Arison voices Concordia regret, acknowledges crew, officialsArison voices Concordia regret, acknowledges crew, officials

In a statement issued four days after the ship grounded, Arison said ‘Our immediate priority continues to be supporting rescue and recovery efforts and looking after our guests and crew members, along with securing the vessel to ensure there is no environmental impact.

‘My senior management team and I have been in continuous contact with the Costa executive team in Italy and we have our senior level technical experts on the ground to provide additional support for this tragic and highly unusual incident,’ he continued.

The Carnival chief also recognized the ‘tremendous efforts of Concordia’s crew, who along with the Italian Coast Guard and authorities, helped to evacuate more than 4,000 passengers and crew members from the ship in very difficult conditions.’

Further, Arison expressed the company’s ‘deep gratitude to the Italian authorities for their support and ongoing efforts.’