Captain of Costa Concordia Sentenced to 16 Years for Manslaughter

Posted on 12 February, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Captain Francesco Schettino, the man who was at the helm of the Costa Concordia when the cruise ship hit a reef off of the coast of Italy in 2012, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to a little over 16 years in prison.

The trial lasted 19 months and Schettino was found guilty of multiple counts of manslaughter after 32 passengers and crew members that were on the Costa Concordia died as a result of his actions.

He was also convicted of abandoning ship and causing a shipwreck. He left the ship before many of the over 4,000 passengers and crew members were still onboard.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 26 years and 3 months and called him a “reckless idiot”. Schettino was not present in the court when Judge Giovanni Puliatti read the verdict in the Grosseto Theater. He previously told the court that he was being “offered for sacrifice” for the sake of the economic interests of his employer.

– See more at: http://cruisefever.net/0211-captain-of-costa-concordia-sentenced-16-years-for-manslaughter/#sthash.MkVk8BBG.dpuf

Carnival Vista to sail from Miami

Posted on 8 February, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved a new lease for Carnival Corp. at Port Miami that stipulates the Carnival Vista will use the port after it is delivered next year.

The deal calls for Carnival Vista to sail from Port Miami for 24 months out of its first three years in service. Carnival had not previously disclosed where Vista would sail from after its inaugural series of cruises next summer in the Mediterranean.

Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Breeze, currently sails from Miami. Its next most recent ship, Carnival Magic, debuted in Galveston, Texas, after a European summer launch.

Carnival Corp. in preliminary deal with Chinese group

Posted on 29 January, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding with China Merchants Group (CMG) to pursue a possible domestic Chinese cruise line and to develop cruise ports.

Carnival said it formalized a strategic partnership with CMG at a signing event at the Hilton Shenzhen Shekou.

CMG is already developing a flagship port called Prince Bay Cruise Terminal in Shekou. Carnival said the partners would work to have cruise ships sail from this flagship port, while also developing other cruise destinations across China and northern Asia.

In addition, Carnival and CMG will explore a joint venture that would own and operate its own cruise ships as part of the first domestic Chinese cruise line targeted to the Chinese market. The joint venture would explore the possibility of sourcing new ships that are designed and built in China, along with the possibility of acquiring existing cruise ships.

Carnival last year signed a separate memo with China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC). to design and build a cruise ship in China in partnership with Fincantieri. That memo also contemplated the exploration of other possible joint venture opportunities with CSSC, including the potential to form a domestic cruise company, port development, talent development and training as well as supply chain and logistics.

It isn’t clear how that agreement would be affected by the one announced with CMG.

“The MOU we signed today signifies a great opportunity to take the next step in the future of Chinese cruising, while addressing some key needs for both the cruise industry and its passengers in China,” said Alan Buckelew, COO of Carnival Corp.

CMG, China’s oldest state enterprise founded in 1872, focuses on transportation, infrastructure, financial services and real estate development.