| Date |
Ship |
2013 |
Incident |
| March 28 | Minerva Swan Hellenic |
Travel the World with Suzie reports a tragic incident at the Salalah port was witnessed by several Rotterdam passengers. The beaches around the port were full of signs warning that the waters were very dangerous. A German man from another cruise ship, the Minerva, went swimming, was caught by a rip tide, and drown. Also, a couple from the Rotterdam hired a taxi for a set amount of money. When they returned, they claimed the driver asked for more than the original amount and the couple refused to pay the extra. The driver called the police. The couple were detained by the police. The ship’s staff intervened and the incident was resolved. I didn’t hear how… but surmise the couple paid the amount demanded by the driver. | Pax drowns ashore / Dispute over taxi charge |
| March 19 | Plancius |
Statement from Oceanwide Expeditions: On the 12th of March at 1120 (Ushuaia time) that an incident occurred during a dive at Half Moon Island. The divers were passengers aboard the Plancius. Approximately two hours earlier, a female diver suddenly disappeared from view from the surface. A search began immediately, and the dive master and diving guide found her at 1015, unconscious and at a depth of five meters. Following her recovery from the water and after 85 minutes of CPR and medical attention by the ship's doctor, she was unfortunately pronounced dead at 1142. The passenger was a Japanese national, born in 1962. She had over 1,500 hours of diving experience including 50 dives in a drysuit. Oceanwide immediately informed all the authorities; i.e. the ship's flag state, Dutch authorities, Argentine Coast Guard in Ushuaia, the Japanese Embassy in Buenos Aires and IAATO. The staff and crew secured her diving equipment for later inspection, and made full statements. Their reports, along with medical reports and photographs, have been provided to all authorities. On Sunday, 17th of March, Oceanwide was informed that the Dutch authorities had requested that Argentina conduct a full investigation when the ship returns to Ushuaia the 20th of March, and will include interviews with the captain, dive master and some crew members. Oceanwide Expeditions and Oceanwide Marine Services, as well as the Plancius' officers, crew and onboard staff paid their respects to the deceased and have asked the Japanese Embassy , who is in contact with the husband of the deceased, to pass along their condolences. The cause of the fatal accident is unknown at this time, and all involved hope that the investigation by the Argentine authorities will provide some answers. Oceanwide Expeditions and Oceanwide Marine Services, the officers, crew and staff onboard are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. |
Death on shore excursion (scuba diving) |
| March 10 | Marco Polo Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
Sea News no one was injured when the cruise ship Marco Polo aground just outside Sortland in Vesterålen. The ship had a leak in a ballast tank and is now docked where it is examined by divers. The cruise ship was on its way out from the dock with 1117 people on board when it touched the ground outside Sortland in Vesterålen. The grounding meant that there was a hole in a ballast tank.- There was a hole in a ballast tank, confirms rescue leader Oliver Delbekk at the rescue center northern Norway to the Northern Lights . | Aground / Holed |
| March 7 | True North North Star Cruising |
Expedition Cruising reports passengers and crew have escaped unharmed after a luxury cruise vessel caught fire off Munster (Australia) this evening. The fire started while the boat was moored at about 5.15pm. Fire crews from Fremantle, Hope Valley, Murdoch and Success were called to the vessel after a report of a blaze on the third level. The passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the ship and the fire was contained within about 30 minutes. It is not known how many were on board the vessel or what caused the fire. According to owner, Craig Howson, who is travelling aboard the vessel, all passengers are safe and well. "Everyone's fine and we intend to resume this voyage and the rest of the season." | Fire |
| March 4 | Discovery Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
ITV reports the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a statement following its inspection of the Discovery cruise liner in Portland, Dorset. It says that the vessel will stay put until safety issues over drills and training have been addressed. Following inspections on Friday 1 March, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has issued a Detention Notice on the passenger ship Discovery, preventing the vessel from sailing at this time. This will remain in place whilst the owners and crew undertake revisions to their safety management system." It is expected the inaugural cruise with CMV will be canceled and the ship will resume service March 15th. | Ship detained |
| February 22 | Amadea Phoenix Reisen Cruise Line |
The Times Standard reports a cruise ship carrying 580 passengers and more than 200 crew members that was slated to arrive at the Port of Humboldt Bay today will no longer be docking there because of scheduling delays. The announcement is a huge blow for local organizers who spent months planning the visit. ”Of course we're all disappointed,” Eureka Chamber of Commerce CEO/President J Warren Hockaday said. “It's one of those things that you can't anticipate, and you can't control or change. I would say next time a cruise ship is scheduled to come here, we'll be very prepared.” The ship was impeded by bad weather when departing from San Diego for San Francisco Wednesday night. The large swells delayed the ship so much that it arrived late in San Francisco. Organizers, which include the chamber, the city of Eureka, the Wiyot Tribe, Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Eureka Main Street, spent several months planning the visit. They planned to have European tourists strolling through town to stop at restaurants, museums and shops. Performances by bands and choirs were scheduled, and tours and interpreters arranged. ”It was a tremendous effort here locally to come together and take care of them, and welcome them as much as we possibly could,” Hockaday said. “The silver lining here, if there is one, is we have a very well established group of individuals and organizations who will be very well prepared for the next time this happens.” | Canceled port call |
| February 16 | Island Escape | Fox News reports a California man has been arrested in southwest Florida on an outstanding murder warrant in the death of his ex-wife, who went overboard from an Italian cruise ship seven years ago. Lonnie Kocontes, 55, was taken into custody Friday night by federal marshals and booked into the Pasco County Jail where he was being held without bail, authorities said. He was charged with one count of special circumstances murder for financial gain, according to Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's office. Kocontes' ex-wife, Micki Kanesaki, plunged into the Mediterranean on May 26, 2006, off the Island Escape, which was sailing between Sicily and Naples. Her body washed ashore the next day in Calabria in southwest Italy. Kanesaki, 52, was sharing a cabin with Kocontes, her ex- husband. They divorced in 2002 after six years of marriage but lived together in their Mission Viejo, Calif., home until 2005, court records showed. Kanesaki left the cabin around 1 a.m. to get a cup of tea, Andy Furlong, a spokesman for ship owner Island Cruises, said at the time. Kocontes, a lawyer, reported her missing after he woke up and couldn't find her after a search, Furlong said. Italian police boarded the ship, seized records and videotapes and took statements from the crew. Prosecutors said Saturday that Kocontes strangled Kaneski to death on board the ship and then threw her overboard. The arrest ended an investigation that started in 2008, when Kocontes began transferring more than $1 million from Kaneski's bank accounts into joint accounts he held with his new wife. That prompted the FBI to begin seizure efforts and a criminal probe, prosecutors said. |
Arrest for murder - thrown overboard |
| January 21 | SagaSapphire Saga Holidays |
Press in Vigo, Spain reports the ship encountered some bad weather on her cruise back to the UK from Lisbon on 19 January and had to seek shelter in Vigo, northern Spain. All facilities are working normally on board. Passengers were advised to remain in their cabin with full room service during the storm but full dining service was resumed by the time Sapphire entered Vigo bay. The storm abated and the ship left Vigo at 6am the following morning, 20 January, and is currently sailing for Southampton. Her arrival has unfortunately been delayed by a day and will now be on Tuesday, 22 January. Consequently, the following cruise, the Caribbean Spice Isles cruise, will commence one day late. | Take refuge from storm / Delay next cruise |
| January 7 | Saga Ruby Saga Holidays |
The Daily Echo reports checks carried out by staff this morning in Southampton revealed a problem with the ship's crankshaft. Saga says it could cause a delay of up to two weeks to the 100-night cruise. It was subsequently reported that the delay would be 10 days. | Mechanical problems - delayed departure |
| Date |
Ship |
2012 |
Incident |
| November 26 | AIDAcara AIDA Cruises |
The Daily Mail reports the two cruise ships cancelled scheduled stops at the islands last week, apparently as the result of the ransacking of the shipping agent’s office in Buenos Aires. Local agent Sulivan Shipping in Port Stanley tweeted: ‘The AIDAcara due to visit on December 3 has cancelled her visit due to the current political situation in Argentina. A huge blow for all involved, let’s hope this doesn’t continue throughout the season.’ A Holland America Line spokesman said last night: ‘Regarding our scheduled calls to the Falkland Islands, when the weather is good and predictable we go there, when it is not – which is most of the time – we don’t.’ AIDA Cruises in Germany could not be reached for comment. | Port call canaceled |
| November 24 | Kriti II Anek Lines |
Cruise Law News reports a fire erupted on the cruise ferry (ro-ro) off the coast of Greece earlier this week. On November 19th, a blaze started on the car deck of the Kriti II (built 1979) while the ferry approached Patras after sailing from Venice, Italy. There were around 113 passengers on board, plus a crew of 87. The vessel was brought into port with black smoke billowing from it, with cars and trucks aboard the vessel catching fire. No casualties or injures were reported. VesselTracker.com states that the ferry "suffered severe damage to its interior. The fire had been slowly burning already hours before the ship reached the port of Patras and it was purely a matter of luck that the open fire did not emerge on open sea where winds had been blowing . . . " The video shows firefighters trying to extinguish vehicles which were driven out of the ferry on fire. | Fire |
| November 24 | Akademic Ioffe & Akademik Sergey Vavilov One Ocean Expeditions |
Cruise Critic reports a national strike in Argentina left passengers stranded and delayed departures for ships in Ushuaia. The beginning of the Antarctica cruise season was delayed for a day on Tuesday (Nov. 20) when a nationwide strike affected operations at the departure port for Antarctic cruises. The Akademik Ioffe docked in the early hours of the morning despite a lack of workers on the pier. Akademik Sergey Vavilov passengers had to wait until after midnight for the strike to finish and for the ships to depart. A small number of Australian, Canadian and European passengers were unable to fly home due to cancelled flights, while others stayed in hotels in Ushuaia for the night. | Delayed by strike |
| November 12 | Amadea Phoenix Reisen |
The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 63 (a failing score is anything below 86). | Failed health inspection |
| November 11 | Saga Ruby Saga Holidays |
Cruise Fever reports the ship has developed engine trouble canceling the current cruise. According to the captain’s blog, the ship began having technical difficulties that will require several days to make repairs. The remainder of the current cruise has been canceled so repairs can be made to the ship. A team from the head office had flown to the ship to oversee the safe return of the passengers on board. All passengers on the ship will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, as well as a sincere apology from the cruise line. On Sunday afternoon, Saga reported that all passengers were off the ship by Saturday. Most passengers choose to fly home, while a few decided to travel back to the UK and will be arriving on Monday. The next scheduled cruise for the Saga Ruby is an 8 day Advent cruise and is scheduled to depart on time out of Southhampton on December 6, 2012. | Engine problems - cruise ended |
| November 9 | Saga Sapphire Saga Holidays |
The Daily Mirror reports the ship has been instructed to improve its safety training procedures, following an investigation into an incident which led to two crewmen falling overboard during a lifeboat drill. The men plunged 22 metres (72 feet) into the water from Saga Sapphire, when it was berthed at Southampton in March. The ship had just arrived in the UK after a lengthy refit, and was about to set off on a delayed maiden voyage. No passengers were on board at the time of the accident. Both crewmen were safely rescued, and suffered only minor injuries. An inquiry by the Marine Accident Investigation Board discovered that neither man - one of them a cook on his first posting to the ship - were wearing safety harnesses when they slipped from the roof of the ship's No. 5 lifeboat. One of them, a cook on his first posting to a ship, had not received any training for his specific role, which he was undertaking for the first time. The report also found that "training oversight was inadequate, no one took responsibility for lifeboat training and the ship's safety management organisation was improperly prepared for its operational role." In its conclusions, the MAIB says "commercial pressure impacted on the ship's management team's focus on preparing the vessel for its operational role" and highlights the cook's "lack of experience and inadequate understanding of his lifeboat crew duties." | Two crew overboard in accident |
| October 22 | Aida Aura Aida Cruises |
The US Coast Guard reports the ship experienced a "material failure" | Material failure |
| October 19 | Regatta Oceania Cruises |
Cruise Critic reports an electrical outage early Friday morning delayed the ship's return to its New York homeport by several hours. Oceania spokeswoman Susan Robison said backup generators allowed the vessel to operate normally, but U.S. Coast Guard protocol required the ship to wait for an escort to port, which resulted in a late arrival. Due to the delay, the ship arrived in New York around noon. Embarkation for the subsequent sailing, a 14-night Autumn Vista voyage, will also be delayed until Friday afternoon. Passengers booked on the upcoming sailing are currently being notified. "At this time we are not anticipating any additional issues," Robison said, when asked whether the delay would impact the next voyage. "We expect to arrive in our first port of call, Newport, as scheduled." | Electrical outage -- late debarkation |
| October 9 | Artania Phoenix Reisen |
The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 76 (a failing score is anything below 86). | Failed health inspection |
| October 3 | Paradise | Thanh Nien News reports five Taiwanese tourists were killed when their tender capsized after a collision with a tourist boat in Ha Long Bay Wednesday. Quang Ninh province authorities said the small vessel was carrying 18 tourists, all Taiwanese and mainland Chinese, back to their ship after a visit to Sung Sot Cave when it collided with the Dong Phong 02 at around 4:15 p.m. It sank killing a 69-year-old man, thee women, and a nine-year-old girl. The remaining 13 were rescued and safely brought to shore. The tender had been ferrying the tourists back to a larger ship named Paradise, which was carrying 36 Taiwanese and Chinese tourists. The 36, all employees from a company in Kaohsiung and their families, came to Vietnam on October 2 with Taiwan-based Life Tour. They were scheduled to return home October 5, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. Vietnamese authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. | Capsized |
| September 18 | Athena, Arion, Princess Danae Classic International Cruises |
Cruise Critic reports two Classic International Cruises ships were arrested in Marseilles yesterday (Sep. 17), according to news reports. The 17,000-ton, 580-passenger Athena and 800-passenger Princess Danae were detained in the French port for failure to pay crew wages and fuel costs, according to the reports in a local newspaper. A third CIC ship, the 6,000-ton Arion, was said to be detained in Montenegro for similar reasons. Passengers onboard Athena -- which had been chartered by Belgian tour company All Ways -- were repatriated to Belgium, but the crews of both ships were still onboard yesterday (Sep. 17). | Ship detained |
| September 3 | Serendipity Princess Midland Tours |
CP 24 News reports several people were hurt on Lake Simcoe Sunday afternoon after a cruise ship struck a dock, sending passengers lunging. Two people were taken to hospital by ambulance and a number of others were treated at the scene for minor injuries. The collision occurred around 2:30 p.m. when the Serendipity Princess was attempting to dock. Something went wrong and passengers were sent flying into the railings. “The corner of the boat caught the dock and stopped her dead,” bystander Earl Draper told CTV Barrie. “A lot of people went off their chairs and fell on the ground.” Barrie Police and Transport Canada are investigating the incident. It was unknown whether the accident was caused by human or mechanical error. The boat has a capacity of 265 passengers and tours the Kempenfelt Bay every day. | Collision with pier |
| August 30 | Princess Danae Classic International Cruises |
The Independent (Ireland) reports the High Court has ordered the arrest and detention of the ship when it arrived in Dublin Port today. It was detained arising out of an alleged failure by its owners to pay an outstanding fuel bill of US$94,000 (€75,000). The ship, which is registered in Madeira and flies the flag of Portugal, arrived in Dublin Port on Thursday morning, and was due to depart at 7pm this evening. The arrest and detention order was sought by Italian registered firm Omega Bunker SRL, who entered into an agreement with the ships owners Waybell Cruises Inc, with a registered address at Panama City, Panama, to supply the vessel with fuel in the Port of Manila the Philippines last April. The owners were then invoiced for $409,000 (€325,000). Ciaran Lewis Bl, for Omega, told the court that this deal was not honoured by the ship's owners. Earlier this year counsel said that his client had the ship detained in the port of Pireaus in Greece over its alleged failure to pay the fuel bill. The ship was released in early June after the parties entered into an settlement agreement. The ship’s owners agreed to make a number of payments in June of July of this year in order to settle the bill. Several payments were made. However, despite that agreement the ship's owners had refused to pay an outstanding amount of $94,000, which Omega claims it is due. Counsel said his client now wanted the ship restrained from going to sea until security was given that it would receive its money. There was some urgency in the matter, as the ship was due to sail later today. UPDATE: The ship sailed at 8PM after reportedly settling the outstanding fuel bills. | Ship detained |
| August 27 | Milford Mariner Real Journeys |
The Otago Daily Times reports a commercial cruise ship has been sent to Bluff for repairs after it ran into gravel in Milford Sound on Thursday while carrying 101 passengers. The Real Journeys-owned Milford Mariner grounded at Harrisons Cove, 2km from the Milford Sound terminal, at about 3pm, damaging one of its propellers. The captain used one engine to return to the terminal. While none of the 101 passengers on board were injured during the incident, all on board were "well aware" of the collision. The ship ran in to trouble just short of finishing its two and a-half hour cruise and the experienced captain opted to switch to one engine and guide the cruise ship back to the terminal. | Aground |
| August 21 | Venus Venus Cruise Line |
Kyiv Post reports a cruise ship, the crew of which includes 70 Ukrainian citizens, has been arrested in Israel due to wage arrears, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported. "According to the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel, the Venus, the Maltese-flagged cruise ship, the crew of which consists of 340 people, among them 70 citizens of Ukraine, was arrested in the port of Ashdod on August 15 this year," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Dykusarov said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday. He added that the ship had been arrested under a lawsuit lodged by crew members regarding the payment of their salaries and that a lawyer was currently defending their rights and interests. "The health of the crew members, including Ukrainians, is satisfactory, and the ship has enough drinking water and food," Dykusarov said. He also noted that none of the crew members, including Ukrainian citizens, had accepted the lawyer's offer to leave the ship and return home. The Ukrainian Embassy in Israel and the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry are overseeing the case. | Cruise ship arrested |
| August 10 | Saga Sapphire Saga Holidays |
The Telegraph reports on a series of mechanical problems with the ship over the past several months (see April 14 for early end of thr dhip'd insugursl voyage). A trip to Norway in June was also hit by complications, and last week another engine fault delayed the ship’s return to Britain from a voyage in the Baltic. In June, the cruise, billed as a “Voyage to the North Cape”, was unable to visit the North Cape, nor was it able to call at Svolvaer, Honningsvåg, Geiranger or Eidfjord. Arrival at Bergen was also late, leaving passengers little time to visit the town. Passengers also reported that there were power cuts and problems with the air conditioning. “The whole point of the cruise was to visit the fjords and the North Cape,” said Malcolm Billingsley, 71, a retired teacher from All affected passengers have subsequently been offered a refund of 40 per cent by Saga or a 50 per cent discount on a future cruise, but some felt the offer did not go far enough. Saga also confirmed that a “minor” problem occurred on Saga Sapphire during last week’s return from a Baltic cruise, which meant the ship had to sail into Dover using only one engine, but that it was fixed overnight. | Mechanical problems |
| August 7 | Clipper Odyssey | The Derry Journal reports the recently refurbished jetty at Fort George was damaged on Saturday morning when a large cruise ship crashed into it while docking. The ship was carrying around 200 passengers and crew was docking at Fort George when it collided with the edge of the jetty, causing visible damage. The collision damaged concrete at the edge of the jetty, buckled the metal railings and damaged a small electrical cabinet, causing it to fall over. The ship was not damaged in the collision and no one was injured. A spokesperson for the Port and Harbour Commission said that the captain of the vessel had accepted full responsibility for the incident. | Collision with pier |
| August 5 | Jacobite Queen |
Highlend News reports An investigation has been launched after a woman sustained a horrific leg injury working on a Loch Ness cruise ship. It is understood French employee Aurelia Thabart had to have part of a leg amputated after the accident. Her leg got caught up in a ship's rope in the incident at Dochgarroch Locks, near Inverness. Aurelia, who is in her mid-20s and lives with her partner in Culloden, was treated by Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics at the scene and rushed to Raigmore Hospital by ambulance. It is |
Crew injury |
| August 3 | Didim Mavisi | Hurriyet Daily News reports the cruise ship transporting 100 passengers was reduced to ashes after a fire ravaged the vessel off Turkey's Aegean coast today.The ship conducts tours of the Aegean islands, departed from the Aegean district of Ayvalik today, but a fire soon broke out in the boat's galley section as it cruised near the coast of Sarimsakli. The fire quickly spread as the captain directed the vessel to a nearby cove. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated as other boats came to the distressed vessel's aid. Some passengers jumped from the deck and swam ashore. The ship was damaged beyond use before the flames could be doused in a joint effort between the ship's crew and rescue teams from the Turkish coast guard. | Fire - Total loss |
| August 1 | Ocean Star Ocean Star Cruises |
Maritime Matters reports second officer Spyridon I. Diakoumakos alerted them about desperate conditions on board the ship, which is currently moored at Mazatlan, Mexico. Diakoumakos and his crew have reportedly been unpaid and provisions are running out. Mr. Diakoumakos describes how Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian and Indonesian deck and engine crew and officers are living “like prisoners” in unsanitary conditions and subsisting on expired food with no help in sight. A generator fire ended the ship's second cruise off the coast of Huatulco forcing the evacuation of 522 passengers and 226 crew in April 2011. She was eventually towed to Salinas Cruz for repairs. A report this past spring about a possible charter for use as an hotel ship in Korea has apparently fallen through. The ship was built in 1971 as the 724 passenger NORDIC PRINCE and in 1995, she was sold to British operator Airtours and renamed CAROUSEL and in 2004, she was sold to Louis Cruises, who renamed her AQUAMARINE the following year. Between 2006 and 2008, the ship was chartered to German-based Transocean under the name ARIELLE before reverting to Louis again as AQUAMARINE. In late 2010, AQUAMARINE was sold to Ocean Star for USD $23 million. Between early January and late March of 2011, OCEAN STAR PACIFIC underwent an extensive refurbishment in Curacao with newly redesigned Lido buffet, pool area and reception by Athens-based AMK (Katzourakis). New lounges, children’s areas, shops and a casino were added along with a new spa and nightclub. The refit work was executed by Piraeus based JGP Hellas and Finland based Riverco Oy. In July of 2012, the ship was issued several interim and temporary safety certificates, presumably to allow further refitting. | Crew wanting repatriation |
| July 25 | Aurelia | Corriere della Sera reports a 29 year old woman went missing Sunday morning, July 15, from the ferry between Civitavecchia and Sardinia. An alarm was raising at 9:30AM, but a search yielded no results. The woman's body washed ashore at Sardinia on Tuesday. | Pax missing (overboard) |
| July 23 | MV Athena | This is Plymouth reports a group of passengers who say they endured a nightmare voyage across the Atlantic when their cruise ship was lashed by high winds have taken their compensation claims to the High Court. Anthony and Dorothy Watchman, of Treago Gardens, Plymouth, and Susan Latham, of St Stephen's Road, Saltash, were among passengers on board the MV Athena when it was hit by a storm in 2006. Their claim for compensation has now gone before a judge, who will have to decide whether it is fair for the case to go ahead after a six-year delay. The ship set off on the 24-day "Maple Leaf Cruise" to New York, New England and Canada in September 2006, with passengers looking forward to visiting Nova Scotia and Maine before sailing into the Big Apple. But the trip of a lifetime turned into a holiday from hell when the ship hit heavy storms and high winds on its way to North America. One man was killed falling down a flight of stairs and a number of others were injured as they tumbled from their bunks or fell over as the ship listed in the bad weather. Lawyers for the passengers claim the travel company that booked them on the cruise and the ship's owners and operators should be held liable for their injuries because of the "negligent" decision to set out in such bad weather and the lack of proper warnings. They are suing Travelscope Holidays Limited and the Athena's owners and operators, Classic International Cruises S.A and Arcalia Shipping Company Limited, who deny liability. However, lawyers for the owners and operators are now arguing that the passengers' claims should be struck out due to the "inordinate and inexcusable delays" in bringing the cases to court. They say crucial witnesses, such as ship's safety and medical officers, may not be able to attend a hearing so long after the event and that their defence has been seriously prejudiced by the delay. However, Andrew Young, for the passengers, insisted the case can still be given a fair hearing and that striking out the passengers' claims without a full trial would be "draconian". Mr Justice Teare – who commented that he saw "no reason why the case has dragged on so long" – reserved his judgment on the preliminary issue and will give his ruling at an unspecified later date. | Lawsuit over high seas |
| July 14 | Regina Rheni Saga Holidays |
Seatrade Insider reports four people were sent to hospital ashore after fire broke out in the galley section of the Dutch river cruise vessel early Friday while the ship was sailing the Rhine near Düsseldorf. All 102 passengers and some 30 crew were evacuated to a passing river vessel, and the fire was put out after about three hours with the help of a local firefighting brigade. According to the Duisburg Police, the fire was discovered at around 3:15 a.m. Passengers and crew were assembled on the forward part of the vessel with life jackets, where they were evacuated to the passing river vessel that transferred them first to the nearby Himmelgeist ferry landing and then on to Düsseldorf. An emergency physician and firemen examined the 134 evacuees during the 45-minute transit to Düsseldorf. Apart from the four sent to hospital, the other passengers, reportedly of British nationality, were taken to a Dusseldorf hotel. Several crew remained on Regina Rheni, which was boarded by local fire brigade teams to help contain the blaze. The blaze was contained to a storage room in the galley section, and the fire was put out at about 6:30 a.m. while the vessel was anchored off Düsseldorf-Himmelgeist. The storage room was destroyed. The cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage are under investigation. | Fire - evacuation |
| June 19 | Clipper Adventurer | CBC reports the Canadian Coast Guard is seeking almost half a million dollars in damages from the cruise ship MV Clipper Adventurer and its owners. The coast guard, through the federal government, launched a lawsuit on Friday. The ship ran aground near Kugluktuk, Nunavut, in August 2010 after hitting an uncharted rock shelf. The Coast Guard's Amundsen ship had to rescue the 128 passengers after the Clipper Adventurer's crew was unable to dislodge the vessel. The lawsuit says the damages are to prevent, repair or minimize pollution from the ship's grounding. The Coast Guard said that when the ship was grounded, 13 tanks aboard were breached. Some of those tanks held fuel, freshwater and sludge. Another Coast Guard ship, the Sir Wilfred Laurier, was sent to the site to monitor the salvaging of the ship and the potential pollution from the accident. The lawsuit claims the rock shelf was a known hazard to mariners since September 2007. The owners of the Clipper Adventurer filed a lawsuit against the federal government last spring saying they should have been given more information about the hazard. | Environmental |
| June 16 | Gerard Schmitter CroisiEurope |
Cruise Critic reports a fire broke out onboard the ship on Saturday, 16 June as it was preparing to dock around 9:00 p.m. local time Saturday evening in the German port of Krefeld, when a cable caught fire in a technical room of the ship's engine department, producing heavy, billowing smoke. Two response groups from the fire brigade for the city of Krefeld, which lies northwest of Dusseldorf on the Rhine, were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, said the report. And passengers, who had been evacuated to a nearby restaurant and two waiting buses, were allowed to reboard the vessel shortly after operations completed at 10:30 p.m. There were no serious injuries among the 154 passengers and 34 crew onboard, although a German police spokesman reported that one woman, being treated for shock, required a hospital visit, and that one crewmember sustained minor injuries during the ship's evacuation. Reportedly, the ship will remain in Krefeld until Monday, although it is as yet unclear whether the ship's French owners will continue the cruise. The ship is on an Amsterdam to Strasbourg Rhine river cruise. The 176-passenger, 88-cabin vessel was launched in April of this year | Fire |
| June 14 | Ocean Countess Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
Milford and West Wales Mercury reports the ship's visit to Milford Haven tomorrow (Friday June 15th) will be delayed due to the bad weather forecast to hit the area. The vessel has rescheduled its itinerary for the cruise and will now call into the Haven Waterway on Sunday, June 17th, in order that passengers can still visit Pembrokeshire. | Rescheduled port call |
| June 13 | Ocean Countess Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
Wales Online reports the ship limped into Holyhead after it developed an engine problem set sail last night; it made an unscheduled call to the Anglesey port after it got into difficulty off the Isle of Man just hours after leaving Liverpool on Tuesday. An electrical fault onboard the liner resulted in the loss of main engine power for three hours. The captain decided to return to port for repairs and sailed to Holyhead on just one engine. Repairs were carried out and he liner set sail at 10pm. | Engine problems |
| May 30 | Ocean Countess Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
ITV News reports the ship has been diverted to Anglesey after suffering a power failure overnight. She became the first ship to start her voyage from Liverpool's new cruise liner terminal when she set sail from the city yesterday. An electrical fault caused the loss of main engine power for three hours overnight. Full power has now been restored but the ship was diverted to Hollyhead on Anglesey for checks. | Loss of power |
| May 24 | Number 7 Mingzhu Cruise | CRI News (China) reports the ship collided with a bridge in the city of Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang province on Wednesday, damaging two of the ship's funnels, Xinhua News Agency reports. No casualties were reported and the degree of damage to the Wenzhou Bridge will be assessed shortly. According to the report, four tugboats were pulling a new cruise ship, named the No. 7 Mingzhu Cruise, traveling past the Wenzhou Bridge in the Ou Jiang River on Wednesday morning. Upon colliding with the bridge, the structure started to sway and crowds nearby were heard screaming. The cruise ship was hauled past the bridge and stopped at the Wuniu wharf. After initial accident investigations, the Wenzhou Maritime Safety Administration said that the cruise ship sustained no major damage but stated that the funnels needed repairing. Experts have said that the damage caused to the Wenzhou Highway Bridge, must be assessed. | Collision |
| May 8 | Nils Holgersson TT Line |
The Local reports the liner rammed into the "Urd" car ferry last Thursday. None of the passengers were injured. The 191-metre "Nils Holgersson" rammed the stationary "Urd" after it failed to turn sufficiently as it came into port. The collision ripped a 16-square-metre hole into the ferry's hull, including a vertical tear below the waterline. "The ship collided with the ferry, which was in port, almost at a right angle," coast guard spokesman Karsten Dose told the Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper. Using 'black box' data from the ship, coast guard investigators were able to establish that the engine was not set to "harbour mode", seriously limiting its manoeuvrability, and preventing the captain from reversing the ship. The coast guard say this could only have been the captain's error, and they are currently attempting to find out how the accident happened. He is not thought to have been drinking. The relatively undamaged "Nils Holgersson" has been taken to the Landskrona port in Sweden, while the heavily damaged "Urd" is currently still in the Travemünde port. | Collision |
| April 25 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Lines |
WPTV reports four young women boarded the ship at the Port of Palm Beach Saturday for an experience they hoped they would always remember. "It will be memorable but not necessarily in a good way," said Mallory Barnett, who lives in Tampa. At about 2:15 Sunday morning, Barnett, staying in Cabin 3311, says they heard a 'gurgling' noise coming from their restroom. "I walked into the bathroom and the shower drains were overflowing and so was the sink and they were full of sewage water," said Barnett. "It was brown and disgusting, and the smell was unmistakable." Passenger Tracy Mendoza snapped several photographs showing brown sludge oozing out of each drain, including the sink and the shower. The passengers said the mystery liquid spread though their cabin's carpet and even spilled out into the hallway. "It soon became apparent that this was not just water, it was coming literally pouring out of the walls," said Mendoza. The women ran to the Celebration's front desk for help, then all four bunked in one cabin waiting for a cleanup they said took hours. A male passenger next door seemed to be dealing with a similar situation. "He was at least ankle deep in the sewage water," said Barnett. A spokesman for the company said the drainage system in the ship's galley, or kitchen, overflowed, impacting passengers in ten cabins. Spokesman Glenn Ryerson said the passengers affected were taken care of by staff on board. Ryerson said his staff is in the process of contacting every passenger that was affected by this incident to offer reimbursement for any damaged items as well as a free cruise. It is unclear how many of the passengers will take the offer. | Sewage in room |
| April 14 | Saga Sapphire Saga Holidays |
The Daily Mirror reports engine problems have forced the ship to abandon its maiden voyage. The vessel is in harbour at Valencia, Spain, awaiting repairs and passengers will be flown home to the UK on Monday. The new flagship of Saga Cruises' fleet should have been returning to Southampton next Wednesday (April 18) at the end of an inaugural cruise which was delayed by a week because its multi-million pound refit overran, but passengers due to join the next voyage have now been told they will be flown to Marseille on April 25. Plans for a gala welcome in Lisbon tomorrow (Sunday) have been abandoned and will be re-scheduled for May 3 when it is expected Sapphire will be in the port together with sister ships Saga Ruby and Saga Pearl II. The ship was formerly Bleu de France - originally built 30 years ago as Europa. Saga took delivery in November 2010 and the ship spent four months at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily for an extensive refit. Strikes among workers concerned about redundancies were blamed for the delay in completing the work, which included reducing the number of cabins - cutting passenger capacity from 752 to 706 - and creating new restaurants and bars. The work was also expected to include an overhaul of the main engines, and maintenance of the tailshaft, rudder and propellers. A spokesman for Saga confirmed that a problem had been encountered with one of the ship's two main engines when Captain Alastair McLundie realised it was not operating properly. While it would have been possible to continue to run the ship on only one engine, a decision was taken to cut the cruise short for repairs to be carried out. Replacement parts are being flown to Valencia and the company is carrying out what it describes as a "forensic engineering inspection" to discover the cause of the problem. Passengers will receive a full refund for the cost of their abbreviated cruise, plus a discount for a future booking. | Engine problems - Cruise terminated |
| March 30 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Line |
The US Coast Guard reports the ship experienced a problem with "vessel maneuverability." | Vessel maneuverability |
| February 29 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Lines |
WPTV reports a woman aboard the Bahamas Celebration ship was reported missing early Wednesday morning after the ship returned from a two-night trip, Celebration Cruise Lines spokesman Glen Ryerson said. The woman was reported missing at 8 a.m. after the ship docked at 7 a.m., according to Ryerson. Ryerson said there are confirmed documents that show the woman boarded in the Bahamas. Her boyfriend shared a cabin with her on board. According to Celebration President Charlie Kinnear, the boyfriend claims he last saw his girlfriend at 1 a.m. in the gift shop before he headed to the inboard casino. The ship was just off the coast of Grand Bahama Island at the time. When he woke up she still hadn't returned. Investigators are not releasing her identity but she's a Canadian resident in her 40s. | Passenger missing
|
| February 16 | Unknown | Cayman Compass News reports a cruise ship passenger was found dead Wednesday afternoon in the Coral Gardens area of North Sound near Stingray City. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers reported that the 56-year-old man was reported unconscious and unresponsive in the water. He was found by people in a boat who were travelling nearby. The boaters lifted the man into their vessel and tried to revive him with no luck. The Marine Unit craft ‘Tornado’ transported the man to the Yacht Club where paramedics transported him to hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival. It was not immediately clear how the man came to be in the waters off Coral Gardens and police said they were still investigating the incident. | Death ashore |
| February 1 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Lines |
The US Coast Guard reports the ship experienced problems with "vessel maneuverability." | Vessel maneuverability |
| January 25 | Riviera Oceania Cruises |
Cruise Critic reportsShipyard delays caused by striking workers have scuttled the April 24 maiden voyage of Oceania's new Riviera. Instead, the 1,250-passenger ship will launch on May 16. Genoa-based Fincantieri notified the line last week about the delays. "We know that ... travelers are anxious to welcome Riviera and we regret that labor strikes have caused this delay," Giuseppe Bono, the shipyard's CEO, said in a statement. Two cruises are affected -- a 12-night Athens-to-Istanbul run and a 10-night Istanbul-to-Venice sojourn. Passengers on those voyages can rebook on another cruise and receive a future cruise credit that will range from $250 to $1,000 per guest, depending on the cabin category. Full refunds will be offered to those who don't want to rebook. An Oceania spokesman told Cruise Critic that the line is also assisting travelers with airline change fees. The new inaugural is a 10-night "Pearls of the Aegean" cruise, which includes an overnight aboard ship in Venice before visiting Dubrovnik, Corfu and Crete, among other ports. | Construction delay - cruises canceled |
| January 1 | Amadea Phoenix Reisen Cruises |
Anguilla News reports the cruise ship's planned arrival to Sandy Ground Anguilla on "Old Year's Day" - New Year's Eve, 2011 would have added to what appears
to have been a very successful holiday season for the tourism industry
on the island. The anticipated visit however did not materialise, due,
according to tourism officials, to heavy swells. Hopes are now for a successful port stop at the end of January. |
Missed port call |
| Date |
Ship |
2011 |
Incident |
| December 13 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Line |
CBS 12 reports the ship is back in Florida today after a fire on board forced the cruise liner to return to its home port in Riviera Beach. Hundreds of passengers were on board when a fire broke out in one of the generator rooms. The damage was kept to a miniumum. Passengers said the cruise line did a good job of accomodating passengers, but did a poor job of communicating what as happening. Cruise line President Charles Kinnear said the fire damaged wiring and knocked out the ship's air conditioning, making the cabins a little toasty for some. However that didn't stop passenger Nancy Martin from making the best of it. "That gives us something to talk about, for years and the stories to tell the grandchildren ... Paw paw and grammy spent the night on the deck!" she said. The fire happened Sunday as the ship was heading to the Bahamas, just 4 miles off the coast. About 600 people were aboard at the time. The crew performed a safety check while the boat was in the Bahamas before returning to Riviera Beach for repairs. | Fire |
| November 30 | Freewinds Church of Scientology |
Gather News reports Valeska Paris has come forward with a claim that she was held prisoner aboard the Church of Scientology cruise ship "Freewinds"....for 12 years. Paris says that church leader David Miscavge put her on the ship when she was 18, because her mother had attacked the church, and Paris needed to be "disconnected" from her family. Paris' mother quit the church after her husband committed suicide because he blamed Scientology for taking his personal fortune of more than a million dollars. In an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corporation "Lateline," Paris said, "I was basically hauled in and told that my mum had attacked the church and that I needed to disconnect from her because she was suppressive...He decided the ship, and I found out two hours before my plane left, I was woken up in the morning and I was sent to the ship for 'two weeks.'" The two weeks turned into 12 years of hard labor, claims Paris, who said she was never allowed to leave the ship without a Scientology escort. She said that she was forced to work in the engine room for as long as two days straight. "It's hot, it's extremely loud, it's smelly, it's not nice. I was sent down there at first for 48 hours straight on almost no sleep and I had to work by myself." So why didn't Paris just pick a Caribbean port she liked and walk off the Scientology cruise ship? "They take your passport when you go on the ship and you're in the middle of an island. So it's a bit hard [to escape] and by that time I was 18, I'd been in Scientology my whole life, it's not like I knew how to escape." The church released a statement that vehemently denies Paris' story, but won't make church officials available for interviews. They have also threatened "Lateline" with legal action involving their part in a breach of confidentiality between Paris and the church. Yahoo News reports that the statement released by the church calls the "Freewinds" a wonderful place, "...as even Valeska said on numerous occasions." | ?Held hostage? |
| November 26 | Victoria Cliiper Clipper Vacations |
KOMO news reports high waves forced the ship to turn back to port on Thanksgiving Day. The vessel had just left Victoria, British Columbia when it encountered waves as high as 7 feet. The crew then decided to turn back as a precaution. The company said it has arranged for alternate transportation for the 230 delayed passengers. The group, originally due in Seattle at 3 p.m., was expected to arrive around 9 p.m. | Ship turns back |
| November 3 | Macau Success Success Cruises |
The Standard (Hong Kong) reports a man accused of murdering his former wife by throwing her off a cruise liner claimed he was only carrying out a "sea burial" after she had killed herself, the High Court was told yesterday. Wang Weilie, 49, a policy research officer at the Guangzhou Municipal Committee at the time, pleaded not guilty to murdering Yang Wenjuan, 43, on the ship on September 24 last year (see Sept 26, 2010 here). He offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter but this was rejected by the prosecution. The jury of seven heard the couple arrived in Hong Kong on the morning they boarded the floating casino. They were seen talking on the deck around 6am, with Yang's back to the railing of the vessel. A visitor from Guangzhou said he later saw Wang pushing Yang's head backwards towards the railings. He rushed to notify staff but on their return found the couple gone. There was blood on the deck. Wang was murmuring to himself when found by security staff. He told them he had a stomachache and locked himself in his room. Later, when he was washing his face, security guards saw bloodstains on his fingertips. When asked if he has seen Yang, he told them "she fell down." Wang told arresting officers his ex- wife was under extreme pressure at work and often said she wanted to commit suicide. "My wife said to me previously that in case she died, I was to dispose of her body at sea," he was quoted as saying. He said the injuries to his fist, chest and knee were caused during a struggle to prevent Yang from killing herself. However, she lost consciousness and when he could not feel a pulse he threw her overboard. A post-mortem examination found bruises, abrasions and a broken arm. A pathologist concluded Yang "died of drowning after sustaining significant but otherwise non-fatal injuries." The prosecution said Yang's younger sister, who is expected to testify today, told police she was an optimistic person and never mentioned what kind of funeral she would prefer. The trial continues today before High Court judge Peter Line. | Murder trial for throwing wife overboard |
| October 12 | Jiugang | Shanghai Daily reports a 17 million yuan (US$2.68 million) luxury cruise sank in the Yellow River immediately after it was launched in Lanzhou in northwest China. The ship went down due to a mishandling error on September 29 and was salvaged three days later. No one was hurt in the accident, the Nanfang Daily reported yesterday. A picture posted on the Internet showed the stern of the ship submerged, with the bow tilted up at an angle of about 30 degrees. The ship was commissioned by the local Jiugang Group. The Lanzhou Transportation Bureau was in charge of its construction. The cruise ship is 32.4 meters long with a top speed of 22 kilometers per hour and can carry 80 passengers. A bureau official, surnamed Qiao, said the ship was built by a Sichuan Province company, but media reports said it was constructed in the city's Gaolan County. Qiao said the shipyard wrongly calculated the water level on the launch day. | Sank |
| August 21 | Discovery Sun Discovery Cruises |
The Examiner reports as a result of a bomb scare, the ship spent five listless hours Friday night, bobbing in the ocean eighteen miles off of Ft. Lauderdale. To add insult to injury, Discovery Cruise Line is scheduled to "go out of business" on September 6, right after Labor Day. The ship departed from Lucayan Harbor at Grand Bahama Island at 5pm with nearly 900 passengers, en route back to Port Everglades with a 10:30pm arrival time. When the ship was notified of the bomb scare, passengers were restricted to their cabins or a few designated public areas. As US Coast Guard and bomb squad technicians boarded the ship around midnight, the main lobby was off-limits. After the initial search turned up nothing, the ship was allowed to return to Port Everglades around 4am. A spokesman for the Broward Sheriff’s office said that at about 9pm, the Miami Dade police department received a 911 call warning that there was a man aboard the ship with a gun and a bomb. None was subsequently found. | Bomb scare |
| July 12 | Rio | Haaretz reports 320 crew members on the cruise ship, anchored in Ashdod (Israel), have been refusing to disembark for nearly two weeks, even though they have practically no electricity or food. They're not leaving until they receive last month's salaries, they say. The ship is in receivership and the receivers said they do not have the money to pay the salaries right now. "People came from all over the world to work on the ship. There are people from India who paid $3,000 to get to the ship. Who will pay them back?" a crew member said. The crew member said the receivers offered them $200 in cash and plane tickets home, but the crew did not want to leave until they had been paid what they were owed. On July 4, the ship ran out of fuel, and the electricity, air conditioning and other systems went out. More fuel was delivered only a day later, and this too is now running out, crew members said. They are not running the air conditioning in order to conserve fuel, they said. A crew member said the staff includes 20 Israelis, 35 Egyptians, 66 Indians, 57 Filipinos, 63 Ukrainians, 16 Greeks, 15 Romanians, 14 Georgians, 2 Russians and 2 Turks. The ship's receivers, attorneys Ilan Orli and Eran Shellac, said they would be able to pay the crew's salaries soon. They plan to start looking to sell the ship. | Crew stranded |
| June 29 | AIDAluna AIDA Cruises |
Iceland Review Reports the ship as unable to anchor in Reykjavík’s Skarfabakki harbor due to strong winds. The cruise ship was scheduled to pick up 52 passengers arriving by air. Wind speed had reached 28 meters per second yesterday evening. | Canceled port call |
| June 11 | Regatta Oceania Cruises | Cruise Law News reports on June 10th, a senior Federal District Court Judge in Miami rejected an attempt by a Miami-based cruise line to limit its potential liability at no more than $65,000 for alleged damages suffered by a minor raped on a cruise ship. The case arose out of a shipboard rape of a girl alleged against Oceania Cruises. According to the lawsuit papers, an Oceania Cruises crewmember sexually assaulted and raped a 13 year old girl during a cruise aboard the Regatta cruise ship in October 2009. Oceania Cruises filed a motion seeking to assert, as an affirmative defense, the terms and Oceania Cruises - Regatta Cruise Ship - Sexual Assault - Rapeconditions of the "Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea." This is an international treaty which applies when a cruise ship does not call on a U.S. port. It is commonly referred to as the "Athens Convention." The Athens Convention limits a cruise lines liability for injuries and deaths to 46,666 Special Drawing Right (SDR's) which is an international currency which has a conversion rate today of around U.S. $65,000. | Child sexual abuse |
| May 19 | Polar Star Polar Star Expeditions |
The Chronicle Herald reports the ship had been seized by Spanish authorities in Las Palmas after its owner was unable to cover a $1.4-million repair bill linked to a grounding in the Antarctic in January (see below, February 1). The ship has been placed in receivership, however 27 crew members are stranded in SPain (where the ship was reparied), still being owed more than $250,000 in wages. | Crew stranded |
| May 10 | Victorian Princess Victorian Princess Cruise Lines |
The Times News reports the 112-foot paddleboat that plies Lake Erie during the warm weather months was seriously damaged by a fire that broke out in the engine room while undergoing repairs. Wortkers were doing welding on the outside of the boat when heat from that transferred to the inside of the boat, where it hit some combustible materials. | Fire |
| April 16 | Ocean Star Pacific Ocean Star Cruises |
Associated Press reports a generator fire knocked out power to the ship, forcing the evacuation of nearly 800 passengers and crew Saturday. The fire was quickly controlled Saturday morning and there were no injuries; 522 passengers and 226 crew members were being evacuated by catamaran to the port of Huatulco and would then be flown to Mexico City. The ship is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) offshore and will be towed to Huatulco for repairs. The vessel was headed from Huatulco to Acapulco, resorts on Mexico's southern Pacific coast. Tthe ship has a capacity for 1,050 passengers. | Fire - Loss of power |
| April 13 | Viktoria | The Associated Press reports a river cruise ship carrying more than 100 tourists, most of them from Germany, collided Wednesday with a cargo ship in a Danube River channel near the capital of Slovakia, though no injuries were reported officials said. A German cargo ship carrying corn was badly damaged in the collision early Wednesday south of Bratislava, fire department spokesman Ivan Petko said, but authorities managed to prevent it from sinking. Five crew members escaped unharmed. The 160 passengers from the Maltese cruise ship Viktoria, which was only slightly damaged, are being evacuated, he said. He said the captain was confident the ship could reach the port in Bratislava. The cause of the collision is being investigated. Jana Vadkertyova, spokeswoman for the State Navigation Administration, said the tourists were mostly elderly Germans heading for Passau, Germany. Vadkertyova identified the name of the cargo ship as Bavaria 52. Another ship was expected to arrive later Wednesday to pick up the tourists. | Collision |
| April 7 | Ocean Countess Cruise and Maritime Voyages | The Daily Mirror reports a dramatic medical evacuation from a cruise ship in the North Sea almost turned to tragedy when the stretcher carrying the passenger plunged into the water. The incident occurred last week when a woman suffering from internal bleeding was being transferred from the the ship to a Norwegian rescue vessel. The vessels, which hadn't been latched together, suddenly moved apart by several feet just as they were transferring her, which caused the rescue crews to drop the stretcher into the sea. The ship was on a cruise from Hull to Norway to see the Northern Lights. A spokesman for the company said: "On Tuesday 29 March a female British passenger on board the cruise ship Ocean Countess became ill and was in need of immediate medical disembarkation. "The vessel's position was about 20 nautical miles off the coast of the Norwegian and port of Bodo. The vessel contacted the local Norwegian emergency services and a Search and Rescue vessel was sent for the disembarkation of the passenger. "While the disembarkation was taking place about three miles from the shore the passenger unfortunately fell into the water. The crew of the Search and Rescue vessel picked up the passenger from the water and transferred her to hospital in Bodo. The passenger's condition is currently stable. Update: The woman subsequently died. It is unclear whether the dunk into the ocean was related to her death. (see here) | Bungled rescue attempt |
| February 19 | Deutschland Peter Deilmann Cruises |
The Dominion Post (New Zealand) reports a cruise ship passenger became the latest pedestrian to be hit by a bus in central Wellington yesterday. The German tourist, believed to be in his 50s, was struck as he crossed Lambton Quay about 4.30pm yesterday. He flew five metres through the air and cracked his head on the road, a witness said. Although he was bleeding from his injuries, fellow tourists asked that an ambulance not be called before helping him on to a bus bound for cruise ship. An ambulance spokesman said the man sustained only minor injuries and planned to be treated by a doctor on the ship. | Passenger injured ashore |
| February 17 | Truong Hai | Voice of Viet Nam News reports 12 bodies have been found and all the passengers, including both the saved and the dead (except for one) have been identified. A cruise boat named Truong Hai, coded QN 5198, carrying 21 visitors and six sailors sank at 5:am (local time) on the morning of February 17 off the Ti Top island in Ha Long Bay. Among the total of 21 tourists on board, there were two Vietnamese people and 19 foreigners coming from Russia (2), the UK (1), Denmark (2), Germany (1), Italy (2), the US (3), Japan (1), Australia (1), France (2), Sweden (2) and Switzerland (2). Initial findings point to a leak in the engine room as the cause of the accident. By noon of the same day, search and rescue workers saved nine foreigners, one captain and four sailors. At 11:45 am, 12 bodies were salvaged. | Ship sinks
- 12 die |
| February 2 | Polar Star Polar Star Expeditions |
The ship's February 6 cruise has been canceled - see details below, February 1. UPDATE February 8: Following a damage assessment by a team of divers, Polar Star’s three remaining Antarctica cruises are canceled as the ship is headed to drydock for repairs. Once repairs are completed and approved, Polar Star is expected to resume its normal schedule starting May 3 with the ‘Islands of the Edge’ program, cruising the UK, Ireland and Scotland. The ship arrived safely in Ushuaia Sunday after deadheading back from the South Shetland Islands, where it had transferred passengers to other vessels for the Drake Passage crossing. All arrived in Ushuaia and have been returning home. | Cancelation |
| February 1 | Polar Star Polar Star Expeditions |
The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators reports after sustaining a minor breach to its outer hull by grounding on a rock near Antarctica’s Detaille Island, the double-bottom ship was cleared to sail and is making its way northward. There are no reports of injury to any of the 80 passengers and 35 crew aboard the ship following Monday’s incident and no evidence of fuel oil leakage. After assessments, the ship, operated by Halifax-based Polar Star Expeditions, received permission from its Barbados flag state and classification society Det Norske Veritas to depart its location near Detaille Island. The ship sailed at 9 p.m. Monday and is now proceeding north along the Antarctic Peninsula, with the intention to return to Ushuaia under its own power with all passengers and crew aboard. The ship is currently heading north-northeast at approximately 10 knots toward Arctowski Station, the Polish research facility on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. There, as an added precaution, station divers will make an underwater inspection to confirm the vessel is fit to return to Ushuaia. Further assessments of damage and repairs will be made. UPDATE February 2: Polar Star Expeditions reports that following an underwater inspection of the ship’s outer hull, it has decided to disembark the ship’s 80 passengers at King George Island in the South Shetland Islands as a precautionary measure before crossing the Drake Passage and returning to Ushuaia, Argentina. The company is currently arranging alternative transportation for its passengers via other IAATO vessels back to Ushuaia, where the MV Polar Star was originally scheduled to return on February 6. The Halifax-based company also announced that the February 6 Antarctica cruise aboard MV Polar Star would be canceled. Martin Karlsen, president of Polar Star Expeditions, stated that the double-hulled vessel traveled uneventfully and at normal cruising speed from Detaille Island to the Polish Arctowski Station on King George Island. The ship arrived on schedule at 0900 local time this morning at Arctowski, where station divers assessed the damage to the outer hull. Following discussions with the captain and DNV officials – Det Norske Veritas, the MV Polar Star’s classification society – the company made the precautionary decision not to cross the Drake Passage with passengers aboard. Once passengers have been transferred and temporary repairs made, the ship will proceed to Ushuaia with its 35 officers and crew. Polar Star Expeditions is notifying relevant maritime rescue coordination centers and Ushuaia port authorities of the new plan. Karlsen noted that estimated time of arrival of passengers in Ushuaia, and which ships they will be aboard, should be announced tomorrow, 3 February. | Grounded |
| January 13 | Spirit of Adventure Saga Holidays |
The Daily Telegraph reports guests were ordered to take shelter below deck as a speed boat carrying men thought to be pirates drew alongside. The incident took place as the vessel travelled from Madagascar to Zanzibar. The ship, carrying 350 passengers, was able to outpace the pirates. Naval authorities were alerted. A Saga spokesman said: "The Spirit of Adventure was followed by a suspect vessel for about an hour this evening. After guests were moved down to the middle of the ship the captain sped up to full speed and the vessel went away. We think it was scouting out the ship. Usually pirates are not interested in passenger ships but in cargo ones which have a higher value. There are well rehearsed procedures that are put in place for this sort of incident." The ship was due to arrive at a Zanzibar port this morning. It will then stop in Dar es Salaam, Tanga and then Mombassa where the cruise finishes on January 17. | Threat by pirates |
| January 3 | Le Boreal Abercrombie & Kent |
The ship’s Jan. 4 Antarctica cruise, a charter by Abercrombie & Kent, has been canceled after technicians on the ship found ‘signs of wear and suggested some parts be replaced and that additional tests be run.’ Neither A&K nor shipowner Compagnie du Ponant specified the issue, but in a statement Ponant said: ‘If the ship had been sailing in any other part of the world, the parts would have been readily available and the work could easily have been done during its cruise.’ Ponant added that it made the decision to replace the parts in Ushuaia ‘prior to any problems arising while in the remote Antarctic region.’ The ship is currently returning to Ushuaia as scheduled from A&K’s Antarctica holiday cruise. | Cancelation |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2010 |
Incident |
| 12.12.10 | Branson Belle Showboat Branson Belle |
Fox News reports more than 600 passengers and crew were expected to be stuck on a showboat overnight after high winds caused the vessel to run aground Saturday at Poverty Point on Table Rock Lake (Missouri). The cruise began having problems with propulsion around 6 p.m.and a tug boat was called to help, but wind picked up and the boat ran aground. At 11 p.m., officials decided it was best to let winds calm before trying to move the boat to where the passengers could disembark. About 567 passengers and 76 crew members were on board. It was speculated it could be 6 a.m. Sunday before the vessel can be moved. Subsequent reports indicate all were disembarked by noon. | Aground |
| 10.12.10 | Mist Cove The Boat Company |
The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports The state Department of Ecology has fined a cruise ship owner more than $30,000 in penalties, after the ship dumped an estimated 456 gallons of diesel fuel into Sinclair Inlet near Port Orchard earlier this year. The accident occurred in March, when the Mist Cove, owned by a Poulsbo company that does "luxury eco-cruises" in Southeast Alaska, was doing a fuel transfer. The 24-passenger ship had been moored in downtown Port Orchard, when oil overflowed from an open valve, creating a sheen that reached the middle of the inlet. No wildlife was reported killed or injured from spill, but the affected area included eel grass beds, salt marshes and beaches where small fish spawn. State officials said a chief engineer had failed to do a pre-transfer check to ensure proper valve settings. They also said the company -- called The Boat Company -- requires at least two crew members to do a transfer, but only one person was on board at the time. The fine included a $15,500 penalty, plus $15,700 in damages to the environment. The state also charged the company, which has 30 days to appeal, $4,700 in clean-up costs. | Fuel spill |
| 9.12.10 | Clelia II Travel Dynamics International |
TV3 in New Zealand reports a large wave slammed into the ship (chartered to Polar Cruises) with 88 passengers and 77 crew members aboard, but the ship's crew overcame minor damage and is heading safely back to its scheduled port (Ushuaia). The Clelia II declared an emergency yesterday, reporting it had suffered engine damage amid heavy seas and 90 kph winds when it was northeast of the South Shetland Islands and about 845km from Ushuaia. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators issued statement saying the wave that hit the Clelia II caused a broken bridge window and some electrical malfunctions that temporarily knocked out some communications and affected engine performance. "There are no injuries to passengers, although one member of the crew sustained minor injuries," it said. The ship was accompanied by a Navy vessel as it returned to port. For a video, see You Tube. UPDATE and CORRECTION: As happens in such situatipons, accurate information is difficult to come by. It appears there was much misinformation about this event, and there was also some less-than-respectable behaviour. It appears that the footage that is on You Tube was taken by the National Geographer videographer that was on board the NG Explorer, and shows the ship bobbing up and down. Considering that the worst had already passed, we were not concerned. We knew that they had reporters on board and just assumed that they would report the news. What we did not expect is that they would twist facts and cause panic at home... What happened was that the captain of the NG Explorer asked the crew and passengers not to publish anything until the Clelia 2 was back in port, but the videographer must have seen a great opportunity to self promotion and leaked the video to her friend, who got the video all around the world. Not only that, they included a "report from a passenger", that was totally inaccurate, stating that we were without engine, "foundering" (which means sinking), etc. As we were without communications, that was the first news that our friends and family heard. Travel Dynamics office communicated with the emergency contacts numbers - but some were reached only after the original report was on the press. The IAATO also issued their official report, and maybe that is the best and most correct version to post. It is worth noting that the ship never lost engine power during the emergency, and the VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) confirms this. Also the passenger area never lost electricity, and most passengers never noticed that anything went wrong until they heard the captain's announcement. UPDATE: The ship will re-enter service December 26. A view from onboard: Here is an account from a person "in the know" from onboard the ship: We met rough weather after we left the Antarctic peninsula, and the Captain had already reduced the speed of the ship to increase the comfort of passengers and reduce the beating of the ship. It was around 10:30 am, on December 7th, when a wave broke one of the windows of the bridge. There was water coming into the bridge and sparks were flying everywhere. The captain took immediate control of the situation, and ordered the ship to be turned around, downwind, to minimize water intake and to allow the seamen to work on the forward of the ship and close the window. The passengers were watching a lecture at the time. When the lecture ended we asked them to go their cabins and remain there until further notice. The water that entered the bridge caused damage to the electronic equipment. Most of our communications were down, as well as radar. Steering was transfered to the engine room, and electricity was shut down to some areas of the ship - including the kitchen. The cooks prepared cold sandwiches that were delivered to the passengers in their staterooms. At 15:00, the situation was under control. The captain turned the ship to face the winds, and decided not to advance against them, but to "ride the storm", and wait for it to abate. He called the passengers to the lecture hall, where he informed them of our situation. At this point we had already contact with the National Geographic Explorer, who was approaching our position to offer help. We never lost power, or steering, and the ship was able to reach Ushuaia in its own. What we needed most was communications. The NG Explorer approached us in the late afternoon, and threw us a line via rocket launcher, and attached to it was an Iridium Satelite phone. On the next morning (December 8th), the winds had abated and we the captain ordered the ship to proceed to Ushuaia, where we arrived on the evening of December 9th. |
?Disabled at sea? |
| 18.11.10 | Blue Ocean Cruises | The Times of India reports Blue Ocean Cruises had made its maiden journey to Mumbai on Monday night when trouble commenced around 90 minutes after the ship left Mormugao port. It was on its return leg to Mumbai carrying around 250 passengers. The ship tilted to one side at three degrees and a little while later sea water entered the cabins. However, there was no serious damage to the ship. "There is no cause for panic. The vessel had slight leakage but there is no danger to the vessel or the port. The ship is floating and it's a very good sign because if there was a hole or crack it couldn't float. As Wednesday was a holiday the workers couldn't work on the ship," said MPT deputy chairman PC Parida. Sources said Western India Shipyard workers had on Wednesday tried to find the exact point of leakage but failed to find where the fault lies. However, officials are confident that the leak will be detected and plugged. There have been reports the leak is the result of a crack in the hull. | Severe list - take on water |
| 8.11.10 | Delphin Voyager Delphin Kreuzfahrten |
The Kyiv Post reports the ship has been impounded in Piraeus since October 12. It was sailing from Venice to Istanbul, entered the port of Piraeus in Greece. The Ukrainian Embassy in Greece reported that the operator company had been declared bankrupt and was refusing to fulfill its financial liabilities to the ship's crew, which included Ukrainian citizens. | Impounded |
| 7.10.10 | Swan Hellenic Cruises | It has been reported that Lord Sterling, the multimillionaire boss of luxury cruise company Swan Hellenic, was criticized this week for saying that his passengers should be segregated from the lorry drivers at the ferry port in Portsmouth. He said that customers on his 5-star cruises shouldn’t have to mix with lorry drivers who have body odor, nor young people who loiter and wait around for cheaper crossings. The former P&O chairman made these comments as his Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean Island Cruises companies are getting ready to switch operations in the summer from Southampton to Portsmouth. He said that they want to create a certain atmosphere as soon as people get there, describing it as a 5-star setting. However, he is concerned that their customers will be asked to mix with BO-suffering lorry drivers, who wear shorts and no shirts in the summer, as well as haven’t shaved in days, in some cases. This will upset some of their customers and won’t be their presented offering, he explained, so something has to be done about it. | Controversial comments |
| 7.10.10 | Hebridian Princess Cruises | Coach Broker News reports two cruise ship workers have admitted stealing a bus each while off duty on the Isle of Mull this week. Peter Robertson from Dundee and Carl Jordan from Kent were employed as chefs on the 5 star Hebridean Princess cruise ship when the incident occurred. In court the pair admitted stealing a bus each from Bowman’s Coach Yard on the Isle of Mull and also pleaded guilty to charges of driving without a bus licence or insurance. The chefs have been released on bail until November 8th. It is estimated the duo caused £15,000 worth of damage to the buses they stole from the coach yard. | Cruise workers arrested |
| 5.10.10 | Mirage I Yesh Shipping |
Cyprus Mail reports the search for an Israeli cruise ship passenger who fell overboard off the coast of Cyprus has been halted after eighteen hours without a trace of the 26-year-old man. The Israeli, who reportedly suffered from depression, was travelling from Haifa to Limassol. Yesh spokesman Ronan Kaplan said that at 1am on Monday, when the ship was around 180 miles south of Cyprus the crew received a message from the Israeli police that one of the passengers was planning to commit suicide after his father found a suicide note. “From that moment the man was announced as a missing person, the ship’s crew halted all leisure activities, searched the ship and paged the passenger” Kaplan told the Jerusalem post. The ship then retraced its course to search for the man and by 3am a full scale search and rescue operation. | Passenger overboard (suicide) |
| 30.9.10 | Lyubov Orlova | CBC reports dozens of Russian and Ukrainian crewmembers are stranded in St. John's because the owner of the ship owes $250,000 to the Canadian company (Cruise North) that chartered it. Canadian officials placed the vessel under arrest when it arrived in St. John's five days ago. Crewmembers, who have been living on the ship in St. John's, told CBC News they haven't been paid for five months. "I am a little angry because I have a credit on my house and most of the crew have credits on houses in our country," said Russian Anton Fyederovski, the ship's third mate. "There will be a lot of trouble with banks at home, yes." The Lyubov Orlova was used during the summer for adventure tourism trips to northern Labrador and Northwest passage. No passengers were on the ship when it was arrested. There are 49 Russians and two Ukrainians working on the vessel.UPDATE: The ship was subsequently sold to a Norwegian investor in early November. | Impounded |
| 26.9.10 | Macau Success Success Cruises |
Agence France Presse reports a 47-year-old man from mainland China will appear in a Hong Kong court Monday on a charge of murder over the death of a woman who last week fell from a cruise ship. The man was arrested Friday after the 43-year-old woman fell into the sea off Waglan Island, near the eastern edge of Hong Kong's territory, a special autonomous region in southern China. A Hong Kong newspaper reported Saturday that the woman was pulled unconscious from the water 50 minutes after she was pushed overboard from the casino ship. The woman was pronounced dead by rescuers and marine police arrested her 47-year-old husband on board the Macau Success for questioning, the South China Morning Post reported. The ship is one of several passenger ships that ferry gamblers from Hong Kong into international waters, beyond the jurisdiction of city's strict controls on gambling. | Passenger pushed overboard |
| 8.9.10 | Funchal Classic International Cruises |
AFP reports nine Portuguese tourists were killed and 14 injured when their tour bus plunged into a ravine in northern Morocco. Eight of the dead in the accident near the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta were female, including a teenager, and one of the injured was a Moroccan guide, medical sources added. "It was very foggy and drizzling," a witness said. "The coach skidded and fell into a ravine." Classic International Cruises said that 44 tourists were aboard the bus when it crashed at 0645 GMT. | Deaths ashore |
| 1.9.10 | Clelia II Great Lakes Cruise Co. |
From a passenger: On approximately 8/31/2010, departing Manitoulin Island, Ontario, the ship lost power. Total darkness. Public address system advised passengers to stabilize themselves...power back on...Public Address announced "Electircal engineer to bridge NOW" Power off again. Slight bump. Lights back on. The Tour Director, Jonathan Green, Travel Dynamics International , later appeared before the passengers on behalf of the Captian, explained it was due to human error, that US and Canadian officials had been contacted to ascertain if it was safe to proceed with the planned itinerary. From passengers conversation, the ship dropped anchor as soon as the first power outage occurred; that it had been determined only the paint on the hull was affected. | Loss of power |
| 29.8.10 | Clipper Adventurer Adventure Canada |
The National Post reports evacuation efforts are underway in the Canadian Arctic after the ship ran aground in three metres of water on Friday evening about 55 nautical miles from Coppermine, Nunavut, near the border with the Northwest Territories. A Canadian Coast Guard ice breaker is en route to the scene to transport passengers to Coppermine where the ship was headed. The cruise began in Greenland. There were no reports of injuries and authorities said they were not concerned about environmental damage. Update September 1: With the ship still stuck on the uncharted rock where it grounded, Adventure Canada has canceled the remainder of the ship’s season. A technical team is on board doing evaluations and they expect it will take some days before a refloating attempt will take place. | Ran aground |
| 23.8.10 | Saga Ruby Saga Holidays |
The Guernsey Press reports that due to forecast weather conditions and rough seas, the three ships all decided to move on after being in Guernsey waters for just a few hours. The ships arrived early in the morning but after discussions with the harbour authorities the Saga Ruby and Black Watch decided to leave straight away. ‘The Crown Princess wanted to wait and see if the weather was going to clear up and to speak to its head office. But at 8.07am it decided to cancel. | Skipped port call |
| 19.8.10 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Line |
CBS12 reports Miami FBI is investigating an alleged rape on the ship. Investigators responded to the ship when it docked Monday morning. Reports say passengers were delayed upon arrival at the port until the FBI was able to gather a list of names for everyone onboard. At this moment no arrests have been made. | Alleged sexual assault |
| 26.7.10 | Oceanic Discoverer Coral Princess Cruises |
New Zealand Herald reports two separate investigations have been launched into an accident on the ship at the Port of Napier yesterday which has left a seaman fighting for his life. The 34-year-old Australian man, of Sri Lankan descent, was in a critical condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital this morning after he was crushed between a fire door and a bulkhead during a safety drill. The man was trapped for five minutes before being freed by crew and resuscitated. He has had surgery for crush injuries to his chest, abdomen and pelvis. Theship, which arrived in Napier yesterday, did not leave for the Marlborough Sounds last night as scheduled. It is being held in port while the investigations take place and there is also a manning issue now. | Crew seriously injured |
| 22.7.10 | Independence American Cruise Lines |
Bangor Daily News reports the 100 passenger cruise ship allegedly released waste into the harbor as it was tied up to the town pier on Monday. The incident happened around 10:30 Monday morning and involved gray water. It isn't known how much was released, it was enough to discolor the water around the ship and had some odor to it. Jane Disney, a town councilor who is also director of the community lab, said Wednesday that the lab tested the water next to the ship about two hours after the discharge was detected. She said the lab found levels of the bacteria enterococcus at 228 parts per 100 million, slightly more than twice the concentration level of the bacteria that correlates to illness in humans. UPDATE: WCSH News reports tests completed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection were unable to prove whether or not the ship discharged its waste while at the town pier last month, but they do say that tests indicated there was definitely a presence of sewage in the water not long after the cruise ship docked in Bar Harbor on July 19. A test conducted hours after the ship was seen discharging showed an elevated level of the bacteria "enterococcus." The D.E.P. says while the ship appears to be the only apparent source of the plume, the department can not be 100 percent certain. Authorities say this is partially because the D.E.P. is not allowed to board ships to check the necessary valves. The captain of the ship says his crew might have discharged "grey water" while the ship was at the town dock, but he added that type of waste could not have produced the size or odor of the plume reported by witnesses. "Grey water" comes from sinks and showers onboard a vessel and investigators with the D.E.P. say it could not have raised the bacteria level of the water to the extent it was on July 19. The case will be referred to the Environmental Protection Agency and the coast guard. | Environmental |
| 23.5.10 | Deutschland Peter Deilmann Cruises |
Dagbladet.no reports a fire broke out in the engine room while the ship was docked in Eidfjord, Hordalan (Norway). All passengers have been evacuated. The fire, which broke out around 12:30 P.M., was reportedly put out by 4 p.m. Oslo daily paper Aftenposten said the fire flared again half an hour later but was out by 5 p.m. Emergency personnel report the affected engine compartment was isolated by fire doors and crew began fighting the blaze before shoreside firefighters arrived. The ship arrived from Flam and was scheduled to continue to Hamburg at 19:00 tonight. UPDATE: The ship will be towed to Bergen for an assessment of damage. The seven day cruise scheduled for June 25th has been canceled. | Fire |
| 18.5.10 | Oceanic Discoverer Coral Princess Cruises |
From a passenger: Regarding the cruise running 7 - 17 May: 1) the ship departed 6 hours late from Darwin as it awaited delivery of a spare part; 2) the excursion to the King Cascades was canceled after the crew member driving the zodiac fell into the water trying to retrieve his hat and was severely injured by the propeller; 3) the trip to the Red Cone Creek swimming hole was good, except passengers were stranded there from 3:30 - 11:00 PM (without food and water) because the ship had miscalculated tides and couldn't get to the creek as originally schedued. Passengers on the cruise were compensated with 20% off their next cruise with the company, which wasn't adequate given that this cruise did not make one likely to use the cruise line again. | Multiple problems |
| 7.5.10 | Oceanic Peace Boat |
The Croatia Times reports the ship repelled pirates after being attacked en route between Yemen and Somalia last night (Thurs). The crew managed to fend off the marauding pirates - who had attacked the ship with grenades - by blasting them with water hoses. The pirates were later picked up by a NATO patrol boat. | Pirate attack |
| 28.4.10 | Minerva Swan Hellenic |
A reader writes that the May 1st cruise has been canceled. Here is what he writes: A representative of Swan Hellenic has called back, but would not give any details behind the reasons for the cancellation, saying that having cancelled the last cruise due to the ash problems, they took the opportunity to carry out some maintenance on the ship, and yesterday they discovered a minor issue. They are offering a full refund, to be in the post in the next couple of weeks, and 10% off a future cruise as long as it is taken by the end of this year. Another source reports: the May 1 ‘Classical Civilizations’ cruise from Aqaba to Istanbul, citing ‘essential and extended technical repairs,’ The next scheduled sailing is a May 15 ‘Gods & Tsars’ cruise, 16 days, from Istanbul to Malta. | Canceled cruise |
| 20.4.10 | Minerva Swan Hellenic |
From a reader: Just heard that Swan Hellenic's Minerva has broken down in the Mediterranean. The ship had been taken for emergency dry dock in Syros in Greece for engine repair. No a/c or lighting. | Propulsion problems |
| 8.4.10 | Prestige Cruise Holdings | Travel Weekly reports the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises was fined $75,000 by the U.S. Department of Transportation for not disclosing applicable taxes and fees in its "free air" advertisements. The DOT said in a consent order that ads for air-cruise packages did not include government taxes or air-related fuel surcharges and service fees. The DOT considers the failure to disclose such charges an unfair and deceptive trade practice. "The 'free' air fares, as advertised, do not provide adequate notice that certain taxes and fees, which properly may be stated separately from the advertised fare, must be paid by the traveler in order to obtain the 'free' air fare, nor of the amount of such taxes and fees," the DOT order said. The DOT said that Prestige had immediately revised pricing on its websites and informed printing vendors to discontinue its 2009 and 2010 advertisements. Prestige also told the DOT it had contacted some 31,000 travel agents to inform them of the change, and that it informed marketing, sales and field staff about the new advertising policy. In addition, Prestige told the DOT that "in the interest of offering customers a more simple pricing structure," Regent and Oceania have now implemented an all-inclusive pricing model in which all airline-imposed fuel surcharges and government taxes are now included within the advertised fare. | Fine for deceptive advertising |
| 18.3.10 | Alta |
The Monreal Gazette reports sixteen Canadian tourists had to be rescued after the yacht they were travelling on struck a reef in the Galapagos Islands Wednesday evening. "The boat was coming into harbour at 8:30 p.m. in Puerto Ayora and it struck a reef and couldn't free itself," said Fernando Diez of Quasar Expeditions in Quito. The passengers were brought to shore and "no injuries were reported, and they were set up in a waterfront hotel," he added. "We're aware of the sinking of the ALTA cruise ship off the shore of Santa Cruz Island and all affected Canadians are safe and accounted for," said Dana Cryderman of the Foreign Affairs Department. | Ship sinks |
| 5.3.10 | Amorella |
Sky News reports more than 1,000 people have been trapped on four ships stuck in ice in the Baltic Sea off Sweden's east coast. The vessels, which were among about 50 ships stuck firm - some for several days - in the thick Baltic ice, have now been freed. The Swedish Maritime Administration and ice-breaking vessels mounted a rescue but were unable to reach the vessels immediately because of gale-force winds around the Stockholm archipelago and the Finnish island of Aland. Speaking before the ships were freed from the ice, a spokesman for the rescuers said: "As soon as they break the ice, it freezes over again." The cruise ships involved have been named as the Amorella, a passenger ferry with 943 people on board, the smaller Via Mare ferry carrying 66 people, the roll-on-roll-off ferry Sea Wind with 32 people and the Regal Star, a cargo ship with 56 people on board. | Stuck in
ice |
| 3.3.10 | Rosella Viking Line |
YLE (Finland) reports the Finnish cruise ship Rosella, run by Viking Line, is one of two cruise ships that got caught in sea ice in Stockholm's archipelago. The ship was unable to reach its destination Kapellskär, and was forced to turn back to Mariehamn at around 10 p.m. Tuesday night. The Swedish cruise ship Birger Jarl was also stopped by ice as it was on its way to Stockholm. It was stuck for around a day before it managed to turn around and also return to Mariehamn. | Stuck in ice |
| 21.2.10 | Pacific Venus Japan Cruise Line |
The Honolulu Advertiser reports the U.S. Coast Guard will resume searching for a crew member who went overboard Saturday when the ship was south of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The ship, on its way back to Japan, reported the 24-year-old crew member went overboard at 2 p.m. Saturday. The cruise ship was about 300 miles southwest of Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands when it first reported the crew member missing. | Crew
member overboard |
| 20.2.10 | Concordia Class Afloat |
The Vancouver Sun reports 64 passengers and crew were rescued in lifeboats in the Atlantic Ocean after their sailing ship sank Thursday in rough waters about 550 kilometres from Rio de Janeiro. The crew and passengers (high school students) spent 16 to 18 hours huddled in life rafts until rescuers found them in the dark. | Sank |
| 27.1.10 | Clelia II Travel Dynamics International |
Thought to have sustained only minor damage to its starboard propeller when a strong current pushed the ship against rocks in Antarctica in late December (see December 27, 2009), the ship's Antarctica season has now been canceled. When taken out of the water in drydock, it was determined the propeller would need to be replaced. The ship remains in drydock, awaiting the delivery of a propeller being manufactured in Denmark. The propeller is expected to be installed by the beginning of March. The ship is scheduled to sail the Amazon River starting March 20. | Cancelations |
| 22.1.10 | Royal Clipper Star Clippers |
USA Today reports a 30-year old New Mexico woman was found dead in Antigua after she strayed from a barbecue near Pigeon Point Beach. The woman was stabbed to death; her body was found at around 5 p.m. Tuesday on a secluded trail at Windward Bay. A statement provided by Star Clippers said authorities have a description of the alleged assailant, but have not made an arrest. UPDATE: Star Clippers have pulled out of Antigua til at least next winter. They will be monitoring the port security over the summer and make a decision about next winter nearer the time. They are replacing Antigua with Nevis on the remaining cruises til they sail back to Europe in April. | Murder ashore |
| 17.1.10 | Expedition GAP Expeditions |
I have been informed that GAP's new ship (Expedition) didn't sail from Ushuaia on it most recent cruise. There is no word about what is wrong. Passenegrs were accommodated on other ships sailing to Antarctica. From a reader: The ship has been laid up in Las Palmas with engine trouble since at least November. | Cancellation - engine trouble |
| 7.1.10 | Hannah Glover and Rockmmore Rockmore Co. |
The Boston Herald reports the company has agreed to pay more than $300,000 in fines and other costs for dumping raw sewage directly from its vessels into coastal waters and the Charles River. Prosecutors allege that Marblehead-based Rockmore Co. Inc., which operates the vessels Hannah Glover and Rockmore, from 1990 until 2006 knowingly discharged untreated sewage from the boats toilets into North Shore waters. The Hannah Glover offers dinner cruises, sightseeing trips, and ferry service. The Rockmore is a restaurant boat moored in Salem Harbor. Under an agreement reached with federal prosecutors, the company agreed to plead guilty to two counts of violating federal law, and pay a $225,000 fine as well as a $75,000 payment to the state environmental trust. | Environmental |
| 6.1.10 | Star Clipper |
Travel Pulse reports the company announced that its tall ship in Asia will relocate to the Caribbean for the 2010 winter season due to increased piracy in the Far East. Following its summer sailings in the Eastern Mediterranean, Star Clipper will reposition to St. Maarten in November for seven-night roundtrip cruises. The company has deployed a ship to the Far East during the winter for more than a decade. The Far East itineraries, featuring Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, have been well received, but owner Mikael Krafft said geopolitical conditions, not related directly to the destinations themselves, dictated this decision. | Piracy concerns |
| 2.1.10 | Palm Beach Princess Casino | CBS 12 News reports the ship arrived back at the dock three and a half hours late after being stalled five miles off shore. Passengers finally disembarked at 3:45am. An officer aboard the ship says high winds prevented the gambling boat from making a safe return. Passengers tell CBS 12 they were concerned the delay could have been a result of a malfunctioning engine. A tug boat brought the Palm Beach Princess back to the dock. All passengers received a voucher for a free cruise. | Delayed arrival |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2009 |
Incident |
| 16.12.09 | Reef Escape Captain Cook Cruises |
The Fiji Times reports monster waves and strong winds from Cyclone Mick barrelled the cruise ship Reef Escape onto a beach on the southern end of Naviti, in the Yasawa Group. The ship was on a three-day cruise of southern Yasawa. The ship had departed Denarau on Saturday. The ship was rescued at 9.30am Tuesday. Then it was another six hour of rough sea travel before they were offloaded at Denarau. | Ran aground |
| 14.12.09 | Deutschland Peter Deilmann Cruises |
USA Today reports the ship skipped its port call at Galveston because of dense fog. | Skipped port call |
| 11.12.09 | Bleu de France Croisières de France |
The company, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited through Pullmantur Cruises, announced cancellation of the ship's Red Sea program, scheduled for Jan. 16 to March 20, citing ‘operational reasons.’ The ship was scheduled to sail the Red Sea from Egypt’s Sharm el Sheik after completing its current Eastern Mediterranean season. The cruise line started in May 2008 with Pullmantur’s former Holiday Dream, built in 1981 as Europa for Hapag-Lloyd. | Cancelation |
| 5.12.09 | Discovery Voyages of Discovery |
Cruise Critic reports the 40-night "Egypt, Arabia & the Orient" cruise was supposed to leave Barcelona on 28 November, but dry dock delays kept it in port until December 1 and rough seas caused further mayhem with the scheduled itinerary. Passengers boarded the ship on the 28th as planned, and lived onboard while it remained docked in Barcelona for a few extra days. The delay in departure resulted in the cancellation of a scheduled call in Valletta, Malta. When Discovery finally departed, rough seas further impacted the itinerary. Discovery is now spending December 1 to 4 at sea, which will result in a missed call in Alexandria, Egypt. Its visit to Port Said, Egypt, and Suez Canal transit will each be delayed by a day, and the ship will then skip its second day in Safaga to get back on schedule. Passengers on this voyage will receive a refund equal to the cost of two days of the cruise and a £50 per person shipboard credit. | Delayed departure / itinerary change |
| 3.12.09 | Palm Beach Princess Casino | WPTB-TV reports All bets are off for the Palm Beach Princess Casino. The cruise ship is not sailing Wednesday night. Unnamed sources said that the ship's workers are on strike because they've been asked to take a 25% pay cut and no additional pay for new, expanded hours. The cruise ship offered another explanation. "This morning we relieved our captain of his duties and brought in a new captain. He was paid in full for the term of his contract. He is trying to organize a strike and right now the company is in talks with the crew, trying to get the situation rectified so that we can resume sailing," said marketing director Mark Simkins. Simkins did not provide a timeline for how long the labor dispute will go on. He did say that the ship will not be sailing Wednesday night. UPDATE December 4: Palm Beach Post reports the labour dispute has been resolved, but on Tuesday the ship could be dry-docked by the U.S. Coast Guard. The company that owns the ship has until then to repair its main engine, which failed about three months ago, or at least have a detailed repair plan. The company, which agreed to a Dec. 8 deadline to fix the engine, has been paying two tugboats to haul the 420-foot ship in and out of the Port of Palm Beach since the engine failure, as ordered by the Coast Guard. "We will either fix the current engine or buy a new ship," Princess spokesman Mark Simkins said Friday. If Princess officials solve the engine problem by Tuesday, the Coast Guard will inspect it, taking the ship for a test run in the inlet and possibly out to the Atlantic Ocean. If the engine is not fixed, the Coast Guard will require Princess managers to show ordered parts and repair contracts if they are to be granted an extension, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Mario Teixeira. "It would take a very detailed repair plan to convince the Coast Guard to grant another extension," Teixeira said. Update December 9: The Palm Beach Princess gaming cruise to nowhere is banned from operating out of U.S. ports, after the ship failed to meet a deadline Tuesday to have its main engine repaired, the U.S. Coast Guard announced. | Labour dispute / Engine problems / Banned by U.S. |
| 3.12.09 | Wonderful Star |
Safety at Sea International reports a ferry involved in a collision with a ro-ro in the Philippines is being towed to port today. The collision endangered 519 ferry passengers at Cebu late on Tuesday, but no serious injuries were reported. The Roble Shipping-operated ro-pax Wonderful Star and the Gothong Lines-owned, 15,439gt ro-ro Subic Bay 1 were both heading into the narrow Mactan channel, under the first Mactan-Mandaue Bridge when the 1,297gt ferry grounded. | Collision |
| 2.12.09 | Lyubov Orlova Quark Expeditions |
A person has posted a video at YouTube showing the ship "slashing the Maruba container Asia during the approach to dock at the Port Ushuaia." Note the black smoke coming from the ship's smokestack -- this is what concerns environmentalists, especially given the ship's travel to Antarctica. | Bump / Slash |
| 27.11.09 | Clelia II Adventure Life International Voyages |
There is a report the ship hit a rock in Possession Bay (Antarctica). Damage was minor; all onboard are safe and unharmed. UPDATE: The following was received in response to this report -- We became aware that you carried a report on your web site, Cruise Junkie, that the expedition cruise ship Clelia II hit a rock on November 27, 2009 in Possession Bay. We are the charterers and operators of the Clelia II, and would like to state categorically that the ship did not hit a rock in Possession Bay, which, by the way, is in South Georgia Island and not in Antarctica, as you wrote, or in any other place. We are really surprised that you would post information on your site without first checking the veracity of the report. We ask you that you retract your statement immediately and that you post an appropriate statement stating clearly that your earlier report was in error. If you do not post such a statement, we will take any and all legal actions against you to correct the record and seek appropriate damages. | ?Hit rock? |
| 23.11.09 | Expedition Gap Adventures |
From a reader: GAP's Expedition (the ship they refurbished to replace the sunk Explorer) cancelled their two first trips of the season, and rumor has it they will cancel two more. I couldn't find any reliable sousrce nor any news about it. Its not on their site. But the ship did not show up in Ushuaia when it was scheduled to. | Cruises canceled |
| 23.11.09 | Silja Europa Silja Line |
Monsters and Critics reports the ferry with almost 1,700 people onboard was to be towed to the Finnish port city of Turku on Monday due to problems with its rudder system. The rudder system failure was detected Sunday when the ferry was en route from Stockholm to Turku. The ferry is currently in the archipelago of the Aland Islands, located in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden. The ferry operator said the engines were working and the ship was manoeuvrable. The ferry's scheduled departures Monday and Tuesday were cancelled and tickets were refunded. UPDATE: It was subsequently announced that all departures have been canceled until at least December 1, while repairs are undertaken. | Rudder system failure |
| 22.11.09 | Tallink Victoria Tallink |
Uutiset (Finland) reports a search and rescue operation for a man who fell off the ship off the coast of Hanko was called off Sunday morning. The man is now presumed drowned. Authorities said they did everything they could to find him, but to no avail. The ship was en route from Tallinn to Stockholm via Mariehamn. The man went overboard before ten p.m. on Saturday night. Nearby cargo vessels and three cruise ships joined Coast Guard helicopters and boats in the search for the man. "After hours of searching, the civilian vessels returned to their routes while the Coast Guard continued until four a.m. Generally, hypothermia sets in between half an hour to an hour if the water is six or seven degrees Celsius. | Overrboard - Missing |
| 15.11.09 | Kapitan Khlebnikov |
The Guardian reports 80 British tourists on a journey to watch emperor penguins in the Antarctic have been stranded for a week after their cruise ship got stuck in the ice. The Kapitan Khlebnikov, a Russian icebreaker that takes people through the icebergs of the Weddell Sea and to Snow Hill Island rookery, set out on 3 November and was due to return tomorrow. But bad weather caused the sea-ice to compact, making it impossible for the ship, with its 105 passengers to break through. A passenger, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: "The first three days went according to plan, but then the weather started changing. Now we have to wait for winds to change." The passengers and crew are in no danger and it is expected that the ice will decompress enough over the weekend for the ship to navigate its way out and return to Ushuaia, Argentina.UPDATE November 17: ABC News reports the ship is still stuck in ice. The ship is waiting for a stronger wind to try to begin moving again -- it is about five miles from clear water near the Snow Hill Island in the Weddel Sea. Update November 20: Reports indicate the ship has now broken free of the ice. It is scheduled to arrive in Ushuaia November 22. Passengers on the next expedition, which was to have begun last Monday, will embark Sunday for an abbreviated itinerary. | Stuck in ice |
| 6.11.09 | Grand Voyager Iberocruises |
It has been reported that the ship left Funchal today, 21 hours later than scheduled. I was originally scheduled to depart yesterday evening. There have been no reports of the cause for the delay. | Delayed departure |
| 31.10.09 | Iranian cruise ship | Press TV (Iran) reports a cruise ship has gone down off the port city of Genaveh in the Iranian southern province of Bushehr. The ship went down Friday afternoon after being hit by massive waves. It was en route from Khark Island -- in the vicinity of Iran's major port city in the Persian Gulf, Bushehr -- to Genaveh port city -- located on the Persian Gulf cost between Bushehr and Daylem port city. One life was lost and three others went missing in the incident. Twenty-one people were recovered by boats fishing at the site. | Sank |
| 15.10.09 | Discovery Voyages of Discovery |
The Cruising Forum reports: After all of the difficulties last year that ended up with Discovery missing ports and having more than the usual number of inspections...along with some very unhappy passengers and the eventual loss of the managing director, it appears that the gremlins have returned. Reports from various sources state that the ship has suffered another engine breakdown in September and that caused Lisbon to be missed. According to Paris MOU she was inspected in Venice on September 9th, 2009 and she again had deficiencies in her engineroom, safety training & ancilliary equipment departments. This sort of problem plagued her last year also. | Engine problems |
| 15.10.09 | Grimaldi Lines | The Daily Mail reports: A couple, from Terni near Perugia, had booked a three-day cruise last month from with Grimaldi Lines from Civitavecchia to the Spanish city of Barcelona. They had booked the holiday using loyalty points from a supermarket. But when they arrived at the port, they found the ship surrounded by TV crews covering the 'Revuelta gay cruise' - Italy's first all homosexual cruise. Lawyer Antonio Francesconi, who is representing them, said he had written to Grimaldi telling them he was taking them to court and asking for £2,800 compensation. He said: 'I have not yet received a response. It is not a question of discrimination but one of lost satisfaction because no-one had told them their holiday was at the same time as the gay cruise. 'When they booked the cruise, directly with the company, no-one told them it was also hosting the Revuelta event. They arrived at the port and saw the ship surrounded by the media.' They thought it was because someone famous was on board but it was in fact due to the event - the 1,500 passengers were all gay and there were numerous gay events during the three days. 'My clients were also left embarrassed because among the passengers were people they knew and had no idea that were gay, which was uncomfortable for all parties.' Note: There have been similar cases on mainstream cruise lines where large groups charter part of a vessel and passengers arrive un prepared for the lifestyle choice of the group. This speaks to the need for passengers to do their research and be informed about the cruise they book. | Lawsuit |
| 12.10.09 | Saga Ruby Saga Holidays |
The Daily Mirror reports the ship hit a concrete bollard while berthing in New York, and had to have emergency repairs to a hole in the bow before setting off back to the UK. When the incident happened, a pilot was on the bridge. The ship appeared to turn too fast into her own berth. Captain Philip Rentell threw the engines into reverse, but it was too late to avoid a collision. Saga issued a statement: "On Saturday at 07:43 hrs Saga Ruby was turning into Manhattan, west side, Pier 88 berth 1 and during the swing the stem touched the end of the pier shore bollard. This was a light touch so customers would not have been aware that the ship had touched the berth - so no injuries, just embarrassed pilots ! "Clipping the bollard caused some minor damage to the stem plate so we moved the ship to the Liberty Cruise terminal in Bayonne for repair. Passengers have enjoyed the extra day In New York and we plan to sail later today once the repair is inspected." Ruby's next scheduled voyage is a 14-night cruise to the Canaries, currently scheduled to leave Southampton on October 22. The itinerary will have to change, but Saga are waiting to see whether she will be one or two days late getting home before announcing changes. | Collision with pier |
| 30.9.09 | Charaideo Assam Bengal Navigation Company |
The Telegraph India reports the luxury river boat got stuck on a sandbank near Kharguli in Kamrup (metro) district. Though the Assam Bengal Navigation Company, which runs the cruise, said it was not abnormal for ships to get stuck on sandbanks, police had to rush to the spot late last night to guard the foreigners. The ship, which was on its way to Orang National Park, left for its destination this morning. Jahnabi Phookan, an official of the company, said the tourists boarded the luxury ship around 2pm from Pandu ghat for a four-night-five-day tour, including a trip to the Orang Rajiv Gandhi National Park. The ship got stuck near the Khurguli area after sailing for about half-an-hour. A police official said they were informed about the incident around 10pm and by the time a patrol party reached the ship in the middle of the Brahmaputra, it was nearly 1.30am. “We found all the tourists safe and comfortable inside their respective cabins. We kept guard all night,” the police official said. | Grounded |
| 25.8.09 | Antarctic Dream | SvalbardPosten (Norway) reports the ship, while coming alongside the quay in Longyearbyen this morning, collided with the smaller passenger vessel Langøysund. No persons were injured. While the crane operating the MOB boat on Langøysund was damaged, there were only minor signs on Antarctic Dream after the collision. According to Antarctic Dream’s captain the engine did not respond as it should when he tried to go astern. The Norwegian Maritime authorities are in Longyearbyen and will consider the damage on the vessels. They are unable to say whether Antarctic Dream can sail from Longyearbyen as planned at 1700 this afternoon, but most likely they will. Langøysund’s trip (daytrip) was cancelled today. | Collision |
| 22.8.09 | Princess Sophie | Novinite (Sofia News Agency) reports more than 150 passengers and crew have been safely rescued from a burning cruise ship near Novi Sad, Serbia. Bulgarian River Shipping Jsc said sailors on the Bulgarian vessel Nayden Kirov helped evacuate passengers from the river cruise ship that caught fire Friday night on the Danube River. The cruise vessel was anchored on the Serbian side of the Danube River when the fire began. The cause of the blaze was not reported. The sailors-turned-rescuers also helped Serbian firefighters extinguish the blaze as the Bulgarian vessel had to be used as a firefighting platform. No injuries were reported, but the rescued passengers reportedly received assistance from ambulance workers. |
Fire |
| 13.8.09 | Aida Vita Aida Cruises |
Kathimerini (Greece) reports a 29-year-old German woman who is a member of the crew was in stable condition at the Metropolitan Hospital in Athens after contracting swine flu. | Swine flu |
| 11.08.09 | Marco Polo Transocean Cruises |
The Scotsman reports another passenger has been struck down by norovirus. Hilary Brown became ill on a trip on board the Marco Polo, which last month had to cut short a round-Britain voyage when holidaymakers and crew were hit by the norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug. She boarded the ship less than a week after the vessel's visit outbreak in July. She said she and her husband were assured that the vessel was safe to travel on for a 12-day trip around the British Isles. However she suffered a severe stomach bug and needed injections and was on an intravenous drip as part of her treatment. She said: "I was worried about the reports of illness I had seen on the news so I took the precaution of calling the people I had booked with. I was told that everything was fine and that the Marco Polo would be the 'cleanest ship around'. I also checked with one of the members of crew as I boarded the vessel and was again told that everything was fine. "But then I began to suffer from symptoms of diarrhoea, stomach pain and vomiting and was given tablets to treat the diarrhoea. I also had to have injections and was placed on a drip. I had no energy and this really spoilt the holiday." | Illness |
| 11.8.09 | Festival Caspi Cruises |
YNetNews reports a group of Israeli tourists got into a squabble with some 20 locals while on the Greeks island of Rhodes. According to initial information, three Israelis touring the island apparently came across a group of 20 locals, believed to be of Greek or Arab origin. An altercation soon followed, and the locals reportedly mugged the Israelis. The three then returned to the ship they came aboard, gathered some of their friends and returned to the scene of the fight. They quickly located the locals who mugged them, started fighting with them again, and were able to reclaim some of their property. They then boarded the ship once more and left the island, en route to the Isle of Marmaris. | Pax mugged ashore |
| 6.8.09 | Aqua Aqua Expeditions |
The Telegraph (UK) reports nine armed bandits bound the hands and feet of the 20 passengers on a small cruiser heading up the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. The men boarded the vessel from a small speedboat at around 7am on Tuesday near a hamlet called Yucuruchi, close to the confluence of the Marañón, Ucayali and Amazon rivers. They took advantage of heavy rain and poor visibility to stage their raid. They are reported to have overcome two police officers guarding the ship after a similar attack nine days earlier before getting the holidaymakers out of their beds and forcing them to hand over their valuables at gunpoint. One of the officers received first aid for head injuries but the tourists were unharmed. Police reinforcements arrived after crew radioed for help. The robbers fled with cameras, cash, jewellery and designer clothes amid a shoot-out with police. Officers later recovered some of the holidaymakers' belongings after discovering them in the gang's jungle base camp, where they also confiscated guns and walkie-talkies the armed gang are believed to have used to coordinate their well-planned attack. Security in the area was stepped up in the aftermath of the raid, the second of its kind in the last fortnight. | Robbery |
| 30.7.09 | Oceanic Peace Boat |
Canadian media (here and here) reports the ship spilled fuel in Vancouver Harbour -- fuel was found blanketing the water around Canada Place in Vancouver's Burrard Inlet. The oil slick was reported Thursday around 5:00 a.m., but harbour master Yoss Leclerc said crews are still working to determine the severity of the spill. "We are in the middle of a rising tide," Leclerc said. "But we are trying to find the dimension of the slick and what kind of product we are dealing with." The ship has taken responsibility for the spill, according to the Vancouver Coast Guard. Port staff, with the help of coast guard and Transport Canada workers, began cleanup operations. Early indication is that the spill is not bunker oil, but light fuel oil, and that no animals have been harmed. | Environmental |
| 26.7.09 | Blue Water Princess Blue Magic Ferries |
News 24 (Philippines) reports twelve homemade bombs were found just before the ship left port with more than 300 passengers. The explosives were found in a trash can on the second deck in the port of Lucena City, 120 kilometres south-east of Manila. The bombs - 12 bottles attached to electrical wirings and packed with nails and scrap metal - were hidden in a jute sack placed in the trash can. Bomb-sniffing dogs found the explosives while inspecting the ferry before its departure. Bomb experts removed the bombs and defused them. (The ship previously sunk - see July 12, 2007) | Bombs onboard |
| 21.7.09 | Freewinds Church of Scientology |
Pacific Free Press reports the ship docked at Bonaire and offloaded wastewater that was dumped into trenches ashore. The effluent was tested and found to be acidic and to have an high level of ammonia. Other water quality tests are forthcoming. The ship was previously in the news for asbestos contamination (see May 11, 2008) | Environmental |
| 18.7.09 | New Pacific |
Cruising
Talk reports the Italian Coast Guard has seized the ship against
debts of US$14
million owed to the Genoa-based San Giorgio del Porto shipyard. |
Ship seized |
| 12.7.09 | Spirit of Adventure Saga Holidays |
Norway's biggest newspaper, VG Nett, reports the ship is leaking oil in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Geirangerfjorden on the western coast of Norway. On the pictures seen on VGs website, the ship is seen surrounded by lenses. Rescue boats, police, firemen and other teams rushed to the scene as the reports of the spill reached the officials. Norwegian environmental authorities also sent an airplane to provide aerial assessment of the possible damages caused by the spill. According to the newspaper, the leak was caused by an overflow, causing oil to spill into the fjord. The spill was reported at 8.45 AM, and officials are quoted saying the spill was of "significant amounts". There is no danger of the oil reaching the shores, Rita Berstad Maraak of Geiranger harbour says to VG. | Environmental |
| 27.6.09 | Oceanic Peace Boat |
The New York Post reports the ship (with 848 passengers) was detained after Coast Guard inspectors found a small hole in the ship's hull during a routine safety inspection. About a gallon of water per hour was coming into the ship, according to the Coast Guard. An additional twelve safety violations were cited. The ship arrived from Iceland and is due to leave tomorrow for Venezuela. Repairs are expected to be completed by then. | Detained - Hole in Hull |
| 8.6.09 | Coco Explorer 2 7107 Islands Cruise |
The Manila Standard reports the ship was seized from its owner who imported the vessel two years ago but did not pay P19.8 million in taxes on it. The ship, formerly named Coco Explorer 2, entered the Port of Batangas on Sept. 4, 2007, supposedly for repairs, but officials said it was actually brought in to be delivered to its owner, Esteban Tajanlangit. The ship had been operating on the Coron-Puerto Galera-Boracay route and is said to offer 137 rooms that can accommodate 400 guests “in five-star luxury.” The owner had tried to avoid paying duties on the ship by registering it with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. The Zone Authority said it did not grant the owner an import permit for the ship, and that it registered with it only last September after the vessel had already been subject to forfeiture proceedings. Customs seized the ship in Manila on May 30, a Friday, just as its passengers and crew were having a party. | Ship seized |
| 4.5.09 | Diana |
The Local (Sweden) reports passengers were evacuated to safety after the vessel, plying the trans-Sweden Göta Canal, ran aground near Oxelösund in eastern Sweden. Passengers were woken with a start when the mayday was sounded. "The boat was listing badly and a large number of people were unable to stand on the deck due to the boat's gradient," Göran Johansson at the Swedish sea rescue service said to news agency TT. Four boats and a helicopter participated in the rescue. All 53 passengers were evacuated to safety. | Grounded |
| 30.4.09 | SunCruz | WDBO News reports an 18-year-old man jumped off a gambling cruise ship near Port Canaveral on a $15 dare and swam to Jetty Park. The man jumped off the ship after accepting the dare from his friends. He was not injured and had not been drinking. | Jump overboard |
| 19.4.09 | Sea Cloud Sea CLoud Cruises |
Panorama News (Gibraltar) reports there was a fire onboard a cruise sailing ship at the weekend, as the ship sailed out of Gibraltar. There were 96 passengers on the 'Sea Cloud', which had the fire extinguised by the fire brigade before returning back to the Rock. | Fire |
| 8.4.09 | Greenlines Dong Song Xanh Joint Stock Company |
VOV News reports the cruise liner suddenly collided with a mooring buoy during its voyage from Vung Tau to Ho Chi Minh City. The incident left the ship with a huge gash in the buoy but all 79 passengers were evacuated safely. The ship was carrying 79 passengers, including a number of foreign tourists and 5 crew. |
Collision |
| 7.4.09 | Discovery Discovery Cruise Line |
The Bahamas Weekly reports the cruise line, which offers cruise service between South Florida and Grand Bahama Island every day of the week except Wednesdays, announced the cancellations of sailings through April 12. According to Hanns J. Hahn, General Manager of Discovery, “Due to urgent repairs to the port main engine, cruises to and from Grand Bahama Island have been cancelled until April 13.” | Cancelation |
| 2.4.09 | Indian Ocean Explorer |
The Associated Press reports that tourist yacht and its crew of seven was hijacked by Somali pirates near the Seychelles islands off Africa's east coast yesterday. The yacht, which can carry up to 14 passengers, had just dropped off its contingent of tourists before it was seized. The British Navy suspects the boat would be taken to Harardhere, a pirate stronghold north of Mogadishu, and would be held about three months. All seven crew members are from the Seychelles. | Tourist boat seized by pirates |
| 18.4.09 | Minerva Swan Hellenic |
The cruise ship was due to arrive in Tristan de Cunha (in the South Atlantic ocean) early morning but was delayed and arrived at 1500hrs. No passengers were allowed ashore, so the Post Office, and others selling Handicrafts went onboard the vessel. She stayed off the settlement until 1900hrs before collecting two passengers and departing for Cape Town. | Late port call |
| 10.3.09 |
Choke Somboon 19 Dive Asia |
Travel
Blackboard reports seven people are missing after the Thai boat
bound for Phuket capsized and sank after heavy rain and winds on Sunday
night. The boat was traveling at speeds of eight to nine knots on its
return journey when it sank from the Similan Islands to Phuket with 30
passengers and crew on board. 23 people were able to get into the life
rafts and have safely returned to Phuket, but seven people are still
missing and a search in the area was conducted [Monday] and continues
on Tuesday. It is believed that the six-month old ship hit a vortex
which had formed quickly, causing it to capsize. Local fisherman, who
were nearby, raced to the scene and found the survivors adrift in an
inflatable lifeboat. |
Sunk |
| 19.2.09 |
Oceanic Discoverer Coral Princess Cruises |
The Sydney
Morning Herald reports an Australian crewman in his 20s is
in a critical condition after being crushed by a hydraulic door during
a fire drill while the ship was moored in Hawkes Bay. He is in a
critical condition in Hawkes Bay hospital's intensive care unit. The
ship is on a 12-day cruise off New Zealand's coastline, starting in
Auckland and ending at Milford Sound. |
Critical injury |
| 17.2.09 |
Ocean Nova Quark Expeditions |
Jeanne
Leblanc's blog and Associated
Press report the ship, with 64 passengers and 41 crew members
aboard, ran aground about one mile (two kilometers) from the San Martin
base (Antarctica), pushed by "extremely high winds" into craggy rocks.
An initial assessment of damage indicated that there was no imminent
danger and no threat to lives and there is no sign of leakage of any
kind from the vessel. The ship was on its eighth day of a nearly
two-week expedition exploring the polar circle that embarked from
Ushuaia, Argentina's southernmost city. The company says the ship
should be able to break free on its own as the tide rises. UPDATE: The
Telegraph reports the ship was unable to free itself and that
passengers will be evacuated to other ships. Update February 23: The company
canceled today’s sailing from Ushuaia so the ship can undergo an
estimated three days of repairs. Passengers were rebooked on Polar Star
Expeditions' Polar Star’s Feb. 24 sailing, with Quark providing hotel
accommodations tonight and rearranging return flights. NOTE: Non official sources on the Ocean Nova reports that the engine was
shut off and some maintanence was being done in the engine room (assume
it was a regular maintenance), but that is why they could not start
the engine immediately when the winds picked up. They had to put
together whatever it was that they had disassembled. |
Aground |
| 15.2.09 | Clipper Pacific International Shipping Partners |
The Juneau Empire reports the ship was cited for one air quality violation in Alaska during the 2008 cruise season. | Environmental |
| 9.2.09 | Aurora Expeditions | A passenger just returning from a cruise of the Ross Sea (Antarctica) posted a review at TripAdvisor. She cautions that the expedition cruise is not, as advertised, suitable for people of all ages and physical abilities. She cites a fellow traveller in her 80s who was tossed across her cabin in the rough weather and seriously injured. She was stretchered ashore on our arrival in NZ, and put into a waiting ambulance. She also tells (which is of greater concern) about a boatload of passengers left alone on an ice floe while the group expedition leader motored off in his zodiac because, as he said, he was “busting for a pee”. During his absence several icefloes came together in the current and, by the time he returned 15-20 minutes later, his zodiac access was blocked. The stranded passengers were only half-joking when they wrote HELP in the surface snow to attract the attention of the ship’s helicopters flying overhead | Pax left on ice floe |
| 2.2.09 |
Athena Classic International |
The
Islander (Australia) report two of the ship's tenders ran aground
off Kangaroo
Island. The ship was docked at Outer Harbor in Adelaide yesterday. One
tender ran aground with about 50 passengers and crew aboard. The other,
with three crewmen aboard, went to its aid and also ran aground.
Passengers were transported from the tender by a third tender as the
Cooinda charter vessel stood by and three helicopters, including
police, hovered in the area. Many more passengers were left stranded at
the wharf as one tender began the slow process of bringing them all
back to the cruise ship. The Cooinda tried to drag one tender to deeper
water about 4pm but decided it would have to wait until the tide was
higher, with high tide expected at 9pm. Local fisherman and boaties
were perplexed about why the ship had anchored where it was instead of
further into the bay where tenders would have a straighter run to the
jetty. |
Aground |
| 27.1.09 |
Vacancier CTMA |
CTV
reports the 300-passenger ship is stuck in the ice of the St.
Lawrence River since yesterday. It is trapped in a massive blanket of
ice that has frozen the ship's progress. The passengers were en route
to a week-long cross-country ski trip in the Chic-Choc mountains. Those
plans came to a grinding halt when the ice closed in around the ship
near Matane, Que. UPDATE: The
ship was freed after being stuck for 30 hours. |
Stuck in ice |
| 14.1.09 |
MV Barranda (Tourist Yacht) - Ecuador |
News
Agency Trend News reports a yacht carrying 15 tourists caught fire
near Ecuador's national park on the Galapagos Islands but caused no
injuries. The fire broke out at about 1:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Bartolome
Island of the Galapagos Archipelago. All 15 tourists aboard were
immediately evacuated by another two tourist ships near the scene. UPDATE: The
Telegraph reports passengers had to go into the water and wait 30
minutes to be rescued. Shortly before the evacuation they had been told
the waters were known to be shark-infested. |
Fire |
| 1.1.09 |
Corinthians 2 Polar Cruises |
The ship was supposed to leave Ushuaia tonight, but it is
having some trouble with fuel and will stay in Ushuaia tomorrow, and
offer a catamaran trip to their passengers. |
Delayed departure |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2008 |
Incident |
| 30.12.08 |
Antarctic Dream Antarctic Shipping |
The ship was scheduled to leave port yesterday evening, but didn't leave until this morning. Water pressure at the port has been really low, and they have been using the firemen's truck to supply the small ships. Prior to arrival at Ushuaia, the ship has been operating with two of its three engines for the past two weeks (one engine is not operating) and is cruising at reduced speeds (as little as half its usual cruising speed) -- it does not appear the problem has been repaired and what impact this has on the itinerary and whether the ship's safety is affected. | Engine problems -- Delayed departure |
| 25.12.08 |
Jupiter Jupiter Cruise Line |
The Phnom
Phen Post reports more than 200 Cambodian tourists were denied
entry into Thailand despite having valid entry visas. According to a
passenger, border police demanded pax deposit $1,500 to enter Bangkok
and keep it there for two months. A group of Vietnamese made up of 25
people was allowed into Bangkok and only Cambodians were denied. |
Pax denied entry |
| 20.12.08 |
Minerva Swan Hellenic |
The ship reportedly canceled the first two cruises of their season, due to mechanical problems. | Mechanical problems |
| 20.12.08 |
Lyuba Orlova Quark Expeditions |
The ship reportedly had to cancel four trips due to a mechanical problem. There was leak on the cooling for the engine, and the Argentinean Port Authorities did not authorize it to sail. Later, after the repairs had been done, they could not sail because of some inspection problem. They proceeded to change their flag to the Cook Islands, and managed to sail on their first trip of the season today. | Mechanical problems |
| 19.12.08 |
Le Diamant Ponant Cruises |
On December 13th, the ship encountered strong winds during
their cruise on South Georgia. They suffered damage to their landing
platform (that hangs from the back of the ship), and lost one of their
two engines. They canceled the rest of their voyage (that was supposed
to go to the Antarctic Peninsula), and headed straight back to Ushuaia,
where they arrived today. They expect to have conducted repairs and to be able to resume their schedule December 20th. |
Engine problems |
| 15.12.08 |
Alexander von Humboldt Phoenix Reisen |
The ship's Antarctic season has been canceled because the
ship (under charter to Phoenix Reisen)has been seized due to its
owner's unpaid debts. |
Cancellations |
| 4.12.08 |
M/V Ushuaia Fathom Expeditions |
FROM A CREW MEMBER: Today, sometime during the morning around 10:30 AM, the ship Ushuaia run aground on a rock close to Wilhelmina Bay in Antarctica. I don't know the extent of the damage, but there is a hull breach, and possibly fuel leak. The Ushuaia is a small vessel, from Argentinean Company, carrying around 90 passengers and 40 crew (not precise numbers). The approximate coordinates are 64 degrees 34' S, 82 degrees 27' W. The British coast guard is coordinating the rescue by radio. The first ship to approach the accident is the Antarctic Dream, from a Chilean Company, another small vessel that can carry 80 passengers and around 40 crew members (approx). Two other ships are on the way, but we still don't know what we can do to help. Both ships are small, and none could accommodate the full compliment of crew and passengers from the Ushuaia. So far there has been no order to abandon ship. At the moment it seems they are not sinking, but there is no chance of it sailing across the Drake Passage with passengers. The weather on the Peninsula has been horrible, winds of 30 knots, gusts up to 60 knots. UPDATE: The Ushuaia was scheduled to make a landing at Danco Island this morning, but due to strong winds they canceled and went north to Wilhelmina Bay to try and find a more protect landing place. On their way there they hit a rock and run aground at approximately 10:30 am. They issued a distress call at around noon. Position: 64º34' S 62 º26' W. Two ships were in the area, the Antarctic Dream, and the Grigoriy Mikheev and attended to the distress call. The Antarctic Dream was the first to arrive at the scene at 13:30, and the Mikheev arrived at 15:00. At that time the situation was the following: There is a breach on their hull, it is on two of their fuel tanks. There is a diesel leak of about 40 m that is being dispersed by the winds. So although they are taking in water and leaking diesel, the breach does not affect the safety of the passengers, who will then remain on board until rescue arrives. On the other hand because the breach is in the fuel tank there is no chance of affecting any kind of repairs from inside the ship. Two ships from the Chilean Navy have been dispatched and are expected to arrive to their position tomorrow early morning: the Achiles and the Lautaro. The Achiles have capacity for 120 passengers, so it shall take on the passengers probably towards Frei Station (the one with the airport) or maybe directly to Punta Arenas. The other ship will work to try and free the Ushuaia. The crew will remain on board. The Lautaro has divers, and they will be able to access the extent of the breach. In the meantime, the Antarctic Dream is to stand guard around the Ushuaia, to provide assistance in case their situation changes. Its commercial activity has been suspended and it is on standby for any change in the situation, or further instructions. The weather is fine now, the wind has abated, and there was a nice sunset. Will give more information when I have it. NOTE: The ship previously ran aground in July 2005 and was cited for a number of deficiencies in its last safety inspection. See Lloyd's List. UPDATE: December 5 mid-day: all passengers have been taken aboard the Achiles, which is expected to arrive at Chile’s Frei station in Antarctica shortly before midnight. On Saturday morning they will be flown to Ushuaia. UPDATE: December 8, the ship has been refloated and is en route to Paradise Bay under its own power. Arrived in Punta Arenas December 18, entered Dry Dock December 24, and will need forty days for repairs. | Grounded in Antarctica -- Fuel Leak |
| 3.12.08 |
Athena Classic International |
The Courier
Mail reports planes buzzed a flotilla pirate boats, forcing them to
keep away from the ship with 450 passengers onboard off the coast of
Somalia. Fire hoses were run out to prevent boarding attempts and
passengers evacuated open decks. For hours, the ship was shadowed by
the pirates. Eventually, an aircraft arrived and buzzed the boats.
Passengers were told that just before dawn there had been attempts on
two nearby vessels. |
Pirates |
| 30.11.08 |
Nautica Oceania Cruises |
At 0528 GMT, the ship was transiting through the Gulf of
Aden. As the vessel sailed past several groups of non-hostile fishing
vessels, two small skiffs were sighted by the Officer on Duty and
deemed potentially hostile. The skiffs, approaching from a range of
approximately 1000 meters, attempted to intercept the vessel's course.
The ship immediately began evasive maneuvers and took all prescribed
precautions. The ship was immediately brought to flank speed and was
able to out run the two skiffs. One of the skiffs did manage to close
the range to approximately 300 yards and fired eight rifle shots in the
direction of the vessel before trailing off. No one aboard the ship was
harmed and no damage was sustained. |
Attempted pirate attack |
| 28.11.08 |
Astor Transocean |
Speigel Online reports (see
here) the German Navy warded off a suspected piracy attack in the
Gulf of Aden. The Navy's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern frigate chased off two
suspicious speed boats with warning shots last Friday, a spokesman for
the mission commando in Postsdam confirmed. A spokesman for Transocean
Tours in Bremen, which was operating the cruise ship, said the 492
guests and crew on board had not noticed the incident. The ship also
had not asked for help. The suspicious boats disappeared quickly into
Yemen's territorial waters. Transocean said the speed boats had
approached about 3 sea miles distant, and the frigate intercepted them
before they got to the cruise ship. The cruise ship was bound for
Dubai, where it arrived on Tuesday. |
Pirates |
| 23.11.08 |
Astoria Transocean |
From a poster at Cruisepage.com's
"Cruise Talk": Transocean Tours briefly issued a press release
earlier today, stating that during a routine dry docking, a major issue
with "Astoria's" main engines has been discovered, resulting in the
cancellation of the upcoming, 123-night world cruise. Later today, the
press release was removed from the Transocean web site for whatever
reason. |
Cancel world cruise |
| 1.11.08 |
Magic 1 or Mirage (same ship) |
The Cyprus Mail reports a search and rescue was launched off the west coast of Cyprus yesterday after authorities received reports that a 19 year old female crew member may have fallen overboard from a passing cruise ship. Paphos coastguard together with police and British bases helicopters spent from noon yesterday, when they received the report, until dusk searching the area in international waters some 33 nautical miles off the coast. No trace of the missing woman was found however. According to reports, the woman from Ukraine went missing from her cabin around 3am yesterday but it wasn’t until noon that Cypriot authorities were notified that she might have fallen overboard. A follow up story can be found here. | Passenger overboard |
| 10.10.08 |
Spirit of Adventure Saga Holidays |
The ship is having a few problems on current cruise -- today
in Kepez, Turkey the ship hit the quay after tug failed and gashed
hull. It was repaired and continued cruise. SUBSEQUENTLY, it had more tug
troubles leaving Yalta on October 14. |
Collision with pier |
| 30.9.08 |
Minerva Swan Hellenic |
Jane
Archer's blog indicates the ship is having to go into dry dock on
October 27 for a planned four days to have a diesel generator fixed. It
means the preceding Treasures of Africa cruise has had to be
shortened, from 15 nights to nine nights. Passengers who are affected
will be receiving letters today. |
Shortened cruise |
| 25.9.08 |
Royal Star African Safari Club |
Christian
Today reports the last 10 crew members of the ship, stuck in
Mombasa for five months, have finally been repatriated after being
helped by The Mission to Seafarers. The seafarers were part of a
130-strong crew operating the 5,600-ton vessel which sailed around the
Indian Ocean. When the shipowners ran into financial difficulty, the
majority of the crew were repatriated home with only part of the wages
they were owed. The ten men had stayed behind as lay-up and dry-docking
crew and were given repeated assurances that their wages would be paid
and that they would be sent home. Instead, the shipowners stripped the
vessel of anything valuable and fuel ran so low that the men were
forced to sleep on an upper deck because of a lack of lighting and air
conditioning. The Kenyan High Court had ordered the ship to be sold to
pay the crew and other creditors. But when the seafarers heard the sale
could not be completed before October at the earliest, the
International Transport Workers’ Federation was asked to fund the men’s
repatriation. |
Crew repatriated |
| 8.9.08 |
Andea Elegant Cruises |
From a passenger: At about 9PM whilst off the coast of
Albania, the ship suffered a complete power failure: engines and
electricity. We were dead in the water. Emergency electric came on
about 2 minutes later, and the ship was back under way in about 20
minutes. About 5 minutes later, at 9:25 PM another electric failure
occurred. The only announcement made concerning this disturbing
sequence of events was that we were back under way at 14 knots and
might be 15 minutes late into Vlore, Albania in the morning. |
Power failure |
| 4.9.08 |
Discovery Voyages of Discovery |
Despite assurances August 20 (see August 9) that engine
problems would be repaired "by the weekend," a safety inspection by
British authorities in Harwich confirmed the repairs have still not
been completed. According to the inspectors, the ship is running on
three engines but she is able to maneuver to legal requirements. They
inspected the paper work on the spare parts, and the company making the
new bearing has admitted that they supplied the wrong size. Discovery
hopes to fit the new parts in Lisbon or Nice. NOTE: The ship was also
inspected in Gdynia on Sept 1 where they found seven deficiencies,
including: Fire safety measures (Jacketed high pressure lines), MARPOL
annex I (Oil record book), Propulsion & aux. (Auxiliary engine;
Bilge pumping arrangements; Gauges,thermometers, etc), Structural
safety (Steering gear), and Working spaces and accident prevention
(Obstruction/slipping, etc). |
Engine problems (continuing) |
| 31.8.08 |
Clipper Pacific Peace Boat |
Coast Guard Inspectors conducted a Port State Control exam
on the ship in Seward over the weekend and issued a 32-item deficiency
list and detained the vessel temporarily for significant International
Ship Management code violations in respect to oil record books,
engineering logs and engineering rough logs. Customs clearance for
departure was withheld until a surety bond for $1.1 million was
provided by the owner but was later cleared by U.S. Customs and Border
Protection after a Letter of Understanding was received from the owner.
Inspectors found issues with the vessel's documentation and
non-compliance of the International Ship Management Code for Safety of
Life At Sea (SOLAS). There is evidence the vessel's crew operated the
oily water separator and potentially inaccurate oil content meter in
the U.S. exclusive economic zone in potential violation of United
States Code known as the Clean Water Act, 33USC1321 (b) (3). They also
failed to report a discharge of oil into a navigable U.S. waterway
while draining the bilges of their lifeboats which is another violation
of the CFR, 33CFR151.15. After four days the crew of the vessel had
fixed enough of the critical deficiencies that Coast Guard officials
were comfortable with the vessel leaving the U.S. port. However,
concerns about the oily water discharge system and the fact that this
is a foreign-flagged vessel that may not return to the U.S., prompted
officials in cooperation with Customs and Border Protection to require
the vessel's insurance agency, the P&I Club, to issue a the $1.1
million Surety Bond. |
Detained for safety
violations |
| 15.08.08 |
M/V Dalmajia Dinamik (Turkey) |
More than 200 Turkish passengers were besieged in the middle
of the Adriatic Sea because of dissension between a Turkish travel
agency and a Croatian ship manufacturer. Istanbul-based
travel agency Delos Tourism arranged Adriatic cruises for 201
passengers. Passengers boarded the ship, which is owned by a Croatian
firm Adriatic Cruise, last Saturday at 9 a.m. at İzmir Port on the
Aegean coast of Turkey. An announcement was conveyed from the owner of
the ship informing the passengers that due to problems with the travel
agency he had decided to cancel the tour and anchor in the middle of
the sea. The ship finally proceeded to Split (Croatia) and were flown
home. |
Cruise ended |
| 12.08.08 |
Fram Hurtigruten |
An enormous oil spill in Sisimiut harbour Greenland) resulted in 21 firemen working through Tuesday night to clean up 3000 litres of diesel, reports Sermitsiaq. When the passenger ship Fram attempted to refuel, 10,000 litres of oil escaped into the harbour waters. Sisimiut fire-chief Steen Borisen said that passenger ship Fram unsuccessfully tried to refuel and the oil spilled directly into the harbour. | Environmental |
| 12.08.08 |
SeaEscape |
The day cruise operator of gambling cruises, which has run
from Ft. Lauderdale for twenty-one years, is expected to tell the
Broward County Council that Sunday will be its last sailing. The
company's business has fallen off considerably since land-based casinos
have opened in Broward County, and its profit margins have been harmed
severely by rising fuel costs. |
Cease operations |
| 9.08.08 |
Discovery Voyages of Discovery |
It appears the ship is still having trouble. It was out of
action for a fortnight as of July 13, but her 25th July cruise missed
first/last ports of call. The ship was due in Flam today at 9.30am
local
time...It arrived four hours late. This cruise ends in
Copenhagen. According to passengers, the company is still not admitting
there is a problem, but dropped ports indicate there is. UPDATE August 15: TTG
Live reports a problem with one
of its ships four engines should be fixed soon after it takes delivery
of a new bearing for the engine this weekend. The continuing problem
has prompted criticism from customers on the cruise
networking website Cruising Talk
and elsewhere. UPDATE August 20:
Today's Telegraph
reports the problem will be fixed this week -- time will tell. |
Engine problems (continuing) |
| 4.08.08 |
Akademik Ioffe Quark Expeditions |
Northern
News Services reports the ship was expected to end its journey in
Resolute Bay where
passengers would disembark and take a First Air flight to Ottawa on
Aug. 3 However, ice conditions didn't allow for the crew's Zodiac boats
to
take passengers from the ship to the community, so the ship continued
on to Arctic Bay. A First Air charter was then expected to take the
passengers to
Ottawa from Arctic Bay, but mechanical problems grounded the plane at
the airport in Nanisivik while a mechanic and parts were flown in. The
pilots would have exceeded their duty day time by the time
the plane was repaired, so arrangements were
made for passengers to overnight in Arctic Bay. The majority of
the travelers stayed in the gym, while others stayed in the 20-bed
hotel or
the 8-bed B&B. The ship had disembarked 97 passengers plus crew. |
Stuck sleeping in a gym |
| 23.7.08 |
Antarctic Dream Antarctic Shipping |
Aftenposten
(Norway) reports the ship ran aground off the Arctic archipelago of
Svalbard (near Alkefjellet in the Hinlopen Straits), just east of the
island of Spitsbergen. The vessel, with about 130 passengers on board,
called for help around 11am. There apparently was no damage to ship and
that neither the vessel nor its passengers and crew were in danger. Any
grounding, however, sparks environmental concerns. A rescue vessel was
trying to free the vessel Wednesday afternoon, which was freed after
six hours. The ship has been
sailing around Svalbard this summer, and had an expected return to
Longyearbyen on Monday. |
Aground |
| 16.7.08 |
Clipper Pacific Peace Boat |
Newsday reports that the cruise ship (the 1970-built Song of Norway) with 1,200
passengers aboard was detained in New
York Harbor on July 13 after a Coast
Guard inspection found significant hull damage.
The inspection, which began on Sunday and
ended Tuesday, found that the ship's hull was leaking and found 66
safety problems on the ship,
including damage to the lifeboats and life jacket issues.
A commercial diving company has made temporary repairs to the
hull, but the Coast Guard ordered the 637-foot ship to remain in
the harbor until further repairs were made.
The ship is based in the Bahamas, and was inbound from
Greenland when the Coast Guard stopped it. It was headed for
Venezuela. UPDATE: The
ship left New York July 17 and proceeded to Tampa where it arrived July
21 and will enter drydock for fuller inspection and repair as needed.
It is expected that passengers will remain on shore for two days. UPDATE July 26: Inspectors found new
safety problems, leaving about 675 Japanese passengers stuck in
Tampafor at least another day. Representatives of the Bahamian
government and ship's classification society, which vouches for a
vessel's seaworthiness, discovered "several deficiencies" in
firefighting, life-saving and safety equipment.
The Coast Guard won't let the ship depart or allow passengers to stay
on board in port until the problems are resolved. The ship is on a
round-the-world cruise that left from Japan in May. |
Safety problems --- Detained in port |
| 12.7.08 |
Sea Lion Lindblad Expeditions |
This photo was taken in the morning while the ship (apparently on charter to National Geographic) was tied to the fuel dock in Sitka, just below the OConnor Bridge. It's probably just gray water (not illegal), but still not consistent with a company that claims to be environmentally sensitive and responsible. (Photo courtesy of Island Resources Foundation). | Environmental |
| 7.7.08 |
Discovery Voyages of Discovery |
It has been reported that the ship is still experiencing
engine problems and the itineraries are affected. From a passenger: I came across your page after looking on
the web after we received cancellation of our cruise Fjords,Faroes,Fire
and Ice II on the MV Discovery -sail date 14/7/08 via a letter
today dated 9/7/08. A second engine has now got a problem and impact on
maximum cruising speed means they cannot complete the planned cruise as
they need time for engineers to undertake a full a speedy repair to
their usually reliable engines. |
Engine problems |
| 21.6.08 |
Princess of Stars Sulpico Lines |
The ship stalled in rough seas
near Sibuyan island in the central Philippines while in the midst of a
typhoon. "It’s dead
on the water, but we can’t get to it because of big waves,” said a
coast guard spokesman. The ship left Manila on Saturday morning for the
central province of Cebu. The ship capsized later in the day. As of
June 23, more than 700 people remain missing and are feared dead.
Twenty-eight passengers and crew did survive and miraculously made
their way to the coast in a lifeboat. |
Dead in the Water --- Sank |
| 13.6.08 |
easyCruise Life easyCruise |
The ship ran aground inside the
port of the Aegean island of Syros on Friday with 353 passengers and
105 crew on board. No injuries or damage were reported. The Merchant
Marine Ministry, which handles rescue efforts at sea, said the
Maltese-flagged ship from the budget easyCruise line ran aground on a
sandy part of the port. The ministry said the easyCruise Life was not
damaged, and a tug boat removed it from the sandy spit. The ship tied
up at another part of the port for a full damage inspection and was
then expected to continue its cruise. |
Aground |
| 11.6.08 |
Saga Rose Saga Holidays |
A 43 year old Filipino crew
member died after running out of oxygen in the ship's ballast tank;
another crew member was removed from the tank unconscious. Neither man
was outfitted with the usual breathing gear. The ship was in
Southampton where police are investigating whether the men were told to
enter the ballast tanks or told to inspect them from a safe distance
above. Click
here to see story at BBC. |
Crew
member dies in accident |
| 27.5.08 |
Discovery Voyages of Discovery |
It has been reported that the ship has a crankshaft fault
and is cruising at reduced speed. She has altered itineraries and
dropped ports. There is no indication as to when she will be
repaired or when the problem started. Additional details will be
posted as they become available. |
Engine problems -- Changed itinerary |
| 11.5.08 |
Freewinds Church of Scientology |
According to Asian
News International, the ship has been was
said to be "under seal" on the Caribbean
island of Curacao after cancer-causing particles were found on the
vessel. According to reports, deadly blue asbestos
dust was released during refurbishment of the ship, used by the church
as a floating "education centre" and for VIP parties. The ship was
originally built in 1968 and sailed as Commodore Cruise Line's Boheme
until 1981. Commodore Cruise Line, which predated Carnival Cruise
Lines, had the tagline, "A Happy Ship." UPDATE June 6: The ship
remain sunder seal since it was quarantined on April 26. Experts advise
that decontaminating the ship would cost millions of dollars and may
not even be possible. Meanwhile, the church continues to solicit funds
for cruises that will not happen. The ship is contaminated with raw
blue asbestos, the most dangerous type of asbestos because the fibres
are smaller than the white asbestos and can penetrate the lung more easily. |
Asbestos scare |
| 4.5.08 |
Mona Lisa |
The ship ran aground early in the morning on a sandbank
about 10 miles from the Latvia coast. It was on its way from Kiel
(Germany) to Riga (Latvia). Attempts to free itself were
unsuccessful which meant that almost 1000 passengers needed to be
evacuated by the Latvian Coast Guard. There were no known injuries and
no known environmental issues. The ship previously ran aground in
Venice May 12
2004 and July
26 2003. |
Aground |
| 8.4.08 |
Queen of the West Majestic America Line |
Fire broke out in the engine room while the ship was near
Maryhill, WA on the Columbia River. The fire was quickly extinguished
but the ship had to be towed to a state part where it was nudge into
the river bank for evacuation of th124 passengers and 53 crew. The only
reports of injury were from crew members who suffered smoke inhalation
while fighting the fire. |
Fire |
| 4.4.08 |
Le Ponant Compagnie des Iles du Ponant |
Pirates took over the ship with
30 crew on board off the coast of Somalia. The luxury sailing ship was
heading from the Seychelles to the Mediterranean Sea when pirates
stormed it in the Gulf of Aden. There were no passengers onboard at the
time of the attack. The ship was subsequently freed by French military
and some pirates arrested following a ransom payment. |
Pirate Attack and
Seizure |
| 13.3.08 |
Georgis Piraeus-based |
The ship was evacuated (278 passengers and 35 crew) after it ran aground off the Saronic Gulf island of Poros, near Athens. The Greek-flagged ship is believed to have hit a reef three nautical miles from the port of Poros, a small island in the Saronic Gulf an hour's distance from the capital that is popular with tourists. Winds up to 40 kilometres (25 miles) an hour were blowing in the area at the time. The ship was on a day cruise from Piraeus to the Saronic islands of Aegina, Hydra and Poros. | Run Aground |
| 25.2.08 |
Saga Rose Saga Holidays |
An 82-year-old British man drowned while snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef shortly after assuring worried cruise ship staff he was fine and wished to continue his swim. He was found unconscious in the water a short time later. Despite attempts at resuscitation, the man was pronounced dead at the Hamilton Island Medical Centre. He was traveling with his partner on an over-50s, round-the-world cruise; the ship was anchored near Hamilton Island, when the accident happened. | Death on snorkeling excursion |
| 16.1.08 |
Lyubov Orlova Quark Expeditions |
From a passenger: We took a trip to Antarctica for a study abroad program with the University of Delaware. Aboard the Lyubov Orlova through Quark Expeditions, we traveled with 25 students and 2 advisors on a 10 day Antarctic cruise January 6-16. While aboard, we witnessed dumping of trash, including plastic garbage bags, overboard. Luckily, we were able to catch the act on video and are extremely unhappy with current dumping regulations. Editor's note: Sadly, the Orlova has a long history of this type of behaviour though no government or authority has yet to address the problem. | Environmental |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2007 |
Incident |
| 22.12.07 |
Aida Aura Aida Cruises |
The ship has suffered a mechanical failure on a voyage from
her scheduled dry-docking in Genoa, Italy to Palma de Mallorca. The
problem, not yet specified, seems to involve the propulsion and a
return to the shipyard in Genoa has been made necessary. She was
sailing without passengers when the problem occurred but her cruise
from Palma de Mallorca to Aruba has been cancelled. |
Propulsion problems -- Canceled cruise |
| 22.12.07 |
Dipolog Princess Sulpicio Lines |
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) today said they have began conducting rescue operations on the ship, carrying 825 passengers, that ran aground some 500 yards off the pier of Tagbilaran, Bohol on Friday morning. The ship hit a shallow area of the Tagbilaran Channel, which was near the Port of Tagbilaran en route to Zamboanga del Norte. The shipping company is sending sister ship agayan Princess to fetch the passengers from the port and bring them to their destination in Zamboanga del Norte. It also sent a tugboat but it failed to pull the vessel free. | Grounded |
| 22.12.07 |
Van Gogh Travelscope |
The company has ceased operations. Passengers on the current
cruise are not affected, however the cruise due to begin in Falmouth
January 4th is uncertain ... indications are that arrangements have
been made for the World Cruise will proceed as planned. UPDATE: The world cruise scheduled
to begin January 4 will go ahead as planned. |
Ceased operations |
| 5.12.07 |
Lycianda Blue Lagoon Cruises |
The ship was on its way back to Lautoka when it was run
aground in Rotuma by cyclone Daman. The ship suffered no damage to its
hull, only minor damage to its rudders and propellers. Only crew
was onboard at the time; there were no injuries. (Source: Fiji Times) |
Aground |
| 23.11.07 |
Explorer GAP Adventures |
More than 150 passengers and crew (91 passengers, 9 expedition staff, 54 crew) on an Antarctica cruise abandoned ship near the South Shetland Islands, 120 km north of the Antarctica peninsula, after the ship hit an unidentified object (likely ice) which put a 5 - 6 hole through both hulls, took on water and listed 25 - 30 degrees and started sinking. A distress call was issued at about 3:30 AM GMT and passengers boarded lifeboats 90 minutes later in the dark. After 4 or 5 hours in open lifeboats in active seas, passengers were transferred from life boats to Hurtigruten's Nordnorge which was in the area (it rescued passengers 10 months earlier when another ship went grounded in Antarctica January 30, 2007) . Air temperatures are around minus 5C; sea temperatures are minus 1C. Last word from the cruise ship's operator are that the ship has been stabilized and is not likely to sink, but this is disputed by news photos and reports. The ship left Ushuaia on November 11 for a 19 day cruise to the Drake Passage. UPDATE 19:30GMT: The Chilean Navy has dispatched an icebreaker, Contraalmirante Oscar Viel Toro, to evaluate the condition of Explorer and to see if she can be righted/toed to King George Island (presently listing 45 - 50 degrees). The passengers and crew will be spending the night at the island Chilean Navy base before flying to Punta Arenas in the morning. Chances are she could sink overnight as bad weather is forecast, but the Chilean Navy will be checking her over and maintaining a watch overnight. Ship sank overnight. PICTURES HERE. NOTE: Think about the environmental impact -- fuel oils, hydraulics, chemicals and substances in air conditioning and other systems, and arsenic and other harmful chemicals from televisions, computer screens, etc. The ship sank with 185,000 litres of fuel oil on board in addition to 1,000 litres of gasoline and 24,000 litres of lubricants. It left an oil stain five kilometers wide by eight km long. | Abandon ship near
Antarctica --- Sank --- Environmental |
| 18.11.07 |
Discovery Sun Discovery Cruise Line |
49-year-old woman who was reported missing had been last
seen at about 9:30 PM. She was in the lounge with her husband when she
left to go smoke and never returned.The Broward Sheriff's Office and
Coast Guard began its search at about 10:30 PM. The casino ship
returned to Fort Lauderdale at the end of its cruise later in the
night. The woman's body subsequently washed ashore in Florida the
following morning around 7:30AM. |
Missing passenger |
| 18.11.07 |
Dream Danielle Ship Management Ltd (Caspi Cruise Line) |
Athens
News Agency reports that the ship, which was detained in September
in Rhodes and remains in port, for repairs, came loose from its
moorings. It was only manned by a skeleton crew when it came loose and
was adrift within the harbour, where there was a danger that it might
collide with other vessels docked in harbour. The coast guard
intervened and managed to tow the ship back with the help of three
tug-boats. |
Broke loose from mooring |
| 15.11.07 |
Windjammer Barefoot
Cruises |
The sailing of Legacy scheduled for November 17 has now been
cancelled, as have the cruises on November 24 and December 3. It is
unclear whether future cruises will sail or not, given the company's
financial problems. The company's other ships remain idle. |
Cancellations |
| 13.11.07 |
Island Adventure SeaEscape |
The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a search for a crew member (an assistant cook) missing from the cruise ship. That missing crewman, identified as 44-year old Oliveiro Fernandes from India, is believed to have fallen overboard. He was reported missing after a crew check this morning, a search of the ship was fruitless. The crewman was last seen at 9:30 p.m.last night; the ship returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale around 12:15 a.m. this morning. | Missing crewman |
| 29.9.07 |
Windjammer Barefoot
Cruises |
All cruises were cancelled, at least through October 21,
while the company searches for a viable plan to continue. The
company has experienced severe financial difficulty, with fierce
divisions and legal battles among the family members who control the
company.The 55-year-old company operates four ships ranging is size
from 64 to 130 passengers. |
Cruises cancelled |
| 18.9.07 |
Dream Danielle Ship Management Ltd |
The ship was detained in Rhodes for spilling waste in the
harbour -- it has been charged with willfully polluting the
environment. An inspection by port authorities found that the
ship's waste tanks had overflowed and caused it to list 10 degrees to
its side. The ship's tanks held 3000 tons of waste which would
take up to a week to remove. UPDATE
OCT 3: 340 crewmembers have remained stranded onboard the
ship and have requested assistance with food and water. The 930
Israeli passengers continued their voyage from Rhodes on charter
aircraft. |
Environmental -- Ship Detained |
| 30.8.07 |
Salamis Glory Salamis Lines |
The Cypriot cruise ship and an Israeli freighter collided in
Haifa harbour -- the freighter sunk and two of the 16 crew members
went missing; their bodies were recovered later. There were no
injuries on the cruise ship,
however it has been detained in Haifa until problems in its navigation
system, which apparently caused the crash, are fixed. |
Collision |
| 23.8.07 |
Windjammer Barefoot
Cruises |
The Wall Street Journal reports that the company has had labour problems the past few weeks,
largely because workers had not been paid and went on strike (resulting
in last minute cancellation of cruises). The company also has
other cash flow problems, however it appears that Windjammer is being
bought by TAG Virgin Islands Corp and when the sale is complete things
should settle down. |
Cancellations |
| 11.8.07 |
Jules Verne Vision Cruises of Alicante |
The 550-passenger ship, which rescued 14 African migrants from rough seas and brought them to Malta, resumed its cruise heading for the port of Barcelona, skipping Sardinia (its next scheduled port call) because of the delay incurred bringing the migrants to Malta. The ship had plucked the migrants out of the water some 60 miles south of Malta and also escorted another boat with some 220 people believed to be African migrants until a Maltese coast guard vessel was able to take charge. The 550-passenger ship dropped the migrants off in Valletta’s Grand Harbour some 13 hours later than scheduled. They were received by Malta's immigration police and detained. The majority of the ship’s passengers were reported to have appreciated what happened and agreed that the ship had to give humanitarian help. | Changed itinerary -- Refugee rescue |
| 8.8.07 |
Alexey Maryshev |
Seventeen tourists and a Russian sailor were injured Wednesday, four of them seriously, when the Russian cruise ship "Alexey Maryshev" came too close to Hornbreen glacier on Svalbard and a block of ice fell onto the ship's deck. The injured were flown by helicopter to the hospital at Longyearbyen, and the two seriously injured were flown to the University Hospital in Tromsoe during the night, | Pax injured |
| 13.7.07 |
SunCruz Jacksonville SunCruz Casinos |
An investigation was initiated after a former shipboard
employee tested positive for tuberculosis. While tests of his
family members cam back negative, tests of 126 employees on the cruise
ship identified 8 more workers who tested positive for
tuberculosis. These individuals will undergo further tests and
possibly be referred for medical treatment. |
Illness -- Tuberculosis |
| 12.7..07 |
SunCruz Jacksonville SunCruz Casinos |
A 93 year old man was attacked and beaten with a cane in a
bathroom onboard the ship. He appeared to be targeted in part
because of his age, but also because of his winnings (he had $1500 in
his wallet). The man was hospitalized briefly and then released. |
Passenger assault |
| 7.7..07 |
Royal Express Four SunCruz Casinos |
The Port Richey Casino cruise ship ran aground as it was
returning to shore. Several passenger fell and two people were
taken to hospital. There were only minor injuries. |
Grounded |
| 27.6.07 |
Coral Princess Coral Princess Cruises |
A 61 year old Sydney woman drowned after an excursion to the Horizontal Falls, at Talbot Bay, in The Kimberley (Australia), part of a 10-day cruise from Broome to Darwin. The voyage included an outing aboard an inflatable boat to the falls, but, as the boat - with four passengers and one crewman on board - navigated through the narrow gorges of the Horizontal Falls, it overturned and the woman fell into the water. She was pulled out and could not be revived. | Accidental Death
|
| 27.6.07 |
Disko II Albatros Travel |
The small cruise ship ran aground off Greenland's west coast and more than 50 people were evacuated safely Wednesday. It hit rocks near the island of Qeqertarsuaq, but was not believed to be seriously damaged. The 52 passengers - all Danes - and two tour guides were taken ashore as a precaution on the ship's lifeboats and small vessels sent from a village on the island; the 18-member crew remained aboard. The passengers would remain in Qeqertarsuaq, about 155 miles north of the Arctic Circle, while authorities investigated whether the ship (which appeared to not have suffered any damage) could continue its cruise north to Uummannaq, about 310 miles farther north. The cruise had started in Kangerlussuaq, the site of a former U.S. Air Force base in southwestern Greenland. | Aground |
| 7.6.07 |
Birka Paradise Birka Cruises |
A Swedish newspaper reports
a 20 year old Swedish man, sitting on a railing smoking a
cigarette, lost his balance and fell overboard while the ship was
docked at the port of Mariehamn on the Baltic island of
Åland. Staff on the ship threw out a life ring but the
rescue effort
was hampered by the simultaneous departure of the Tallink Romantica.
The
current generated by the ship's propellers pushed the young man
northwards.
A diver who witnessed the events jumped in to the water and swam out to
the man. The two men who suffered minor injuries were later picked up
in a small boat. |
Fall overboard -- Rescued |
| 7.6.07 |
Island Explorer II Island Adventures Tours |
The Coast Guard said there was no sign of an oil spill or
other pollution after a whale-watching ship ran aground near Deception
Pass State Park (San Juan Islands, Washington State). The boat
managed to pull free after the grounding and was able to make its way
under its own power to Anacortes, where all 52 people
disembarked. The hull of the vessel was damaged and water gushed
into two compartments, but pumps were used to control the flooding. |
Grounding |
| 29.05.07 |
Kristina Regina Kristina Cruises |
The Finnish passenger vessel collided with a timber loaded
deck barge in dense fog south of Gedser. The barge was towed by the tug
Pioneer, flying Comoros flag. Only slight damages to the side of the
Kristina Regina occurred and she could continue her voyage to Helsinki. |
Collision |
| 24.05.07 |
Dalmacija Hansa Kreuzfahrten |
The ship was detained in the port of Kiel yesterday by
public health authority inspectors. According to local newspaper
reports, two representatives from Kiel's health authorities found the on-board hospital to be insufficiently equipped during a routine inspection. Medical supplies ordered from a specialized pharmacy in Bremerhaven were due to arrive today. Dalmacija was scheduled to depart for a Baltic cruise last night. The departure was postponed, and a call at Bornholm dropped in order to get the ship back on schedule. Next port of call will be Stockholm. |
Detained in Port |
| 24.05.07 |
Island Sky Noble Caledonia |
The BBC Reports that Health officials are to carry out tests after several passengers and crew fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea during a voyage from the Western Isles to Orkney. Environmental and public health officials boarded the ship at Kirkwall from where it sailed to Leith, where City of Edinburgh Council staff plan to carry out further tests. The ship (the former Renaissance 8) has about 110 passengers on board. | Illness |
| 21.5.07 |
Astor Transocean Tours |
Hundreds of passengers were forced to spend the night in
Stornoway after bad weather prevented them from returning to the
ship. They had spend the day in the Hebrides, but the weather had
turned (heavy rain and wind) such that they could not be ferried back
to the ship. They will join the ship tomorrow in Invergordon, and
tonight will be accommodated in local hotels, B&Bs, and private
homes. |
Stranded ashore |
| 16.5.07 |
M/V Butuan Bay |
Three people were killed and 14 others injured when an
explosion rocked the engine room of a passenger ship in central
Philippines. The ship, with 513 passengers and crew, had last
left Cebu City, 585 km south of Manila. |
Engine Fire |
| 2.5.07 |
Finnmarken Hurtigruten - Norwegian Coastal Voyage |
A passenger aboard the cruise that sailed
from Bergen on 26th.April 2007 writes that he and his wife fell victim
to this most debilitating of illnesses (the symptoms indicate
norovirus) on the 6th day of the voyage. They indicate that no
advice whatsoever came from officers and crew members who appeared to
want to keep it low key. In sum, he knew of 20 cabins affected
plus
four of the crew (if the number of passenger ill was in fact 40
passengers, the illness would have affected 6% of those onboard).
The
passengers who wrote say they curtailed the last part of our holiday
because of the severity of their illness. (NOTE: Because
illness
outbreaks do not have to be reported on ships that don't stop at a US
port, it is difficult to keep accurate track of the frequency of these
outbreaks.) |
Illness |
| 18.4.07 |
Saga Ruby Saga Cruises |
The port call at Halifax was cancelled because a weather
system with heavy rain and winds had engulfed the Eastern seaboard for
the past several days. This was to be the first call at Halifax
for 2007. |
Cancelled Port Call |
| 5.4.07 |
Astoria Transocean Tours |
A Filipino sailor was killed on the western Greek island of Corfu in an accident during a safety drill. The 47-year-old man was killed and three other crew members were injured when a lifeboat harness snapped and the lifeboat dangled on the side of the ship. | Crew Member Killed |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2006 |
Incident |
| December 30 |
Dream Princess Caspi Cuises |
A 3 day New
Years cruise from Dubai to Muscat was cancelled
at the last minute because of a "technical fault." Some
passengers arrived at the cruise terminal at 5AM, but weren't told
until 9AM that their holiday plans had been cancelled. |
Cancellation |
| November 20 |
Lyubov Orlova Quark Expeditions |
The ship with
150 passengers onboard ran aground in Whalers'
Bay while visiting Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands (en
route to Antarctica). A Spanish ship responded to the distress
call and after an assessment waited for high tide and began towing
operations. The Orlova was freed eight hours later and returned
to Ushuaia on its own power. |
Grounded |
| October 17 |
Adler Dania Adler-Schiffe |
The Polish Coast
Guard shot warning shots after the German
cruise ship quickly departed from port and bolted for German
waters. The Captain took this action because (as related in
Spiegel Online) the Polish customs officials presented questionable
identification and demanded to inspect the ship's alcohol and cigarette
supplies. |
Warning shots over bow |
| March 19 |
Spirit of Enderby Heritage Expeditions |
Passengers and crew, scheduled to arrive at volcanic Raoul Island today, have been banned from landing on the island after a volcanic eruption on Friday. The 72m ship left from Auckland last Monday for the 1,000km trip to Raoul Island and was due to moor there today for a four-day visit. Its landing permit was cancelled because of concerns about the volcanic activity, but the ship can stay in the area. | Volcanic Eruption Cancels Port
Call |
| March 15 |
Texas Treasure Corpus Christi Day Cruise |
The ship's
operator plead guilty to obstructing a US Coast
Guard investigation into whether the ship had illegally discharged
waste oil and deliberately bypassed its pollution prevention
equipment. The incidents occurred in October 2004.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 25, 2006; the proposed plea agreement
includes a $300,000 fine and the institution of an Environmental
Compliance Plan. |
Environmental |
| February 2 |
Royal Star African Safari Club |
The ship aborted
its planned call at Mossel Bay (South
Africa) after local taxi drivers, upset that their services were not to
be used by passengers, brandished guns and blocked the harbour's
entrance. The ship began its itinerary in Mombassa and had port
calls at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban. For more, see here. |
Canceled port |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2005 |
Incident |
| October 17 |
Salam 95 |
This Egyptian
cruise ship carrying 1300 muslim pilgrims
collided with a Cypriot cargo ship at the southern entrance of the Suez
Canal. The cargo ship gouged a five metre diameter hole in its
side into which sea water flooded into its engine room. 22 people
were injured and taken to hospital. |
Collision |
| July 2 |
Ocean Jewel Titan Cruise Lines |
The ship was
cleared to sail after it stopped operations on
Tuesday (June 28) because two on board generators failed. |
Mechanical problems |
| May 9 |
easyCruiseOne easyCruise |
On its maiden
voyage in Europe the ship diverted from St.
Tropez and stopped at Toulon instead. The change was due to
encountering high winds (force eight gales) and high seas. Buses
were provided for transportation from St. Tropez to the ship. |
Port change |
| May 1 |
Ocean Jewel Titan Cruise Lines |
For the
second consecutive weekend, bad weather and high
seas left guests stranded aboard the ship in the Gulf of Mexico.
On April 30 and April 24, high waves prevented shuttles from docking
with the casino ship and passengers remained onboard overnight until
8AM. Stranded passengers were given $20 and an Ocean Jewel
t-shirt. |
Delayed disembarkation |
| February 14 |
Grand Voyager Iberojet Cruises |
The
ship (former Olympia Voyager) sailed through a storm with 15 metre
seas and gale force 11 winds while some 60 miles off Palma, Majorca at
approximately
0900 CET this morning. A huge wave breached a bridge window,
resulting in damage to electrical
control systems, a temporary loss of propulsion, and loss of all
communications. A distress
call was issued. Twenty passengers reported minor
injuries (including eight with broken
bones) and are
being treated by on-board
medical
facilities, though no reported life threatening conditions. Power
was restored after several hours and one of the four engines was also
restored. The vessel is
proceeding to the port of Cagliari, Sardinia where she arrived early
the following morning. According to
Iberojet, there are 477 passengers and 313 crew members onboard;
according to V Ships the numbers are 480 and 296 respectively. It was like being on a rollercoaster," one Spanish passenger told local media. "I thought the television in my cabin was anchored down and instead I saw it go flying and slam into the wall. NOTE: This ship, like the M/V Explorer similarly hit by a wave two weeks earlier causing it to lose power in a major storm, is managed and crewed by V Ships. V Ships also manages and crews Radisson Seven Seas' ships (among others). |
In Distress Loss of propulsion in heavy seas |
| January 27 |
M/V Explorer Semester at Sea |
The Explorer (former Olympia Explorer) lost
power in three of its four
engines when a 50-foot wave broke bridge windows, damaged controls and
injured two crew members. The ship was 650 miles south of Adak in
Alaska's Aleutian Islands -- about 1300 miles southwest of
Anchorage. Crew members were able to start a second engine and
the ship "limped" to Honolulu for needed repairs. |
Loss of propulsion in
heavy seas |
| January 25 |
Ocean Jewel Titan Cruise Lines |
The ship was
detained at port when the Coast Guard found
numerous fire safety violations and several crew members unable to
perform their jobs. Repairs were made, crew members replaced, and
the ship returned to service later in the week. |
Detained in port |
| January 2 |
The World Residensea Delphin Renaisance Delphin Seereisen |
The ships were
unable to sail from
|
Delayed |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2004 |
Incident |
| September 2 |
Berlin Peter Deilmann Cruises |
The ship
entered dry dock for repair to a stabilizer damaged
when it collided with a pier at Invergordon. The cruise scheduled
for August 28 was cancelled. The next cruise will depart from
Kiel on September 4. |
Cancellation |
| June 18 |
World Discoverer Society Expeditions |
The ship's mortgage holders
took possession of the ship and the company ceased operations.
Passengers
onboard were flown home from Nome, Alaska, where the cruise was
planning
to disembark and embark passengers. The company filed for
bankruptcy
on June 30. |
Bankruptcy |
| May 21 |
Ocean Majesty Majestic International |
The ship arrived in
Warnemunde and was scheduled to depart
for Tallinn that evening, but the sailing was cancelled due to a
problem with the steering gear's hydraulic system. Passengers
were disembarked. |
Cancellation |
| May 15 |
Sun Cruz V Sun Cruz Casino Boat |
An engine room fire was
extinguished and no one was injured
after the ship caught fire with 160
passengers onboard (560 capacity) when it was 3 miles (30 minutes)
south of Port Everglades. It was towed back to Port Everglades
two hours later and passengers were offloaded. |
Fire |
| May 12 |
Mona Lisa Holiday Kreuzfahrten |
The 655 foot ship, with 1000
passengers onboard, got stuck
in the mud close to St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. It was at
the start of its voyage. There were no injuries and no known
damage to the ship, but the grounding renewed calls for ships not to be
allowed to cross the St. Mark's Basin. |
Grounded |
| February 26 |
Astor Transocean Tours |
It was disclosed on March 3
that the ship had grounded in
the shipping
channel after leaving Townsville port, Australia.
According to Australian authorities, the ship made a turn
a bit too late and hit soft mud at the end of the channel. The
ship was detained for two hours to ensure seaworthiness. It was
further inspected
at Cairns (its next stop) and found to have sustained no damage.
See: Independent
investigation into the grounding
of the
|
Grounded |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2003 |
Incident |
| September 17 |
M/V Astoria |
This German ship was detained
by London's port authority
after a routine inspection revealed that it's galleys were infested
with cockroaches. The
ship's passengers are believed to have disembarked in London, and the
ship returned (unauthorized to leave) to Bremerhaven. |
Infestation |
| August 8 |
MTS
Atlantis (Greece) |
A crewman was killed and 19
others admitted to hospital when
a fire extinguisher exploded while ship anchored
at the island of Santorini. None of the 1,063 tourists and other
passengers on a day trip from Crete were on board when
the incident occurred. |
Crew member
killed |
| August 6 |
Mirage Ocean Club Cruise Line |
A 31 year old steward was
arrested for allegedly having
consensual sex with a 15 year old female passenger. He was charged with
lewd and lascivious battery on a minor under 16 years of age. |
Sexual
Assault |
| July 26 |
Mona Lisa Holiday Kreuzfahrten |
670
passengers were evacuated after the ship ran on
to rocks near Sptisbergen in the Barents Sea (close to
the Arctic Circle). Both propellers and the hull are
thought to be damaged. Cruise scheduled for August 2 has ben
cancelled. |
Grounded |
| June 18 |
Hebridean
Princess Hebridean Island Cruises |
Cruise was cancelled when
half of the ship's 38 crew were
struck down with severe tonsillitis. |
Cancellation |
| April 14 |
Island Adventure SeaEscape |
A fire in a storage area on a
lower deck of the ship forced
evacuation of crew from the ship. There were no passengers
onboard. Minor damage. |
Fire |
| February 18 |
Star Flyer Star Clippers |
Ship sustained minimal damage
and a small section of the
wharf collapsed at Port Klang, Malaysia after it collided with the
wharf. |
Collision with wharf |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2002 |
Incident |
| November 20 |
Olivia Ukrainian- registered |
With 650 passengers onboard,
the ship was detained for a
full day by the New Zealand Marine Safety Authority. Safety
inspectors found problems with an emergency pump and with equipment
that separates oil from water in the ship's bilges. A full audit
will be undertaken when the ship arrives
in Sydney, Australia. |
Detained -- Problems with environmental systems |
| June
3 |
Crown Crown Investment (PRC) |
Previously the
Norwegian Star I (Royal Odyssey, Royal Viking Sea), the ship was
in Shanghai for inspection and refurnishing by the new leasor (Crown
Investment, PRC) on a 3.5 year charter (delivered by Star Cruises on 25
May). Upon inspection by the Inspection and Quarantine Bureau,
swarms of cockroaches were found in the kitchen and other areas.
The China Daily reported that port officials "killed more than
10,000 cockroaches on the Bahamas-registered cruise ship. (Reported in
Lloyd's List, June 13, 2002) |
Infestation |
| May 1 |
Terra Austalis Cruceros Australis |
Ship sank off southwest
coast of Chile following a fire
that began in the engine room and spread throughout the ship. No
pax aboard, but 1 crew member died of smoke inhalation. Environmental
impact assessed for pollution risk from fuel and oil leakage. |
Sunk |
| February 13 |
The World Residensea |
Announced that after several
delays, The World will be
delivered February 20, but will not set sail until mid-March.
Christening ceremony in New York City rescheduled from April 19
to May 17. |
Late delivery |
| January 28 |
Walrus (Asia market) |
Collides with the
Chinese
cargo ship Wangtong 87, setting fire to the latter's wheelhouse.
The captain of the cargo ship remained missing. The Walrus
undamaged and returned to service. Foggy conditions. |
Collision |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2001 |
Incident |
| November 11 |
Arkona Seetours |
The ship
suffered an engine room
fire at Mahon (Balearic Islands), lost control, and slammed into a
pier, resulting in a heavily smashed bow. There were no injuries;
there were 500 passengers onboard. The ship is scheduled to be
sold to Transocean in February 2002 and be renamed Astoria. |
Fire |
| March 3 |
Caledonian Star |
The ship issued
a distress call
after being struck by a rogue wave (estimated at over 100 feet).
The glass in five Bridge windows was broken in, the bridge awash,one
bridge wing damaged with electrical failure and drifting. The
ship was was guided by a tug back to Ushuaia. (160 pax; 57 crew) |
Rogue Wave |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
Reported Illness Outbreaks |
| 8.12.12 | Riviera Oceania Cruises |
The CDC reports 37 of 1019 passengers (3.63%) and 13 of 767 crew (1.69%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer and an epidemioligist will board the ship on arrival in Miami on November 29 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 14 day cruise. |
| 3.1.12 | Marco Polo Cruise and Maritime Voyages |
The Daily Mirror reports twenty nine passengers along with eight members of staff, have been isolated in their cabins and treated by medical staff. The ship, carrying 738 holidaymakers and 360 crew, is due to return to Tilbury docks, London, this morning after the cruise to Tenerife, which left on December 20. One passenger on board, who did not want to be named, said the festive trip had turned into a nightmare. She said: “There are bags marked human waste everywhere and staff are wearing masks. “It is like something out of a film. They have closed the coffee stations but the bar is still open. But all the public toilets have been shut and we have been told to use our own in our cabins. "But our cabin is miles away from anywhere. The trip has been a complete disaster.” Tour operator Cruise & Maritime confirmed that a small number of passengers had fallen ill with the norovirus. The ship will be disinfected today before setting off on another cruise tonight and passengers on the new trip will be told what has happened. |
| 15.6.11 | Sea Lion Lindblad Expeditions |
The CDC reports 17 of 61 passengers (28.87%) and 6 of 24 crew (25%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness on the cruise from May 21 - 28. There was a relatively high percentage of passengers who became ill on subsequent cruises: 5/28/2011 – 6/3/2011: 2 of 63 passengers (3.2%), 1 of 24 crew (4.2%); 6/4/2011 – 6/11/2011: 4 of 66 passengers (6.1%); 6/11/2011 – 6/18-2011: 2 of 62 passengers (3.2%). |
| 15.3.11 | Marina Oceania Cruises |
The CDC reports 39 of 1126 passengers (3.46%) and 29 of 789 crew (3.68%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. The ship arrives in Miami today following an 18-day cruise that began February 26. |
| 2.2.10 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Line |
A reader writes: Illness hit many of the passengers on the Jan 29 sailing to Nassau (including my wife). Saturday night it seems at least 1/3 third of the passengers became ill with gastrointestinal symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. Ship crew would not confirm norovirus or food poisoning, but the illness did not seem to pass on to others, suggesting food poisoning. Returned to Fort Lauderdale Monday morning. We had booked in the specialty restaurant for the Sunday night. My wife was too sick to leave her stateroom, but I went on my own. Another group was there: was supposed to be a group of 16. Only 7 were there, as the rest were too ill. Other groups came in later. One was to be 8 people; only 5 could come. Most everyone I talked to had a partner or friends ill. It all seemed to begin from 6 pm Saturday to Sunday morning. |
| 6.7.09 | Marco Polo Transocean Cruises |
BBC reports one man has died and 150 people have been taken ill from (it appears) norovirus on board the ship, which is berthed at Invergordon in Easter Ross (Scotland). NHS Highland said tests were under way to establish that the outbreak was caused by norovirus. The cruise line issued a statement that the man's death was not the result of norovirus. UPDATE July 7: The Daily Mail today reports 380 people (340 passengers, 40 crew) have reported ill (the ship has onboard 749 passengers and 340 crew) and that five have been treated in hospital.The present cruise, which began July 4, was terminated July 7 because of the outbreak. The Herald reports July 9 that there had been an illness outbreak on the previous cruise to Iceland (31 passengers; 2 crew). The ship's master faces possible legal action because the illness outbreak had not been reported when the ship disembarked/embarked passengers in London on July 4. |
| 8.10.08 |
Grande Caribe American Canadian Caribbean Line |
The ship reported 1 of 17 (5.9%) crew and 18 of 68 (26.46%) passengers had reported ill with gastrointestinal illness on a 12 day cruise ending October 12. |
| 7.12.04 |
M/V Explorer |
The ship reported that an unusual number of passengers and some crew members were experiencing GI illness. The ship’s medical staff reported that 71 of 758 (9.37%) passengers and 1 of 195 (0.51%) crew members were ill. Predominant symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting. The cruise ends in Fort Lauderdale on December 8. |
| 3.1.04 |
Legacy Windjammer Cruises |
22 passengers (20.5%) and
2 crew (4.65%) reported gastrointestinal illness suspected to be caused
by Norwalk-like virus. The seven day cruise began and ended
in St. Thomas, December 27 - January 3. |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2003 and earlier |
| 26.8.03 |
Ocean Monarch Majestic International Cruises |
A German passenger died, and four others are infected with
Legionnaires' disease following return to Germany from
a cruise to Greenland.The cause of the infection
is not known,
a spokesperson for the cruise operator said. |
| 28.1.03 |
Pacific Venus Japan Cruise Line |
It was announced that
two passengers contracted Legionnaire's disease while on board
the Pacific Venus. The passengers were on a cruise to Taiwan from
December 27 to January 6. A cruise schedule for February 1-28 has
been cancelled. |
| Jan.03 |
Arabella Cruise Arabella |
Outbreak investigation by CDC -- source not identified |
| Feb.02 |
Albatross Phoenix Reisen Cruises |
Gastrointestinal outbreak reported
to CDC -- Details unknown |
| 23.8.01 |
Switzerland Leisure Cruises |
Approximated 25% of the ship's
passengers were affected by an outbreak of salmonella traced to chicken
brought onboard in Amsterdam. |