Cruise firm shares slump on Costa Concordia disaster

Europe's leading stock markets shrugged off ratings downgrade of nine eurozone nations, including that of France's triple-A status, while the euro slipped slightly.Steep losses were posted in London by US-based cruise ship operator Carnival, the owner of a luxury liner that ran aground late Friday off the Italian coast with the loss of at least six lives.

European stock markets mostly fell and the euro slipped on Monday as investors reacted to news that Standard & Poor's cut the rating of nine European nations, including France's triple-A status.London was also pulled lower by slumping shares in US-based cruise ship operator Carnival, the owner of the luxury liner that ran aground late Friday off the Italian coast with the loss of at least six lives.

(Karen_Chappell)

Carnival Corp, the owner of the luxury liner that ran aground off the Italian coast with the loss of at least six lives, said on Monday the initial cost of the disaster was $85-95 million.The company said its priority was the "safety of our passengers and crew" and expressed condolences to the families of those who had died when the ship grounded and then pitched over to leave it half submerged late Friday.

One can’t stand being in a mall: It feels too much like the ship, with no visible exits. Another dreams she’s walking on a tilt – a memory of having crawled up walls as the cruise liner rolled onto its side. A 4-year-old boy talks obsessively about the meal he had to leave behind when plates started to fly across the dining room.

SYDNEY, Australia — Authorities were conducting an air and marine search Thursday off Australia’s east coast for two cruise passengers who were believed to have fallen overboard the night before. The couple from New South Wales were discovered missing Thursday morning after the Carnival Spirit docked at Sydney’s Circular Quay, at the end of a 10-day journey, said New South Wales state Police Superintendent Mark Hutchings.

In mid-February, an engine room fire onboard the Carnival Cruises ship Triumph left more than 4,000 passengers stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, with no hot water and few working toilets.