We’re back! After a brief, unplanned hiatus (unlike some people, we did not abandon ship), we’re setting sail into one of the most chaotic and talked-about maritime disasters in modern history: the Costa Concordia.

On January 13, 2012, what should have been a relaxing Mediterranean cruise took a devastating turn when the ship struck rocks off the coast of Italy. What followed was a slow-moving, surreal disaster—dark hallways, delayed orders, and thousands of passengers trying to figure out what was happening as the situation unraveled.

And then…there was the captain.

In this episode, we break down the timeline, the chain of decisions that somehow just kept getting worse, and the actions of Francesco Schettino—including the now-infamous explanation that he may have, somehow, “fallen” into a lifeboat.

Yes. Really.

Because sometimes the most shocking part of a disaster…is how the people in charge respond when everything goes wrong.

Sources & Documentaries:

Costa Concordia: The Whole Story (Free Documentary) https://youtu.be/z17xqYzURXg?si=MiKmK_z5EfIXbcPk

Sunken Ship Rescue (NOVA / PBS) https://youtu.be/lM3d_m74B18?si=KGgp-L4ezlzNrrfi

Costa Concordia: Why She Sank (Prime Video)

Another Night to Remember (Vanity Fair) https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2012/5/another-night-to-remember

The Costa Concordia Disaster: How Human Error Made It Worse (History) https://www.history.com/articles/costa-concordia-cruise-ship-disaster-sinking-captain