Costa Crociere gets new ship, new rules

Costa Crociere christened a new flagship in Italy Saturday as officials of the luxury cruise company announced changes in procedures meant to improve safety. The launching of the Costa Fascinosa in Venice came less than four months after the deadly foundering of the US-British company's Costa Concordia off an Italian island. The January 13 maritime mishap left 32 passengers and crew members dead or missing, and the captain remains under house arrest while awaiting trial. "The delivery of the Costa Fascinosa is an important stepping stone on our company's road to recovery ...," Costa Chairman Pier Luigi Foschii said without mentioning the Concordia by name. Foschii said "after the recent incident" and despite the downturn in the economy, "Costa has bounced back and booking volumes are back to the same levels recorded this time last year," The Miami Herald reported. Seven safety measures were announced for Costa's 15-ship fleet, including a more collaborative decision-making process to encourage all staff on the bridge to "think out loud" as navigational decisions are made, the newspaper said. Costa Crociere is part of the Carnival Corp. & PLC cruise network.