Carnival's Response to the Costa Concordia Crisis: A Test of Situational Crisis Communication Theory

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According to 2016 data, nearly 23 million people worldwide will embark on a cruise (Cruise Market Watch, 2016), and approximately 10 million of those individuals will board a Carnival vessel to reach their desired location (Carnival Corporation & PLC, 2006a). Succulent dishes, live entertainment, exotic destinations, and a “guaranteed” great time are just a few of the benefits customers are assured when booking a Carnival cruise (Carnival Cruise Line, 2014). Yet, as of late, the “world’s most popular cruise line” has been the target of one maritime disaster after another (Arthur Page Society, 2012). Several
unfortunate incidents occurred in early 2013, including an engine room fire aboard the Carnival Triumph, a malfunction in the Carnival Dream’s diesel generator, and a stalled sailing speed that affected the Carnival Legend (Davies, 2013). These mishaps provided passengers with uncomfortable conditions,
rerouted destinations, and canceled excursions. However, the lives of the travelers were not threatened in any of these setbacks. Passengers aboard one recent nautical expedition were not as fortunate. Individuals who embarked upon the Costa Concordia cruise ship experienced an accident so horrific that it has been likened to that of the Titanic (Lush, 2012). This vessel incident, deemed “the worst cruise-line accident in years” (p. 3), also belonged to none other than the Carnival Corporation (Esterl & Lublin, 2012).