OMG. Just can't believe how with the technology we have today a Titanic situation can occur.

Terrible tragedy! Agree, hard to believe this could happen in this day and age. Here's more I found this morning:

http://news.yahoo.com/2-bodies-raise-death-toll-5-sinking-cruise-133001056--abc-news.html

technology gets better; human incompetence stays the same

As technology gets newer and more complicated, the bigger the potential blunder

>>> technology gets better; human incompetence stays the same
>>>>

Incompetence, and utter stupidity. It appears that the captain deliberately veered off course so that a waiter could wave to his family on the island.

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/16/10164356-captains-favor-to-head-waiter-to-blame-for-cruise-ship-disaster

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/transcripts-of-calls-to-cruise-ship-captain-published-by-italian-media/?partner=rss&emc=rss

This reads like a SNL skit not real life.

I don't know how many dead---it's dark out here!!!!
So, it's dark and you want to go home!!!

YIKES!!!!!

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/17/10171694-exasperated-coast-guard-official-ordered-captain-to-go-aboard

I want to add to TPayt's post, it's not only that he refused the order to go back on ship, he also has a history of disobediency. Which brings me to the thought, don't they have evaluations of his position and mental state?

This is from the link above:
"NBC News is reporting that the captain had a history of disobeying orders. Schettino, according to Italian news reports, had once left Marseilles, France, in bad weather, against company policy and coast guard orders. The captain was also once reportedly caught sailing too close to the shore in another part of Italy."

I just heard the actual "live" tape from the coast guard to the captain. They tell the Captain to get back to the ship there is one person dead all ready and he calmly says One dead? anymore?" Almost like an everday occurance. they say he is in a lot of trouble and he could spent 12 years in jail. What horrible press for this cruise line!!! Yikes!!

I saw this ship last summer in Norway. It dwarfed our ship, (Crystal Serenity). Given the apparent inepttitude of the leadership of the vessel, it's a miracle more lives weren't lost. And those lives lost were for such needless, stupid reasons. If what is being said about the Captain is true, he absolutely deserves manslaughter charges.

Here's an excellent, insightful article ... apparently many in the maritime industry believe that it was a disaster waiting to happen and are surprised that it (or worse) hasn't happened before. It puts many things in perspective that most news hasn't addressed, especially the cruise lines companies and more especially, the design of the new ships and their technologies. Makes me think twice about cruising.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,810761,00.html