Italian Cruise Line Launches New Safety Measures After Grounding

Italian cruise line Costa Crociere SpA has announced new safety measures following the deadly grounding of its ship off Tuscany, saying it will now have real-time tracking of its ships' routes and will impose limits on captains' absolute authority.

The measures respond to many of the problems involved in the Costa Concordia disaster: The ship rammed into a reef Jan. 13 after the captain veered off course, and then capsized off the island of Giglio, killing 32 people.

Many passengers complained they hadn't received emergency training. Costa says such training will now be provided before passengers even board.

The measures were announced Saturday as Costa unveiled the latest addition to its fleet: The Costa Fascinosa is now the largest Italian-flagged cruise ship.

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