What happened to the captain of the cruise ship Concordia?

Costa Concordia's captain Francesco Schettino was found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to 16 years jail. In the midst of this chaos, with no sight or sound from the Captain, the Livorno coastguard lost contact with officers they were talking to on the bridge.



As of 2026, Francesco Schettino, the former captain of the Costa Concordia, remains incarcerated in Rebibbia Prison in Rome. He was convicted in 2015 of multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning ship before his passengers were safe. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. His final appeal to the European Court of Human Rights was rejected several years ago, and he is not expected to be eligible for parole until at least 2032, when he will be in his 70s. Schettino’s case remains a landmark in maritime law, often used in training to illustrate the "Commanding Officer's responsibility." While he has reportedly been a "model prisoner" and has spent time studying law and journalism while inside, the Italian public and the families of the 32 victims generally maintain a stern stance against any early release for the man dubbed "Captain Coward" by the media.

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In 2015, he was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for his role in the incident. He began serving his sentence in 2017 after exhausting his appeals.

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Those company records shown at the trial detail, in particular, how, out of 3,206 passengers on board the Costa Concordia on 13th January, 2012, 2,623 compensation payments have been made, totalling €66,481,082. This includes compensation paid to families of 24 out of 27 fatal victims, which amounts to €24,508,373.

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During Schettino's trial, Costa told the Florence court it had paid out 84 million euros in compensation to passengers, crew and relatives of the 32 dead, according to Italian media reports at the time. But a small percentage of people refused the compensation package and pursued lawsuits.

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Francesco Schettino, who is under house arrest accused of manslaughter and abandoning ship after he grounded the Costa Concordia on the island of Giglio following the collision, has told investigators that he had not drunk alcohol that night.

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A Country Durham man who was on board the Costa Concordia has spoken about escaping from the stricken vessel. Ian Fraser, who worked as a singer on the cruise ship, described jumping into the freezing water after feeling all other options had run out.

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The Concordia was slightly larger (952 feet to the Titanic's 883 feet) and both had a top speed of 23 knots. Both had issues with their christening, and believers in superstition might attribute the ships' tragedies to it.

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In the United States, there is no explicit law requiring a captain to remain on their ship, but they could face criminal charges if they acted with negligence or extreme disregard for human life in abandoning a vessel in distress or causing a maritime accident in the first place.

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The Italian court trying the captain of the Costa Concordia has heard grim details about how the 32 victims of the shipwreck drowned, some after diving or falling into the sea from the capsized cruise liner when lifeboats were no longer accessible.

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After spending more than 600 days partially submerged near Isola del Giglio, Italy, the wreck of the Costa Concordia was successfully rolled upright last night. The cruise ship capsized after striking a reef on January 13, 2012, killing 32 passengers and crew members.

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The two U.S. victims — the only Americans who died in the accident — were identified as Barbara and Gerald Heil of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Also identified were Christina Mathi Ganz and Norbert Josef Ganz of Muehlheim am Main of Germany, and Giuseppe Girolamo, the crew member.

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Before starting his prison sentence, Schettino lived in Meta in the Province of Naples. He is married to Fabiola Russo and has one daughter.

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This is for the 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti from Italy, the youngest victim of the Costa Concordia disaster. She was found one month after the tragedy, together with her William Arlotti.

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Cruise ships can and have tipped over, but it is extremely rare. One of the most notable incidents was the capsizing of the Costa Concordia in 2012, which resulted in the deaths of 32 people. The accident was attributed to human error and resulted in many changes within the industry, particularly in bridge management.

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Despite the calm seas and the proximity to land, 32 people were killed. Now, the wrecked remains of the gigantic ocean liner are being scrapped in the port of Genoa, Italy. Its 50,000 tons of steel are being melted down and will be used in future construction and ship building projects.

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