One of the allegations surfacing about the captain of the Costa Concordia from its horrific accident is that he may not have been on the bridge, driving the ship.
At the risk of sounding like we’re defending the captain, who is being blamed with much more than absentia, the possibility that he would not be on the bridge should 
not be a surprise. These behemoths of the sea are a far cry from being captain of a freighter, on which (perhaps) the captains are required to have more of a hands-on approach.
On cruise ships, captains are responsible for much more than making sure the ship is going in the right direction, and maybe unfairly so. That fundamental purpose is delegated to staff captains, among others, who delegate it to the computers that have made driving a cruise ship so automatic.
The first report we saw said that the captain of the Concordia was “at the bar.” This is doubtful. Captains we have met unanimously say they never drink when on board, such is the enormity of their responsibility.
So where was this captain?
Well, he could have been welcoming guests at a cocktail party, as he is expected to do. He could have been hosting a dinner with VIPs or frequent cruisers, as he is expected to do. He could have been posing for photos with passengers who want to go home and drop his name because that, too, is one of his duties. At times he is expected to be entertaining, even funny.
There is no cruise ship captain who’s on the bridge 24/7. This captain may indeed be guilty of doing things wrong in events leading up to this nightmare. But being away from the bridge is not one of them.
Maybe one of the industry changes to emerge from this tragedy will be a recommendation for cruise lines to lessen the social demands on their ship captains.
DAILY DEAL:
Celebrity Summit
7 nights
February 18, 2012
San Juan (return): Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, St. Thomas
Inside $609
www.celebritycruises.com
Photo courtesy Phil Reimer, Ports and Bows