What's the problem with Italy and ships?

Another one

Fair comment there, but Italy is not exactly known for it's maritime expertise. Probably a combination of things. However, in the unlikely event that I ever go on a cruise, I think I'll stick with P&O or Cunard.

Fair comment there, but Italy is not exactly known for it's maritime expertise. Probably a combination of things. However, in the unlikely event that I ever go on a cruise, I think I'll stick with P&O or Cunard.

Thanks WK, some extra links below. I'm still happy to travel P&O as it's run separately.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O brand has been retained.

P&O Princess Cruises plc was a shipping company that existed between 2000 and 2003, operating the P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, A'Rosa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Ocean Village branded cruise lines. The company was formed from the de-merged passenger services of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) and operated until 2003 when it was re-listed as Carnival plc following a merger with Carnival Corporation

Carnival plc is the UK-listed holding company of the Carnival Group. It was formed as a result of the merger between Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess Cruises in 2003. It was agreed that P&O Princess would remain as a separate company, with a predominantly British shareholder body and largely retaining the P&O Princess executive team. Subsequently, P&O Princess was simply re-listed as Carnival plc, creating a dual-listed company. Carnival plc is associated with Carnival UK operations, but also has responsibility for Costa Cruises, Carnival Cruises and Holland America Line, with these companies having offices at Carnival plc headquarters in Gainsford Street, London.

I always understood that usually only the Captain and senior officers of cruise ships are of the Nationality of the ship. Most of the crew are a hotch potch of many nationalities. Every time a message is broadcast it's in about 8 different languages with usually English being the last.

The reason is because traditionally cruise ship staff are low paid, and are expected to make up their wages via tips from the passengers. They think that this encourages good customer service. But it doesn't, because you end up with low grade staff trying to cope in an emergency. It's endemic across the whole industry, not just in Italy.

claims

I always understood that usually only the Captain and senior officers of cruise ships are of the Nationality of the ship.

Flags of convenience are used by ship owners to avoid taxes in their own country. That is why so many ships are registered in a country different than the owners.

Due to its status as a flag of convenience, Liberia has the second-largest maritime registry in the world behind Panama, with 3,500 vessels registered under its flag accounting for 11% of ships worldwide.

I think the problem today with many cruise lines is greed. There are many of these incidents occurring too often lately, so is their health & safety being slackened &/or their staff training under par?

Fire onboard Cruise Ship
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so is their health & safety being slackened &/or their staff training under par?

Neither really.

Like the catering and hotel industries, the cruise ship industry is notoriously badly paid. Traditionally employers have a no questions asked ethos and are not too fussy if people do not have "paperwork", provided they are prepared to work long hours for low pay. In the "Service" industries employers rely upon tips to the workers to make up the pay.

Consequently Except for the Captain and senior officers, the rest of the staff are usually lowly educated ethnic minorities who are the only ones willing to take that sort of work. If you have an Engine Room fire, no matter how capable the Chief, 1st & 2nd Engineers are, if the rest cannot use the fire fighting equipment you're stuffed.

All ships of any kind have to have regular inspections and issued with safety certificates before they can sail. The Senior officers also have to be certificated. The same does not apply to the rest of the crew. There is your problem.

Is that a fact! I wouldn't have thought of that after 30 years in the transport industry & you're wrong.

Ah whats a little fire. The odds of it happening on all the ships within one company are pretty high & then that's what insurance is for.

The days of the Captain(+owners) going down with the ship are long dead!

No matter what a board of inquiry recommends, the accidents continue to happen, or have you forgotten what you've already posted?

Quote "Like the catering and hotel industries, the cruise ship industry is notoriously badly paid." unquoute.

Money talks, Safety walks.

As for headline writing, I did work for the Guardian in 1972 but got sacked after 4 months - not Guardianista enough for them!
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not Guardianista enough for them!

Polly Toynbee ...

gaag dribble gosk
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It's good to be back amongst friends and colleagues

Aha! a secret Grauniad reader comes out!


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