In the wake of the Costa Concordia catastrophe on Jan. 13 that killed at least 17 people and raised troubling questions about the ship’s captain, many tourists are wondering: How safe am I on a cruise?
Well, the chance of dying in a cruise accident is small. From 2005 to 2010, about 100 million passengers took cruises, and there were 16 deaths attributed to marine accidents, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.
But the Concordia, which ran aground off the Tuscan coast of Italy a few hours after departure, has the cruise industry on the defensive. “All of our members recognize the seriousness of these events,” said Christine Duffy, president of the Cruise Lines International Association, in a press briefing last month.
