Disasters at Sea: Why Ships Sink
Even with a century of advanced design and new technology, large cruise ships continue to sink
Synopsis
In this modern age, monolithic cruise ships tower above the ocean surfaces boasting state-of-the art shopping malls, cinemas and swimming pools and carrying thousands of passengers.
When The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage in April 1912 she was the largest man-made moving object on the planet. However, even with a century of advanced design and new technology, large cruise ships continue to sink. Exactly 100 years after the sinking of The Titanic the luxury cruise liner The Costa Concordia suffered a similar fate, capsizing and sinking off the coast of Tuscany in January of this year.
Using dramatic archive footage from recent decades, the documentary will examine the science behind cruise ship disasters such as The Concordia and feature in-depth interviews with marine-engineering experts. We explore why we haven't learnt from the lessons of the past and what is being done to prevent future cruise ship catastrophes.
