The comments from Costa Crociere chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi ramped up the pressure on the captain, who already is under investigation by authorities for suspected manslaughter and as well as allegations he abandoned ship before the passengers were safe, violating the Italian navigation code.
The Costa Concordia ran into a reef Friday night and capsized into the port area of Giglio, sparking a frantic evacuation of the 4,200 people onboard. Coast Guard officials have expressed concern that the ship might slip off the rocks where it is currently perched.
On Monday, the rescue operation was called off as weather worsened and a sixth body was found. Foschi said it wasn't because the ship had shifted but because divers heard "sounds" coming from inside and didn't know what was causing them. Sixteen people remain missing.
Foschi said the company, which is owned by the world's largest cruiseline, Carnival Corp., stood by the captain, Francesco Schettino, and would provide him with legal assistance. But he said the company disassociated itself from his behavior.
Costa ships have their routes programmed, and alarms go off when they deviate, the chief executive said in a press conference.
"This route was put in correctly. The fact that it left from this course is due solely to a maneuver by the commander that was unapproved, unauthorized and unknown to Costa," he said.
Schettino has insisted he didn't leave the liner early, telling Mediaset television that he had done everything he could to save lives.
The search for survivors has temporarily been suspended after the ship slipped in rough weather.
"The company will be close to the captain [Francesco Schettino] and will provide him with all the necessary assistance, but we need to acknowledge the facts and we cannot deny human error," Costa Cruises Chief Executive Officer Pier Luigi Foschi told a news conference in Genoa.
Mr Foschi said Costa's ships have their routes programmed and alarms sound when they go off course.
"This route was put in correctly," he said. "The fact that it left from this course is due solely to a manoeuvre by the commander that was unapproved, unauthorised and unknown to Costa.''
He said the ship was regularly inspected and had had a major check in November last year.
Earlier, Costa Cruises said Capt Schettino had appeared to sail too close to land.
The ship is now lying on its side metres off the Tuscan island of Giglio.
Environment Minister Corrado Clini said there was an extremely high risk of a damaging spill of fuel from the ship's tanks.
"The vessel has reservoirs full of fuel, it is a heavy diesel which could sink down to the seabed, that would be a disaster," he told La Stampa newspaper.
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