Still cruising

The grounding of a cruise ship off the coast of Italy with the death of at least 11 people has not had a significant impact on the industry.

The Costa Concordia, owned by Carnival Corporation, went aground and capsized off Giglio Island Jan. 13, forcing 4,200 passengers and crew members to abandon the ship. The captain is under investigation for his role in steering the ship too close to a rock ledge off the island.

Carnival has taken a financial hit with its shares falling 14 percent a few days after the accident. The company estimates it will lose $85 million to $95 million from the accident with other costs undetermined. Carnival is the world’s largest cruise ship operator with 101 ships and 85,000 employees worldwide.

The accident occurred at a usually busy time for the cruise industry. January marks the beginning of what is called its “wave season,” the New York Times noted, when as many as half of their reservations for the year are booked.

The photos of the listing ship sitting precariously on a rock ledge and divers searching the waters for bodies of missing people have caused some decline in bookings, perhaps 6 to 10 percent, according to an analyst at Citigroup.

However, Gregory Badishkanian said that was to be expected, and Neil Gorfain, the head of an online booking agency, the Cruise Outlet, said there had been “no fallout” from the accident.

Some would-be passengers may be choosing alternative vacations, keeping their feet firmly planted on terra firma. Yet a few days of rest and relaxation with all needs attended to aboard a floating city still outweigh the risks for millions of other customers.