These longtime friends will remember for a long time of their cruise of seven days aboard the Concordia, in December. This same ship was shipwrecked three weeks later, on January 13, near the Italian coast, near the island of Giglio.
The two couples, Frédéric and Micheline, Marie-Hélène and Daniel, are used to go on holiday together every year. They took advantage of a trip to metropolis to their children to this cruise on the Mediterranean Sea.
Dates. “Initially, we had to make this cruise there, in January, during the sinking, but it was we stay 15 days more in metropolis.” “Then we have advanced our dates”, they specify. The four friends embarked at Marseilles on 13 December, and sailed for seven days until Barcelona, Palma, Cagliari, Palermo, Rome, and Savona. “Travel to”.
were night and day, it came down to excursions. Everything was on board, the food and the service impeccable. “Cabs were spacious and pleasant.”
And then ten days ago, returning to Nouméa, Marie-Hélène listening info. “I hear”the Concordia Costa boat”.” I said that I had not heard. “After I saw and I felt a big emotion,” she said. “If it had been on the boat, that is what would have been done.” On television, she recognizes Thibaut, “the head of the French 500 on board.” He explained be dismounted before all the world because he had orders. “It seemed shocked”, is this young retired.
Seducer. “Upon arrival, explained us the course of the cruise in stating that we were on the boat safe world”, remembers Fred. To the levers of the ship, the Commander who pays the chronic, Francesco Schettino. “It was fun, it looked like Aldo Maccione, the Italian seducer”. The latter was a log. On the first day, a security exercise was organized for staff only and passengers “to participate”. Daniel is the only one there.
“Imagine 4,000 people panicked, move in the dark without electricity?”, he wondered. Fred, he does not remember “explanation relating to safety on board”. The lifejackets were in a cabin. One evening, friends discuss. “There was talk of the sinking of the Titanic, saying that this time it was finished.” “Now the hulls are doubled and more, in the Mediterranean Sea, it does not fear very much”, recall. Today, the woman is upset. “One cannot imagine a boat like this sinking.” If this had happened, I think that I would have expected relief in my cabin. It was the sixth bridge. “Daniel remains, skeptical on the effectiveness of the longboats. “How get off if the boat is bent.
“Our children say that it was not our time.” And so even if it had to be on the boat during the sinking, one would probably live. “Friends are not about to offer a new cruise:”it is a pity because it really is a dream holiday.” “This should never happen”, indicate these
New Caledonians, who thought moved for the victims of the Concordia.
Géraldine pawn
