Bad and good news from the cruise industry

SOMEWHAT ironically two news stories about the cruise industry popped up close together in my in-box in the past week, one good, one bad.

The captain of the Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter and other offences relating to his conduct as the disaster unfolded.

Thirty-two people died in the January 2012 disaster and the subsequent 19-month long trial have been at the centre of incredulous worldwide attention. Opinion among professional mariners seems mixed. Few will jump outright to the master's defence but most seem agreed that the awful shambles on board the big cruise ship that night was not just the fault of one person.