CorpComms Magazine

Carnival Cruise Lines is taking a break from social media in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster off the west coast of Italy in which 11 people have been confirmed dead.

The Miami-based cruise company has posted a message on social networking site Facebook saying that 'out of respect for those affected by the recent events surrounding our sister line, Costa cruises, we are going to take a bit of a break from posting on our social channels'. More than 5,000 followers have 'liked' the post.

The message came just two days after chief executive Micky Arison, who has almost 35,000 followers, tweeted: 'I won't be as active on Twitter for the next while. Helping our @costacruises team manage this crisis is my priority right now. Thnx.'

He has since tweeted his 'personal assurance' that the company will take care of 'each and every one of our guests, crew and their families', and announced a comprehensive audit and review of safety procedures.

Carnival Cruises, which has almost 1.4 million followers on Facebook, added that it would still be 'actively listening and answering any questions you have about your past or upcoming cruises, but for now the majority of our time will be spent focusing on all those affected by the event'.

The cruise company has posted several messages since the disaster occurred on 14 January off the Tuscan island of Giglio to assure passengers on its safety record and procedures. The messages have been in response to questions from passengers on whether it is still safe to go on a cruise and whether the ships have appropriate equipment to detect rocks and depth.

The cruise company is an active user of social media. Holiday makers are encouraged to use its Facebook page before, during and after their cruises, and its pages are the most regularly updated among companies in the FTSE 100 index.

It runs regular competitions on the social networking site, including a Photo Fun Friday when holiday makers post their favourite snaps.

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