What was the largest cruise ship death?

The sinking of RMS Lusitania in May 1915, after being hit by the German military submarine U-20, caused 1,201 deaths during a voyage from New York to Liverpool. She was considered the largest, fastest and most luxurious ship in the world at the time of her launch in June 1906.



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GROSSETO, Italy – The Italian court trying the captain of the Costa Concordia heard grim details Wednesday 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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Thankfully, very few cruise ships have actually sunk in modern history. Even so, the Titanic's sinking impacted maritime law so much that there are more than enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew onboard any given sailing. Within the last 111 years, over 20 cruise ships and ocean liners have sunk.

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The Maritime Injury Guide reports that 19 people go missing from cruise ships yearly. While that may not sound significant, it adds up to 400 people over the last 20 years.

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Only six of the 230 recorded attacks were against cruise ships. None have resulted in capture. A well-known incident occurred in 2005 when the Seabourn Spirit was fired at in a hijack attempt. The attempt was unsuccessful but is famous largely because of the footage of the event.

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Business Insider reports that out of approximately 500 documented incidents, 70% happened on either Royal Caribbean or Carnival ships. The report also notes that Carnival recorded nearly doubled Royal Caribbean's number — despite having fewer ships.

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Costa Concordia: captain drank alcohol with 'beautiful' woman prior to crash. The captain who steered his 114,000-tonne vessel into rocks off the Italian coast last Friday was drinking wine at dinner with a beautiful woman minutes earlier, a witness has claimed.

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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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The Doña Paz remains the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster of all time, with almost three times more casualties than the Titanic. The SS Cap Arcona was a luxury ocean liner launched in 1927 and was the flagship of the Hamburg-South America line.

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Though your itinerary may change, cruises are rarely canceled due to storms. Ships are designed to handle rough seas and can be rerouted to avoid danger. Once you're on board, any port updates will be announced over the ship's intercom or detailed in a notice delivered to your stateroom.

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A possible forced stay at sea: If the storm proves too formidable, the ship may need to hunker down and ride it out at sea. A slim chance of sinking: It's an unnerving thought, but the possibility exists. If the ship takes too much damage, it could go down.

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