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EVENTS AT SEA
"All the Things that Can Go Wrong On A Cruise"

2005

The table below lists "events at sea" occurring after January 1, 2005, including cruise ship accidents.  It is based on media reports, passenger reports posted at on-line boards and discussion groups, and reports sent to Cruise Junkie. In reviewing the information, please keep in mind that some cruise lines are given less scrutiny by the media than others, and it is not uncommon for events to not appear in the media.  This information reflects only that which has made it into the public domain. 

Date	Ship Cruise Line	Event	Type of Incident
December 30	Zuiderdam Holland America Line	From a passenger: On the last night/morning, many people were stricken with a gastrointestinal illness that caused diarrhea and vomiting. A great deal of vomit was on the stairs, elevator and other public areas by Friday morning.  I was one of the seemingly many people that fell sick, and had to endure an extremely difficult day of travel home to Canada.   Advice: the cruise line may benefit from providing some sort of follow up information service when so many passengers become sick on their ship; they may also benefit from frequent changing of serving utensils in the buffet areas.	Illness
December 26	Imagination Carnival Cruise Line	From a passenger, 12/24/2005 sailing w/, stops in Cayman and Ocho Rios:  Upon awakening Monday morning, December 26, we were off the coast of Grand Cayman. Our captain told us it was to rough to anchor at our spot on the island and that we are being turned away. But the ship did offload a sick child and to pick up several passengers who missed the boat in Miami. A tender came out to our vessel to accomplish this. This small tender did not roll or bob in the lake like waters surrounding our vessel(maybe the sea had an occasional one foot chop at most).  We could see three other vessels were at anchor including the Carnival Inspiration(?) and had offloaded their passengers on tenders. We weren't offered anything to make up for this; i don't buy their excuse for not stopping ... there has to be another reason.	Missed Port
December 23	Costa Classica Costa Crociere	Five passengers died when the coach they were travelling in overturned on the road to Sao Vicente in the north of Madeira. Forty-three people were injured in the accident, one of them a nine-month-old baby.  All five people killed were of Italian nationality.  Police are still investigating the cause of the tragedy, but it is believed the coach was speeding. Unconfirmed reports have indicated that the driver tested positive for alcohol.	Deaths on Shore Excursion
December 20	Millennium Celebrity Cruises	From a passenger:  A lady fell between the ship and dock at Dominican Republic -- we were told that she was looking over the banister into the water, got dizzy and fell. Staff was right there ... by the time my husband and I disembarked a couple of men had jumped in and were helping her out.  She looked fine-just panicked.  Scary!	Fall overboard
December 19	Three cruise ships were "trapped" in the Port of Miami following the crash of a seaplane near Government Cut (20 people died in the crash).  Carnival's Imagination and Fascination and Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Sea departed Miami on itineraries that were altered to accommodate their 24 hours delayed departure.		Delayed
December 18	Radiance of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A single female, alone on the last evening of her cruise, was stalked by a crew member while in the casino and continued as she returned to her cabin at 1AM.  Earlier in the week, her girlfriend (with whom she was traveling) was followed by a man of a similar description.  Details available here.	Stalking incident
December 17	Rhapsody of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	On her way back to Galveston from Cozumel, was buffetted by 70 MPH winds and large waves and listed , held in position for 3 minutes . In the dining they were getting ready for main dining and lost wine bottles, dishes. and glasses. The shows were cancelled.  Four cabins on Deck 4 were flooded with water -- the occupants had to be transferred to other staerooms and all their wet clothing laundered. They tore up thje rugs and hallway and laid brand new carpet all done by the next sailing on 12/18.	Sudden List
December 14	Crystal Symphony Crystal Cruises	The incoming cruise was delayed 2 hours because of fog.  Passengers waited outside the terminal for 1.5 hours before being advised of the delay.  According to one passenger, "There were several hundred people outside without any directions as to what to do with luggage, where to go, and when they'd be allowed to check in.	Delayed embarkation
December 10	Jewel of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A 59-year old woman's husband reported her missing as the ship pulled into Nassau at 1PM.  She had last been seen at 9AM.  A search of the ship and ocean was done, but she wasnot found.  It is presumed she eaither jumped or fell overboard.	Passenger overboard
December	Statendam Holland America Line	From a passenger:  We sailed from San Diego to Auckland Nov. 17/05 to Dec. 22/05.   There was an outbreak of GI illness involving at least 60 - 70 passengers and unknown number of crew.  My husband was very ill for 24 hours and nauseous for a week but they didn't count him as they said he wasn't sick enough.  Passengers who were treated had to pay large fees - they said the illness came on board with people who boarded in Peru.	Illness
November 30	Millennium Celebrity Cruises	The ship will will be delayed upon arrival and departure Dec 2, 2005 into Port Everglades, due to Tropical Storm Epsilon. Passengers were contacted by Celebrity and told not to arrive at the pier until 3pm with a port departure of 7pm. They were also advised that the Coast Guard will board and inspect the ship for its annual inspection.	Delayed
November 30	Diamond Princess Princess Cruises	The Brisbane Courier-Mail reports that doctors are "battling to contain a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus among almost 4000 passengers and crew on the luxury cruise liner." The ship is on a 16-day cruise which began in Beijing on November 20.  Passengers were given a health advisory about norovirus when they boarded the fully-booked ship; by day 4 they were advised that 37 cases have been reported and instructed to practice good personal hygiene.  The number of ill was revised to 58 (of 2650 passengers) on November 30.  A passenger aboard the previous cruise (November 8 -- Bankok to Beijing) reports that a number of people had norovirus symptoms -- "there was never an official notice but it was common knowledge ."	Illness
November 28	Funchal Classic International Cruises	The ship has been stuck in Safaga (Egypt) for the past week while repairs are made to the port main engine.  The ship departed Piraeus on November 15 and was expected to arrive in Freemantle (Australia) on December 17.  Whether the ship will arrive in time for its next cruise, a 36-night return voyage to the UK, will be known in several days after repairs are complete.  Passengers were given the option to remain onboard during the repairs (including complimentary shore excursions, a A$200 per person bar credit, and a 70% cruise fare refund); some took the cruise ;line's offer to be flown home.  UPDATE:  The ship is scheduled to leave Safaga December 15 and will arrive in Freemantle January 13, the day before she is due to depart on the fourth cruise of her published Down Under programme.  Passengers booked on the three cancelled cruises (Dec. 17, Dec. 30 and Jan. 2) will receive full refunds.	Engine breakdown
November 26	Pride of Aloha NCL America	Passengers and crew were denied access on and off the ship for approximately 30 minutes while police investigated an alleged terrorist threat at the harbour.  According to the Maui News, an angry cruise ship worker (believed to be a waiter) made inappropriate comments when he returned to the ship and found he couldn't board because the body of an elderly passenger who died of natural causes was being removed. The employee was angry about the closure, confronted ship officials, and apparently made a terrorist-type comment.	Delayed embarkation --- Reminder: don't make terrorist threats
November 26	Splendor of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The CDC has reported that 135 of 1609 passengers (8.48%) and 12 of 724 crew (1.65%) have reported ill with symptoms consistent with norovirus.  The 14 day cruise began in Barcelona and ended November 26 in Galveston.	Illness
November 25	Pacific Star P&O Australia	The maiden voyage of the ship has been cancelled because the ship's refurbishment has been delayed.  Passengers on the 10 day cruise from Brisbane to New Caledonia and Vanuatu scheduled for December 18 will receive a full refund and a 20% discount on a future cruise.  The ship -- the former Costa Tropicale and Carnival Cruise Line's 1982-built Tropicale --  is expected to make its scheduled cruise December 28 from Brisbane.	Cancelation
November 22	Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line	The itinerary for Mexican Riviera cruises have been revised because of damage to the forward thrust bearings of the ship's azipod propulsion system.  The old itinerary included port calls to Acapulco (13.5 hours), Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa (7 hours), Puerto Vallarta (8 hours), and Cabo San Lucas (8 hours).  The revised itinerary includes Manzanillo (8 hours), Puerto Vallarta (11 hours), Mazatlan (10 hours), and Cabo San Lucas (7 hours).  These changes will continue until the ship enters drydock March 8, 2006 -- cruises scheduled for March 8 - April 1 are cancelled.  Passengers affected by the itinerary change will receive $50 per person($100 per cabin maximum) onboard credit.	Azipod problems ---- Itinerary change
November 22	Grandeur of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The seven day cruise from Baltimore was forced by high winds to miss Bermuda as a port of call.	Missed port
November 14	Fascination Carnival Cruise Line	From a passenger:  Delayed in Key West due to technical difficulties.  As a result, cancelled Mexico Calica port and went to Nassau Bahamas instead. My group already booked to go to Nassau on same ship for the next three day cruise that week. Others reported that they lived in Nassau Bahamas and were very angry that they were going there. No compensation given.	Itinerary change
November 13	Westerdam Holland America Line	Reported by a passenger:  An outbreak Norwalk type flu on cruise returning to Fort Lauderale Nov 13.  Captain informed us that forty passengers involved and nine remained in stateroom as of Nov 12.  Precautionay measures were taken: no self service or articles on tables. According to another passenger, HAL took great care in preventing the spread of the disease -- she was told 40 passengers and 10 crew members had reported ill.	Illness
November 12	The Northwest Cruiseship Association  (NWCA) indicated in a letter dated September 11, 2005 its plan to transition out of its MOU with the State of Hawai'i effective December 31, 2005.  It is opting instead for much less stringent environmental protection included in legislation passed in July by the state legislature and becoming law without the governor's signature.  The MOU extended protection to 4 miles from the 100 fathom mark (and extended to the Penguin Banks and Whale Sanctuary); the legislation is a straight 3 mile baseline from the coast.  Read the letter by clicking here.		Environmental
November 5	Seabourn Spirit Seabourn Cruises	Pirates off the Somalia coast attacked the ship with the intention to board.  The ship took evasive action and was able to outrun the attackers.  There were no serious injuries onboard, and the ship suffered only minor damage.	Pirate Attack
November 3	Seadream II Seadream Yacht Club	More than a dozen passengers (10%+) reportedly contracted gastronintestinal illness believed to be Norovirus.  Crew members told some passengers that more than 30 passengers (30%) were reportedly ill on the previous cruise.	Illness
November 3	Sun Princess Princess Cruises	A power outage while docked at St. Thomas, USVI, left passengers mostly in the dark for more than 2 hours in the evening.  Backup generators provided limited power.  Power was restored and the ship left port two hours later than scheduled.	Power Loss
Early-November	Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A passenger writes:  At the beginning of November, 2005, we sailed on Mariner of the Seas owned by Royal Caribbean. On that cruise were over 1,500 "Hog on the High Seas," Harley Davidson owners.  We had been given no warning that this number of motorcycle persons would be on the cruise.  Their behavior was very disruptive both on the ship, at the area in Haiti where the ship stopped and where those guests were given preferred treatment, and even as they were re-boarding the ship after port stops. At on location, for example, we, my wife and I, were sitting on our cabin's balcony. A female member of the Hogs was returning to the ship when she yelled to others on other balconies, "Is this the ship with the Hogs on the High Seas?" When they answered that it was she turned around and mooned them. Another person, a male, from the Hogs sat in a bar/lounge for over 24 hours topless.  Both during and after the cruise I complained to Royal Caribbean about the behavior of the Hogs on the High Seas. Their answer to me was that I was prejudice.	Disruptive Group of 1500 folks
October	Pacific Sky P&O Australia	A former employee has alleged that he witnessed the dumping of oil at sea, leaving a 3km oil slick.  He said that from the casual nature in which the dumping was carried out, it appeared that the practice was not uncommon.	Environmental
October 31	Zenith Celebrity Cruises	The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Celebrity Cruises to overturn a $1 million judgment awarded a Zenith passenger who was raped by a ship's waiter while the was in Bermuda.  Accoridng to an article in the Royal Gazette, the decision to reject the appeal has broader ramifications since the lawsuit could have established a shield for the cruise industry from suits over crew-member assaults against passengers.	Court decision
October 27	Brilliance of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A blockade of the entrance to Barcelona Harbour by fishersmen prevented the ship from entering the harbour for 12 hours.  Disembark/embarkation was thrown into chaos. Embarking passengers who were only on a three night cruise started boarding at 11p.m. and missed one port out of two (Corsica) -- they received $100 per person onboard credit.	Delays
October 26 - Nov 5	Maasdam Holland America Line	From a passenger:  The ship was quite late boarding due to a quarantine.  According to ship authorities, a virus was responsible for an undisclosed number of ill crew and passengers inbound from New England.  Our trip was impacted due to increased sanitation for all but the last two days.  It was difficult to even obtain towels at the pool.  Without a doubt, the worst cruise we ever had because they were obviously very short handed due to sick crew.  No compensation-not that we expected any.  Also on this cruise, a pipe burst ( I believe on level 3) and flooded the floor.  We know a couple who said everything was quite “hush-hush”.  After the pipe was fixed and rooms water vacuumed, we were told that the smell from both the water then the chemicals was awful.  They were compensated with a choice of future cruise or $500.00.	Illness / Delay Burst Pipe
October 25, 26	Coral Princess Princess Cruises Volendam Holland America Line	Many ships had their itineraries impacted by Hurricane Wilma, including the port of embarkation and de-barkation changing without proper notice.  I received many e-mails, including from the Coral Princess and Volendam.  The latter two were interesting because passengers complained about the lack of information and the giving of false information by folks on the phones prior to the cruise.  There were also complaints about confusing information onboard.  As one person recommended to cruise lines: This is not the only time this is going to happen -- learn some lessons and develop measures to ensure customer support and satisfaction for the next time.  Interestingly, a passenger on the Coral Princess reported that passengers on the shortened sailing received a refund of 33%; a passenger on the Volendam reported receiving an onboard credit of 78 cents and a free cocktail.	Weather Delays
October 21 - 24 (6)	Fascination Carnival Cruise Line	The ship was delayed returning to Miami for two days as a result of Hurrican Wilma.  The ship experienced very rough seas while "waiting" at sea and on Monday "tipped severely, injuring several passengers.  Some passengers who needed medical attention had difficulty communicating with foreign workers." (Deas Moines Register)  A passenger onboard reports that there was considerable damage to the shops and displays given the severe wave action and that the zero deck was ankle deep in water. The cruise director came on the intercom after the list and announced that they had made a maneuver.	Severe List
October17	Paradise Carnival Cruise Line	Disembarkation was delayed 6 hours until the ship was cleared by the FBI which was investigating a woman's death during the cruise (sometime Saturday, reportedly on R deck around room 145).  Many assumed it was drug-related since there was evidence of drug use on board, but this is just conjecture.  According to news reports, "authorities do not believe foul play was involved."  The cruise, running 14 - 17 October, was the Xingolati Groove Cruise of the Pacific.  Embarkation of the next cruise was also delayed.  The death was later ruled to be caused by “the toxic effects of methadone,”	Death on Board --- Delays
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
October 14	Pride of America NCL America	A 44 year old employee was arrested in Kaua'i and charged with kidnapping and raping a fellow employee.  The man plead not guilty to the changes involving a 21 year old woman from Oregon. .	Sexual Assault
October 13	Norwegian Dream Norwegian Cruise Line	The ship is expected to arrrive 5 hours late from its current cruise because of mechanical problems.  The Oct 15th cruise out of Houston will depart late and Roatan and Cancun have been dropped as ports. The only ports visited will be Cozumel and Belize. NCL is offering $100pp (limit 2) credit per cabin and $100 pp for future cruise.  There are reports that the cruises beginning Oct 22 and 29 will replace Roatan (Honduras) with Progresso (Mexico) and itinerary changes may continue until repairs are made.	Mechanical problems
October 8	Disney Wonder Disney Cruise Line	A girl under the age of 18 said a member if the ship's crew exposed himself to her while the ship was in port in the Bahamas this week.  The crew member was kept separate from passengers for the remainder of the cruise and was suspended when the ship returned to Florida.  The incident is being investigated in the Bahamas, which is where it occured.  (NOTE: Thanks to Disney for reporting this incident at their website rather than trying to keep it hidden.)	Indecent exposure
October 3	Oltenita Danube Black Sea Shipping	A fire broke out on the river cruise ship while on the Danube near the Slovak capital of Bratislava.  All 77 tourists from Denmark, Norway, and Belgium evacuated safely.  43 Romanian crew also escaped, though one crew member (a singer in the band) was missing and feared dead.	Fire
September 25 - October 2	Norwegian Majesty Norwegian Cruise Line	From September 26th thru October 1st, I was repeatedly “hit on” by my Cabin Steward. He left notes on the bed in my cabin, and lurked in the corridor at all hours of the day and night, seeming to be waiting for me. He even so much as asked me to have dinner with him… and also marry him! Although it seemed a bit overly flirtatious, I did not make a big deal of it, but….  On the final day of my cruise, October 2nd, the Cabin Steward assaulted me. He followed me into to my cabin, closing the door behind him. There was very little room and I tried to distance myself from him, but he grabbed me and began kissing me. I tried to push him away and said, “NO!”, but he had one arm firmly around my waist, while his other hand gripped the back of my head. He forced my mouth open with his tongue. Again, I yelled, “NO!”, causing him to loosen his grip, long enough for me to make my way out of the cabin. For more see here.	Sexual Assault
September 23	Pride of America NCL America	A 22 year old female crew member was alledgedly raped by a 44 year old male crew member (from San Francisco, CA).  The attack took place during a port call to Maui.  The man was arrested but not held and when he returned to the ship was fired.  The woman suffered several cuts and bruises and returned to the ship before it set sail. The case is still active in the courts.	Sexual Assault
September 12 - 19	Empress of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The ship experienced engine problems en route to Key West where temporary repairs were made.  The ship was then re-routed from a Mexican cruise to a cruise to the Bahamas where more repairs could be made.  Passengers were compensated with $150 in onboard credit.  According to some passengers who have shared information post cruise through e-mail, problems with the ship's propulsion had been ongoing for several weeks and the current disruption should have been prevented.	Propulsion problem - Itinerary change
September 13	Grand Princess Princess Cruises	Repairs were not completed while the ship was in Venice and the ship is operating at decreased speed.  Time of stay has been shortened in several ports (Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon, amd Mykonos) but the ship is otherwise expected to stick to the published itinerary.	Propulsion problem - Itinerary change
September 8	Grand Princess Princess Cruises	The ship reportedly suffered engine problems while sailing in the Eastern Mediterranean en route to Istanbul. It missed its scheduled calls at Istanbul and Kusadasi, stopping instead at Samos and arriving in Piraeus (Athens) yesterday.  Repairs are expected to be completed on Sunday when passengers embark/disembark in Venice.  Passengers reportedly "rioted and protested" and were subsequently given a $400 onboard credit.  One passenger wrote:  We were informed by the bridge that there were propulsion problems that would cut our speed from 22 to 11 knots.  It was apparent there were problems because if you watched the wake there was a very noticeable difference between the two sides.  While we were disappointed at missing the two ports we were liberally compensated by the cruise line.  They gave us one on shore excursion at no cost and also gave cash credit toward either excursion or on board charges.	Propulsion problem -- Missed ports
September 4	Pacific Sky P&O Australia	The ship suffered engine problems and drifted onto the reef of Bayonnaise near the isle of Pines (New Caledonia) on Sunday.  Police divers found it suffered no damage.  Two tugs arrived on Monday from Noumea to free the ship and a Lloyds surveyor is en route from Brisbane to certify the ship is fit to sail. The incident occurred in calm conditions and all on board are safe.	Grounded on reef
September 2	Monarch of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Three crew members were killed and nineteen others injured when they were overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas while replacing a section of a pipe connected to the ship’s sewage system.  The broken line expelled about five gallons of raw sewage and an unknown amount of gas in the starboard propeller shaft tunnel. No passengers were affected but disembarkation and embarkation was delayed.	Accidental deaths and injuries
September 1	Seabourn Pride Seabourn Cruises	The ship was detained at Waterford because of safety hazards.  According to the Department of Marine, inspectors found safety matters, which are believed to centre on the engine room, had not been rectified.  These included safety deficiencies and fire risks.  The ship was detained in port, with its 170 passengers, until deficiencies were corrected.  It departed Waterford on Saturday morning, Sept 3.  Curiously, safety inspectors in the UK had highlighted several faults when the ship was in Falmouth, but allowed her to sail after the Captain agreed to make amends at sea.	Safety hazards -- No sail order and detained until passed reinspection
August 28 - Sept 3	Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The following bit of excitement was sent by a passenger and may interest some:  While heading for Cozumel the ship was going thru a lightning storm and was hit on one of the antenas around 4:35am.  It fried some wiring and set off the fire alarms throughout the ship.  It took about 15 mins. to turn them off. Also the large doors between sections on hallways closed automatically and had to be opened manually, for a few hours.  The was no serious damage to the ship and no injury to persons.  For photos go here	Lighting strike --- No harm
August 30	Norwegian Jewel Norwegian Cruise Line	There are reports the ship lost power as a result of problems with the port-side azipod on Monday while leaving St. Petersburg .  The ship was assisted by Finnish tugs to reach the next port (Tallinn, Estonia), arriving 5 hours late; it is expected to depart 3 hours later than scheduled.  On Tuesday morning the ship's Captain announced the azipod had been fixed.	Propulsion problems
August 24	Costa Classica Costa Cruises	The ship was escorted back to Athen's main harbour after a fire broke out as it sailed through the western Aegean Sea off the island of Poros.  The fire broke out in a mooring area on the aft side of the ship at 9:30 a.m. and extingusihed 35 minutes later.  There were no injuries but a kitchen area was damaged so the cruise was canceled.  Passengers received a full refund plus a 25% discount on future cruise to be used within a year. The ship had left Venice on August 21.	Fire -- Cancellation
August 21	Hanseatic Hapag-Lloyd	The ship ran aground near the island of Luroy off the Norwegian coast just south of the Polar Circle.  The grounding caused a 5 meter hole in the ships hull.  The ship remained stable and sailed to Bodo from where passengers flew back to Germany.	Grounded
August 20	Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The cruise left Barcelona 12 hours late (and missed its first port: Marseille) because of high seas.off the French coast.  As it was, even with leaving late, the ship encountered heavy seas and strong winds the first day out and there was widespread seasickness.  Seas calmed by the next day.	Missed port
August 12	Clipper Adventurer Clipper Cruise Line	The cruise to embark on August 12 was canceled.  On the previous cruise, the ship's propeller was damaged by a small ice growler while it cruised on the way to Southern East Greenland.  It returned to Iceland on one screw-divers and proceeded to Belfast for drydocking.  A passenger writes: Ship's officers kept passengers well informed and ship went to alternate ports/parts of Iceland where ice was not a concern. After screw mechanism damaged we were slow on one engine but safe and sure. Passengers had nothing but praise and emphathy for Clipper & crew.	Cancellation --- Damaged screw
August 11	Carnival Glory Carnival Cruise Line	A 30-year-old muscian was found deceased in his cabin.  There were no signs of foul play and the death is presumed to be from natural causes.  See the report in Florida Today.	Death onboard
August 6 - 11	Imagination Carnival Cruise Line	The cruise boarded 6 hours late because a medical emergency on the prior cruise caused a late return to Miami.  The ship was further delayed (another 5+ hours) the next day after a 20-year old woman jumped overboard at 5AM -- she was subsequently found by another ship around noon and flown (alive) to Miami.  Because of the delays, Ocho Rios was dropped from the itinerary; passengers were given a $40 onboard credit.	Delay -- Missed Port -- Passenger Overboard
August 11	Norwegian Dream Norwegian Cruise Line	Engine problems continue with the ship (see July 4) though an additional "tecnical issue with one of the engines" caused the current cruise to end 6 hours late (many pax missed flights, had to stay overnight, and scramble for flights on Friday).  Returning passengers told of limping into Seattle on a failed engine and of missing out "on major, picturesque stops."  The cruise beginning today as well will visit four ports rather than six (missing SItka and Ketchikan).  Of the ship's four engines, two are under repair and two are working -- the delay presumably was caused by a problem with one of the working engines.  Passengers were assured that the problem only affects speed and not safety.	Propulsion problem -- Delays -- Missed ports
July 31 - Aug 7	Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line	Apparently because of propulsion problems this "Glacier Bay Cruise" skipped Glacier Bay and substituted in its place a port call at Sitka.  Passengers were compensated with a $200 onboard credit.  As stated by one passenger, "we picked this cruise for Glacier Bay; the cruise was more expensive BECAUSE of the cruise through Glacier Bay; and the cruise is called a GLACIER BAY CRUISE in advertising and agenda."	Propulsion problem -- Missed port
August 3	Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Line	FROM A PASSENGER:  Around 10PM we looked out of our balcony, on the starboard side on deck 7, and saw heavy, heavy smoke coming from the lower levels towards the front of the ship.  Although I did never actually see flames, there were extremely bright flickering lights coming from the same place.  Within minutes, there was an announcement for everyone to proceed to the upper, open decks.  The late show had to be evacuated ... and people who's room was in that area said their rooms and hallways were filled with thick white smoke.  The Cruise Director announced "there was a problem in the engine room and that something had overheated".  Later it was an "oily substance".  All  I can tell you for sure was that it was heavy smoke.  People had their life jackets on, very unsettling. This lasted over an hour.  No real explanation and of course no compensation.	?Fire? Lots of smoke
August 2	Explorer of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Posted at Cruise Critic:  After we left Miami on Sunday, at about 10pm, we felt a loud noise, like an explosion, and. the ship tilted to one side ...  It went like that for about 10 minutes, I was in the Aquarium Bar , and the water from the aquarium started coming out from the top of the aquarium in the side that we were leaning to. Anything that was not tied down fell on the floor, including many bottles and stuff in the gift shop. We asked around but the anwsers we got made no sense. Scary, scary, scary. The incident appears to have been caused by a stabilizer being retracted at a faster than normal rate.	Unexpected list
July 29	Caribbean Princess Princess Cruises	Posted at Cruise Critic:  Yesterday in St. Maarten we had some kind of power loss on the ship. When we embarked from St. Maarten none of the elevators were working. Capt announced the engineers were working on fixing the problem. I have an aft balcony and can watch the wake as we leave - as we were leaving the engines did not sound right. Then the capt announces that we would be leaving the harbor and doing some manuevers (360's) so the engineers can make sure everything was online.  All nite it seemed we not were sailing as fast as we had been. Sure enough - today they announced that there were engine problems and we would NOT be stopping at Princess Cay. Compensation is $100 ship board credit per passenger and port taxes for Bahamas refunded.	Engine problems
July 23 - 30	Pride of America NCL America	From a passenger:  We sailed on the Pride of America on 7/23/05, and experienced "engine problems" that caused late arrival into Hilo by 4 hours and to leave Kauai early on the last day by 4 hours.  This has been an on going policy of NCL since that time ... No evening sailing past Mt.Kilauea and leaving Kauai early.  Seems that NCL needs to republish their itinerary since they have made a practice of this.	Engine problems? -- Shortened port calls
July 24 - 29	Voyager of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	I normally don't post weather-related itinerary changes, however the following passenger statement seemed worth sharing:  The July 24th trip to Bermuda went to Canada instead.  Tropical storm Franklin was to blame for the rough seas in Bermuda.  Royal Caribbean was to blame for the ridiculous decision to go north instead of spending 5 days at sea in warm waters.  The ship left from New Jersey, where the temperatures were in the 80's and 90's.  Temperatures in Canada were in the 50's and 60's, and sky conditions were foggy and rainy the entire time.  One of the stores onboard the ship actually raised the prices of sweatshirts, knowing that passengers had no choice but to buy them, since everyone was packed to go to Bermuda (or at least somewhere warm).  Royal Caribbean notified passengers by handing out a flyer at the pier.  There was a near mutiny onboard, and Captain "Sven" had a meeting in the theater to inform all the passengers that the only compensation Royal Caribbean was offering was the $45 port charge difference.  He had to bring "bodyguards" along to share the news.  A class action lawsuit is in the works.  This was not my first cruise, but it will certainly be my last on Royal Caribbean.  Their customer service is non-existent. RECEIVED OCT 31 2005:  Royal Caribbean finally sent me four "coupons" for 25% off a future cruise (one per person).  Honestly, this is "too little - too late."  They should've done this on the first day of the cruise, and everyone would've been satisfied.  Instead, they waited three months, and angered literally thousands of passengers.	Port change  - Passenger dissatisfaction
July 22	Explorer of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A Holland America L:ine employee working at Half Moon Cay "borrowed" a jet ski and with 4 others took a spin to Cat Island.  He became detached from the others on the return and became lost.  He was reportedly adrift for two days or more before he was spotted and rescued by the cruise ship.	Rescue st sea
July 16-21	Ecstasy Carnival Cruise Line	Like many other ships, Ecstasy changed its itinterary to avoid the hazardous weather.  However, passengers on the 5-day July 16 cruise had a "cruise to nowhere" and report Carnival refused to refund port charges paid by passengers.  A person posting at Cruise Critic however referes to receiving a certificate for 50% off a future cruise.	No Refund of port charges
July 13	Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Line	From a passenger just back:  Just out of Tortola, heading for NYC on Wed July 13. 5:10 pm, "computer glitch" causes hard left turn, that combined with a strong wind offf the starboard side, results in a 14 degree list causing injuries and damage. We were on port side, on balcony, and felt like the ship was going to turn over; pool water, and debris streamed past our window. Crew members said they had NEVER experienced a list of that degree.	Unexpected List
July 7	Brilliance of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A passenger onboard the ship for his honeymoon was presumed to have fallen overboard in the Mediterranean.  Cruise officials learned the man in his 20s was missing when the ship docked at Kusadasi on July 5.  The matter was still being investigated six weeks later -- there is some question as to whether the death was murder,suicide, or an accident.  See here for the AP report, and here, AND HERE   For more information see here and here	Passenger  overboard / ?Murder?
July 6	Maasdam Holland America Line	The ship left Sydney, Nova Scotia two hours early for Halifax where it plans to repair one of its failed engines.  It is unclear the degree to which engione problems have influenced the ship's itinerary.	Engine problems
July 5	Norwegian Spirit Norwegian Cruise Line	A passenger reports that the ship collided with the pier as it docked at Juneau, breaking out windows in 3 or 4 rooms and making a large dent in the side.  Passengers in the room affected were relocated to other accommodations because of the damage, and were given both an onboard credit and a discount on a future cruise.	Collision with dock
July 4	Norwegian Dream Norwegian Cruise Line	The June 30 - July 11 sailing has experienced engine problems and as a result Sitka has been dropped from the itinerary.  Passengers were compensated with a $50 onboard credit.  Sitka has also been dropped from future itineraries through August -- presumably until the engine problem is repaired.	Engine problems Missed port
July 3	Grandeur of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The ship developed engine problems and returned to Baltimore four hours later than scheduled.  Its departure was also delayed.  According to a poster at Cruise Critic the ship can only go 18 knots as opposed to 22 meaning it won't get to Bermuda until Tuesday at 5 pm and then it has to leave Wednesday at noon.	Engine problems Delays
July 2	Legend of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A passenger is in a Spanish hospital after contracting what is believed to be Legionnaires' Disease. On June 27 the passenger became very ill and was rushed to hospital when the ship docked in Barcelona. Doctors diagnosed Legionella Pneumophilia, the bacterium which causes Legionnaires' Disease.  The ship was detained in Barcelona for an extra day while authorities decided if there was a risk to the 2,000 passengers.	Legionnaires' Disease
July 2	Jewel of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Passengers on the cruise ending today (June 20 - July 2) in Harwick (England) report more than 100 passengers became ill with diarrhea and vomiting.  One passenger says a staff person in the medical centre said that many of the crew had it and had had it on the previous cruise.  Another says her daughter's blood test indicated a bacterial source for the disease which suggests food or water contamination, though descriptions provided suggest the source of the outbreak was noro or similar virus.  It is unlikely that further information will be made available given that the ship is not required to contact or provide information to the Centers for Disease Control because it was operating outside the US.	Illness
July 2	Norwegian Dawn Norwegian Cruise Line	The ship was re-routed after Great Stirrup Cay due to engine problems -- it is running on only one azipod prop.  The port of Nassau was canceled so the cruise can end on-time in NYC.	Engine problems
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
June 20 -27	Norwegian Dream Norwegian Cruise Line	Passengers were notified after leaving Seattle that because of engine problems they would be miss the port of Sitka and would receive a "conditional" non-refundable $50.00 per person shipboard credit that could not be used in the casino or for service charges.  When questioned about the missed port, the Cruise Director reportedly replied to a guest in a a crowded auditorium... "you can either get over it or be sulky for the rest of the cruise."  At the same time, the Captain insisted that College Fjord, a stop listed on the itinerary, was NOT an his itinerary and was instead a "surprise" stop to celebrate a crew members birthday.  A poster at Cruise Critic further talks about being reprimanded by a junior waiter for ordering improperly, having hot coffee spilled on her, and finding a soiled diaper in the night table beside the bed.	Engine problems Missed port Service issues
June 27	QEII Cunard Line	More than 200 passengers have signed a petition protesting a decision to anchor nearly three miles away from Tuesday's fleet review that are part of Trafalgar 200 events.  Passengers claim brochures promised the shoip would be "at the heart and soul" of the festivities -- Cunard says the "slight change" in location was to accommodate the increase in the number of vessels taking part in the fleet review.  Read details here.	Disappointed passengers
June 24	Elation Carnival Cruise Line	The Houston Chronicle reports that a 40-year old woman travelling with her husband and three teenaged children went missing off the Caribbean coast of Mexico at 11 AM.   The ship conducted a full search where she was presumed to have gone overboard but was not successful in finding her.   Though not explicitly stated, news reports imply she committed suicide.  Unrelated is that the ship lost power and was adrift for an hour around mid-day on Saturday (June 25).	?Suicide? Loss of Power
June 23	Pacific Sky P&O Australia	The 8 night South Pacific cruise scheduled to depart from Sydney on June 25 has been canceled because repairs of the ship are still not completed.  (The ship has been at a Brisbane dry-dock for the past 3 months).  Passenegrs were notified less than 48 hours before the planned departure that the cruise was cancelled so they could make "immediate alternative holiday arrangements."  The will receive a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit.	Cancelation
June 19	Star Princess Princess Cruises	The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports on an incident in which a couple was told upon disembarkation that their luggage had been "dumped" overboard.  Princess assured them that the cruise line would take care of everything, including monetary compensation and a free cruises.  What they actually received, after wrangling and hassles, was $500 per passenger for the lost luggage and belongings and nothing more.  The possessions lost with the luggage were valued at over $5000.	Luggage overboard
June 14	Carnival Glory Carnival Victory Carnival Cruise Line	Carnival was fined $65,000 and its ships were turned away from St. Thomas and San Juan because the company had not provided the US Coast Guard with documents listing names of passengers and crew. along with the ship's last five ports of call, per security requirements.  Both ships were delayed 4 hours until required documents could be provided and reviewed.  Carnival blames the problem on a computer glitch that has since been repaired.	Noncompliance with security requirements
June 14	Norwegian Dawn Norwegian Cruise Line	A lawsuit was filed against NCL alleging the ship was put into harm's way when its owners ordered it to race back to New York for a photo shoot with "The Apprentice" (see April 15 below). The $100 million suit claims that NCL sent the Norwegian Dawn into the path of a storm as it headed back from Florida on April 16. Some passengers were hurt. "They deliberately took those passengers into a serious storm and put their lives at risk for financial reasons," said lawyer Brett Rivkind.  See story here.	Lawsuit
June 7 - 14	Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Line	Passengers were told at 6 AM the first morning after embarkation that the ship had engine problems and would be missing three points on the itinerary: Prince William Sound. College Fjord, and Sitka; its stop in Ketchikan was cut short.  As one passenger wrote, "We were very upset about missing the glacier viewing and Sitka.  We will never be able to take this trip again, we saved for over 2 years and will not be able to come back to Alaska, their gesture of a $50.00 credit is a insult to our intelligence."  Another passenger posted the following at Cruise Critic and clarified the nature of the problem:  The ship starboard side propeller hit an iceberg or ice on the northbound trip which departed Vancouver. The damage was bad enough that it bent one of the propellers. Because of this damage, the ship could not use the engine and therefore could not reach the required speed to visit the missed ports. Also the damaged propeller caused a large amount of vibration which was noticeable when we attended dinner the second night. When we arrived in Juneau, Carnival had divers waiting to correct the problem.	Propulsion problems --- Missed ports
June 5 - 12	Carnival Valor Carnival Cruise Line	Reported by a passenger: On June 7, the ship encountered mechanical problems which brought it to a complete stop between Nassau and St Thomas. Then on June 9, after leaving St Maarten, we went back to St Thomas and docked at approx 1:30am on June 10 to deliver a heart attack patient to a waiting ambulance. This delay caused us to sail back to Miami north of the Bahamas rather than south of the islands to make up for lost time. This caused a slightly rough ride in the Atlantic both ways. Of the 3,300 guests on board, there were 550 children, and they were running loose, falling at the pools, and there was at least one case of defecation in a pool. Kids running down the halls at midnight, yelling. Darting through the shopping areas almost tripping older guests. Just a zoo because of the kids on board.	Propulsion and other problems
June 10	Holiday Carnival Cruise Line	The ship's return to Mobile is delayed more than one day, until Sunday, because of Tropical Storm Arlene.  The ship will arrive at Sunady at 4PM rather than Saturday morning.  The next voyage, which was to have been a five-day cruise is now converted to a four day cruise to Cozumel.	Weather delays
June 7	Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Line	5 longshoremen were arrested after they blocked a busful of cruise passengers in Whittier, Alaska.  The union accuses Carnival of violating US law by using foreign workers to load and unload luggage from Carnival ships."  One week later it was announced that Carnival agreed to use American workers on future visits to  Whittier, per Federal regulations. Click here, here, and here for media coverage.	Labour Dispute
June 4	Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line	While docked in Victoria (British Columbia) local residents near the port complained of a noxious odour pervading their homes following release of a billow of black smoke from the ship's smokestack.  The cruise line didn't notify the port, so inquiries were told it was being looked into.  What was determined was that while fixing a diesel-powered electricity generator, the engine had to be restarted several times.  On two of those restarts the engine emitted heavy black smoke which triggered the ship's own onboard smoke emission alarms. In each of those two occasions the smoke was emitted for less than 30 seconds.  It was the source of the noxious odour.	Air Pollution
June 2	Summit Celebrity Cruises	As indicated below (May 25), the cruise ending today was shortened to 6 days because of the need for ship repairs.  It is indicated there that "compensation appeared generous", but one passenger has written to say that that was not the case:  "We were told we would receive a $300 per cabin on board credit, and 25% discount on future cruise.    After the cruise we inquired where our credit was, at which time we were told that our rate was too low, and thus we didn't qualify for the credit.    In fact, we will receive   NO compensation for our 7 day cruise that was turned into a 6 day cruise!!!"  So much for being generous.	Shortened cruise -- no compensation
May  31	Pacific Sun Pacific Sky P&O Australia	The date for completion of repairs has again (for a third time) been extended.  As a result, the Pacific Sun will replace the Sky for a two-week charter on June 21 in Auckland.  Consequently, Pacific Sun's 11-night round cruise from Sydney on June 14 will be cut to seven nights and will terminate in Auckland and her 10-night round voyage from Sydney on July 4 will be replaced with a seven-night cruise from Auckland to Sydney on July 7.	Cancelations
May 30	QEII Cunard Line	British media report that police are investigating a woman's claim that she was sexually assaulted aboard the cruise ship on May 25.  A 25-year-old crew member was arrested in connection with the allegation.	Sexual Assault
May 22 - 29	Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line	From a passenger: On the disembarkation day (at Seattle), we saw the big baggage cage moving luggage from the pier to the ship drop some bags into the ocean. At least 8 bags fell right into the drink and were fished out of the ocean and from under the Edgewater Hotel.  We never heard what compensation was made for these unlucky travelers. Then on the last night (the 28th) security rushed by us while we were walking the deck. An obviously intoxicated man was straddling the railing and threatening to "end it all."  Security latched on and removed him.  Apparently, he had been drinking and losing in the casino for some time that night.	Luggage overboard - - - - Attempted suicide
May 27	Oceana P&O Cruises	According to the British media, about 200 passengers (10%) on the ship have reported being ill from norovirous. The ship left Southampton on a 17-night Mediterranean cruise on May 19 and returns June 5.	Illness
May 26	Sea Princess Princess Cruises	After being flown to Southampton on a private jet, Goldie Hawn said she was unwell and refused to christen the ship.  Guests were "disappointed, and the ship's owners were apoplectic."   British actress Joanna Lumley christened the ship in Hawn's absence.  The ship was returning to the Princess fleet after sailing two years as P&O's Adonia.	Christening
May 25	Summit Celebrity Cruises	In order to replace a radial-bearing unit that is showing premature wear in the ship's starboard propulsion system, the May 27 cruise is being shortened by one day (meaning the stop in Ketchikan is dropped) and the June 3 cruise is cancelled.  Passengers affected appear to have been generously compensated.	Cancelations
May 23	Voyager of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Several passengers (including postings at Cruise Critic) have said there was an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on the May 15th cruise.  Some passenger say the number affected exceeds 100, but officially this has not been designated an outbreak by the CDC which requires that at least 3% of passengers report ill (in Voyager's case, more than 100).  I have received e-mail saying there was also illness on the cruise beginning May 22. Here are numbers provided by the CDC:  May 15 - 22:  45 pax, 14 crew reported ill; May 22 - 29: 85 pax and 14 crew.  These are less than 3%, but still substantial numbers.	Illness
May 23	Carnival Destiny Carnival Cruise Lines	The ship lost power and propulsion at 7AM -- it was dead in the water for 8 hours and without electricty and air conditioning for about two hours.  The engines were finally operational at 3 PM and the ship headed to St. Lucia, skipping Aruba as a port of call.  See here for detailed description.	Loss of Power and Propulsion Problems
May 23	Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Lines	Several passengers report the ship altered course to rescue a man on a small vessel who became ill while traveling alone from Florida to Portugal.  The man was transferred to hospital in San Juan the next day.  No further details are known.	Rescue at Sea
May 16	Carnival Destiny Carnival Cruise Line	Two elderly passengers (aged 67 and 71) disappeared Thursday May 12th between 8:30 PM and 4 AM while the ship was going from Barbados to Aruba.  Their couple's belongings were found in a pile on one of the decks, but this was consistent with what they did every night.  The FBI investigated but the case was closed.  The couple is presumed to have died at sea, but of unknown cause.  It remains a mystery for the couple's family.  See here for more info.	Missing at Sea
May 14	Carnival Valor Carnival Cruise Line	From a passenger:  In the Washington Dining Room at the 8:30 seating, after dinner during the dining staff entertainment, a supposedly drunken woman hopped on top of one of the pedestals that are used to hold trays and danced to the music, swaying.  She fell off and landed on top of a round table and everyone commented on how amazing it was that not even a glass was broken.  At that time, there were moans from a woman who had been unnoticed but was laying under the table, having been hit by the woman who fell.  The woman suffered a broken neck and has since had surgery.  (The husband of the woman who was hit has posted multiple times on Cruisemates.com begging for anyone who may have video or pictures of the incident.)	Injury -- Request for witnesses
May 14	Thomson Celebration Thomson Cruises	Cruise canceled and 600 passengers flown home after the plumbing in 250 cabins failed. The 21-year-old ship left Southampton on May 8 for a 14-night cruise but major problems with a pump was discovered three days later, making some cabins and public toilets unusable. Passengers will get a refund and 25 per cent off their next booking.	Toilets fail Cancelation
May 14	Dawn Princess Princess Cruises	The CDC reports that 76 of 1974 passengers (3.9%) and 9 of 864 crew members (1.0%) reported  ill during the April 29 - May 14 cruise ending in San Francisco.	Illness
May 14	Sun Princess Princess Cruises	The CDC reports that 121of 2000 passengers (6.05%) and 4 of 852 crew members (.47%) reported  ill during the May 9 - 16 cruise ending in Whittier, AK.	Illness
May 11	Norwegian Majesty Norwegian Cruise Line	As the ship moored at St. George's, Bermuda, it knocked into three yachts moored in Powder Hall anchorage and almost sucked one yacht under – as its passengers screamed for help on the radio.  There were no known injuries, but the ship's propeller appears to have been damages.  See Royal Gazette.	Collision with yachts
May 9	Enchantment of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Heavy seas did some damage as the ship was heading to Rotterdam where it is scheduled to undergo a drydock lengthening at Keppel Verolme Shipyard.  Five stateroom windows were broken, causing some water damage on decks two and three. No one was injured and there was no significant damage to the ship which was carrying workers but no revenue passengers.	Minor damage
May 9	easyCruiseOne easyCruise	On its maided 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 8	Norwegian Dawn Norwegian Cruise Line	Today’s one-night Mother’s Day cruise has been canceled due to adverse weather delaying the ship’s return from the Bahamas. The vessel is expected to arrive back in New York at 5 p.m. today. Passengers booked on the one-night May 8 cruise will receive a full refund and a 50% future cruise credit certificate. The May 9 cruise will operate on schedule.	Cancelation
May 4	Pacific Sky P&O Australia	Two additional cruises have been cancelled to accommodate repairs to the ship's gearbox.  The cancelled cruises are a four-night cruise from Brisbane to Aukland departing June 4 and a 13-night "Samoa Sunrise" cruise from Auk