Grounded cruise ship now macabre tourist attraction

Tourists take pictures of the capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia near the harbour of Giglio Porto, Italy, on Aug. 28, 2012. Tourists on the Tuscan coast are queuing for boat trips to view the wreckage of the ship, where 32 people lost their lives in January.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

The capsized cruise liner is surrounded by cranes Aug. 28, 2012 as salvage work continues. The operation to remove the wreck started in June and is expected to last about a year.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

Tourists swim in the sea in front of the wreckage of capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia Aug. 28, 2012. The Italian arm of the U.S.’s Carnival Corporation, which operated the Concordia, on Thursday rejected allegations in court documents that it declared an emergency too late and failed to provide adequate staff training.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

Tourists on a ferry travel past the capsized cruise liner Aug. 28, 2012 in a rather macabre form of sightseeing.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

Crews work on the capsized cruise liner. Legal documents published by Italian media on Thursday show court-appointed experts mainly blamed Concordia captain Francesco Schettino for the disaster, but also cited the cruise operator for alleged delays and security breaches.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

A boy prepares to snorkel in front of the wreckage.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

Women sunbathe on the beach.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

Capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia is seen from the harbour of Giglio Porto. In August, Italian authorities said the ship was not expected to be towed away until next spring, rather than by January as originally expected.
(ALESSANDRO BIANCHI/REUTERS)

Source: The Globe and  Mail, Toronto, Canada.