[QUOTE=kladner;391130]I have come to regret the title I originally put on this thread. Clearly, problems with passenger vessels know no national boundaries,[/QUOTE]YWIMC

[QUOTE=xilman;391136]YWIMC[/QUOTE]

Many thanks! :grin:

[QUOTE=xilman;391136]YWIMC[/QUOTE]

Did you mean "diverse"?

[QUOTE=xilman;391136]YWIMC[/QUOTE]

Aww, you never say that to me.

:smile:

[QUOTE=Chuck;391144]Did you mean "diverse"?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]di·vers
ˈdīvərz/
[I]adjective[/I][I] archaic [/I][I]literary[/I]

adjective: [B]divers[/B]
of varying types; several.
"in divers places"
synonyms:[URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+several&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCEQ_SowAA"]several[/URL], [URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+many&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCIQ_SowAA"]many[/URL], [URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+numerous&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCMQ_SowAA"]numerous[/URL], [URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+multiple&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCQQ_SowAA"]multiple[/URL], [URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+manifold&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCUQ_SowAA"]manifold[/URL], [URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+multifarious&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCYQ_SowAA"]multifarious[/URL], [URL="https://www.google.com/search?q=define+multitudinous&sa=X&ei=9fmgVNu6LJadygS9m4CgAw&ved=0CCcQ_SowAA"]multitudinous[/URL];[/QUOTE].

I think using "divers" is what we would call a "Shakespeare moment."

The Hoegh Osaka is now back in Southampton dock - and no-one died.
[URL]http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-30933237[/URL]

Public prosecutor proposes 26 years imprisonment for captain of Costa Concordia.
Press article (in Italian): [URL]http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/01/26/news/concordia_il_giorno_delle_richieste_di_pm_schettino_non_in_aula-105794400/[/URL]

Engine room fire on cruise ship Boudicca (over 40 years old) off Morocco. Reports say there are no injuries.
Press article: [URL]http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30972125[/URL]

Captain of Costa Concordia found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Press article (English): [URL]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31430998[/URL]

[QUOTE=Nick;395246]Captain of Costa Concordia found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Press article (English): [URL]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31430998[/URL][/QUOTE]

It is amazing how vessels have changed in forty years. The Boudicca, in a previous article still looks more like a traditional liner: sleek, as if built for speed. In comparison, most modern cruise ships look like a big apartment block turned on its side. There is much less exterior elegance to my eyes, though I suppose that it's what's inside that really counts.

Yes, indeed. And I get the impression that the cruises have changed as well as the ships. Ten years ago, a typical week's cruise in the Caribbean would start at Puerto Rico (say) and stop at a different island each day. You would get a chance to meet local people, sample the culture and contribute to the economy. Now, they usually seem to start from Florida instead so that the first and last day are at sea (spending money on the ship), they have a 3rd day at sea in the middle, then a day on a private beach or island owned by the cruise company, and you're lucky if you get to see more than 2 or 3 real communities.

On the newest cruise ships from the big companies, the promenade deck is also gradually being sacrificed for more shops. This was the last part of the ship which still had a "liner" feel to it, and it is also where the crew get a breath of fresh air.