The owners of the Costa
Concordia are offering survivors of the disaster a 30 per cent discount off future cruises as they battle to stave off law suits expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
One British survivor of the disaster, which claimed 12 lives with 20 people still missing, branded the offer as "insulting".
It was disclosed that in an attempt to help survivors the ship's parent company, Carnival, has been telephoning passengers daily asking if they are suffering nightmares or sleepless nights.
But that move also appeared to backfire when a psychologist said such questioning could trigger post traumatic stress rather than relieve it.
A little over a week after the ship capsized off the coast of
Tuscany, it also emerged that:
• An emergency services log showed that the Concordia's captain, Francisco Schettino, abandoned ship more than four hours before the last passenger.
• A separate voice recording showed Capt Schettino pledging to be the last man on the ship, suggesting erratic behaviour and that he lied to the authorities.
• Divers recovered the ship's safe from the captain's cabin along with the body of a woman they found in a submerged corridor
The offer for future discounts is being made by
Costa Cruises, which operated the Concordia and whose parent company is Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator.
Passengers were also being sent letters by Costa detailing how to claim for lost valuables and offering a full refund on the voyage.
Lawyers plan to sue both in the
US and in
Italy, with more than 100 passengers already reported to have joined a class action that is to be lodged in
Miami this week. ...
