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. 


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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 traveling 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 staterooms and all their wet clothing laundered. They tore up the 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 was not found.  It is presumed she either 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 -- Bangkok 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
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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. Cancellation
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 dry dock 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
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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 Lauderdale Nov 13.  Captain informed us that forty passengers involved and nine remained in stateroom as of Nov 12.  Precautionary 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 gastrointestinal 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.  According 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 fishermen 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 Hurricane 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." (Des 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
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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 arrive 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 occurred.  (NOTE: Thanks to Disney for reporting this incident at their web site 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 allegedly 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
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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, and 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
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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 antennas 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
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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 Athens' 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 extinguished 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
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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 dry docking.  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 empathy for Clipper & crew.
Cancellation
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Damaged screw
August 11
Carnival Glory
Carnival Cruise Line
A 30-year-old musician 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
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Missed Port
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Passenger Overboard
August 11
Norwegian Dream
Norwegian Cruise Line
Engine problems continue with the ship (see July 4) though an additional "technical 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
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Delays
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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
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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 answers 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 CriticYesterday 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 maneuvers (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?
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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 itinerary 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 refers 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 of ff 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 engine 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 ship 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 traveling 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).  Passengers 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.
Cancellation
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 Sunday 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 bus full 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. Cancellations
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 norovirus. 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.
Cancellations
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 electricity 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

Cancellation
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 dry dock 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 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 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. Cancellation
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 Auckland departing June 4 and a 13-night "Samoa Sunrise" cruise from Auckland departing June 8.
Cancellation
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
April 30
Horizon
Celebrity Cruises
The CDC reports that 42 of 1309 passengers (3.2%) and 14 of 650 crew members (2.1%) reported  ill during the April 23 - April 30 cruise ending in Norfolk. Illness
April 25
Carnival Victory
Carnival Cruise Line
First Coast News in Jacksonville, FL reported a Massachusetts couple were bitten by bed bugs while on a cruise in March -- they woke in the middle of the night to find "40, 50, 60 bugs just crawling all over the top half of the bed" and that their bathrobe was covered with the adult bugs.  Carnival Cruise Line acknowledged the bed bug infestation and says a previous guest brought them onboard.
Bed Bugs
April 22
Crystal Symphony
Crystal Cruises
The CDC reports that 20 of 570 passengers (3.5%) and 3 of 560 crew members (.5%) reported  ill during the April 14 - April 25 cruise ending in Ft. Lauderdale..  Illness
April 20
Grandeur of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
The ship struck the pier in Costa Maya, Mexico, while docking causing a football-shaped puncture in the bow, on its starboard side, that was approximately 42 feet long and 5 feet wide at its widest point. The puncture was in the first deck, approximately five feet above the waterline.  The company said 15-knot winds and a 3-knot current contributed to the incident. There were no injuries.  Departure was delayed so guests were given the choice of flying home by charter aircraft or remaining onboard and arriving home two days later than planned -- all guests received a $250 per-stateroom onboard credit.  The following 7-day cruise was shortened to 5 days and guests on that cruise were given the option to cancel and receive a full refund or to take the revised itinerary and receive a $300 per-stateroom onboard credit.
Collision with pier
April 19
Queen Mary 2
Cunard Line
An 82 year old German passenger jumped overboard into the icy waters of the North Atlantic off Newfoundland's Grand Bank sometime in the evening.  This is the second suicide this year on the Queen Mary -- the first was in January when a US passenger killed himself while on a Caribbean cruise (further details on the latter case are not available).
Passenger  overboard - Suicide
April 15
Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Cruise Line
The ship was struck by a 70 foot wave en route from the Bahamas to New York.  The wave knocked out windows in two passenger cabins and on the navigation bridge and damaged the ships hull -- the frame beneath the spare anchor was bent by the force of the anchor hitting the flat deck during the heavy seas.  Four passengers were hurt, mainly by cuts from broken glass, and treated at the ship's infirmary.  Two cabins were flooded and 60 others were damaged by water seeping from those where the windows broke out.  The ship was diverted to Charleston, SC for repairs and continued to New York, arriving one day later than scheduled.  Some 300 passengers chose to be flown home from Charleston rather than continuing on the ship.  Those remaining onboard were given free drinks for the remainder of the cruise; all passengers received a 50% refund and a 50% discount on any future cruise.  The following 7 day cruise was revised to 6 days.
Windows broken out

Diverted for repairs
April 14
QEII
Cunard Line
One of three tapestries commissioned by Cunard in 1969 was reportedly thrown overboard by crew members.  In addition, another tapestry was damaged and crew toilets were vandalized.  Three crew members were arrested when the ship docked in Southampton April 16.
Vandalism
April 14
Carnival Valor
Carnival Cruise Line
There were multiple reports that a passenger jumped from the bow of the ship at about 3AM, reportedly after losing $10,000 at the casino.  Crew observed the man going overboard and he was rescued about 45 minutes after the initial "man overboard" alert.  There was an ambulance on the pier when the ship arrived at St. Maarten; his party was apparently not allowed to remain on the ship. Passenger overboard
April 11-16
Imagination
Carnival Cruise Line
From a passenger: "There was loss of propulsion on the first night of our cruise. The ship lost half of the propulsion system. Captain cancelled both ports: Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Instead we went to Cozumel Mexico. They gave us a $100 onboard credit and 25 percent off our next cruise. Propulsion problems
April 11
Jewel of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
A Florida couple was treated after being bitten by hundreds of bed bugs during a vacation cruise on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, according to Local 6 News. "I was in such disbelief at first, you know, I mean, it was hundreds and hundreds of bugs, we had leaned against all the night before, I mean it literally made my skin crawl," the passenger said. Royal Caribbean apologized to the couple and refunded $2,800 for the tickets but declined to reimburse them for medical care or hotel expenses incurred while waiting to get home. (The incident apparently occurred on the cruise beginning March 26) Bed Bugs
April 10
Maasdam
Holland America Line
From a passenger onboard: Start of the cruise was delayed after the ship arrived 8 hours late into Norfolk, VA on April 10th -- it had engine problems and encountered heavy weather.  The current cruise will skip Half Moon Cay to make up time, and because of engine problems also skipped San Juan.   Passengers were given an onboard credit of $100 plus 20% off a future cruise, although after complaining some (but not all) passengers received credits of larger amounts (as high as $400).
Engine problems / Delay / Missed Ports
April 10
Oosterdam
Holland America Line

Paradise
Carnival Cruise Line
Though airlifts from cruise ships are not uncommon, it is unusual that three passengers would be airlifted the same day.  That was the case in San Diego.
A 78-year-old man who fell and broke his hip and a 64-year-old woman with a tear in her esophagus (reportedly after walking through a glass door at an onboard  shop) were airlifted Saturday night; the following morning a 55-year-old woman suffering "severe internal pain" was airlifted from the Paradise.  These are reminders not to travel without adequate health insurance that will cover such emergencies.
Airlift ill pax
April 8
Carnival Cruise Line Carnival in a regulatory filing made yesterday said it has meritorious defense against a lawsuit claiming it failed to pay overtime to as many as 15,000 cruise ship workers.  The suit was filed on behalf of a half-dozen waiters, cabin attendants and kitchen employees on various Carnival ships. It contends that they worked more than 70 hours a week and were not paid overtime as specified in an employment agreement.  See South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Labour issues
April 4
River Duchess
Uniworld
The ship crashed into a dockside restaurant in Amsterdam on Sunday.  Police said the ship — owned by US firm Uniworld — went off course due to technical reasons. It could not go into reverse and smashed into a dock, destroying a terrace and part of the restaurant.   About 20 people were seated on the terrace when the accident occurred. A young girl was treated in hospital with head wounds after she fell trying to escape. Two people on the boat were injured. Work was needed to strengthen the restaurant's foundations due to the danger of collapse and will remain temporarily closed. The 110m ship was also severely damaged in the incident. Collision
April 3
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED -- From a passenger
A passenger reported a compact 35mm camera was stolen while s/he was being cleared by security -- the details are here.  The moral of the story is don't trust your valuables to those wearing a uniform onboard a ship -- vigilance should be maintained both on and off the ship.
?Robbery?
April 3
Zenith
Celebrity Cruises
From a passenger:
As you know, there was widespread illness on the Zenith sailing that returned to JAX on March 13, 2005. The illness continued on the following cruise (ending March 27) as well.They had sprayed down with disinfectant all the public area surfaces and left it there to dry (mirrors, walls, handrails, etc.), and gave us a lengthy lecture on hand washing at embarkation. They had installed gel hand sanitizers at the entrance to all food service areas, and would not allow "serve yourself" in buffet lines for the first week. Then they eased up, wiped down all the surfaces and let us help ourselves. Then people started getting ill. From what I heard, approx. 150 people were quarantined. The bad part was they made it sound like pax would get free treatment at the ship's doctor for flu like symptoms, in an effort to control another outbreak. But, I had breakfast with a couple who had spent over $600 on mandatory doctor visits, flu "vaccines", injections, antibiotics and various other prescribed treatments. No compensation was offered for staying quarantined for 72 hours, or for the medical treatment.  (Second cruise in a row with an outbreak.)
Illness
April 1
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
A California woman and her son have sued Holland America Line after getting sick on a South America cruise in March 2004 where they said toilets overflowed and crew members were seen with prostitutes at ports of call.  Their lawsuit alleges: "Not long into the cruise, the toilets on lower decks overflowed several times," and it took crew members 15 hours to clean up the mess, which "created incredibly unsanitary conditions on board, separate and apart from a piercing stench."  See Reuters for details and judge for yourself. Lawsuit
March 31
Pride of Aloha
NCL America
A complaint accuses Norwegian Cruise Line's Hawaii staff of reusing fruit garnishes, suggesting passengers cut up bath towels to make hand towels and using unlined garbage cans for ice.  Blue World Travel Corp., a San-Francisco-based travel agency, is seeking damages from Norwegian for a charter cruise last summer aboard the Pride of Aloha that resulted in a class-action lawsuit against the travel agency.  Issues include:  A few passengers were asked to fill in for crew and take ID photos at the embarkation check-in;  Some passengers were told they were eating too much food and at one event were rationed to one slice of pizza; Beds were reportedly made up with dirty linen, with some guests encountering items from previous guests; Passengers who reported dirty, foul-smelling bathrooms were told to pour water down the toilets to make them flush; Some passengers reported a shortage of food on the cruise, and some said the company served moldy and bruised fruit and reused fruit garnishes; Passengers said there were not enough life jackets and that there were other safety violations such as water on the dining room floor, malfunctioning fire doors and broken glass left around.  See Honolulu  Star-Bulletin. Lawsuit
March 30
Pacific Sky
P&O Australia
Two cruises were canceled earlier in the month because of mechanical problems (see March 19).  The company today announced cancellation of five more cruises.  The vessel will be out of action until June.
Cancellations
March 29
Norwegian Crown
Norwegian Cruise Line
The CDC reports that 60 of 1020 passengers (5.88%) and 4 of 531crew members (.75%) reported  ill during the March 13  - March 28 cruise ending in Miami.  The ship had just returned from its South America itineraries and as noted below  (February 1 - 27) had had health outbreaks on previous cruises.  These earlier illnesses were reported by passengers but were not reported by the CDC because cruises that don't include a US port in their itinerary are not required to report health outbreaks to the CDC. Illness
March 29
Sapphire Princess
Princess Cruises
According to passengers, the ship is still experiencing engine problems and is "limping its way to Singapore."  It was supposed to be at Singapore at 9:00am on Monday but as of Monday night they were still on their way "at sea" heading towards Singapore.  They're skipping their Viet Nam stop.  The delay was made worse by a lengthy but unsuccessful search for a crew member who went overboard.
Engine problems continue
--------
Crew member overboard
March 23
Royal Princess
Princess Cruise
The CDC reports that 38 of 1163 passengers (3.27%) and 15 of 541crew members (2.77%) reported  ill during the March 7  - March 24 cruise ending in Fort Lauderdale. Illness
March 23
Infinity
Celebrity Cruises
The March 27th 10 night cruise from Ensenada to Honolulu is cancelled to the ship can enter dry dock to replace the starboard thrust bearing in the ship's propulsion system.  The company expects the ship to return to service on April 6.  Passengers on the canceled sailing were given a full refund and a free cruise of 10 days or less in the coming year.
Cancellation
March 20
Sapphire Princess
P&O Australia/
Princess Cruises
The ship is "limping" to Malaysia after a malfunction in an engine turbine between Darwin and Indonesia on Tuesday -- a scheduled stop in Bali was canceled in order that the ship arrive in Thailand on time.  P&O Cruises spokesman John Richardson said crew members were having trouble starting one of the gas turbines used to boost the ship's speed from 17 to 22 knots. "The gas turbines operate separately to the diesel engine, which is fine, and they allow the boat to perform high speeds." A technician is due to join the boat in Singapore on Tuesday morning.  The 19-day cruise began on March 9th in Sydney. Engine Problems

Canceled port
March19 Pacific Sky
P&O Australia
The ship was forced to abort a cruise 6 days into a 12 day cruise because of mechanical problems with the ship's starboard gearbox.  Passengers were offloaded in Noumea and flown back to Brisbane by charter flight.  Passengers received a full refund and a 25% credit on a future cruise.  The following cruise was also canceled because repairs would not be completed in time.  Those passengers received a full refund and a 20% future cruise credit.
Engine Problems

Cruise Canceled
March 17
Inspiration
Carnival Cruise Line
According to a report filed with Cozumel's National Marine Park office, at 15:30 hours the Inspiration passed within a meter and a half (60") of a group of 12 divers who were exploring the bottom of reef Paraíso. According to the reports of dive masters with Aqua Safari, the force of the propellers raised sediment so that it was impossible to see the palm of your hand. This situation produced panic among the divers who feared for their lives and risked being sucked up into the enormous propellers.  The incident is being investigated.  The ship's departure was delayed three hours.  (Put more simply, the dive shop explained the situation as follows: The basic theme is the Inspiration fell asleep and went broadside to the wind as the front came in. It came close to broadsiding the Grand Princess at dock, GOT INTO the national park, and put my divers into the waring blender.  It is amazing no one was killed.)
Environmental

Public Hazard
March 17
Majesty of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
A 29 year old cabin steward disappeared somewhere between Bahamas and Key West and is presumed dead.  The case was brought to light when his family, on December 14, 2005, filed suit against RCI for $10 million accusing the company of not doing enough to find their son.
Missing
March 16
Statendam
Holland America Line
West Hawaii Today received numerous calls that the ship discharged what appeared to be "brown water" into Kailua Bay for about 15 minutes to 20 minutes before it moved further out to sea. Several of the callers reported the discharge left a "brown mark" on the vessel's side.
Environmental
March 14 Amsterdam
Holland America Line
A passenger wrote:
There was an outbreak of influenza and bronchitis on the cruise from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Valparaiso, Chile. It was very widespread, as it seemed that nearly everyone was coughing severely.  Nearly everyone we met on the ship was infected.  The doctor on the ship diagnosed me with “what everyone else has”, influenza/bronchitis, and the flu shot was ineffective against this flu.  I know of one hospitalization in Puerto Montt, and the person was left there.  I was given an antiviral med and Z-Pak antibiotic, as was nearly everyone that I talked to.  At no time during the cruise did the captain or any other crew member acknowledge that there was a problem, except the doctor.  Rumor has it that several people got off the ship in Buenos Aires with possible pneumonia.
Illness
March 14
Veendam
Holland America Line
The CDC reports that 88 of 1267 passengers (6.95%) and 6 of 554 crew members (1.08%) reported  ill during the March 5 - 12 cruise ending in Tampa.  Third outbreak on this ship in 2005 Illness
March 12
Pride of Aloha
NCL America

Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of Aloha discharged about 70 tons of treated effluent into Honolulu Harbor last month, violating a voluntary agreement with the state.
The state's agreement with the cruise ships allows such discharges at least a mile out from shore while traveling at least 6 knots.  See Honolulu Advertiser:
Environmental
March 12
Ecstasy
Carnival Cruise Line
The ship will depart late after its arrival is delayed by continuing engine problems.  from the previous cruise.  According to the Houston Chronicle:
Carnival hopes a problem the ship's engines can be fixed at the dock today by technicians flown in to do the job, but if the problem persists, passengers who choose to sail anyway face the possibility of a slow "cruise to nowhere" in the Gulf of Mexico instead of scheduled visits to the Mexican ports and beaches of Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. "If we don't get the problem fixed at the dock, It's a two-port, one-port or no-port possibility for the cruise," Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said.
Engine problems
continue
March 9
Ecstasy
Carnival Cruise Line
Ecstasy headed toward Mexico but the itinerary was uncertain. It was expected to arrive at Progreso, Mexico Thursday where the faulty part would be replaced but weather conditions prevented it from docking.  It is now a "cruise to nowhere."  Following a protest by 500 passengers on Wednesday afternoon with chants of "No Progresso, take us home."  Passengers were subsequently compensated with $40 per person credit to their shipboard accounts to cover meal expenses on Monday prior to boarding when the ship was late arriving in Galveston, a 50% refund of their cruise fare and a 25% discount on a future three- to eight-day Carnival cruise. Engine problems
March 7
Ecstasy
Carnival Cruise Line
The ship's return to Galveston was delayed 14 or more hours because of a malfunction of the propulsion system on its return from a trip to Mexico.  It was expected to dock no earlier than 10 PM rather than the 8 AM scheduled disembarkation.  The departure of the following cruise was delayed until 3 AM on Tuesday morning.
Engine problems
March 7
Zenith
Celebrity Cruises
The CDC reports that 138 of 1308 passengers (10.55%) and 16 of 657 crew members (2.44%) reported  ill during the February 27 - March 13 cruise ending in Jacksonville.  The cruise returns to Jacksonville in another week, so the numbers will likely increase. Illness
February 27
Windsurf
Windstar Cruises
A passenger wrote about an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on the February 20 - 27 cruise to/from Cozumel.  My wife, who was unaffected by the outbreak, estimated that 5-10% of the passengers were impacted by the outbreak, judging from the number of passengers in the lounge, restaurant, on deck, etc. and conversations with fellow passengers. (10% of passengers on this ship would be 30) .  The response to the passenger's request to Windstar/Holland America for some sort of compensation has essentially been “these things happen and you can’t hold us responsible.”  This is a disappointing attitude given Windstar’s premium price point and service reputation Cruises that don't include a US port in their itinerary are not required to report health outbreaks to the CDC.
Illness
February 27
M/S 
Nordkapp
Hurtigruten
A crew member fell overboard during testing of lifeboat equipment while 
the ship was on way outside "Ørnes" in Norway. 2 others rescued him using 
another lifeboat. The fatal accident happened during recovery/ hoisting of 
the lifeboat with the 3 persons in it. The boat fell back down 20 meters 
into the sea as the hoisting wire broke. 1 crew member died, and 2 others 
are hospitalized.
Accidental death
February 19 - 26
Carnival Glory
Carnival Cruise Line
From a passenger:
I was on the Carnival Glory on its 2/19 cruise to what was to be the Eastern Caribbean. When in Nassau, 2/20 the Cruise Director announced the ship had 'Engine Problems' and we couldn't make it to the Virgin Islands. So we spent the next 6 days off the coast of Florida.
Engine problems / Canceled port calls
February 25 Celebration
Carnival Cruise Line
The CDC reports that 69 of 1,647 passengers (4.19%) and 30 of 693 crew members (4.33%) reported  ill during the February 21 - 26 cruise to/from Jacksonville, FL.  SECOND CRUISE IN A ROW WITH OUTBREAK  (Several passenger wrote and estimated the number ill were at least double CDC's numbers) Illness
February 24
Crystal Harmony
Crystal Cruises
A 49 year old man apparently fell overboard accidentally when the ship was 100 miles south of Ensenada (Mexico).  About 6 AM kitchen crew saw the man fall from an upper deck and a life ring was thrown to him.  He was pulled from the water 30 minutes later.
Passenger overboard
February 23
Seven Seas Mariner
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
The CDC reports that 1 of 551 passengers (.18%) and 20 of 444 crew members (4.5%) reported  ill during the February 12 - 24 cruise disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale.  Illness caused by salmonella.
Illness
February 20
Celebration
Carnival Cruise Line
The CDC reports that 89 of 1,692 passengers (5.26%) and 35 of 688 crew members (5.09%) reported  ill during the February 17 - 21 cruise to/from Jacksonville, FL. Illness
February 13 - 25 Norwegian Crown
Norwegian Cruise Line
A passenger wrote the following:
Both my husband and I got the norwalk virus and I know lots of other people got norwalk.
Another passenger reported that approximately half of the passengers onboard became ill.
Cruises that don't include a US port in their itinerary are not required to report health outbreaks to the CDC.  Second cruise in a row with an outbreak.
Illness
February 16
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
Only weeks after being christened Pacific Sun will be met by water police when it docks at Darling Harbour tomorrow. A passenger died when the ship was off Vanuatu on an 11 day cruise from Sydney.  It is believed the man died of natural causes, but there hasn't been a post-mortem so all that is know for sure is that he is dead. Passenger death
February 14
Holland America Line The following is from Carnival Corporation's Annual Report filed today:
In August 2004, Holland America Line was notified by the National Park Service ("NPS") that the Volendam and Statendam may have violated opacity standards while operating in Glacier Bay. On November 10, 2004, NPS notified Holland America Line in separate letters that a Violation of Record would be entered in the permanent park files for each ship.
Environmental
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

February
12
QEII
Cunard Line
12 passengers arriving for a segment of the world cruise were "bumped" because the ship was overbooked.  Passenger bumped were transferred instead to the Sapphire Princess for a cruise to New Zealand.
Overbooked
February 1 - 13
Norwegian Crown
Norwegian Cruise Line
Passengers boarding at Valparaiso on February 13 were advised there had been "small" outbreak of a benign gastrointestinal bug that affected about 3%, or 34, of the passengers on the previous cruise that they said was brought onboard by passengers/crew at one of the ships ports-of-call, and they had taken numerous steps to eradicate the virus before the cruise ended.  Passengers were given an option to  cancel and get credit for a future cruise.  Due to the timing of this notice, no one likely accepted the offer.

There are also reports of a large-scale outbreak (some estimate 15% of passengers) of viral illness on the Jan 16-29 cruise.
Cruises that don't include a US port in their itinerary are not required to report health outbreaks to the CDC.
Illness
February 6
Carnival Valor
Carnival Cruise Line
A SOBER REMINDER FOR THOSE TEMPTED -- From a passenger:
This one should go under "should of known better" or "Just plain stupid"  A young honeymoon couple was escorted off the ship (they were on our tender) with officials from the ship.  They had brought drugs on and the husband had some sort of overdose incident.  They left them in Belize, not sure if they were handed over to the Belize authorities or just left to their own devices. 
Say "No" to Drugs
February 2
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
Tenders brought passengers ashore to Port Stanley (Falkland Islands) to explore for the day with a planned 5pm departure. However, the wind picked up and by 1pm, conditions in the outer harbour had deteriorated, suspending launch operations. Conditions deteriorated still further with gale force winds whipping up white-caps, leaving 936 passengers and 63 crew stranded overnight in a town with two tiny full hotels where the population is normally under 2,000. The drill hall of the Falkland Islands Defence Force, the parish hall and the secondary school gymnasium were converted into temporary shelter while all commercial kitchens were pressed into service to feed the thousand stranded people.  Conditions improved by morning and passengers returned to the ship.
Stranded ashore
February 1
Xpeditions
Celebrity Cruises
There have been reports on Cruise Critic of recurring health problems over the past several months (gastrointestinal illness) on the ship.  The ship is not normally be inspected by the CDC because the ship operates outside US waters. 
Illness
January 17 - 31
Infinity
Celebrity Cruises
From a passenger:
At least 600 people were ill with upper respiratory and norwalk virus.  They were calling it an epidemic.  People were so ill and most quarantined to their staterooms.  The ship was being cleaned constantly with straight bleach and had hand sanitizers everywhere.  The buffet servers all wore gloves and they stopped letting you serve yourself, no utensils were allowed to be touched by the guests.   Then there was a fire in stateroom 7067 that gutted the place - scary for a fire at sea. 
Second cruise in a row with an outbreak.
Illness

Fire
January 30
Carnival Miracle
Carnival Cruise Line
Two days after returning from a 7 day cruise ending January 30, a 21 year old man died.  His family filed a class action suit against Carnival Cruise Lines (reported by the Sun Sentinel on January 21, 2006) claiming that several passengers developed flu-like symptoms from consuming food or water contaminated with the Norovirus.  The suit further identifies the cause of death as "norovirus infection and complications thereof". 
Illness
January 29 Veendam
Holland America Line
The cruise was ended 13 hours ahead of schedule.  It is reported that 200 of 1,220 passengers (16.4%) and 30 of 572 crew members (5.2%) reported  ill during the Jan 15 - 29 beginning and ending in Tampa.  SECOND CRUISE IN A ROW WITH OUTBREAK Illness
January 27
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
Several passengers reported the ship returned to St Thomas shortly after leaving the harbor, because of "an accident with a crew member" -- a 21 year old worker was purportedly crushed by a hydraulic door and died.
Accidental death
January 27
Empress of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
The CDC reports that 68 of 1,544 passengers (4.4%) and 5 of 685 crew members (.7%) so far have reported  ill during the January 17 - 28 cruise based from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Illness
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 24
Ryndam
Holland America Line
The CDC reports that 267 of 1,223 passengers (21.8%) and 30 of 574 crew members (5.2%) so far have reported  ill during the January 13 - 29 cruise from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. Illness
January 22
Mariner of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
The ship is set to dock at Port Canaveral on January 23 at the end of a western Caribbean cruise.  276 of 3,465 passengers (7.9%) and 27 of 1,190 crew members (2.2%) were reportedly sickened by Norwalk-like virus. Illness
January 21
Zenith
Celebrity Cruises
At the end of a routine lifeboat drill involving the crew members, there was a technical problem with one of the wenches used to lift the lifeboat leaving the boat dangling (click here).  Fortunately, no one was injured.  We left St. Kitts six hours late necessitating bypassing the port of Grenada.  Celebrity, however, issued a $100.00 on board credit to each cabin. Delay
January 18 Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
The CDC reports that 93 of 2,035 passengers (4.57%) and 5 of 865 crew members (.58%) reported  ill with norovirus during the Jan 8 - 18 cruise beginning and ending in Fort Lauderdale. Plans were to have the ship "fogged" before the next cruise. Illness
January 17
Seven Seas Navigator
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
A small electrical fire broke out in the generator room at about 1 AM burning some electrical cables to the No. 2 generator and damaging the cables to the control system of the No. 1 generator. The combined damage caused a temporary blackout. Power was restored on a shaft generator from the main engines so the ship is running at lower than normal speeds and is expected back in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday evening, instead of Tuesday morning. The following week-long cruise has been canceled.  According to passengers, efforts at compensation for the final days' disappointments fell short of expectations.  (Editor's note: that experience is consistent with mine -- see Boycott Radisson message.
Fire

Cancellation
January 3 - 17
Infinity
Celebrity Cruises
From a passenger:
There were hundreds of people who got a stomach/diarrhea problem, and hundreds of others who contracted a bronchitis-type problem that required twice daily nebulizer treatments.  By the 9th day of the cruise, workers were constantly and meticulously scrubbing everything in sight, the food servers for the first time began to wear medical-type latex gloves, and there were dispensers of hand cleaning liquid at the beginning of each buffet line. 
Illness
January 15
Veendam
Holland America Line
A passenger reports there was an outbreak of norovirus on the cruise ending today.  The cast was unable to perform the last shows due to illness and the ship was on full scale control measures.  Guests were not allowed to touch any utensils, salt and pepper disappeared, and crew were constantly wiping down everything.  We had to vacate cabins early on arrival so they could "super-sanitize" the ship.  In sum, 70 of 1,236 passengers (5.66%) and 7 of 571 crew (1.23%) reported ill. Illness
January 14
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
Several passengers posted messages at Cruise Critic indicating a significant number (a busload) of passengers experienced symptoms consistent with norovirus during the cruise Jan 7 - 14 (ending in Los Angeles).
Illness
January 12
Aurora
P&O Cruises
Since limping back to port on Sunday at the end of the previous cruise the ship has remained in Southampton rather than embarking on its 103-day round-the-world cruise.  Repairs were undertaken and there is hope the ship would depart by Tuesday of the following week.  It departed on Wednesday but engine problems returned.  The cruise was canceled.
Propulsion problems

Cancellation
January 12
Holiday
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Lines announced that the HOLIDAY has been repaired. A propulsion problem first detected December 30 had necessitated cutting out port visits on two cruises from Mobile, Alabama. "Following repair work on the cruise ship HOLIDAY last week and extensive evaluation by professional technicians, the ship now appears to be operating normally," Missed ports
January 10 European Highlander
P&O Ferries
The ship ran aground off Cairnryan Harbour in the west of Scotland and was refloated after being stuck on a shingle bank for more than 30 hours. An initial inspection of the hull carried out by Maritime and Coastguard Agency divers found limited damage. Aground
January 8 Enchantment of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International
The ship returned to Port Everglades from a 5-day cruise on which 103 of 2,136 passengers (4.82%) and 8 of 756 crew (1.06%) reported illness from a Norwalk-like virus. Illness
January 8 Pacific Sky
P&O Australia
A 24 year old man is believed to have jumped overboard while returning from a 10-day cruise to the South Pacific Islands. The ship was bound for Brisbane. The man "had been drinking all night and he ran outside and then jumped off the side of the boat."
Suicide
January 7 Coral Princess
Princess Cruises
A passenger reports that there was an increased number of passengers and crew with gastrointestinal illness and estimates between 40 and 100 passengers and 25 to 30 crew members have been affected.  The CDC reported 84 of 2116 (3.97%) passengers and 31 of 913 crew (3.4%) reported ill on this cruise to/from San Juan. Illness
January 5
Statendam
Holland America Line
A 73 year old man reportedly went overboard when the ship was near the Coronado Islands.
Person overboard
January 2
The World  Residensea
Delphin Renaisance
Delphin Seereisen

The ships were unable to sail from Cape Town, South Africa yesterday while a gale force south easter held the two vessels in port. THE WORLD finally departed at 6:20AM and DELPHIN RENAISANCE at 7:30AM today.

Delayed
January 1
QEII
Cunard Line
According to passengers aboard QE2, the liner lost power in the early hours of New Year's Day while on her Christmas Cruise. Without power there is no propulsion, ventilation, lighting or water. Apparently, the ship drifted in this state for about an hour before power was restored. Power loss
December 30
Holiday
Carnival Cruise Line
Cruise to Cozumel changed to a 4-night "cruise to nowhere" because mechanical problems made it impossible for the ship to make it to Cozumel and back. Passengers given a choice to cancel if the wanted.
COMPENSATION:
$100 on onboard account OR cancel and full refund
Propulsion problems

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