MSC Opera

[Red Lead Ted]

MSC Opera Smashes Into Dock and the River Countess in Venice
By Jim Walker on June 2, 2019
Posted in Pollution
The MSC Opera smashed into a dock located on the Giudecca canal in Venice this morning. Tugs could not maintain control of the MSC cruise ship as it violently struck the dock and then struck the stern of the River Countess (a river cruise ship) which was docked and disembarking passengers, as shown in a number of videos taken of the accident.

You can hear the MSC Opera blasting its horn while it strikes the dock and smaller vessel. Tourists are seen initially running away from the cruise ship. Four tourists were reportedly injured in the incident. People reportedly fell from the gangway to the River Countess into the water in the incident.

This is not the first time that a MSC cruise ship struck a pier in Venice. In April of 2014, the MSC cruise ship, Preziosa, collided with a large passenger walkway at the port of Venice. Newspapers in Italy, such as La Nuova, covered the damage to the pedestrian corridor (called a “finger”) at the maritime station which provide access to the upper decks of the cruise ships.
The latest incident reportedly occurred after the MSC Opera lost engine power and a line from a tug broke.
This incident will add to the debate whether gigantic cruise ships should be permitted to sail in the basin so close to the beautiful buildings of the old city.

This ship is named after the quintessential Italian art form, Opera. And the MSC Opera is a work of art in her own right. The ship is filled with stunning spaces that inspire fun and excitement in the lounges and disco. Spaces like the spa convey an understated elegance with the use of natural stones and tiles. The restaurants like La Caravella Restaurant and L’Approdo Restaurant have a formal atmosphere where the food is the real centerpiece. It’s amazing how the MSC Opera’s design elements compliment the entire feel of your cruise from the fun you have at the casino to the rejuvenation you get at the Aurea Spa.
How many liners in our day can you remember having similar miss haps Something is not quite right and although the last few episode's have been Italian cruise ships in fact MSC Don't have a very good record. These wedding cake cruise ships don't have very good safety records at all. What was the last British crewed cruise ship to take a walk along the quay anywhere in the world. Terry.

[vic mcclymont]

It will be interesting to find out what actually happened.
The Pilot reports complete loss of control and that they let go the anchors in order to slow her down or stop her.
Photographs of her resting alongside the smaller craft with both anchors in position, someone telling porkies.
Last week a Carnival Ship couldn't manage to achieve full power.
As all new cruise ships use the same type of control systems, is their an inherrent fault in the controls?
Vic

[corrientes]

It will be interesting to find out what actually happened.
The Pilot reports complete loss of control and that they let go the anchors in order to slow her down or stop her.
Photographs of her resting alongside the smaller craft with both anchors in position, someone telling porkies.
Last week a Carnival Ship couldn't manage to achieve full power.
As all new cruise ships use the same type of control systems, is their an inherrent fault in the controls?
Vic

Anchors still in the pipe and they SHOULD have been on the bottom!!!

[Red Lead Ted]

Anchors still in the pipe and they SHOULD have been on the bottom!!!

And there should have been sufficient tugs available to stop or pull her away from the quay, How someone wasn't killed in this incident is a pure miracle.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

With similar Aircraft that crash they ground them until they find the cause, it's time they stopped these ships sailing for them all to be checked out before there is a real disaster.
Des

.

[Les Woodard]

The reason is quiet simple really and like a load of other mishaps that are happening ashore. It all comes down to working with technology that has surpassed what anyone ever thought it would be. Couple that up with inadequatly trained crews and it is a recipe for disaster. Where are all those fecking idiots that where shouting their heads of about doing away with unions and the company would look after their employees. We not only have ships crewed from the old man down with tickets from corn flake packets but not paying good wages has the affect of no bloody loyalty to the company either.

[happy daze john in oz]

One of the problems on many ships is the make up of crew.
They come from so many nations and not all speak or understand good English or the language of other crew.
Reading skills maybe when it comes to instructions may not be the best.
But tis company does have a bit of a record of incidents.

[Samuel Denton]

This is a passenger cruise review from the MSC Opera.

MSC Opera MSC Cruises 10 Nov 2018
A clean ship, food in the self service restaurant was fine, cannot complain. The staff were all very friendly. and tried their best to speak english. We did feel that the majority of the passengers were either Italian or French, and if you were a lone English person you would have found it extremely difficult to have a conversation with anyone for a whole week. Entertainment during the day was fine, although we did find that the theatre entertainment was a bit boring, the entertainment team made up for it though they were brilliant. Excursions were OK, but a bit on the expensive side, and you didnt get enough time to make the most of where you were, which was a shame. Our flight was late on arriving at Nice airport, and the transfer, did not wait for us. so , please make sure if you are booking your own flight that you allow sufficient time for delays as the transfer coaches will not wait longer than 30 minutes, when we contacted MSC for help, I am afraid they just did not want to know. they didnt show any duty of care at all, and were willing to leave 2 full paying passengers, in a strange country in a strange airport, unable to speak the language and I am afraid they just didn't care!!!!!

MSC Opera.jpg

This is her planned itinerary for this week, well I reckon that will be changing then!!!!

[Captain Kong]

If you go on a cruise, Always choose your ship and Company wisely.
Holland America are the best so far. I have done 12 Long Voyages with them, over 350 days cruising. Smaller ships, British and Dutch Masters , Mates and Engineers, All British Certificates and competence.English is the only language allowed on board.
They are the Best,
I used to cruise with CUNARD for a few years But when they flagged out to Bermuda the standards and the crews were appalling so we never sail with them.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Anchors still in the pipe and they SHOULD have been on the bottom!!!

In a lot of ports world wide you are NOT ALLOWED to drop the anchor no matter what the circumstances, there are too many power/information/services crossing the harbour bed, perhaps that may be the case in Venice (perhaps one of our IT proficients could ascertain). As previous ship handlers we all know what we may have done, or would have liked to do, 'if' permitted to do so. Conjecture of a person's (or persons) failings are easy to formulate, but actual facts more difficult to ascertain, even with an official inquiry. Anyone who has attended an official inquiry in what ever capacity, will know that the truth doesn't always matter, as in most law cases, it is a case of each lawyer from opposing sides trying to prove he is a better lawyer (barrister etc) than the opposition's, the truth becomes the loser.