Would You Go On A Cruise After This?

It wasn't the modern day "Titanic", but the cruise ship tragedy off the coast of Tuscany is still almost beyond belief. Last Friday, the Costa Concordia, which was carrying more than 4,000 tourists and crew members, ran aground and started to sink. Six people are confirmed dead and 29 are still missing. The images of a massive ship lying on its side are jaw-dropping and could have a big effect on the industry.

"There will be strong feelings about it," said Judy Most, manager of Traveling Inc. in Norwalk. "Its too early to tell if it will hurt sales and packages. But it was human error, not a mechanical one. Cruise ships are among the safest ways to travel."

Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines, which owns the Costa Concordia, ran a commercial during the NFL playoffs on Sunday, less than 48 hours after the accident in Europe, depicting a couple on a ship flashing back to their last vacation sitting in car as it was getting mauled by a Grizzly Bear and Mountain Lion in a state park. The commercial cut back to them on a cruise ship eating chocolate covered strawberries and saying, "Never again." After seeing reports of the accident overseas, at least one Norwalk resident is saying, "No way!"

"I have no intention of ever going on a cruise ship after seeing that," said Kenny James, who practices law. "That sealed the deal for me right there. No thanks."

Financial experts and industry analysts feel many other potential tourists might be saying the same thing. Shares of Carnival Cruise Lines dropped 17 percent Monday on the London Exchange. That cost the company nearly $1 billion of its total worth. However, there are some people who won't be deterred by the accident that happened to one of Carnival's vessels.

"I've been on two cruises and the water was pretty choppy, which made it rough," said Chris Herndon, 26, who works in "But they were a lot of fun and I had a great time. People continue to fly after plane crashes, so I don't think this will keep many people away from going back on cruise ships. I would definitely go on another trip on one of those."

The longer the Costa Condoria is on its side and the images of the tragedy continue to be shown throughout the world, the public relations nightmare will continue for Carnival Cruise Lines and the entire industry. However, it's not likely to keep tourists away forever.

"Cruise ships are the best bang for the buck for travelers, without question," said Most. "I really don't feel that people will question the safety of the ships. The captain of that ship acted irresponsibly. Those ships are the safest ways to travel."