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The new boss of Costa Cruises has spoken of his “obligation” to make sure nothing like the Concordia accident ever happens again.
Michael Thamm, chief executive officer of Costa Crociere S.p.A, said the incident was a huge shock to all the line’s employees.
He said one word summed up his and his company’s reaction to the tragedy, which led to the death of 32 people when the Costa Concordia flagship sank off the coast of Italy in January this year – ‘obligation’.
“My obligation and the obligation of my company is that this kind of accident never happens again to the industry.
“The company is damaged and we are very sorry about the casualties. One of the cases that strikes me most is the poor little girl who died on the ship. Obligation has a human face also.”
Thamm defended Costa’s safety record before the accident, saying it passed 107 inspections last year. The cruise line passed an extensive audit carried out in October with flying colours, he added.
Speakers in the Travel Weekly cruise debate from Costa parent Carnival Corporation could not talk about details of the Concordia case as court proceedings are ongoing in Italy.
But Carnival chairman and chief executive Micky Arison, joining the session via video from Miami, read out a series of measures taken by the cruise sector since the incident. “A lot has been done and a lot continues to be done.
“We have had, prior to this tragedy, a tremendous safety record and we will make sure we have a tremendous safety record in the future and ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Thamm said the cruise industry was already highly regulated globally and he would not like to see more rules brought in as a result of the sinking.
“We do not need any more regulatory bodies. What we need is continuous evolution of all the things we do, including safety.”