Domnica Cemortan, the young lady from Moldova who, according to the Italian newspapers, was seen with Captain Francesco Schettino, in the minutes before the Costa Concordia foundered on rocks, recounted in detail how she spent that night. She says she was „partly a passenger, partly an employee" on Costa Concordia and she says the Captain did his best to save the 4.000 passengers.
A ballet dancer who studied in Chisinau, Bucharest and Paris, Ms Cermotan was employed as an international hostess at Costa Crociere and she was performing translations for the Russian passengers. She is now back in Chisinau (Moldova), where she visited Adevarul Moldova offices, wearing a blue t-shirt embroidered with Costa Crociere's logo, jeans and the very trainers she was wearing when she saved herself from the ship.
"I had finished my contract and was on a week's cruise with my friends. When the accident happened, the passengers had priority, I was not thinking of myself. The only benefit as a passenger was the hotel accomodation. Then I was quickly sent home".
"I heard the first alarm around 21.30, while I was dining with my colleagues, so to say. I was a passenger on the cruise, but, on board I was also, in fact, a worker. I left my luggage in the cabin after I boarded the ship. I did not even open it. I went to see my colleagues and to offer small presents. After the codified alarm, I understood that the the ship was taking water. Each of the employees occupied their positions."
"I went to the eighth floor deck. Colleagues were announcing in more languages that there was a power failure. It was very dark on the ship. Then my colleagues went down to help the passengers. Because I know 4-5 languages, I stayed on the deck in case the captain needed to make more announcements. Around 20 officers, cruise directors and the captain also stayed there".
„After t
