Costa Offers Survivors 30% Off... a New Cruise

The cruise line that operated the doomed Costa Concordia has a strange way of compensating the victims of its shipwreck—30% discounts off a future cruise, provided survivors stick with Costa Cruises, reports the New York Daily News. “The company is not only going to refund everybody, but they will offer a 30% discount on future cruises if they want to stay loyal to the company,” said a spokesman for the cruise line. There's been no word of any refunds for flights customers have bought for future Concordia cruises.

“It is a ridiculous and insulting offer,” says one survivor. Instead, lawsuits are being launched against Costa Cruises in Italy and the US, with 100 survivors expected to join a class action suit against the company this week in Miami. Passengers in the Miami lawsuit are seeking about $160,000 each, which would total $513 million for all 3,206 passengers. Costa Cruises also denied yesterday reports it had unregistered passengers on the Concordia, according to the New York Times. (More Costa Concordia stories.)