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Costa Captain: Bosses Made Me Perform 'Sail-Pasts'

Costa Cruise captains do them for publicity: Schettino

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 22, 2012 2:42 PM CST

(Newser) – The captain of Costa Concordia insists his bosses ordered him to sail close to land for publicity-boosting "salutes," the Telegraph reports. Sparking a war of words with Costa Cruises, Captain Francesco Schettino says that "Costa was aware of the frequent practise of cruise ships performing sail- pasts. The 'salute' to Giglio had been planned and authorized before the Costa Concordia set off." Costa Cruises blames Schettino for recklessly sailing too close to land and inviting a disaster that has left 13 dead.

But Schettino told investigators that Costa ships perform sail-pasts "all around the world" near islands like Capri in the Bay of Naples. What's more, the cruise ship line is in hot water for offering Concordia passengers a full discount and 30% off their "next cruise": "It is a ridiculous and insulting offer," says one survivor. More than 100 passengers are planning to join a multi-million-dollar class action lawsuit against Costa Cruises in Miami tomorrow, according to another Telegraph story.

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, Francesco Schettino, right, is taken into custody by Carabinieri in Porto Santo Stefano, Italy. (AP Photo/Giacomo Aprili)

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Showing 3 of 11 comments

Kookey90

Jan 23, 2012 6:13 PM CST

Once the courts get through with Captain Francesco Schettino he won't be able to pilot a rowboat. What a chump; at the end of the day it's the ships captain whose responsible for the safety/welfare of his crew and passengers.

Nwambe

Jan 23, 2012 9:41 AM CST

This is ridiculous. The man's name is mud, why he'd even try to think of more excuses to get out of this is simply ridiculous. The fact that he has no proof to back up his assertions is telling. Should he provide proof in the form of e-mails or memos or anything of the kind, I'll change my tune. Until then, he's a sad, broken man looking for a way out of the hole his own hubris and incompetence has forced him into. Costa is complicit in this with their remarkably tone-deaf "Missing Loved Ones" sale. Of all the things to do, which PR genius in Costa decided that ANOTHER cruise, with a slight discount, would be the most appropriate action? I think what these people want is to never have to see you again. On another note, while there are now 20 people missing or confirmed dead, that is less than 1% of the total ship's passengers. Bravo to the crew and personnel who worked to ensure such a small casualty rate.

hidflect

Jan 22, 2012 7:16 PM CST

New Captain's Code: "If I'm going down... I'm dragging everyone with me"

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(NEWSER) - Rescuers yet again suspended operations on the Costa Concordia wreck today, as scrutiny of Captain Francesco Schettino's final actions deepened. Investigators are trying to figure out why Schettino waited 73 minutes after hitting rocks to sound an evacuation alarm—and whether the abrupt turn he made doomed the ship. Ships like the Concordia are designed to survive hull breaches by flooding other hull compartments with water for balance, the Wall Street Journal explains. An abrupt turn could shift that water, causing the ship to roll. More»

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(NEWSER) - Just when you thought you couldn't get more disgusted with Francesco Schettino, the Costa Concordia captain produces this reason for how he came to leave the stricken cruise ship: As he was assisting passengers, "I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That's how I found myself in the lifeboat." And that is his explanation of why he couldn't lead the evacuation, reports the Guardian , citing an Italian newspaper. Schettino also noted that he "didn't even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers." More»

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Costa Captain: Bosses Made Me Perform 'Sail-Pasts'

Costa Cruise captains do them for publicity: Schettino

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