Media reports suggest that Friday's grounding was the result of a stunt, advertised over Facebook, so the ship's head waiter could wave to his family on shore.

The Telegraph reported that the waiter's sister, Patrizia Tievoli, posted a status update to her Facebook page saying the Concordia would soon be sailing by.

Italian media reports say that Schettino called out to head waiter Antonello Tievolli: "Come and see, Antonello, we're right in front of Giglio."

But rather than a smooth sail past the coastline, the ship hit the rocks.

Italian newspaper reports say Tievolli is wracked with guilt over the incident, although he did not request the "fly by."

Tievolli's elderly father said the ship often blew its whistle for residents as it sailed past. "This route was put in correctly. The fact that it left from this course is due solely to a manoeuvre by the commander that was unapproved, unauthorized and unknown to Costa," Foschi, the chief executive of Costa said.

Carnival Corp. said it expects to lose at least $85 million to $95 million if the ship remains out of service for the rest of 2012. Other costs could add to that total. Carnival Corp. shares plummeted 23 per cent at the opening of the London Stock Exchange on Monday.