Russia is chartering a cruise ship for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi from an Italian company that operated the cruise ship which sank in 2012 off Italy, killing 32 people.
State-owned Rosmorport said in a statement Monday it has signed a deal with Costa Conciere SpA to charter a 12-deck ship with 726 cabins to provide accommodation for visitors coming to the Olympics, which are being held in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Rosmorport said it held an open tender to select the best bidder.
In July, five employees of Costa Conciere SpA were convicted in a plea bargain of manslaughter in the 2012 Costa Concordia shipwreck that killed 32 people near the Tuscan shore. The captain was denied a plea bargain and is currently on trial for alleged manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning the ship. He denies the charges.
The Winter Games in Sochi will be held from February 7-23.