World | Costa Concordia Costa Captain: Bosses Made Me Perform 'Sail-Pasts' Costa Cruise captains do them for publicity: Schettino By Neal Colgrass Posted Jan 22, 2012 2:42 PM CST Copied 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) 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. Read These Next White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. Report an error