The term ‘cruise ship killer’ has been used to describe a number of high-profile incidents involving the death of passengers onboard cruise lines. The most recent of these being the Costa Concordia tragedy in 2012, in which 32 people lost their lives after the cruise ship capsized off the coast of Italy. It has led many to wonder whether such tragedies are actually a reality, or just an urban legend.
In order to answer this question it is important to take a closer look at some of the other cases that have been linked to this term in recent years. In 2005, there was an incident on board the Carnival Cruise Lines’ Celebrity Mercury in which six passengers were killed after a lifeboat crashed into them during an emergency drill.
This incident was ruled as an accident and no criminal charges were brought against any of those involved. Similarly, in 2013 four people died on board the Costa Allegra after it experienced an electrical fire and had to be towed into port. Again, this was ruled as an accident and no criminal charges were brought against anyone.
However, there are also cases where criminal charges have been brought against those responsible for cruise ship fatalities. In 2017, three crew members for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines were found guilty of negligence after a passenger died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to poor ventilation on board their ship. In 2018, two crew members from Princess Cruises were charged with involuntary manslaughter after a passenger died from Legionnaire’s Disease while onboard their vessel.
These examples show that while cruise ship killers may exist in some cases, they are by no means an everyday occurrence. Most deaths aboard cruise ships are caused by accidents rather than deliberate acts of violence or negligence and should be treated as such.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, while there may be some instances where cruise ship killers exist, they are not a regular occurrence and should not be used as the basis for fear-mongering or sensationalism when discussing cruise ships and safety issues related to them.