The comparison of President Obama by the GOP with the cruise ship captain is ridiculous, but,
there is a more appropriate comparison to the cruise ship captains actions.
George W. Bush sat in an elementary school class reading My Pet Goat while 3,000 people were incinerated on American soil under his watch.
After that he was hiding so he couldn't be attacked as was Cheney who hid out in a undisclosed location. After that the country went down hill and attacked a country that had no reason to be attacked thus damaging the US economy. Bush did zip while the Ship of State sank into a dark financial pit.
If there is 'any' comparison that is appropriate to the cruise ship captain's actions it is George Bush on 9/11 and the years that followed. It was a totally avoidable historic occurrence. Bush ignored intelligence just like the ship captain ignored danger to the cruise ship.