The last cruise ship to sink was the Costa Concordia, a cruise liner owned by Costa Crociere. The ship capsized off the coast of Italy on January 13th, 2012, resulting in the deaths of 32 people. The incident has been described as one of the worst maritime disasters in recent history.
The Costa Concordia had left from Civitavecchia, Italy on its scheduled route to Savona when it struck an underwater rock formation at about 9:45 pm local time. The impact caused a large hole in the side of the vessel and it quickly began to take on water. The captain then issued an abandon ship order and thousands of passengers and crew were forced to evacuate into lifeboats and rafts.
The Italian Coast Guard responded quickly to the distress call, but their efforts were hampered by choppy seas and strong winds. Despite their best efforts, 32 people were eventually declared missing or dead. More than 4200 passengers and crew had been aboard the ship when it sank, including citizens from more than 70 countries around the world.
The cause of the disaster was attributed to a number of factors, including negligence on behalf of the captain who allegedly sailed too close to shore in an attempt to “show off” for passengers. He was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
In addition to criminal proceedings against those responsible for the disaster, civil suits have also been filed against Costa Crociere by affected passengers seeking compensation for their losses. Investigations into the accident suggest that there were numerous safety issues present onboard which may have contributed to its severity as well as failure by crew members to properly respond when disaster struck.
The sinking of Costa Concordia has served as a stark reminder that human error can often be a contributing factor during maritime accidents and that ships must always be operated with caution and safety procedures strictly followed at all times.
Conclusion: What was the last cruise ship that sank? The last cruise ship that sank was the Costa Concordia which capsized off Italy’s coast on January 13th, 2012 resulting in 32 deaths and numerous civil suits against its owner, Costa Crociere. Investigations into the accident revealed several safety issues aboard as well as negligence on behalf of its captain who had allegedly sailed too close to shore in an attempt to “show off” for passengers; he was later convicted of manslaughter for his role in causing this tragedy.