NO changes are on the horizon for Costa Cruises’ plans in Asia-Pacific despite the Costa Concordia tragedy in January.
In an emailed statement to TTG Asia e-Daily, Buhdy Bok, Costa Cruises vice president Pacific Asia & China said the cruise line’s capacity growth target in Asia would hold steady at 40 per cent, and that all ship deployments to the region would proceed as planned (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 17, 2011).
“We believe that our Asian customers understand that the Costa Concordia incident was an exceptional event. So far, in Asian markets, we have not seen any impact on our business arising from cancellations,” he said.
The Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio in Tuscany, Italy on January 13, requiring the evacuation of 4,252 passengers on board. The ship subsequently listed to the side and was partially submerged. Seventeen people were killed and 64 others were injured during the accident, with another 15 still unaccounted for.
When questioned by TTG Asia e-Daily about how exactly Costa Cruises would set about reassuring consumers about the safety of its ships, Bok explained that the Costa Concordia incident “deeply affected us all and we are committed never to allow such an incident to ever happen again”.
“Following the incident, Costa is working hard to rebuild the confidence and faith of our consumers, nurtured over the more than 60 years we have been operating cruises,” he said.
As part of its commitment to passenger safety, Bok explained that onboard crew members undergo a series of exhaustive training sessions to deal with crises, in full compliance with international safety regulations. All equipment on Costa ships is tested regularly, with staff performing evacuation drills every fortnight. Additionally, all guests take part in an evacuation drill within 24 hours of joining a sailing, he added.
“We remain fully aware of our responsibility to those who place their trust in us,” said Bok. “We now look to openly communicate the safety measures onboard Costa Cruises and reassure customers that Costa sailings are safe.”
