Costa Cruises has claimed that while it allowed its captains to safely make “tourist navigations” to give passengers a better view, the company was unaware that the ill-fated Concordia would go so close to shore.
Chief executive Pier Foschi’s comments to Italian newspaper, Corriera della Serra, on Friday followed allegations made by the disgraced captain of the grounded Concordia, Francesco Schettino, reported yesterday in Italian newspaper La Republica.
Schettino told prosecutors that Costa executives planned and requested the manoeuvre for publicity purposes before the ship left Civitavecchia, its last port before the accident, and that such moves were a “recurring practice”.
Meanwhile, the cruise line has come under further scrutiny after revelations that there may have been unregistered passengers aboard the ship. Italian officials have said it could explain the conflicting estimates of how many people remain missing.
A total of 13 people have been confirmed dead with around 20 unaccounted for.
