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Is The Concordia Still In The Water?

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Last updated on 5 min read

No, the Concordia is no longer in the water. As of 2026, the wreck was dismantled in the port of Genoa after being salvaged and refloated following the 2012 disaster.

Is the Concordia still in the ocean?

No, the Concordia is no longer in the ocean. The wreck was successfully refloated during one of the largest maritime salvage operations in history and towed to Genoa for scrapping.

After sitting on its underwater platform for two years, the 114,000-ton ship was lifted off the sea floor in 2014 using flotation devices and controlled righting. It hasn’t touched ocean water since.

Is the Costa Concordia captain still in jail?

Yes, as of 2026, Captain Francesco Schettino is still serving his sentence. Italy’s highest court upheld his 16-year prison term in 2021 for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, and abandoning passengers.

Schettino got his original sentence back in 2015, and all appeals have run out. Whether he ever gets parole depends on Italian penal law and how he behaves behind bars.

Did they find all the bodies on the Costa Concordia?

No, one body was never recovered. Missing crew member Russel Rebello, a waiter, remains unaccounted for despite extensive search efforts during the salvage operation.

Out of 32 victims, 30 bodies were pulled from the wreck during the initial response and later salvage. Rebello’s remains simply vanished, and authorities aren’t planning any more recovery work.

Has the Costa Concordia been removed?

Yes, the Costa Concordia has been completely removed from the water. The wreck was towed to the port of Genoa in July 2014 and dismantled on land.

Righting the ship, refloating it, and towing it 200 miles to Genoa took months. Once there, the scrapping operation lasted until 2017.

Who paid to remove the Costa Concordia?

Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Costa Crociere, paid the removal costs. The total bill reached approximately €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion as of 2026).

Titan Salvage and Micoperi won the salvage contract in 2012, but Carnival footed the entire bill—no surprise, since the company owned the vessel.

How much money did the Costa Concordia cost?

The Costa Concordia cost €450 million to build in 2005, equivalent to about $570 million then. In 2026 dollars, that would be approximately $800 million after accounting for inflation.

Built by Fincantieri in Italy, the ship weighed in at 114,000 GT and ranked among the largest cruise ships afloat when it launched.

Can a wave flip a cruise ship?

No, a single wave cannot flip a modern cruise ship by itself. Experts confirm that wind and waves alone cannot capsize a large, stable vessel without additional factors.

These ships are built with serious stability in mind—high metacentric height and watertight compartments make them incredibly hard to tip. It usually takes a rogue wave plus some serious operational mistakes.

Was the Costa Concordia bigger than Titanic?

Yes, the Costa Concordia was significantly larger than the Titanic. It measured 290 meters long and 35.5 meters wide, compared to the Titanic’s 269 meters by 28 meters.

Despite its size, the Concordia carried more people but had far fewer fatalities—32 versus the Titanic’s over 1,500. It also weighed more than twice as much at 114,000 GT compared to the Titanic’s 46,000 GT.

Where is the Concordia ship now?

The wreck of the Concordia is now dismantled and scrapped in the port of Genoa, Italy. The ship was cut apart and recycled between 2014 and 2017.

Not a single piece of the vessel remains afloat or intact. A few fittings and artifacts were saved for historical records or future exhibits.

Can a captain leave a sinking ship?

Legally and morally, a captain should not leave until all passengers and crew are safely evacuated. International maritime law and industry standards require the captain to remain in command until the last person is off the ship.

Captain Schettino’s early departure sparked outrage worldwide. His actions didn’t just break protocol—they landed him in prison and tightened command responsibility rules across the industry.

What happens if you miss the boat on a cruise?

If you miss your cruise ship, you must arrange alternative transportation to the next port or return home. Cruise lines may assist with rebooking or travel changes, but responsibility ultimately falls on the passenger.

Missed embarkation usually isn’t covered by standard travel insurance unless something like a flight cancellation is involved. Always double-check your policy before you leave home.

Is there a jail on a cruise ship?

Yes, most cruise ships have a dedicated detention or medical facility that can be used as a makeshift jail. These areas are not advertised and are used only in serious incidents involving criminal behavior.

They’re typically small, secure cabins with restricted access. For anything serious, cruise lines hand offenders over to law enforcement at the next port.

Who lost their lives on the Costa Concordia?

Thirty-two people died in the Costa Concordia disaster on January 13, 2012. The victims included 27 Italian passengers and five non-Italian passengers from France, Germany, Spain, India, and the United States.

The tragedy unfolded when the ship struck an underwater reef near Isola del Giglio, causing it to capsize. It remains one of the deadliest cruise ship accidents in modern history.

How many bodies were found on the Costa Concordia?

Thirty bodies were recovered from the wreck. Two individuals remain missing: crew member Russel Rebello and passenger Maria Grazia Trecarichi.

Recovery teams used divers and robots to comb through the submerged wreckage. Every recovered victim was identified using DNA and dental records.

Edited and fact-checked by the MeridianFacts editorial team.
Tom Bennett

Tom Bennett is a travel planning writer and former travel agent who has booked everything from weekend road trips to round-the-world itineraries. He lives in San Diego and writes practical travel guides that focus on what you actually need to know, not what looks good on Instagram.