Will Costa Concordia spark changes in ship design?

However, the head of the company that built Costa Concordia, the world’s most prolific builder of cruise ships, does not appear to anticipate any such changes.

Fincantieri chairman Corrado Antonini said the record shows designs are safe.

International Maritime Organization rules implemented in recent years including the probabilistic approach to damage stability and Safe Return to Port standards ‘will improve an already extraordinary safety record in the industry,’ Antonini told a Cruise Shipping Miami session last week.

‘The designs have been proven to be safe,’ Antonini said. ‘There have been no accidents due to the design. That shows we have been and still are on the right track.’