ferry, initially named Viking Sally, was delivered in June 1980 to its first owner Rederi Ab Sally. The vessel was operated by EstLine from 1993 to 1994.

MS Estonia measured 155.43m in length, 24.21m in breadth, had a draught of 5.55m, a gross tonnage of 15,598t and featured nine decks and ten lifeboats. The vessel was equipped with four 4,400kW diesel engines connected to two propeller shafts, and had an operational speed of 21k. The cruise ferry had capacity to accommodate 2,000 passengers and 460 cars.

SS Eastland

The SS Eastland disaster in July 1915 claimed more than 844 lives out of the 2,500 people onboard. The disaster occurred when the ship listed while being still tied to a dock in the Chicago River during preparations to cruise to Michigan City.

The probable causes of the disaster are believed to be the flaws in its design and construction, inadequacy of its ballast tanks and overloading. The accident occurred when the passengers embarked the ship. The ship initially listed to the starboard side and further to portside, throwing off passengers and trapping some in the interior cabins.

SS Eastland was owned by Michigan Transportation Company and operated by Chicago-South Haven Line. It was constructed by Jenks Ship Building Company, which specialised in constructing freighters but had no prior experience in construction of passenger vessels. The vessel was launched in May 1903.

The cruise ship had an overall length of 275m, width of 38m and gross tonnage of 1,961t. It was equipped with two triple expansion steam engines, four scotch boilers and two shafts. The vessel was designed for a top speed of 16.5k. It was equipped with 11 life boats and 37 life rafts.

Saint-Philibert Cruise Ship

Saint-Philibert was a twin screw-propelled small cruise ship that met with disaster in June 1931 resulting in the loss of about 500 lives, sparing just eight passengers while on its homeward run on the Loire Estuary in France.

The disaster was induced by harsh storms driving the passengers to take shelter behind the machinery casings, which caused the ship to list over. It was further struck by a wave causing her to sink. The ship, which carried approximately 500 people during the voyage, exceeded the normal carrying capacity by about 80%.

The inadequacy of the ship’s speed to face such waves, lack of coverings for shelter and absence of communication equipment further aggravated the situation. Besides, the captain and crew were considered unqualified.

Saint-Philibert cruise ship measured 32m in length and 6.4m in breadth, and had a draft of 2.74m and gross tonnage of 189t.

SS Admiral Nakhimov

The SS Admiral Nakhimov disaster in August 1986 resulted in the death of 423 people, mostly Ukranians, out of the 1,234 people onboard. The accident occurred in the Tsemes Bay near the port of Novorossiysk enroute Sochi.

The cruise ship collided with the large bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev at a speed of five knots, causing it to sink within a few minutes. The accident was caused by negligence of the captains of the two ships. The captain of Pyotr Vasev failed to heed the warning announced from SS Admiral Nakhimov, while the captain of Admiral Nakhimov was absent on the bridge at the time of the tragedy.

The passenger liner was originally named SS Berlin III and operated on the Crimean-Caucasian line. It was owned by Norddeutscher Lloyd and constructed by Bremer Vulkan.

SS Admiral Nakhimov had an overall length of 174m, beam of 21.02m and gross tonnage of 17,053t. It had a capacity to accommodate 1,125 passengers and 354 crew, and a cruise speed of 16k.

Aleksandr Suvorov

Aleksandr Suvorov, a river cruise ship of the Valerian Kuybyshev-class, met with disaster in June 1983 resulting in the death of 176 people out of the 415 people onboard, while cruising on the Volga-Don basin in Russia. The blame for the accident was placed on the captain who failed to prevent the accident and had not provided a proper order.

Just prior to the accident, an auction to be held at the cinema hall was announced, leading the passengers to the upper deck of the ship. The ship, which was cruising at a speed of about 13.5k at the time, crashed onto a bridge, failing to pass through the second span of the bridge. A freight train passing through the bridge was also affected by the crash, causing some cars to derail and fall on the ship.

Volga-Don Shipping Company was the operator of the ship at the time. Slovenské Lodenice constructed the vessel in Komárno, Czechoslovakia. The ship was restored after the accident and is currently operated by Vodohod.

Aleksander Suvorov has an overall length of 135.75m and width of 16.8m, and is comprised of four decks. It can accommodate 400 passengers and 83 crew, and runs on a 6CHRN36/45 (EG70 -5) diesel engine.

SS Morro Castle

The SS Morro Castle disaster in September 1934 resulted in the loss of more than 137 passengers and crew out of the 318 passengers and 240 crew onboard. The cruise ship was on its 174th return voyage to New York City from Havana.

The disaster was caused by a fire, which emanated from the cruise ship’s library and engulfed the entire ship. The fire was worsened by bad weather, inadequate crew and the ship’s design, which incorporated easily flammable interior materials. Just 12 lifeboats were launched out of the many lifeboats capable of rescuing 408 people.

The ship was owned by Agwi Navigation Co. and operated by Ward Line. It was constructed in 1930 at a cost of approximately $5m by Newport News Shipbuilding. The vessel completed her maiden voyage in August 1930 and served Ward Line along with its sister vessel SS Oriente for four years.

SS Morro Castle was 155m long, 21.6m wide and 11.9m deep, and had a capacity to carry 489 passengers and 240 crew. The steam turbo-electric liner was propelled by two turbines and sailed at a speed of 20k.

SS Andrea Doria

The SS Andrea Doria collided with the eastbound Swedish passenger liner Stockholm due to poor visibility caused by a thick fog. The disaster took place in July 1956 near the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, while cruising towards New York City resulting in the death of 52 people, while 1,660 people were rescued.

It is considered the world’s first major radar-assisted collision at sea, as the cause of the accident is assumed to be from the misreading of the radar. It was struck just aft and below the starboard bridge, and sank after 11 hours.

The ocean liner was owned by Italian Line and constructed by Ansaldo Shipyards of Genoa, Italy, at a cost of approximately $30m. It was launched in June 1951 and set out on its maiden voyage in January 1953.

SS Andrea Doria measured 212m in length, had a beam of 27m and a gross tonnage of 29,100t. It featured ten decks and was equipped with two steam turbines providing a top speed of 23k.

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Costa Concordia: Italian tragedy that reflected state of a nation

Drama that unfolded with cruise ship disaster captivated Italy and stood as a metaphor for nation’s political and economic ills

The Costa Concordia disaster was more than a tragedy in Italy. It was a national drama with an eccentric cast of characters – a reckless villain, his secret lover and a hard-done-by hero – that has riveted the country for three years. The hulking mass of the capsized 115,000-tonne cruise ship, which for 900 days lay seemingly unmovable and partly submerged in the Mediterranean, became a metaphor for the political and economic ills of an entire nation.

On Wednesday, just as Italy’s moribund economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, a court in Grosseto, Tuscany, issued the verdict that families of the victims and survivors of the ill-fated voyage have been waiting for since the ship sank hundreds of metres from shore in January 2012, killing 32 people.

Francesco Schettino, the vessel’s captain whose brazen maritime manoeuvre caused the disaster, was found guilty of manslaughter . He now faces 16 years in jail.

In the final days of a trial, which began in July 2013 and included more than 69 hearings, attorneys for Schettino described him as a scapegoat who had been vilified but deserved to be treated like a hero. While they acknowledged that the captain bore some responsibility in the accident, they insisted that his maritime instincts helped save most of the 4,000 passengers and crew on board, thanks to his decision to delay the evacuation order long enough so that the ship was close to shore before it was abandoned.

Schettino’s attorneys also pinned blame on the vessel’s helmsman – they claimed he misunderstood the captain’s orders – and the failure of the ship’s emergency generators, which prevented the watertight doors from sealing properly. “In a crew of 1,000 people is only one responsible?” said Domenico Pepe, his attorney. But that version of events did not withstand the scrutiny of the court.

The 3,299 passengers who boarded the Costa Concordia on 13 January in the Italian port city of Civitavecchia for their seven-day cruise around the Mediterranean had much to enjoy. There were 1,500 cabins, one of the largest fitness centres at sea, a Turkish bath and solarium, a poolside movie theatre on the main pool deck, and 13 bars, including one devoted to cognac.

The ship’s captain also had reason to feel chipper. The married commander, now 54, was accompanied by his lover, Domnica Cemortan, a classically trained dancer from Moldova.

That night, after dining with Cemortan, Schettino invited her to the bridge of the cruise liner, where he took command of the vessel.

What Schettino did next – and the reasons he did it – would become a central issue in the case against him.

Just as the ship was making its way north-west along the coastline, Schettino called for the vessel to be steered close to Giglio as a way to “salute” the island.

Cruise ships had sailed close to Giglio before. But this time, there was a deadly miscalculation. Just 15 minutes after Schettino had given the coordinates to his helmsman, at 9:45 pm, the Costa Concordia rammed into rocks, creating a massive 50-metre gash in the ship’s hull.

Prosecutors would later argue that Schettino’s brash move was an attempt to impress his girlfriend, an allegation he has denied.

“I didn’t do it as a favour for her,” he told the court in Grosseto.

Instead, he said he did it as a favour to the ship’s head waiter, who was a native of Giglio, and to give his passengers a beautiful view of the island.

The vessel immediately started to take in water and tilt. It lost power and the engine room began to flood. But passengers on the decks above did not initially have reason to be afraid.

Even as the crew began to frantically assess the damage and start the emergency diesel generator, Schettino ordered them to tell passengers that the ship had simply suffered an electrical outage and that everything was under control. Some reassured passengers stayed in their cabins and later lost their lives. The same erroneous information was given to the harbour master at Civitavecchia.

“I did that to calm the passengers down, I feared that otherwise there would be panic,” Schettino said in his defence at trial.

The Costa Concordia began to drift and, investigators later explained, list as a result of water in the damaged hull. By 10.15pm, the Italian coastguard began getting reports of trouble on board directly from the passengers, but Schettino still did not react.

Inside, panic reigned. Claudia Poliani, a hairdresser from Rome who survived the disaster, would later describe the chaos in court testimony.

“From the happiness and wonder of being on a cruise, we passengers became panic stricken and fell over. It was dark and no one helped us … no one told us what to do. We found lifejackets ourselves,” she said.

Another survivor, Rosanna Abbinante, told the court she feared that she would “die like a rat”.

Ultimately, it took more than an hour for Schettino to give the order to abandon ship. By that point, the vessel was already tilted at a 30-degree angle, complicating some of the rescue effort. About 20 minutes later, even as hundreds of passengers continued to await rescue, Schettino abandoned his post and left his second in command in charge of the evacuation. Twelve minutes later, the latter also abandoned his post, with about 300 passengers still on board.

That moment in the crisis was immortalised by a recorded radio exchange between Schettino, who was in a lifeboat by then, and Gregorio de Falco, a coastguard captain who became a national hero for his emphatic order that the captain “Get back on board, for fuck’s sake”.

“You need to tell me if there are children, women or people in need of assistance,” an exasperated De Falco shouted. “Listen Schettino … you saved yourself from the sea, but … I am going to make you pay for this.”

De Falco became such a hero that, when it emerged more than a year later that he had been transferred out of operational service into a desk job, his apparent mistreatment created a new spate of soul-searching in Italy. Some suggested the country did not know how to reward people who showed good character.

The salvage of the Costa Concordia was the most expensive such operation in history, with an estimated cost of $1.2bn. It was also risky. The operation, led by a wisecracking South African named Nick Sloane, involved first moving the capsized vessel into an upright position, and then slowly shifting it into deeper water. In such an unprecedented operation, environmental contamination was a constant threat, with tonnes of rotting food, passenger belongings and other items still located on the vessel.

Ultimately, the massive ship’s final journey to Genoa took four days.

In the aftermath of the disaster, legal claims mounted against the owner of the ship, Costa Cruises. They included lawsuits by the region of Tuscany and a €189m suit by the island of Giglio, which claimed that the accident and the presence of the downed vessel hurt tourism and the local economy.

“This region is known and appreciated around the world for figures such as Leonardo, Galileo, Giotto, Michelangelo and Brunelleschi, but after the catastrophe of Concordia, it became famous for Schettino and his vulgarity,” said Enrico Rossi, the governor of Tuscany, who testified in the trial against the commander.

As the Costa Concordia made its final journey out of the port of Giglio, some survivors and families of victims looked on as a final farewell.

Martine Muller and her husband were given the cruise as a birthday gift from her children. She told the Guardian at the time how she was frantically asking everyone she knew whether they had news from her husband, while she waited at the port. Then the bodies began to arrive.

“And I said, well, my husband’s in there. And he was. He was the first person recovered,” she said.

The youngest victim of the disaster was a five-year-old girl named Dayana Arlotti, who drowned with her father after they were told there was no space in a lifeboat.

The final victim was not found until November 2014. As workers began to break apart the ship in Genoa, and they discovered the body of Russel Rebello, an Indian waiter.

The process of scrapping the ship is expected to take two years.

• Costa Concordia
• Francesco Schettino
• Water transport

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Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino guilty of manslaughter

Inside Costa Concordia – in pictures

Captain Schettino and the sinking of the Costa Concordia - video report

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Costa Concordia captain to appeal against 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter – video

Eyewitness: Giglio, Italy

Costa Concordia dancer admits affair with captain - video report

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5 cruise ship disasters that led to expensive lawsuits.

As vacations go, Titanic’s Jack and Rose certainly enjoyed all ends of the spectrum: luxury, romance, self-exploration … if it wasn’t for the tragic death at the end of the movie, you really couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying trip.

But Jack and Rose weren’t really on the Titanic, so in honor of the real-life passengers that inspired the film, let’s look at the top five cruise ship disasters that will make you record the phone number of a cruise law firm next time you cast off on an aquatic adventure.

1. Costa Concordia

There was no indication that the passengers aboard the Costa Concordia were destined for anything other than a rousing oceanic vacation when the huge ship pulled out of its port. Unfortunately, fanfare and smooth sailing didn’t account for much when the Concordia hit a reef and rolled onto its side. 32 of its 4,200 passengers were killed and 64 injured, and process of removing the half-submerged ship has been slow. One year later, the Concordia still rests on its side off the coast of Tuscany, Italy.

2. Celebrity Mercury

Though the cruise ship itself made the 2010 trip without incident, the same could not be said for more than 400 of its passengers that spent their vacations locked in the bathroom. The Center for Disease Control later diagnosed the illness as a norovirus outbreak. The isolated conditions of a cruise line vacation provided the perfect environment for the virus to spread among family and strangers.

3. Carnival Triumph

In 2013, unlucky vacationers aboard the Carnival Triumph spent eight days adrift at sea thanks to an engine fire that killed the power. The ordeal might not have been so terrible had the air-conditioning and septic systems not broken as well. Passengers of the Triumph are currently involved in a cruise ship lawsuit .

4. Norwegian Dawn

Not all disasters can be predicted or prevented. The gamble of a cruise ship vacation is that the ocean is essentially a wet abyss of unpredictability. The world’s best cruise law firm won’t win a lawsuit against Mother Nature, as much as passengers of the Norwegian Dawn might have wanted to try after their cabins were flooded in 2005. A 70-foot wave threw itself onto the ship during a storm at sea, causing approximately 300 passengers to disembark early.

5. Seabourn Spirits

Passengers of the Seabourn Spirits at least came home with the vacation story of a lifetime after Somali pirates attacked the ship in 2005. Despite taking damage due to machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades, the cruise ship was able to escape to the Seychelles for repairs. None of its passengers were hurt, though you can bet they’ll spend their next vacation with their feet on dry land.

Plenty of vacationers have a perfectly nice time on the water, drinking and breaking in their sea legs. For some, however, support systems like the one at Maus Law Firm are here to assist in cruise ship lawsuits ( Read more about attorney Joseph Maus here ). Call us today at 954-784-6310.

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5 Most Expensive Cruise Ship Disasters

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Cargo ship’s owner and manager seek to limit legal liability for deadly bridge disaster in Baltimore

The owner and manager of a cargo ship that rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge causing the span to collapse last week filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.

Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests on the container ship Dali, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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The owner and manager of a cargo ship that rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge before the span collapsed last week filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.

The companies’ “limitation of liability” petition is a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. A federal court in Maryland ultimately decides who is responsible — and how much they owe — for what could become one of the costliest catastrophes of its kind.

Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the vessel that lost power before it slammed into the bridge early last Tuesday. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., also based in Singapore, is the ship’s manager.

Their joint filing seeks to cap the companies’ liability at roughly $43.6 million. It estimates that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight. The estimate also deducts two major expenses: at least $28 million in repair costs and at least $19.5 million in salvage costs.

The companies filed under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to seek to limit their liability to the value of the vessel’s remains after a casualty. It’s a mechanism that has been employed as a defense in many of the most notable maritime disasters, said James Mercante, a New York City-based attorney with over 30 years of experience in maritime law.

“This is the first step in the process,” Mercante said. “Now all claims must be filed in this proceeding.”

Cases like this typically take years to completely resolve, said Martin Davies, director of Tulane University Law School’s Maritime Law Center.

“Although it’s a humongous case with a very unusual set of circumstances, I don’t think it’s going to be that complicated in legal terms,” he said. “All aspects of the law are very clear here, so I think the thing that will take the time here is the facts. What exactly went wrong? What could have been done?”

A report from credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS predicts the bridge collapse could become the most expensive marine insured loss in history, surpassing the record of about $1.5 billion held by the 2012 shipwreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship off Italy. Morningstar DBRS estimates total insured losses for the Baltimore disaster could be $2 billion to $4 billion.

Eight people were working on the highway bridge — a 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) span over the Patapsco River — when it collapsed. Two were rescued. The bodies of two more were recovered. Four remain missing and are presumed dead.

The wreckage closed the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping port, potentially costing the area’s economy hundreds of millions of dollars in lost labor income alone over the next month.

Experts say the cost to rebuild the collapsed bridge could be at least $400 million or as much as twice that, though much will depend on the new design.

The amount of money families can generally be awarded for wrongful death claims in maritime law cases is subject to several factors, including how much money the person would have likely provided in financial support to their family if they had not died.

Generally, wrongful death damages may also include things such as funeral expenses and the “loss of nurture,” which is essentially the monetary value assigned to whatever moral, spiritual or practical guidance the victim would have been able to provide to their children.

Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Discover the Best Time to Visit Zion National Park: Plan Your Trip with Our Ultimate Guide

Discover the best time to visit vancouver, canada in 2023 with our ultimate guide, navigating the best time to cruise hawaii and experience the ultimate adventure, top 10 most expensive cruise ships ever built: a voyage through luxury and innovation.

The allure of the open sea, the promise of new horizons, and the luxury of world-class amenities – cruising has always been synonymous with opulence. But in the modern era, cruise ships have evolved from mere vessels of travel to floating cities of extravagance. As the demand for unparalleled luxury and unique experiences grows, so does the price tag attached to these maritime marvels. But what exactly contributes to the staggering costs of the world’s most expensive cruise ships?

What Makes a Cruise Ship Expensive?

Cruise ships are engineering marvels, designed to offer the utmost luxury while navigating the vast expanse of the world’s oceans. But the luxury comes at a price. When we delve into the anatomy of these floating palaces, several factors contribute to their hefty price tags.

• Design: The architecture and design of a cruise ship play a significant role in its cost. Modern cruise ships are not just about functionality; they are about creating a visual and experiential spectacle. From grand atriums adorned with crystal chandeliers to infinity pools that seem to merge with the horizon, every design element is meticulously planned and executed. This attention to detail and the use of premium materials significantly drive up the costs.
• Amenities: Gone are the days when cruise ships offered just a pool and a dining hall. Today’s luxury cruise ships are equipped with world-class spas, theaters, gourmet restaurants, and even shopping boulevards. Some even boast features like planetariums, ice-skating rinks, and onboard parks with thousands of plants. These amenities, aimed at providing guests with a resort-like experience at sea, add substantially to the overall cost of the ship.
• Technology: In an age of digital connectivity and automation, technology has become an integral part of the cruising experience. From state-of-the-art entertainment systems and virtual balconies to advanced navigation and safety equipment, the integration of cutting-edge technology is a significant cost factor. Moreover, innovations like dynamic positioning systems and waste recycling plants contribute to both the ship’s efficiency and its price tag.
• Sustainability Efforts: As environmental concerns take center stage, cruise lines are investing heavily in making their ships more eco-friendly. Implementing sustainable technologies like scrubbers to reduce emissions, advanced wastewater treatment systems, and even the use of alternative fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG) are essential. While these efforts contribute to a greener planet, they also add to the initial investment required to build the ship.

In essence, the most expensive cruise ships in the world are a testament to human ingenuity, a blend of art and engineering. They represent a commitment to offering guests an experience that is both luxurious and memorable. And while their price tags might seem staggering, the experiences they offer, the memories they create, and the benchmarks they set in maritime luxury make them worth every penny.

The Evolution of Luxury Cruises: A Journey Through Time

The concept of luxury cruising has been around for centuries, evolving from the grand ocean liners of the early 20th century to the floating cities of today. Initially, ocean voyages were primarily about transportation, moving people from one continent to another. But as technology advanced and transcontinental flights became the norm, cruise lines had to reinvent themselves. And so began the journey of luxury cruising.

In the golden age of cruising, ships like the Titanic and the Queen Mary were symbols of opulence, offering the elite a chance to traverse the oceans in style. These ships were about grand ballrooms, elegant dining, and a sense of adventure. But as the decades rolled on, the definition of luxury began to change.

Enter the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and the world witnessed a renaissance in luxury cruising. Ships grew in size, amenities became more extravagant, and the focus shifted from mere transportation to unparalleled experiences at sea.

What are the Top 10 Most Expensive Cruise Ships?

1. oasis of the seas: the pioneer of luxury cruises.

In 2009, the world of luxury cruising was forever changed with the launch of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. Touted as the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship at the time, Oasis of the Seas was not just a ship; it was a game-changer.

• Revolutionary Design: Oasis of the Seas introduced the concept of “neighborhoods” onboard. The ship was divided into seven distinct themed areas, including Central Park, a lush green space with over 12,000 plants, and the Boardwalk, reminiscent of historic seaside piers.
• Unparalleled Amenities: The ship boasted amenities that were unheard of in the cruising world. From the first-ever onboard zip line and a carousel to the AquaTheater, which showcased high-diving performances against the backdrop of the ocean, every feature was designed to wow.
• Innovative Accommodations: Oasis of the Seas redefined onboard accommodations with its loft suites, offering two-level urban-style apartments at sea. The ship also introduced virtual balconies for interior rooms, ensuring every guest could enjoy ocean views.
• Environmental Initiatives: Even with its size and the plethora of amenities, Oasis of the Seas was designed with sustainability in mind. Advanced wastewater purification systems, energy-efficient equipment, and a hull design that reduced drag were just a few of the ship’s green initiatives.

The launch of Oasis of the Seas marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of luxury cruises. It set new standards, pushing the boundaries of what was possible on a cruise ship. Its success paved the way for more Oasis-class ships and inspired the industry to think bigger, bolder, and more luxuriously.

2. Allure of the Seas: A Floating City at Sea

When Royal Caribbean unveiled the Allure of the Seas in 2010, it wasn’t just launching another ship; it was introducing the world to a floating metropolis. As the sister ship to the groundbreaking Oasis of the Seas, Allure built upon the foundation of innovation and luxury, further pushing the boundaries of what a cruise ship could offer.

• Architectural Marvel: The Allure of the Seas is an engineering and design masterpiece. Spanning 16 decks and capable of hosting over 6,000 passengers, its sheer size is awe-inspiring. Yet, despite its magnitude, the ship is designed to provide intimate spaces, ensuring every guest feels a sense of belonging and luxury.
• Neighborhood Concept: Like its sister ship, Allure introduced the revolutionary concept of “neighborhoods.” One of its standout features is Central Park, a tranquil green oasis in the middle of the ship, complete with meandering pathways, quiet seating areas, and over 12,000 plants. Then there’s the bustling Boardwalk, which evokes the charm of seaside piers and features shops, restaurants, and even a handcrafted carousel.
• Entertainment Extravaganza: Allure of the Seas redefined onboard entertainment. The ship boasts the Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!” in its main theater, while the AquaTheater astounds guests with its synchronized swimming, high-diving acrobatics, and light shows. For thrill-seekers, there’s the zip line that spans nine decks above the Boardwalk, and for those looking to catch a wave, the FlowRider surf simulators are a must-try.
• Culinary Delights: With over 20 dining options, Allure ensures a gastronomic journey for its guests. From the elegance of the Grande Restaurant, which harks back to the golden age of cruising, to the modern flavors of the Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse, there’s a culinary experience for every palate.
• Innovative Accommodations: The ship’s accommodations are a blend of luxury and innovation. The unique Boardwalk and AquaTheater suites offer stunning views of the ship’s neighborhoods, while the Royal Loft Suite, spanning two decks, provides a panoramic view of the ocean.
• Sustainability at Sea: Despite its size and myriad amenities, Allure of the Seas is committed to environmental stewardship. Advanced energy-saving systems, efficient waste management, and water-saving initiatives ensure the ship treads lightly on the environment.

In essence, Allure of the Seas is more than just a cruise ship; it’s a testament to human ingenuity and the desire to create unforgettable experiences. It’s a floating city that offers adventure, luxury, and memories that last a lifetime, all set against the backdrop of the vast, ever-changing ocean.

3. Freedom of the Seas: Where Freedom Meets Luxury

In 2006, the maritime world welcomed a new titan: Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. As the inaugural ship of the Freedom class, it was, at the time of its launch, the largest passenger ship in the world. But beyond its size, Freedom of the Seas represented a new era of cruising, where guests could experience unparalleled freedom and luxury on the high seas.

• A New Benchmark in Design: Freedom of the Seas was a marvel of modern ship design. Its silhouette, while majestic, was crafted to offer smooth sailings, ensuring guests could traverse the world’s oceans in comfort. The ship’s interiors, with their grand promenades and open spaces, were designed to evoke a sense of grandeur and freedom.
• Innovative Amenities: Freedom of the Seas introduced several firsts in the cruising world. The FlowRider surf simulator allowed guests to catch a wave onboard, while the H2O Zone water park became an instant hit with families. For those seeking a more tranquil experience, the cantilevered whirlpools, extending 12 feet beyond the sides of the ship, offered unparalleled ocean views.
• Dining for Every Desire: The ship’s culinary offerings catered to every taste. From the elegance of the main dining room, with its gold-accented pillars and cascading chandeliers, to the casual ambiance of the Windjammer Café, guests could embark on a gastronomic journey every day. Specialty restaurants like Chops Grille and Giovanni’s Table added to the gourmet experience.
• Entertainment Extravaganza: Freedom of the Seas raised the bar for onboard entertainment. The Arcadia Theater, spanning five decks, showcased Broadway-style productions, while Studio B transformed from an ice-skating rink by day to a vibrant venue hosting game shows and themed parties by night.
• Accommodations that Redefined Luxury: The ship’s staterooms and suites were designed with luxury and comfort in mind. The Royal Promenade staterooms, with their bay windows, offered views of the ship’s bustling boulevard, while the Presidential Family Suite, with its expansive balcony, became a favorite among those seeking opulence.
• Commitment to the Environment: Even with its vast array of amenities, Freedom of the Seas was built with sustainability in mind. Advanced wastewater treatment systems, energy-efficient lighting, and a focus on reducing waste ensured the ship’s operations were as green as possible.

In the annals of cruise ship history, Freedom of the Seas will always hold a special place. It wasn’t just about its size or the number of amenities; it was about redefining what luxury cruising could be. It promised freedom – the freedom to explore, to indulge, and to create memories that would last a lifetime.

4. Liberty of the Seas: The Liberty to Explore Luxury

When Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas set sail in 2007, it wasn’t just continuing the legacy of its predecessor, Freedom of the Seas; it was charting its own course in the world of luxury cruising. As the second ship in the Freedom class, Liberty of the Seas combined the best of its class with new innovations, offering guests an unparalleled experience of luxury and adventure.

• A Masterpiece of Maritime Design: Liberty of the Seas, with its sleek design and majestic stature, is a testament to modern shipbuilding. Its interiors, adorned with art installations and intricate design elements, evoke a sense of grandeur, making every moment onboard a visual delight.
• Amenities that Amaze: Building on the success of Freedom of the Seas, Liberty introduced new amenities that quickly became guest favorites. The Tidal Wave, the first boomerang style slide at sea, offers thrill-seekers an adrenaline rush, while the Splashaway Bay aqua park ensures hours of fun for younger guests. The ship’s adult-only Solarium, with its cascading lagoons and serene ambiance, is a haven for those seeking relaxation.
• Culinary Journeys: Liberty of the Seas offers a gastronomic experience that caters to every palate. From the grandeur of the three-tiered main dining room to the flavors of the Far East at Jade Sushi, every meal is an event. The ship’s specialty restaurants, including Sabor Modern Mexican and the vintage-inspired Vintages wine bar, add to the gourmet offerings.
• Entertainment that Enthralls: Onboard Liberty of the Seas, entertainment takes center stage. The Platinum Theater hosts Broadway-style productions, while the ice-skating shows at Studio B dazzle with their choreography and costumes. For those looking to dance the night away, the Catacombs nightclub offers the perfect setting.
• Accommodations that Exude Elegance: The staterooms and suites on Liberty of the Seas are designed with comfort and luxury in mind. Panoramic oceanview staterooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows, providing breathtaking views, while the Royal Suite, with its grand piano and private balcony, is the epitome of opulence.
• Sustainability at the Helm: Liberty of the Seas, like its sister ships, is committed to sustainable cruising. From energy-efficient systems to initiatives aimed at reducing waste, the ship ensures that its operations have minimal impact on the environment.

In the world of luxury cruising, Liberty of the Seas stands as a beacon of innovation and elegance. It promises guests the liberty to explore the world in style, to indulge in the finest offerings, and to create memories that are as vast and timeless as the oceans it sails.

5. Regent Seven Seas Splendor: The Epitome of Elegance

When the Regent Seven Seas Splendor embarked on its maiden voyage in 2020, it wasn’t just setting sail; it was making a statement. As the newest addition to the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet, the Splendor was heralded as the ship that perfected luxury. With its promise of offering the most luxurious experience at sea, the Splendor has lived up to its name, becoming the epitome of maritime elegance.

• Unparalleled Craftsmanship: Every inch of the Seven Seas Splendor exudes opulence. From its grand atrium adorned with intricate crystal chandeliers to its sweeping staircases and art installations, the ship is a masterpiece of design and craftsmanship. The attention to detail is evident in every corner, with the finest marble, rich woods, and bespoke furnishings creating an ambiance of timeless elegance.
• Suites that Redefine Luxury: The accommodations onboard the Splendor are nothing short of palatial. The Regent Suite, spanning over 4,400 square feet, is the crown jewel. With its in-suite spa, private garden, and custom-made Steinway piano, it’s more than just a suite; it’s a sanctuary at sea. Even the standard veranda suites offer spacious living areas, lavish bathrooms, and private balconies, ensuring every guest experiences unparalleled luxury.
• Culinary Excellence: Dining onboard the Splendor is a gourmet’s dream. With a range of dining venues, each offering curated menus and paired with the finest wines, every meal is a celebration. Whether it’s the modern French cuisine at Chartreuse, the classic steakhouse experience at Prime 7, or the interactive kitchen at the Culinary Arts Kitchen, guests are taken on a culinary journey like no other.
• Entertainment and Enrichment: The Splendor offers a diverse range of entertainment options. The Constellation Theater hosts Broadway-style productions, while the Observation Lounge, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, is the perfect place to enjoy live music with panoramic views. For those seeking enrichment, the ship’s lecture series, covering topics from art to history, offers a deep dive into the destinations the ship visits.
• Wellness and Recreation: The Splendor’s Canyon Ranch spa is a haven of wellness. From personalized treatments to state-of-the-art fitness facilities, guests can rejuvenate both body and mind. The ship also offers a range of recreational activities, from boutique shopping to lounging by the infinity pool, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
• A Commitment to Sustainability: While luxury is at the forefront, the Splendor is also committed to sustainable cruising. Advanced waste treatment systems, energy-efficient technologies, and a focus on sourcing sustainable ingredients are just a few of the ship’s green initiatives.

The Regent Seven Seas Splendor is more than just a cruise ship; it’s a testament to the art of luxury. It promises an experience that is as splendid as its name, where every moment is crafted with elegance, every detail is considered, and every guest is treated like royalty.

6. Independence of the Seas: Independence in Luxury Cruising

Launched in 2008 as part of Royal Caribbean’s revered Freedom class, the Independence of the Seas heralded a new era in luxury cruising. With its innovative design, a plethora of amenities, and a commitment to delivering unparalleled experiences, the ship has become synonymous with independent, free-spirited luxury cruising.

• Architectural Grandeur: The Independence of the Seas is a marvel of maritime engineering. Its sleek design, combined with expansive open spaces and panoramic vistas, offers guests a sense of boundless freedom. The Royal Promenade, with its boutiques, cafes, and lounges, serves as the ship’s bustling heart, reminiscent of the world’s grandest boulevards.
• Amenities that Captivate: The ship boasts a range of amenities designed to entertain, relax, and amaze. The FlowRider surf simulator offers a taste of surfing in the middle of the ocean, while the cantilevered whirlpools provide relaxation with a view. For families, the H2O Zone water park and the Adventure Ocean kids’ club ensure endless fun for younger guests.
• Gastronomic Adventures: Dining on the Independence of the Seas is a journey in itself. From the opulence of the main dining room to the flavors of the Far East at Izumi, guests can indulge in a culinary odyssey. The ship’s specialty restaurants, including Chops Grille and Giovanni’s Table, elevate the dining experience to gourmet levels.
• Entertainment that Dazzles: The ship’s entertainment offerings are second to none. The Alhambra Theatre, with its plush seating and state-of-the-art acoustics, hosts Broadway-style productions, while Studio B comes alive with ice-skating spectaculars. The Pyramid Lounge, with its Egyptian-inspired décor, is the perfect venue for live music and dancing.
• Staterooms that Exude Comfort: The accommodations on Independence of the Seas are designed with comfort and luxury in mind. Panoramic oceanview staterooms offer breathtaking vistas, while the Royal Suite, with its private balcony and whirlpool, promises opulence at every turn.
• Sustainability at the Forefront: The Independence of the Seas, while offering luxury, is also committed to responsible cruising. Advanced waste management systems, energy-efficient lighting, and water-saving initiatives ensure the ship’s operations leave a minimal footprint on the environment.

The Independence of the Seas is more than just a vessel; it’s a declaration of freedom. It promises guests the independence to chart their own course, to indulge in the finest luxuries, and to create memories that echo the vastness and beauty of the open seas.

7. Anthem of the Seas: The Anthem of Modern Cruising

When Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas graced the oceans in 2015, it wasn’t merely introducing another ship to the world; it was unveiling a symphony of innovation, luxury, and technology. As a proud member of the Quantum class, the Anthem of the Seas has redefined modern cruising, harmonizing traditional luxury with futuristic innovations.

• Futuristic Design: Anthem of the Seas stands as a beacon of modern ship architecture. Its dynamic silhouette, combined with transformative venues and spaces, offers guests an immersive experience. The Two70° lounge, with its 270-degree panoramic views, seamlessly transforms from a tranquil daytime observatory to an entertainment venue by night, thanks to its state-of-the-art Vistarama technology.
• Innovations that Inspire: The ship is a treasure trove of firsts in the cruising world. The North Star, an observation capsule, elevates guests over 300 feet above sea level, offering breathtaking views. RipCord by iFLY provides the exhilaration of skydiving without leaving the ship. And the Bionic Bar, with its robotic bartenders, showcases a fusion of technology and mixology.
• Culinary Masterpieces: Anthem of the Seas offers a gastronomic journey that tantalizes every palate. Dynamic Dining reimagines the traditional cruise dining concept, allowing guests to choose from a variety of restaurants, including the experimental wonders of Wonderland and the pan-Asian flavors of Silk. Each dining venue is a testament to culinary artistry and innovation.
• Entertainment Beyond Imagination: The ship’s entertainment offerings transport guests to new realms. The Royal Theater hosts spellbinding productions like “We Will Rock You,” while the Music Hall offers an intimate setting for live performances. The SeaPlex, the largest indoor active space at sea, transforms from a bumper car arena to a roller skating rink, ensuring endless fun.
• Accommodations with a Touch of Elegance: The staterooms on Anthem of the Seas are havens of luxury and comfort. Virtual balconies in interior rooms bring real-time ocean views, while the Loft Suites, with their double-height ceilings and expansive windows, offer unparalleled luxury.
• Commitment to a Greener Tomorrow: While Anthem of the Seas dazzles with its innovations, it also shines in its commitment to sustainability. Advanced energy-saving systems, efficient waste management, and initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint ensure that the ship sails in harmony with the environment.

Anthem of the Seas is not just a ship; it’s a celebration of the modern cruising spirit. It sings the anthem of a new era, where tradition meets innovation, where every journey is a story, and where the seas become the stage for memories that resonate long after the voyage ends.

8. MSC World Europa: The Future of Green Cruising

In the ever-evolving world of cruising, the MSC World Europa, launched by MSC Cruises, stands as a testament to the future of sustainable luxury at sea. As one of the most technologically advanced ships in the world, the World Europa is not just a marvel of design and luxury; it’s a beacon of hope for eco-conscious cruising.

• Pioneering Design: The MSC World Europa boasts a futuristic design, with sleek lines and a state-of-the-art silhouette. Its innovative architecture is not just about aesthetics; it’s crafted to enhance energy efficiency, reduce drag, and optimize fuel consumption, ensuring smoother and more sustainable sailings.
• Eco-Friendly Innovations: At the heart of the World Europa’s green initiatives is its propulsion system. Powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the ship significantly reduces its emissions, making it one of the cleanest ships at sea. Advanced wastewater treatment systems, waste heat recovery mechanisms, and cutting-edge energy-saving technologies further underscore its commitment to the environment.
• Luxury with a Conscience: The onboard experience on the World Europa is a blend of opulence and eco-consciousness. From its luxurious staterooms and suites, adorned with sustainable materials, to its gourmet dining venues that prioritize locally-sourced and organic ingredients, every aspect of the guest experience is curated with the planet in mind.
• Entertainment and Enrichment: The World Europa offers a plethora of entertainment options, but with an eco-twist. The ship’s theater productions often carry messages of conservation and environmental awareness, while its enrichment programs and lectures focus on marine conservation, sustainable travel, and the importance of preserving our oceans.
• Wellness and Recreation: The ship’s wellness facilities, from its expansive spa to its fitness center, incorporate green practices. Whether it’s the use of organic spa products, eco-friendly yoga mats, or energy-efficient gym equipment, the focus is on well-being, both for the guests and the planet.
• A Commitment to the Future: The MSC World Europa is more than just a ship; it’s a vision for the future of cruising. MSC Cruises’ dedication to “green cruising” is evident in its partnerships with marine conservation organizations, its initiatives to reduce single-use plastics onboard, and its commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions in the coming decades.

The MSC World Europa is not just sailing the world’s oceans; it’s charting a course for a greener, more sustainable future in cruising. It embodies the belief that luxury and sustainability can coexist, that we can indulge in the wonders of the world while ensuring they remain wondrous for generations to come.

9. Symphony of the Seas: The World’s Largest Cruise Ship

When Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas made its debut in 2018, it wasn’t just another addition to the fleet; it was a monumental achievement in maritime history. Holding the title of the world’s largest cruise ship, the Symphony of the Seas is a harmonious blend of innovation, luxury, and grandeur, offering an unparalleled cruising experience.

• Majestic in Scale: The sheer size of the Symphony of the Seas is awe-inspiring. Spanning 18 decks and capable of accommodating over 6,000 passengers, the ship is a floating city. Yet, despite its vastness, every space is meticulously designed to offer intimacy, luxury, and a sense of wonder.
• Neighborhoods Aplenty: Borrowing the concept of “neighborhoods” from its Oasis-class predecessors, the Symphony of the Seas features seven distinct themed areas. Central Park, with its lush greenery and open-air dining, offers a tranquil escape. The Boardwalk, with its carousel and aqua theater, buzzes with energy and excitement.
• Culinary Wonders: The ship is a gastronome’s paradise. With over 20 dining options, ranging from the coastal flavors of Hooked Seafood to the avant-garde dishes at Wonderland, every meal is a culinary journey. The Bionic Bar, with robotic bartenders, adds a futuristic touch to the mixology experience.
• Entertainment Extravaganza: Symphony of the Seas raises the bar for onboard entertainment. The Royal Theater showcases Broadway hits like “Hairspray,” while the AquaTheater amazes with its high-flying acrobatics and synchronized swimming. For thrill-seekers, the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, promises heart-pounding excitement.
• Innovative Accommodations: The ship’s accommodations are nothing short of revolutionary. The two-story Ultimate Family Suite, complete with a slide, a private cinema, and a LEGO wall, redefines family luxury. Virtual balconies in interior rooms ensure every guest enjoys ocean views, no matter where their room is located.
• Sustainability at Its Core: Despite its size and the plethora of amenities, Symphony of the Seas is committed to sustainable cruising. Advanced waste management systems, energy-efficient technologies, and water-saving mechanisms ensure the ship’s operations are eco-friendly.

The Symphony of the Seas is not just a cruise ship; it’s a testament to human ambition and ingenuity. It showcases what’s possible when creativity, technology, and a passion for delivering unforgettable experiences come together. As it sails the world’s oceans, it stands as a symphony of luxury, adventure, and innovation.

10. Ovation of the Seas: A Standing Ovation for Luxury

When Royal Caribbean unveiled the Ovation of the Seas in 2016, it was clear that the cruising world was in for a treat. As part of the Quantum class, the Ovation of the Seas seamlessly blends technological marvels with luxurious comforts, offering guests an experience that truly deserves a standing ovation.

• Cutting-Edge Design: Ovation of the Seas is a marvel of modern maritime architecture. Its sleek contours and innovative design elements ensure not only a smooth sailing experience but also spaces that inspire awe and wonder at every turn.
• Technological Wonders: One of the standout features of the ship is the North Star, an observation capsule that rises over 300 feet above sea level, providing guests with panoramic views of the ocean and ports of call. The RipCord by iFLY, a skydiving simulator, offers thrill-seekers a taste of adventure without ever leaving the ship. And for those looking to ride a wave, the FlowRider surf simulator is a must-try.
• Dining Delights: Ovation of the Seas offers a culinary journey that caters to every palate. From the farm-to-table dishes at Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver to the molecular gastronomy wonders at Wonderland, dining onboard is an event in itself. The robotic bartenders at the Bionic Bar add a touch of futuristic flair to the mixology experience.
• Entertainment Beyond Boundaries: The ship’s entertainment offerings are diverse and captivating. The Two70° lounge, with its Vistarama technology, transforms into a multimedia entertainment venue, while the Royal Theater hosts productions that rival Broadway shows. The SeaPlex, the largest indoor active space at sea, offers everything from bumper cars to roller skating.
• Luxurious Accommodations: The staterooms and suites on Ovation of the Seas are designed with comfort and luxury in mind. The Virtual Balcony staterooms, a first for the industry, offer real-time ocean views, ensuring every guest can enjoy the beauty of the seas. The Loft Suites, with their double-height ceilings and expansive windows, redefine onboard luxury.
• Eco-Conscious Cruising: Ovation of the Seas, while offering unparalleled luxury, is also committed to sustainable cruising. Advanced energy-saving systems, efficient waste management, and water-saving initiatives ensure the ship’s operations are as green as possible.

Ovation of the Seas is not just a ship; it’s a celebration of luxury, innovation, and the human spirit. It promises guests experiences that are as vast and varied as the oceans it sails, ensuring every voyage receives the standing ovation it deserves.

Choosing Your Luxury Cruise: What to Consider

Embarking on a luxury cruise is more than just a vacation; it’s an experience that promises relaxation, adventure, and indulgence. However, with a plethora of options available, how do you choose the perfect cruise that resonates with your desires and expectations? Here’s a guide to help you navigate the vast ocean of choices and ensure your cruise is nothing short of spectacular.

• Destinations: Begin by asking yourself where you want to go. Whether it’s the sun-kissed beaches of the Caribbean, the historic ports of the Mediterranean, or the icy wonders of Alaska, your destination will set the tone for your journey.
• Duration: Consider how long you want to be at sea. While some may prefer week-long cruises, others might opt for month-long voyages or even world cruises that last several months.
• Excursions: Look into the shore excursions offered. Whether you’re interested in cultural tours, adventure activities, or leisurely explorations, ensure the cruise line offers experiences that align with your interests.
• Ship Size: Larger ships often boast a wider range of amenities but can feel crowded. Smaller ships might offer a more intimate experience but may have fewer entertainment options. Determine what atmosphere you prefer.
• Cabin Choices: From interior cabins with virtual balconies to sprawling suites with private butlers, your choice of accommodation can significantly impact your cruising experience.
• Dining: Gastronomy is a significant part of the luxury cruise experience. Investigate the dining options available, including specialty restaurants, dietary accommodations, and culinary events.
• Entertainment: Whether you’re a fan of Broadway-style shows, live music, or educational lectures, ensure the ship’s entertainment aligns with your tastes.
• Wellness and Recreation: Consider the spa, fitness, and recreational facilities. Whether you’re looking to relax with a massage, stay fit with onboard yoga classes, or seek thrills with adventure amenities, ensure the ship caters to your needs.
• Eco-Friendly Initiatives: In today’s world, many cruisers prioritize sustainability. Investigate the cruise line’s environmental initiatives, from waste management to energy-saving technologies.
• Community Engagement: Some cruise lines engage in community upliftment projects at their ports of call. If giving back is essential to you, choose a cruise line that aligns with these values.
• Budget: While luxury cruises offer an all-inclusive experience, some amenities might come at an additional cost. Set a budget and check what’s included in your cruise fare.
• Reviews and Recommendations: Before booking, read reviews from fellow travelers or seek recommendations from friends and family. First-hand experiences can provide invaluable insights.

In conclusion, choosing the perfect luxury cruise is a blend of personal preferences and informed decisions. By considering the above factors and aligning them with your desires, you can ensure your cruise is a harmonious blend of adventure, relaxation, and luxury.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: what is the cost of building cruise ships.

A: The cost of building cruise ships has increased over the years due to advancements in technology and the desire for more luxurious ships.

Q: What is a suite on a cruise ship?

A: A suite on a cruise ship is a luxurious and spacious accommodation option for passengers. It offers additional amenities and services compared to standard cabins.

Q: What is a passenger ship?

A: A passenger ship is a vessel designed for transporting people from one destination to another. Cruise ships are a type of passenger ship that focuses on providing a luxurious travel experience for vacationers.

Q: Which are the largest cruise ships in the world?

A: The largest cruise ships in the world include Harmony of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships, and Disney Cruise Line’s ships.

Q: What are the latest cruise ship features?

A: The latest cruise ship features include high-tech entertainment options, innovative dining experiences, luxurious suites, and various onboard activities for passengers to enjoy.

Q: What is a world cruise?

A: A world cruise is a long-duration journey that takes passengers on a voyage around the world, visiting multiple destinations over several months. It is a unique and immersive travel experience.

Q: What is a luxury cruise?

A: A luxury cruise offers travelers an elevated cruising experience, characterized by opulent accommodations, gourmet dining, personalized service, and often all-inclusive amenities. These cruises prioritize quality and exclusivity, ensuring a memorable voyage.

Q: How does a luxury cruise differ from a standard cruise?

A: While standard cruises offer a range of amenities and experiences, luxury cruises emphasize personalized service, spacious accommodations, gourmet dining options, and often include extras like shore excursions, gratuities, and premium beverages in the cruise fare.

Q: Are all onboard amenities included in a luxury cruise fare?

A: Most luxury cruises offer an all-inclusive experience, covering dining, entertainment, and other amenities. However, certain services, like spa treatments or specialty excursions, might come at an additional cost. Always check what’s included before booking.

Q: How do I choose the best luxury cruise for my needs?

A; Consider factors like the itinerary, ship size, onboard amenities, and sustainability efforts. Reading reviews, seeking recommendations, and understanding what’s included in the cruise fare can help you make an informed decision.

Q: Is a luxury cruise suitable for families?

A: Absolutely! Many luxury cruise lines offer family-friendly amenities, from kids’ clubs to family suites. However, some luxury cruises cater primarily to adults, so it’s essential to check the ship’s family amenities before booking.

Q: What dining experiences can I expect on a luxury cruise?

A; Luxury cruises often feature multiple dining venues, from casual eateries to gourmet restaurants. Expect a range of culinary delights, curated menus, and the option to dine when and with whom you wish.

Q: Do luxury cruises offer shore excursions?

A: Yes, most luxury cruises offer a range of shore excursions, often included in the cruise fare. These can range from cultural tours to adventure activities, ensuring guests get the most out of each port of call.

Q: How do luxury cruises prioritize sustainability?

A: Many luxury cruise lines are committed to eco-friendly practices, including waste reduction, energy-efficient technologies, and sustainable sourcing. Some also engage in community upliftment projects at their destinations.

Q: Can I customize my experience on a luxury cruise?

A: Absolutely! From personalized dining preferences to bespoke shore excursions, luxury cruises often offer guests the flexibility to tailor their experience to their desires.

Q: Are luxury cruises worth the investment?

A: While luxury cruises come with a higher price tag, they offer an unparalleled level of service, amenities, and experiences. For those seeking an exclusive, all-inclusive, and memorable voyage, a luxury cruise can be a worthy investment.

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Singaporean firm whose ship took down the Baltimore bridge just cited an 1851 maritime law to cap liability at $44 million

The owner and manager of a cargo ship that rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge before the span  collapsed last week  filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.

The companies’ “limitation of liability” petition is a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. A federal court in Maryland ultimately decides who is responsible—and how much they owe—for what could become one of the costliest catastrophes of its kind.

Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the vessel that lost power before it slammed into the bridge early last Tuesday. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., also based in Singapore, is the ship’s manager.

Their  joint filing  seeks to cap the companies’ liability at roughly $43.6 million. It estimates that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight. The estimate also deducts two major expenses: at least $28 million in repair costs and at least $19.5 million in salvage costs.

The companies filed under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to seek to limit their liability to the value of the vessel’s remains after a casualty. It’s a mechanism that has been employed as a defense in many of the most notable maritime disasters, said James Mercante, a New York City-based attorney with over 30 years of experience in maritime law.

“This is the first step in the process,” Mercante said. “Now all claims must be filed in this proceeding.”

Cases like this typically take years to completely resolve, said Martin Davies, director of Tulane University Law School’s Maritime Law Center.

“Although it’s a humongous case with a very unusual set of circumstances, I don’t think it’s going to be that complicated in legal terms,” he said. “All aspects of the law are very clear here, so I think the thing that will take the time here is the facts. What exactly went wrong? What could have been done?”

A report from credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS predicts the bridge collapse could become the most expensive marine insured loss in history, surpassing the record of about $1.5 billion held by the 2012  shipwreck of the Costa Concordia  cruise ship off Italy. Morningstar DBRS estimates total insured losses for the Baltimore disaster could be $2 billion to $4 billion.

Eight people were working on the highway bridge—a 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) span over the Patapsco River—when it collapsed. Two were rescued. The bodies of two more were recovered. Four remain missing and are presumed dead.

The wreckage closed the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping port, potentially costing the area’s economy hundreds of millions of dollars in lost labor income alone over the next month.

Experts say the  cost to rebuild  the collapsed bridge could be at least $400 million or as much as twice that, though much will depend on the new design.

The amount of money families can generally be awarded for wrongful death claims in maritime law cases is subject to several factors, including how much money the person would have likely provided in financial support to their family if they had not died.

Generally, wrongful death damages may also include things such as funeral expenses and the “loss of nurture,” which is essentially the monetary value assigned to whatever moral, spiritual or practical guidance the victim would have been able to provide to their children.

Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Who Will Pay for the Baltimore Bridge Collapse?

Disputes over liability and the cost of claims could take years for insurers to resolve and result in billions of dollars in payouts.

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By Jenny Gross ,  Michael Forsythe ,  Emily Flitter and Peter Eavis

Jenny Gross reported from London. Michael Forsythe, Emily Flitter and Peter Eavis reported from New York.

On the day the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed, President Biden said the federal government would pay the “ entire cost ” of rebuilding it, which some suggest could run to more than $1 billion. Washington will foot the bill so the bridge and nearby port can reopen “as soon as humanly possible,” he said.

The hope is that much of the cost will be recouped from insurers, but determining who is ultimately on the hook for the deadly disaster is set to become one of the messiest and most expensive disputes of its kind. Rebuilding the bridge, repairing the cargo ship that hit it and compensating companies for the disruption at one of the nation’s busiest ports may take years to resolve.

“We’re not going to wait,” said Mr. Biden, who plans to visit Baltimore on Friday to survey the damage.

The legal wrangling began this week when the shipowner, Grace Ocean Private Ltd., and the ship manager, Synergy Marine, both based in Singapore, filed a petition in U.S. District Court to limit their liability to $43.7 million. They cited an 1851 law that allows a shipowner to cap financial damages mostly to the value of a ship after a crash, if the owner is determined not to have been at fault.

Claims against the ship’s owner and manager must be filed to the federal court in Baltimore by Sept. 24, a judge said.

Experts in maritime law and insurance said determining liability was particularly complex because of the many parties involved, from shipowners in Asia to insurers in Europe to companies around the world that move goods in and out of Baltimore. Numerous lawsuits are expected, and the six deaths caused by the disaster add a grim layer of complications.

“You can’t just necessarily settle with one party and make it go away,” said Franziska Arnold-Dwyer, a senior lecturer in insurance law at Queen Mary University of London.

Investigators are still determining what caused such a catastrophic failure on the cargo ship, the Dali; why the massive vessel appeared to lose power and propulsion before hitting the bridge; and whether negligence was involved. The answers will have implications for who is liable for damage that may cost insurers and reinsurers up to $4 billion, according to industry experts.

“You’re looking at historic, record losses” for maritime insurers, said Sean Kevelighan, chief executive of the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group. The higher estimates could exceed the roughly $1.5 billion paid out after the Costa Concordia crisis in 2012, when 32 people were killed as the cruise ship ran aground off the Italian island of Giglio .

Losses are accumulating, with the Port of Baltimore, a top destination for car shipments , largely closed. Officials said this week that they had opened a channel around the wreckage for limited traffic. A full reopening of the port is expected in late May .

Very little is known about the owner of Grace Ocean, a Japanese businessman named Yoshimasa Abe, except that he is very wealthy.

Most of his known wealth comes from his fleet of more than 50 vessels, including container ships, bulk carriers, tankers and refrigerated cargo ships. They are owned by two Singapore-based companies, Grace Ocean Private and Argosy Pte., that Mr. Abe controls through an offshore company. VesselsValue , which compiles shipping data, estimates that those ships, including the damaged Dali, are worth a combined $2.9 billion.

Shipowners often borrow large amounts of money to buy their fleets. There is little public information about Mr. Abe’s debts, but in 2010 Grace Ocean borrowed $250 million from Mitsui & Company, a Japanese trading firm.

Mr. Abe is also the majority owner of two Chinese shipyards on islands off the coast of Ningbo, according to Sayari and WireScreen , companies that compile and analyze corporate data. Combined, the two shipyards can repair more than 200 vessels a year.

It is unusual for foreign companies to control Chinese shipyards, especially in recent years as industry consolidation in the country has favored state-owned companies, said Matthew Funaiole, who has written about Chinese shipyards for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. “There’s really not much space for there to be foreign ownership,” he said.

Among the 68 member companies, schools and associations focused on ship repair that belong to the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, a trade group, three are foreign-owned shipyards, of which Mr. Abe has a majority interest in two.

Mr. Abe did not respond to a request for an interview or answer written questions about his business. “Out of respect for the investigation and the legal process we will not be making additional public statements,” Jim Lawrence, a spokesman for the Dali’s management company and for Grace Ocean, said in an email. He confirmed earlier that Mr. Abe owned Grace Ocean Investment Limited, a company based in the British Virgin Islands that owns both Argosy Pte. and Grace Ocean Private.

If the shipowner is found liable, its insurer, a mutual association called Britannia P&I Club, will cover the first $10 million of claims, which could include coverage for loss of lives, debris removal, property damage and cargo damage. The Dali was carrying products including paper, U.S. soybeans destined for China and some hazardous materials, according to Concirrus, a marine insurance data provider, and DG Global, an agricultural exporter with goods on the ship.

Beyond $10 million, the 12 clubs including Britannia that make up the London-based International Group of P&I Clubs, which collectively insure about 90 percent of the world’s oceangoing tonnage, would share the cost of claims of up to $100 million. For claims above $100 million, dozens of reinsurers will cover costs up to roughly $3 billion.

The $3 billion figure is so widely known that it could become a target for businesses making damage claims. “There are some reinsurers expecting the worst,” said Hugo Chelton, a managing director at Howden Re, a reinsurance broker.

The global reinsurance industry ended last year with $670 billion in capital, according to Aon , an insurance broker. Though the bridge damage promises to be costly, it is not likely to be among the largest payouts reinsurers have faced recently. Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida in 2022, caused more than $50 billion in insured losses.

Sridhar Manyem, an analyst for AM Best, a ratings agency for insurers, said the potential losses from the bridge collapse did not seem large enough to do long-term damage to any insurers or reinsurers. “It should not affect their balance sheets,” he said.

While a significant share of the claims may be directed at the ship’s insurers, other businesses affected by the bridge and port closure could make claims on other policies to cover their losses, adding to the insured losses caused by the incident.

Scott Cowan, the president of International Longshoremen’s Association Local 333, the union representing Baltimore dockworkers, said on Tuesday that nearly 2,000 workers were still doing jobs at the port, like unloading cargo that arrived before the bridge collapsed.

Mr. Cowan said union leaders had asked for help from the federal and state governments. “The longer the channel’s closed and the longer we’re out, the bigger the problem is going to be,” he said. Many jobs at the port are considered daily hire jobs rather than full-time positions, so they will last only as long as work remains to be done.

Government funds for companies whose operations have been disrupted may not be fully recouped from insurers, said Oscar Seikaly, chief executive of NSI Insurance Group, an insurance broker.

In recent years, when Washington has stepped in with emergency aid after a commercial disaster, taxpayers have later largely recovered the costs, although the international scope of claims in the Baltimore bridge collapse will add complexity to the process.

Representative Dan Meuser, Republican of Pennsylvania, said he was outraged that Mr. Biden had immediately offered to use federal money to pay for the bridge’s reconstruction without considering other sources of funds, including from the owners and insurers of the Dali.

“Insurance payouts could potentially cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge without any taxpayer dollars being spent,” he said.

Robyn Patterson, a White House spokeswoman, said the responsible party or parties must be held accountable, but added, “We’re not waiting to get started on this critically important infrastructure project.”

Alain Delaquérière contributed research.

An earlier version of this article misstated a division of an insurance broker. It is Howden Re, not Howden.

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Cargo Ship's Owner and Manager Seek to Limit Legal Liability for Deadly Bridge Disaster in Baltimore

The owner and manager of a cargo ship that rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge before it collapsed are seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster

Cargo Ship's Owner and Manager Seek to Limit Legal Liability for Deadly Bridge Disaster in Baltimore

Julia Nikhinson

Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests on the container ship Dali, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The owner and manager of a cargo ship that rammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge before the span collapsed last week filed a court petition Monday seeking to limit their legal liability for the deadly disaster.

The companies' “limitation of liability” petition is a routine but important procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. A federal court in Maryland ultimately decides who is responsible — and how much they owe — for what could become one of the costliest catastrophes of its kind.

Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the Dali, the vessel that lost power before it slammed into the bridge early last Tuesday. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., also based in Singapore, is the ship's manager.

Their joint filing seeks to cap the companies' liability at roughly $43.6 million. It estimates that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight. The estimate also deducts two major expenses: at least $28 million in repair costs and at least $19.5 million in salvage costs.

The companies filed under a pre-Civil War provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to seek to limit their liability to the value of the vessel's remains after a casualty. It's a mechanism that has been employed as a defense in many of the most notable maritime disasters, said James Mercante, a New York City-based attorney with over 30 years of experience in maritime law.

“This is the first step in the process,” Mercante said. “Now all claims must be filed in this proceeding.”

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Cases like this typically take years to completely resolve, said Martin Davies, director of Tulane University Law School's Maritime Law Center.

“Although it’s a humongous case with a very unusual set of circumstances, I don’t think it’s going to be that complicated in legal terms,” he said. “All aspects of the law are very clear here, so I think the thing that will take the time here is the facts. What exactly went wrong? What could have been done?”

A report from credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS predicts the bridge collapse could become the most expensive marine insured loss in history, surpassing the record of about $1.5 billion held by the 2012 shipwreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship off Italy. Morningstar DBRS estimates total insured losses for the Baltimore disaster could be $2 billion to $4 billion.

Eight people were working on the highway bridge — a 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) span over the Patapsco River — when it collapsed. Two were rescued. The bodies of two more were recovered. Four remain missing and are presumed dead.

The wreckage closed the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping port, potentially costing the area’s economy hundreds of millions of dollars in lost labor income alone over the next month.

Experts say the cost to rebuild the collapsed bridge could be at least $400 million or as much as twice that, though much will depend on the new design.

The amount of money families can generally be awarded for wrongful death claims in maritime law cases is subject to several factors, including how much money the person would have likely provided in financial support to their family if they had not died.

Generally, wrongful death damages may also include things such as funeral expenses and the “loss of nurture,” which is essentially the monetary value assigned to whatever moral, spiritual or practical guidance the victim would have been able to provide to their children.

Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Here's who could be responsible for paying for the Baltimore bridge disaster

• The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container ship collided with it.
• Several entities could be on the hook to foot the bill in the aftermath of the disaster.
• The maritime insurance industry will likely be saddled with the highest costs. 

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed on Tuesday after a large container ship ran into it, leading to six presumed deaths and millions of dollars in possible damage.

It's still too early to estimate the total economic impact of the disaster, but between the cost of rebuilding the decades-old bridge, compensating the victims' families , and paying out damages for disruptions to the supply chain, the eventual cost of the disaster is expected to be significant.

Who will pay to rebuild the bridge?

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday the federal government should be responsible for paying to reconstruct the damaged Francis Scott Key Bridge.

"It is my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect Congress to support my effort," Biden said.

The bridge was built in the 1970s for about $60 million, but the cost of rebuilding it could be 10 times its original price tag, an engineering expert told Sky News. 

Baltimore is among the busiest ports in the nation , with more than a million shipping containers passing through each year. The collapse — which closed the port to all maritime and most road traffic until further notice — is already beginning to wreak havoc on the supply chain.

The cost of building the bridge back fast enough to offset diversions as much as possible could saddle the government with a more than $600 million bill, David MacKenzie, the chair of the engineering and architecture consultancy COWIfonden, told Sky News.

Who will pay for damages to the ship and its cargo?

The container ship, the Dali , is owned by a Singapore-based firm. The ship's charterer, Maersk, confirmed to Business Insider that vessel company Synergy Group operates the ship. 

However, the companies with cargo aboard the Dali could ultimately be responsible for some of the ship's damages and cargo costs, according to Ryan Petersen , the CEO of the supply-chain-logistics company Flexport, which had two containers on the ship.

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The Dali was carrying 330 containers that must now be rerouted, Petersen said in an X thread.

An ancient maritime law known as " general average " dictates that companies with even a single container aboard a ship split certain damages pro rata based on the number of containers they had on board, ensuring all the stakeholders benefiting from the voyage are splitting the risk, Petersen said.

General average situations can occur when a ship is stranded or when cargo is damaged or thrown overboard to save the vessel, according to Flexport . The concept helps ensure that all parties who have a vested interest in the vessel share the cost and concern of protecting it.

It's too soon to know whether damages incurred to free the Dali in the coming days will qualify as a case of general average.

Who will pay for everything else?

The majority of the financial fallout is likely to lay primarily with the insurance industry, according to media reports.

Industry experts told the Financial Times that insurers could pay out losses for bridge damage, port disruption, and any loss of life.

The collapse could drive "one of the largest claims ever to hit the marine (re)insurance market," John Miklus, the president of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters, told Insurance Business.

He told the outlet that the loss of revenue from tolls while the bridge is being rebuilt will be expensive, as will any liability claims from deaths or injuries.

The Dali is covered by the Britannia Steam Ship Insurance Association Ltd., known as Britannia P&I Club, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

In a statement to Business Insider, Britannia said it was "working closely with the ship manager and relevant authorities to establish the facts and to help ensure that this situation is dealt with quickly and professionally."

Britannia is one of 12 mutual insurers included in the International Group of P&I Clubs, which maintains more than $3 billion of reinsurance cover, sources familiar with the matter told Insurance Business.

Britannia itself is liable for the first $10 million in damages, both FT and Insurance Business reported. Whatever remains is dealt with by the wider mutual insurance group and Lloyd's of London, a reinsurance market in the UK, the FT reported.

Update: March 28, 2024 — This story has been updated to include additional information about general average and clarify that it is too soon to know whether general average will apply in the case of the Dali.

Watch: The container ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge has crashed before

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