Captain was ‘showing cruise ship to port’

THE captain of the wrecked cruise ship that hit rocks off Italy sailed close to land to “show the ship to the port”, the liner’s owners said yesterday.

It was reported yesterday that the captain gave the order as a favour to the head waiter, whose family were on land.

As the death toll in the disaster rose to six, the chairman of Costa Cruises said the unauthorised deviation from the route had been taken to “make a salute”.