Latest Costa mishap seals its rep as worst cruise line ever

Corporate spin-doctors may have pegged the Costa Concordia disaster six weeks ago as an anomaly for cruise operator Costa Crociere (one renegade captain shouldn't spoil it for the whole bunch, right?), but Monday's incident involving sister ship Costa Allegra has pretty much sealed Costa's reputation as Worst. Cruise. Line. Ever.

In the ultimate cruise to nowhere, the Costa Allegra -- billed on its website as offering "new and exciting pleasures every day" -- was set adrift, powerless, in the Indian Ocean with 1,000-plus people after an on-board fire. Forget about the ship's much-heralded five-star accommodations: There's no air conditioning and passengers are sleeping on the decks.

Did we also mention the ship is being towed through waters infested with Somali pirates?

Check out the msnNOW home page