"Italian prosecutors allege the captain, who is married, may have been distracted from his duties by trying to impress the dancer.
An Italian passenger claimed he witnessed the captain enjoying a dinner of prawn cocktail, shrimp pasta and grilled fish, accompanied with a decanter of red wine, in the ship's finest restaurant, the Concordia Club, on the night of the disaster.
Passenger Angelo Fabbri said: "Schettino, in a dark suit, was sitting in front of the woman. She seemed young. At first, we thought it was his daughter.
"A pretty woman, 35 or 40 years old, slim, with shoulder-length blonde hair, with a black dress with open arms.
"They were laughing.
There was trust ... great happiness.
There is no doubt they were drinking at least a whole decanter. The last drop was poured into the captain's glass.Capt Schettino this week told a magistrate he was a non-drinker."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/speculation-swirls-around-mystery-woman-reportedly-seen-with-captain-of-doomed-ship/story-e6frf7lf-1226249788351 “
[Capt. Schettino] is one of the best captains in the company. He is very skillful and experienced when it comes to manoeuvring the ship
in enclosed spaces, like harbours,”
Ms. Cemortan told the Telegraph."
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/20/costa-concordia-captain-cried-like-a-baby-after-the-crash-rescue-operations-suspended-amid-choppy-seas/