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Subscribe to RSSConditions on the Costa Allegra are deteriorating. With no electricity, passengers and crew have taken to sleeping on deck. A woman whose son escaped the Costa Concordia, and whose daughter is now stuck on the Costa Allegra says all she wants to do is see her daughter. Carl Dinnen Channel Four Europe reports.
Helicopters brought food and flashlights Tuesday to more than 1,000 passengers and crew stuck aboard a crippled cruise ship that was being towed to the Seychelles Islands through waters prowled by pirates.
Those aboard the Costa Allegra, a sister ship of the cruise liner that capsized off Italy last month, faced more stifling days and nights on the Indian Ocean before the vessel arrives at port.
The stricken liner was expected to reach the main Seychelles island of Mahe on Thursday, the Italian cruise operator Costa Crociere SpA said.
"The speed of the ship, despite the hot and humid climate, creates a slight breeze that helps make the situation more comfortable," a company statement said.
It said fresh bread would be brought in Wednesday since cooking was impossible, but added there was "no lack of food and other comfort items."
Two tugboats arrived on Tuesday to assist a French fishing vessel towing the Costa Allegra, which was being escorted by the Seychelles coast guard ship Andromache and an air force plane.
The Costa Allegra lost power Monday after a fire in its generator room only six weeks after one of its sister ships, the Costa Concordia, hit a reef and capsized off Italy. No one was injured in the fire Monday, but the blaze set the cruise-liner adrift at sea in a region where Somali pirates prey on ships.
Cruise officials initially said the stranded travelers would be taken by Wednesday to Desroches, a small, exclusive coral-lined island in the Seychelles. But they changed the destination to the larger island of Mahe, citing safety and logistical reasons.
Photos released by the Seychelles on Tuesday showed hundreds of people milling outside on the decks of the Costa Allegra. Taken by an Indian navy plane, the photos showed calm seas and an upright ship.
The Costa Allegra has 636 passengers and 413 crew members on board. The fire knocked out power to the ship's engines as well as to its lights and air conditioning.
The incident came six weeks after the Costa Concordia capsized, killing 25 people and leaving seven missing and presumed dead. Both ships are operated by Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by the Florida-based Carnival Corp.
However, company officials rushed to play down concerns.
The Costa Allegra is adrift "and being pushed by the current. It is stable and upright," Giorgio Moretti, the director of nautical operations for Costa Crociere SpA, told reporters in a conference call late Monday from company headquarters in Genoa, Italy.
"It's a big ship and to tow it, to move it across the waters, is a heavy task," said Seychelles presidential spokeswoman Srdjana Janosevic. She said that everything is calm on board the cruise ship and that no one is hurt.
Italian Coast Guard officials said emergency generators were keeping the ship's control room illuminated and communications equipment such as radios running. Officials said the cruise liner was holding steady, despite 5-foot waves in the area and passengers were being kept in the ship's big communal rooms, not in their cabins.
Moretti, a longtime Costa captain, said he expected the 636 passengers aboard would spend the night on outside decks. Among them were 212 Italian, 31 British and eight U.S. passengers, he said. Four of the passengers were children ages 3 or younger.
An Italian cruise ship is being towed Tuesday after being left powerless and adrift with more than 1,000 passengers and crew on board in the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean. The ship NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
The Allegra, whose Italian name means "merry," or "happy," had left northern Madagascar, off Africa's southeast coast, on Saturday and was cruising toward Port Victoria when the fire erupted. Costa said the Allegra had been due in Port Victoria on Tuesday.
The general region where the cruise ship was adrift — off the coast of Tanzania — has seen a rash of attacks by Somali pirates. In 2009, an Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people aboard fended off a pirate attack in the Indian Ocean far off the coast of Somalia.
Moretti said an armed nine-member Italian military team on anti-pirate duty was aboard the Allegra, but he insisted the maritime region where the ship was now "isn't a high risk area for pirates."
"If pirates attack, the armed guards on board will respond. But as far as I am aware, no pirates have been sighted in the area," said Janosevic.
Moretti said 15 Costa engineers, technicians and other officials were flying to Mahe in hope of reaching the Allegra by air to repair its generators.
Handout / Reuters
The Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,200 passengers, ran aground Jan. 13 off the coast of Italy. At least 17 people died in the accident, and rescuers continue to search for others missing.
NBC News, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Someday, someone is going to wise up and design these ships with proper backup equipment.
LOL! Probably the first and only time in my life i'll be cheering for the pirates.
rockmebritney may you never find out personally just how irresponsible that comment of yours is !
Rocking
What a idiotic comment
Through the pirate zone hum. I wonder what's going to happen (NOT). I hope it's a trap for the pirates, and no sooner than the pirates sneak aboard, the good guys are there to capture them and finally put an end to their scandalous ways.
If a storm hits them, they will be in big trouble. Without power they can't steer and thus can't avoid being smashed by the waves from the side, which can easily lead to capsize.
They are being towed.
Uh, Max... If they're being towed they CAN steer so foundering should not be a problem.
rockmebritney- I pray you never encounter open sea piracy. You have no idea what they are capable of, the media downplays their actions taken upon prisoners. Trust me.
rockmebritney- I pray you never encounter open sea piracy. You have no idea what they are capable of, the media downplays their actions taken upon prisoners. Trust me.
Stupid company for not having back up systems and even stupider for being in those waters. Let's see, remind me not to take a cruise on any Italian Cruise ships with the name "Costa" on them.
I'm trying to figure out what backup system you can have. Another set of engines? Propellors?
Boats going through that area just need to hire a security team with all sorts of big guns. When a little gun ship attacks a ship, blow them the hell out of the water.
Eventually they'll learn that piracy is a bad idea.
Hopefully the pirates don't look at this situation as a 2 for1.
Dude, have you ever seen such a big ship being towed during a storm? I have seen a smaller cargo ship towed during a pretty rough storm (9 on Beaufort scale). Eventually the tow boat had to give up. Luckily the disabled ship did not sink. Towing large ships during a storm is a nightmare for both sides.
This ship is about 43yrs old and was converted from a container ship. It has seen service as Allegra for sometime and may have experienced a fire for lack of maintenance. Probably pushed by the Bean counters too far.
See:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Allegra
An Italian Cruise Liner again? What's the matter with this Country, and travel safety?
The Cruise Lines are going to have a hard financial road ahead. Since the Costa Concordia travesty, cruise bookings are down 50 per cent.
This should really "close the book" for those who were already intimidated riding the high Seas---most people do not think about being in huge vasts of rocky, stormy Oceans; they are busy just trying to relax and enjoy themselves.
Who can relax?---"Carnival Cruises" We Have a Problem" That was the one where 30 people were robbed as they toured off ship, the jungles of Mexico; by gunpoint this past week.
Spencer,
They have a security team on board to fend off pirates.
If pirates would dress foppish and use 19th century style weaponry and ships, I'm sure that they would have more of their demands met.
(end joking)
What other backup system could they have? They could have two emergency generators, in two locations separate from the engine room and main generator room - one that can supply the control room, radios, and emergency lights (which they have) - and one that can provide enough electricity to operate one of the propulsion diesel engines.
Hope they have power for a couple of pumps, for bilges and to provide fire mains and flushing water for some of the heads - otherwise you have to hang it over the side.
Someday, the media is going to learn that it is NOT productive to announce things like a helpless ship being towed through a pirate zone. Why not send out invitations?
The pirates aren't that stupid. They're not going to hit an inoperable ship. Otherwise how are they going to get their hostages to port? Ferry them a few at a time on their skiffs while the ones remaining radio for help?
Besides, be a hell of a thing trying to control all those passengers and crew. Hundreds of hostages with little-to-no power? Not to mention the navies of all the countries of those on board breathing down your neck.
They did note that the vessel is under military escort.
Yea, by the FRENCH. How reassuring!
@tompayne...yes, Piraes ARE THAT stupid.
The pirates don't take the people to port, otherwise the authorities are waiting for them. Pirates generally board the ship, rip people off for valuables, and then leave, before anyone has time to get there.
Miami.. snap!
Sacrebleu! It's in the bag. Pirates mess with 'em and they will be in another bag.
Well the pirates could just force all the passengers at gunpoint to hand over all their valuables, cash and booze. Why would they want the ship?
The article I read states that the Italian military is their guard and that the ship is being towed by a French fishing vessel.
BNH:
You are darn right---The Media, Internet, Cable News instill people by "Fear" when they print their articles of what happens. Good news will not sell.
"There is Nothing to Fear, but Fear Itself" FDR---good one, but it is hard to change neurons of the brain in a human being.
my fav media idiocy has always been when i saw an "investigation" by a big name news company after 9/11, that showed step by step how terrorists could cripple our trade using our ocean shipping lanes ports and such. I mean they went into great detail almost like they were reading it out of a how to book for terrorists. dumba**es
Someday people are going to wake up and not set foot on these floating cesspools.
Apparently, you've never been on a cruise ship so you don't know how relaxing and enjoyable it is. This is a very small incident compared to the many cruises going on around the world on a daily basis! I've been on over 8 cruises, and we've NEVER had a problem.....apparently, this particular cruise line needs to reevaluate their ships before they book any future trips on them. This is due to faulty maintenance and NOT to anything else. Trust me, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Princess are very well-run cruise lines, and I'd cruise on them ANYTIME! Until you've been on a cruise ship, you have NO idea what you're talking about.
Pay.....................If you dont like to cruise ....fine. Stay home. Personally I think they are a lot safer than visiting a country and driving everywhere. Or if you are really a scardy cat, then just stay home, behind your locked doors and shuttered windows.
These new cruise ships, as are all new ships, get built according to standards more lax than in the past. The cruise ship lines are like any other industry. They are run by accountants, not by knowledgeable people, in this case sea-men. The engine room is highly automated but understaffed. I heard the ships are underpowered for their size, lack double bottoms and as a consequence veer away from forecast heavy weather. With all that free-board, I think they'd be easy to flip. Or if they encountered heavy weather they couldn't avoid, they'd at the least get severely damaged.
Try cruises on merchantmen while they still offer them.
Tom,
This is not a "new" ship. It was converted from a container ship, and is about 43 years old.
WOW! the media is very interesting ! Lets just announce 1 fat sitting duck being towed slowly in your back yard enjoy the rape and pillage on us!
I guess you missed the part about the Italian military team on board? Read for comprehension next time.
why they only show black people when they start talking about pirates? That little black boy looked more like a young fisherman trying to catch a meal for the day.
They are SOMALI Pirates-Last time I checked SOMALIA ia an AFRICAN NATION. This is not the racist picture you are trying to make it-it just shows the Somali people. And, that little black boy unfortunately could be a pirate. These evil Pirates recruit innocent young kids!!! Check your facts befire going racial next time!
The somoli pirates are all black. Africa has lots of child soldiers, they boy has a choice of getting enough fish to eat for a day or getting a ransom to keep him in hookers and blow for life. Pirates are not egalitarian employers, they only seem to hire 3rdworlders , as there are no white pirates left in the world.. Even the group Drs Without Borders has pulled out of Somalia after losing over 100 health care worker there.
Miami Cheri
Just like the middle easterner could be a terrorist, the latino could be an illegal and the chinese boy a spy
to C1111 - First - today's pirates don't look like Johnny Depp. I'm not sure that any pirates ever looked like Johnny Depp.) Many (most?) of the pirates in that part of the world ARE dark skinned.
Second - because of the big chiron (or however you spell it) across the bottom of the screen that says "Cruise Ship Stranded", you may have missed the nasty-looking gun this "boy fisherman" is carrying.
What an insane remark! I guess they show black pirates because they couldn't find any white pirates,
what the 80-
The only little black boy I saw in the clip had a rifle on him. If he was a fisherman he would have had a net or fishing pole. You need to accept that in the last decade the only places that have had child sacrifice http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15255357 and cannibalism http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/cannibals.html http://www.heretical.com/cannibal/congo3.html
are in places that were still in the stone age 400 years ago. Not all cultures are equally valid. In much of the muslim world sex with little boys is ok but 2 grown men/women would be killed for admitting they loved each other http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dancingboys/ .Would you really want to let the following into 1stworld nations:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZIK9Ce0yM Congo soldiers explain why they rape .
The media is so irresponsible it makes me almost puke. What a sad bunch of whores..
I'd be more worried about being towed in to port by the French then being captured by Somali pirates. Even though the potential is there for 1000 hostages, there's no way to get them to Mogadishu since the boat can't be moved under it's own steam.
Remember, other than the French Resistance, this is a country that laid down and played dead, as the Nazis stormed throught it. I wouldn't feel very safe being towed by the French!
More idiotic comments
I am sure the people on the ship and their families are very happy and appreciative that the French are towing them. Your provincial 'hate the French' attitudes are pure ignorance.
Just remember without the French the US would likely not have won the revolutionary war.
My provincial attitudes? Please, the Hate the French is not just a US thing, nobody likes them and their cowardess and uppity ways. Check your facts before making your IDIOTIC comment.
Bahahahaa
Like frankly said , the French were one of the biggest reasons you and I are not an English colony right now.
Lol at right wing rhetoric.
Yes Miami, your provincial ignorant attitudes.
If I was looking for a beautiful place and the choices were Miami or Paris...I would choose Paris. It is only the ignorant wannabes who think Miami is some great shakes. Plain to see that Miami lost the battle with Ft Lauderdale a few years back.
Miami is about as nouveau riche as you can get. (That is a french term BTW) Tacky, Dirty...it died the day Versace was killed.
And I am so glad you speak for everybody.
Thanks Huh?What? Thats 2 votes for the French to one against!
And actually Cheri, you state you are Italian (Actually you used the term 'Dago") I think if we are discussing what a country did in WW2...Italy's track record was much worse than the French's.
We clear on this Benito?
While some might dislike the French (have they ever been there?) I have found them to be friendly, wonderful people. Americans tend to go abroad with a sense of entitlement....... "Oh, you don't speak English? Well, why not?" and other choice comments like that. I have visited France several times and never once have come across a rude person. I have tried to speak my rudimentary French and they were quite appreciative of that fact.
In my travels, I have come across many more rude Americans.
Mon cherie why so much hate if it weren't for Lafayette you would be speaking french.
Yeah, everybody always remembers the French and not the real heroes of our Independence - the Polish and Germans. The Germans were mercenaries fighting under the expert leadership of the Polish. No-one ever seems to recognize the works of Generals Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski.
They all helped. It was that time of the world. We had the best hope for mankind. We seem to forget we still can be. Individuals have forgotten it takes character and sacrifice.
And by the way, the French fleet was paramount at Yorktown. without it we loose, Washington hangs and we stay colonies. With it and with France's other actions, our revolution turned into a sideshow in what to Britain was a world war. Britain figured to cut its losses and keep us friendly so it could concentrate its efforts elsewhere.
Someday never comes...a great song by CCR
hey when can i book a pleasure cruise threw pirates waters, can't wait. takes all kinds.
That was my question yesterday. This Italian ship, Costa Allegra, is usually used for short 7 to 14 day cruises in the Mediterranean. There are but two ways for it to get into the Indian Ocean. It could have gone through the Suez down the Red Sea and then south down the coast right past the nasty pirates of Somalia. The other way would have been to have gone around Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope, (see map or don't). "For your added adventure folks another thousand will be added to your cabin fee for the thrill of playing games with pirates who kill, plunder, and take people hostage."
The only people who should be in the waters attacked by Pirates are shipping companies who have no choice, and load their ship with armed people ready to take on these idiots! Otherwise, stay out of troubled areas, get smart people before it's too late!
Actually the pirates should be eliminated and the open sea should be just that, open to all from kayaks to supertankers without fear of piracy.
Cheri,
The ship has armed security on board to fend off the pirates.
This is a 40 year old ship that was converted to carry passengers 20 years ago. At that time they replaced her twin diesels with four smaller diesels, giving a pretty good amount of redundancy. Sometimes things happen that are beyond any reasonable planning.
I was unable to find any significant incidents in the 20 years Costa has been operating the ship, prior to this one.
Wow! An open form stricken vessel tow in pirate infested waters,,, big $$[or francs/euro,s?] will be changing hands methinks?..ya know, some wise person once said "there are no coincidences",,, I would be looking at a competitor trying to scoop up business?..Italian is it??.. well,,,hmmm,,,nuff said,..lots of cash$$ moving around these vessels,..would be a very good way to launder dirty money,,,but of course,, thats just theory,,they wouldnt do that!,,,would they??..
Where is obumas preacher saying that there are cruise ships that dump more food a day than a haitian eats in a year, not knowing that there are ships with 5k+ passengers and 2k+ crew being a floating city of 7K? Every ship cruise or cargo should have at least 3 snipers on board to deal with pirates when in those waters.
There is actually a Russian cruise line that offers pirate hunting trips. They go slow through pirate waters and you can shoot up the pirate vessels, and you pay to rent the weapons including full auto. I recomend using a mosin nagant instead of a full auto. Russia treats pirates like Britain did back when Britain was great, so its ok to kill them under a russian flag. The line has ex soviet special forces for guards.
There are Maritime Laws regarding the arming of cruise ship crews.
Makes sense to let pirates know we are coming?!?!?!?
I sincerely doubt the 'pirates' use the media to locate ships to target, ones the world is watching. They seek lower profile prey closer to home.
"Helicopters will ensure continuous supply of food, comfort items, flashlights in order to mitigate guests' discomfort given the difficult conditions on board," Costa said in a statement."
WELL THAT MAKES IT A HELL OF A LOT BETTER!! THE DAGOS ARE GIVING THE PASSENGERS, FLASHLIGHTS, CANDY BARS AND SOAP...AND PROBABLY ADDING IT TO THE BILL...AND GIVING THEM ONE FREE THREE FREE DAYS OF A CRUISE...OOOPS THEY ALREADY GAVE THEM THAT FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS!
Attorneysareaholes
What I see is a racist bigot who I consider to be the true 'hole'. I thought the term "Dago' went out years ago. BTW Costa is an AMERICAN company, part of Carnival.
I'd sign this a proud ___— using whatever derogatory term there is for Scots but I have no Idea what that is. Hmmm
Ah
Signed
A Proud "Plaid Dress Wearer"
AS a "Dago" we don't need idiots like you defending us. And unfortunately the term does still exist-who's the ahole now?
Wow you really are self-loathing and a hater.
You would defend the use of a bigoted term against the group you identify as being a part of. Yes a lot of bigoted terms do still exist, decent people don't think or use them.
Sick
And obviously a Right Winger--full of rage and hate based on ethnicity.
Sad
Enough of you. Go to the Aventura Mall, I am sure that is what passes for culture in your little world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dago
Yeah, White Star was on a roll in 1912 too. All who venture on the open sea are in peril and the greatest peril is their own complacency.
Frankly,
The equivalent of "Dago" for Scotch would be "Jock". Just FYI . . .
Hey Im a Jock! Does this mean I get a scholarship!?
LOL
(I don't think they give many for Sailing and probably not many for swimming which were my sports) I guess they figure if your family can afford to own some sailboats they can afford to send you to college...they were probably right)
Poor Costa, it's just not their year.
hahaha! another costa cruises mess ,who was at the stern of this one ,looks like it was"krispy kreme" !
Please explain about the stern. do you even know what that word means?
I think he means the helm.
He said stern (s t e r n), which is the proper terminology for the aft (rear) end of a ship, or boat.
Makes you wonder what is going on with this cruise line that they are having so many difficulties- so close together timewise. With the home country being in financial dire straits- it makes one wonder if there is a connection.
@ C1111, they referenced a black man because it's Somali pirates that tend to operate in those waters.
I have no pity for the cruise line !! I hope they pay through the nose again for this Screw up !!And for the people who continue to pay $$$$$ for these sicken trips you get what you signed up for. You always hear of the people getting sick and sitting on the toilet or puking from contamination. You are herded around like trapped cattle UGH!!
Our leader will issue an immediate apology to the pirates, just in case the accidental (wink) burning of the generator has offended the Somali people.
That's funny!
Contemplate the size and power of a fishing vessel that is capable of towing a ship the size of the Costa. Then multiply it by dozens (I've seen plenty of them in Port Victoria's harbor). Contrast that with a few guys in a skiff using one net. Then ask yourself why the latter turn to piracy.
This company is really doing a bang up job.
I guess people dont read they are being escorted by the coast guard. What pirate would go against the coast guard to get to this particular ship. They would have to be crazy. If they would have gotten to the ship before the coast guard arrived, then I can see an attack by the pirates.
Wanna end piracy? Track them with satellites and blow them out of the water before they strike. It wouldn't take long for them to stop.