Antonio Belardo, a local official, said the ship deviated from its "usual" route in order to give passengers a view of Giglio's port. That meant navigating a strait, so that the ship could skirt a stretch of the small island's coastline that faces mainland Italy.

Gianni Onorato, managing director of Carnival Corp.'s Costa Cruises, which operated the ship, told reporters on Saturday that the course taken by the ship Friday evening was "not a defined route for passing Giglio." However, Mr. Onorato said it would be "incorrect to say the ship was off course," adding that he was unaware of all of the possible routes available to the captain at the time.