|
Date
|
Ship
Cruise Line
|
Event
|
Type
of Incident |
December 31
|
QE II
Cunard Line |
A 62-year-old female passenger from Germany, travelling
with her husband on a 16 day
Christmas / New Year's cruise from Southampton (London), was reported
missing this morning while the vessel was traveling between Madeira and
Southampton. A search of the ship and surrounding waters
proved unsuccessful. The ship is due back to Southampton January
2. Website for missing
person -- appealing to passengers or crew on this cruise.
|
Passenger Missing
|
December 30
|
Senopati Nusantara
Indonesian Ferry
|
The passenger ferry, with over 587 passengers and 63 crew
members sank in bad weather off the coast of Central Java
province late on December 29. Reports on December 31 indicate 177
survivors have been rescued.
|
Sunk
|
December 30
|
Dream Princess
Caspi Cuises
|
A 3 day New Years cruise from Dubai to Muscat was cancelled
at the last minute because of a "technical fault." Some
passengers arrived at the cruise terminal at 5AM, but weren't told
until 9AM that their holiday plans had been cancelled.
|
Cancellation
|
December 30
|
Norwegian Majesty
Norwegian
Cruise Line |
The New Years' cruise scheduled to depart today has been
cancelled. The ship experienced engine problems on the Christmas
cruise and will remain in Charleston for repairs. The January 6
cruise is expected to depart as scheduled. Passengers on the
cancelled cruise will receive a full refund and a 50% future cruise
credit (based on fare paid).
|
Cancellation
|
December 28
|
Carnival Valor
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
A 55-year-old woman died after getting "in difficulty" while
snorkeling on an shore excursion at Grand Cayman. According to
the tour operator (as reported by Cay
Compass News Online), "Somebody swum away from the boat and got a
little too far, and they got tired before they got back to the boat."
|
Pax death on excursion
|
December 27
|
Norwegian Star
Norwegian
Cruise Line
|
The
ship arrived 3-4 hours late in Acapulco because of engine
problems.
Repairs were made while in port (overnight) and the cruise continued as
scheduled. The cruise was on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise from
Los
Angeles.
|
Engine problems
|
December 23
|
Oosterdam
Holland
America Line |
CBS in San Diego reports an outbreak
of gastrointestinal illness on the 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise ending
today. While the cruise line says there were 55 passengers and
crew
reporting ill, reports from passengers indicate the number was
higher.
One says about room service, "So many people were sick, they stopped
answering the phone." Room service was taking as long as three
hours
for deliveries.
|
Illness
|
December 20
|
Regal Princess
Princess
Cruises |
The ship reported that 5 of 678
crew and 75 of 1479 (4.81%) passengers had reported ill on the 7 - 27 December Panama Canal cruise from San Juan. Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness
|
December 20
|
Seabourn Spirit
Seabourn
Cruises |
Passengers report at Cruise
Critic that there was a small fire before arriving in Hong
Kong. According to one: We
went to the Verandah for Breakfast and there was soot on the table
settings on the outside. We had a good view of all the fire engines and
water craft coming along while we had our breakfast. The crew appeared
to have everything under control and the Captain gave the all clear to
the crew prior to us finishing our Breakfast. He had some of the crew
on standby near where the fire had been and everything for the
passengers appeared as normal. Of course one must have known something
was up when the Captain called Station Bravo over the loud speaker
before 7 in the morning. |
Fire
|
December
18
|
Explorer of
the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
Passengers were notified today
that the port call at Belize City was cancelled (the ship wasapparently
behind
schedule given the need to return to Miami for a medical emergency six
hours after leaving on December 17, even though the Captain said they'd
make up the time). They were told instead the ship would stop at
Cozumel for 19 hours, go to Grand Cayman, Costa
Maya and then back to Miami. On December 20 passengers were told
that Costa Maya could not
accommodate the ship so the ship woould dock at Montego Bay
instead. According to passengers, "shore excursions were
disorganized and the crew were as misinformed as
the passengers." One passenger writes: We had to tender at Cozumel the first day,
then we were able to pull onto the dock when the Freedom of the Seas
left, but then had to back out again when the Enchantment arrived at
9AM the next morning. The confusion caused HUGE lines for
tendering, and I personally felt like a second-class citizen being
bumped out of the dock like that. (For a sister ship!!!)
Grand Cayman was a joke, I'm sorry I ever left the ship. Our ship
made the 6th, yes that's 6 ships tendered at the tiny island of Grand
Cayman. Needless to say, the shore excursions were all booked,
and crowded, and once again, the line to tender was ridiculous.
|
Itinerary changes
|
December 17
|
Enchantment of
the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
A half dozen passengers have independently reported that an
older male passenger was pulled out of the water after going overboard
while the ship sailed from Cozumel toward its return to Fort
Lauderdale. Reports indicate the man did not survive. There
are no news reports or press releases regarding this indicent.
|
Person overboard
|
December 17
|
Infinity
Celebrity
Cruises |
A passenger on the 3 - 17 December South America cruise
reports that one of the tenders slammed into something and was damaged
in one of the ports -- the reduced number of tenders caused 1 to 2 hour
waits for passengers getting back to the ship. Also reported was
a small outbreak of stomach virus -- medical charges related to
the virus were waived (encouraging passengers to seek medical care) --
and passengers were not allowed to touch anything in the buffets
including tongs and the tea/punch dispenser. Those with the virus
were quarantined in their cabins for 48 hours.
|
Damaged tender
--
Illness
|
December
16
|
Noordam
Holland
America Line |
From a passenger: We
were on the 12/06 -
12/16/2006 NYC/Caribbean 10 day r/t, and about the 3rd day
received a note in all our rooms of a norovirus outbreak slightly above
the normal rate. There were
members of the crew holding giant squeeze bags of Purell at all the
entrances to the Dining Rooms, and offering it to everyone who walked
in. |
Illness |
December 11
|
Zaandam
Holland
America Line |
The ship reported that 4 of 617 (0.67%)
crew and 64 of 1431 (14.47%) passengers had reported ill on the 26 November -11 December Hawaiian circle cruise from San
Diego. Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness
|
December 10
|
Sun Princess
Princess
Cruises |
The ship reported that 7 of 862 (0.81%)
crew and 112 of 2013 (5.56%) passengers had reported ill on the 30 November - 10 December Caribbean cruise from Fort
Lauderdale. Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness |
December 10
|
Freedom of
the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
The ship reported that 11 crew and 97 passengers had
reported ill on the 3 - 10 December cruise
from Miami. The CDC
recommended the ship not sail for 48 hours due to three consecutive
voyages with a high number of illnesses. The cruise
scheduled for 10 December will depart 12 December with port calls at
Montego Bay and Labadee. |
Illness
|
December 9
|
Ryndam
Holland
America Line |
The ship spent the night
anchored in Tampa Bay after encountering engine and electrical
problems shortly after sailing. The
ship reported engine problems about an hour after sailing and stalled
in the channel between the port and
the Skyway Bridge. Power was subsequently restored, but the Coast
Guard said the ship would
remain moored in the area overnight while they investigated the problem
with the engines. |
Power Loss
|
December 9
|
Norwegian Wind
Norwegian
Cruise Line |
The ship reported that 7 of 691 (0.01%)
crew and 77 of 1691 (4.61%) passengers had reported ill on the 29 November -9 December Hawaiian cruise from Honolulu.
Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness |
December 6
|
QM2
Cunard Line |
From a passenger:
Leaving
Barbados, we were advised that a door on one of the bow thrusters was
malfunctioning, and we could only make 18 knots. We arrived
in St. Kits 4 hours late, and a team from Miami flew in with
divers to repair. We were treated to a party on deck before
arriving in St. Kits, with free drinks as compensation. Divers
apparently cleared the damage, and we left St. Kits on time and the
rest of the cruise was on schedule. FYI, we were 3-4
hours delayed (2 December) in embarkation boarding due to
immigration (?) or computer problems. Never did get the correct
story, and ship left 2 hours late. Restaruants
onboard closed at the regular time that day, leaving many late
boarding guests with little or no food until dinner. |
Mechanical problem
|
December 3
|
Infinity
Celebrity
Cruises |
From
a passenger: The pod
system failed and we were in Lima for 36 hrs
(originally scheduled for about 11 hrs) and had to miss the port of
Arica, Chile. WHAT A BUMMER! The ship was sailing
from Fort Lauderdale (19 November) to Valparaiso (3 December).
From another passenger:
1. There was a short circuit in
the starboard propulsion system the night before we arrived in Lima and
we sailed 16 knots instead of
22; 2. We were supposed to arrive in
Lima at 06.00 am, we arrived at 18.00 instead; 3. The ship stayed
overnight in
Lima for a total of 30 hours (till 24.00 hrs the next day); 4.
The captain came on the voice
systme and explained that because of the problem we would not arrive in
time in Lima and the result was missing the port of call Arica;
5. Celebrity
Cruises compensated us very well (US$ 500.-) shipboard credit per
cabin; 6. Most people were very
content, (although sorry for missing Arica) because of the fair
compensation; 7. After leaving Lima we sailed
at 19-10 knots and were more than on time in Valparaiso. |
Propulsion problems -- 24 hour
delay
|
December 3
|
Freedom of
the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
The ship reported that 24 of 1402 (3.28%)
crew and 338 of 3823 (8.84%) passengers had reported ill on the 26 November - 3 December cruise from Miami. Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness
|
November 30
|
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
From a passenger:
I just returned from the
Mariner cruise Sydney to Auckland, November 15-30. Prior to my
boarding, passangers received a letter stating that the ship was
operating with only 60% propulsion due to problems with one of the
pods. As a result, two stops between Auckland and Los Angeles would be
eliminated. Three days into the portion of my cruise, one of the three
main forward elevators became inoperable and remained that way for six
days without explanation. Much grumbling.
|
Propulsion problems
|
November 27
|
Seven Seas Voyager
Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
The ship's stay in drydock has been extended 11 additional
days in order to complete repairs on the ship's diesel electric
motors. The four-night cruise on 30 November and seven day cruise
on 4 December have been canceled. Passengers will receive a full
refund and an incentive to book a future cruise.
|
Cancelations
|
November 26
|
Carnival Liberty
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
The
Miami Herald and other media report that some passengers complained
of gastrointestinal illness. The cruise line said it didn't know
how many were ill, but that it was fewer than 2 percent of the 3100
passengers onboard -- that'd be less than 62. He further said
that the number of illnesses on this voyage were in the normal range
for a vessel that size.
|
Illness |
November 25
|
Summit
Celebrity
Cruises |
The ship reported that 12 of 942 (1.27%)
crew and 72 of 1911 (3.77%) passengers had reported ill on the 11 - 25 November cruise from Los Angeles
to San Juan (Puerto Rico). Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness |
November 25
|
Serenade of
the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
From a passenger: Ship
left San Juan PR 18 November (Saturday) ... we received a letter that
if we needed medical assistance because of a flu, cold or
gastrointestinal illness, medical services would be
complementary. On
Monday the Captain announced there were 55 cases of gastrointestinal
illness. My 10 year old son got it on Wednesday night and we were
confined to the room until disembarkation 25 November. On
Thursday a
nurse said they attended 80 people that day alone; the outbreak of
norovirus affected around 135 people about 5% (and those are reported cases
only). Many passengers didn't report being ill when they learned
they'd be confined to the room for 48 hours. CDC Report: 3
of 848 crew (0.35%) and 101 of 2241 passengers (4.51%) reported ill.
|
Illness |
November 21
|
SuperStar Libra
Star Cruises
|
A boat used to ferry passengers from the ship to shore
capsized off Kadamat Isalnd near Lakshadweep (India). A 14 year
old girl drowned in the accident; nine other passengers were safely
rescued. There are conflicting accounts as to whether passengers
were wearing life vests and also regarding the number of passengers on
the ill-fated vessel.
|
Tendering vessel
capsized
|
November 21
|
Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Cruise Line |
The ship made an unscheduled port call at Norfolk because of
a technical problem with its propulsion system and poor weather off
North Carolina that blocked its route from New York to Florida. The
ship arrived at 6:45 PM today and is expected to leave tomorrow at 5:00
PM. Update on Tuesday: Departure
has been set back until
Wednesday at 5 PM at the earliest -- repairs are still being
undertaken. Given that the itinerary is "up in the air,"
passengers have been offered a full refund, plus 25% off a future
cruise based on what they paid on this cruise, plus a $100 per
stateroom onboard credit. They have also been offered a charter
bus for return to NYC Tuesday evening, for those wishing to go home.
|
Unscheduled Stop
- -
Cancelation / Delay
|
November 20
|
Lyubov Orlova
Quark
Expeditions
|
The ship with 150 passengers onboard ran aground in Whalers'
Bay while visiting Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands (en
route to Antartica). A Spanish ship responded to the distress
call and after an assessment waited for high tide and began towing
operations. The Orlova was freed eight hours later and returned
to Ushuaia on its own power.
|
Grounded
|
November 19
|
Seabourn Legend
Seabourn
Cruises
|
A
male crew member (reportedly a worker in the galley) went missing and
is presumed overboard. Search of the ship and surrounding
waters
proved unsuccessful and were called off after more than a full
day. Readers
at Cruise Critic
report the following druise will be delayed one day because the ship
will now arrive in Fort Lauderdale 22 November. The ship's last
port
was Tenerife on 11 November.
|
Missing
|
November 18
|
Melody
MSC Cruises
|
A 24 year old Samoan crew member who wasjilted by his
girlfriend and a fellow crew member threw himself overboard while the
ship was cruising off the Mozambique coast at about 2 AM. The
girlfriend reported the "man overboard" and a recovery operation was
undertaken. The bridge officers calculated where the man overoard
would likely be based on currents, winds, and sea conditions -- at
sunrise they found the man, alive, 500m from the anticipated recovery
position (17 km from where the many had gone overboard). The
rescue will delay the ships arrival in Durban by about 5 hours.
|
Person Overboard
--
Rescued Alive
|
November 18
|
Isle of Inishmore
Irish
Ferries
|
A
57 year old man went overboard from the ferry near the end of its
journey from Rossiare to Pembroke Dock. His body was found ina
search,
but he waspronounced dead on arrival to hospital. Police say
there
does not appear to be aby suspicious circumstances surrounding the
death bu ttheir inquiries continue.
|
Person overboard
|
November 17
|
Noordam
Holland
America Line |
During a four day window starting 8 September, cabins on 10
sailings (from January to April 2007) were sold for $849 rather than
$1399. The company caught its error and is now requiring
passengers to pay the difference between the original confirmed fare
and the newly revised fare -- a charge of $1100 per couple.
According to the cruise line: "After fully reviewing all the facts ...
our conclusion was that we werre not able to offer the mistaken
rate." See USA
Today for more details.
|
Bait and Switch?
|
November 17
|
Millennium
Celebrity
Cruises |
Celebrity announced today that the 10 December sailing is
canceled due to a problem with the propulsion system. The ship
will enter dry dock to replace a port thrust bearing, and is expected
to return for the cruise scheduled for 17 December. Guests booked
on the caceled cruise will receive a full refund and a free cruise of
equal value from North America of up to seven nights, departing before
31 December 2007.
|
Canceled Cruise
|
November 16
|
Mercury
Celebrity
Cruises |
The Seattle
Times and Seattle
Post-Intelligencer report that Celebrity Cruises faces
a $100,000 fine for the Mercury dumping 500,000 gallons of untreated
wastewater into Puget Sound. Though it initially claimed it
hadn't dumped, shipboard documents contradicted the company's
claim. The dumping happended 10 times over nine days in September
and October 2005.
|
Environmental |
November 15
|
Carnival Liberty
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
It wasannounced to day that the cruise scheduled to depart
November 19th from Port Everglades will now depart on November 21 in
order to allow the company to throughly clean/sanitize the ship
following the current cruise where many passengers reported ill.
The new itinerary will be a four day cruise to Key West and
Cozumel. Passengers choosing to take the new itinerary will
receive a 50% refund on this cruise and a 50% discount on a future
cruise. Passengers can also choose to cancel the cruise and
receive a full refund which will be processed within two weeks.
|
Itinerary Change
|
November 15
|
Norwegian Majesty
Norwegian Cruise Line |
The ship arrived in St. George's (Bermuda) one day late
because of continuing engine problems. It is scheduled to leave
Bermuda five hours earlier than the stated itinerary in order to return
to Charleston on schedule. Plans to repair the faulty crackshaft
while the ship was in Bermuda were scrapped given that the equipment
will not arrive in time.
|
Engine Problems / Itinerary change
|
November 13
|
Pacific Sky
P&O
Australia
owned by Carnival Corp
|
The Sunshine
Coast Daily reports taxi drivers in Vanuatu went on strike,
refusing to transport the ship's passengers and forcing them to walk 5
km to town, after it was leaned that government is investigating the
illegal dumping of 500,000 litres of oil on the island.
Apparently deep holes were dug, lined with thin plastic, and then
filled with oil and raw sewage. The site is within 1 kilometer of
a village and school, and is just above a river used for drinking,
washing, and swimming. The motivation: it would cost
US$30,000 to appropriate dispose of the waste at apporved facilities in
the region whereas dumping illegally cost less than $200. The
company faces a potential fine of $35 million.
|
Environmental
|
November 13
|
Carnival Liberty
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
The
ship reported that 116 of 1166 (9.94%)
crew and 429 of 2804 (15.3%) passengers had reported ill with one week
remaining in the cruise. The cruise begin in Civitavecchia on 3
November and ends in Port Everglades on 19 November.
Symptoms
were consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) .
Additional cleaning staff and staff from the Vessel Sanitation Program
of the CDC will board the ship in Phillipsburg (Sint Maarten) on 16
November.
Revised
numbers
(according
to
Cruise Critic) 14 November: 154 of 1166 (13.2%) crew and 556 of 2804 (19.8%) pax
|
Illness |
November 13
|
Pride of Kent
P&O Ferries
|
A man and a woman in their 20s were presumed missing after a
coach
driver
realized the pair failed to return
to their coach party when the ferry completed its journey from
Calais and docked at Dover. They later turned up safe in
Belgium. In the interim, searches of
the ship and seas had been undertaken though water temperatures made
survival unlikely.
|
Missing
|
November 12
|
Adventure of
the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
From a passenger: We
just returned from a
7 night southern carribean cruise (Nov 5-12). Many reports of
illness
circulated among the passengers -- the shows were pretty empty and the
deck was pretty empty as well. On
the fifth or sixth day, passengers received a letter stating that an
abnormally large number of passengers had become
ill but they didn't think there would be any adverse effect on the
cruise. There were multiple reports of passengers quarantined to their
rooms. When we returned to the ship in St Maarten, the family in
front of us were told to report directly to the medical facility. That
night, our wait staff said the CDC was returning for a second visit
during that cruise. Our stateroom attendant said she was with the ship
for five years and had never seen so many stricken. There was no
notification to the passengers of the severity of the outbreak. The CDC subsequently reported that 1
of 1174 (0.08%)
crew and 129 of 3260 (3.96%) passengers had reported ill with symptoms consistent with norovirus. |
Illness
|
November 11
|
Serenade of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
The ship reported that 9 of 854 (1.05%)
crew and 68 of 2023 (3.36%) passengers had reported ill on the 29 October - 11 November cruise from San Diego (California)
to San Juan (Puerto Rico). Symptons were
consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness |
November 11
|
Seven Seas Navigator
Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
Emergency services were assessing how to handle
a medical emergency aboard the ship Seven Seas Navigator after a
74-year-old American suffered a
heart problem which could be a stroke or a blood clot.
An air rescue is being considered and the ship, originally bound for
the US from Europe, has been diverted to Bermuda to arrive on
Saturday. It is not clear whether this will affect the arrival
day/time in Port Everglades on Monday.
|
Diversion for Medical Emergency
|
November 11
|
Norwegian Majesty
Norwegian Cruise Line |
The ship was delayed leaving Bermuda this week (Thursday
evening) and is delayed leaving today on her next cruise from
Charleston. She has a snapped crankshaft. NCL threw its
Charleston-bound passengers a complimentary cocktail party and offered
$100 per stateroom in onboard credit and 15 percent off the price of a
future cruise. Those heading out to Bermuda will get $50 per stateroom
in cruise cash or a chance to rebook as a consolation for the extra
time at sea. Norwegian Cruise Lines' Majesty was expected as of
last night to steam into port at about 2 p.m., seven hours behind
schedule, and head back to Bermuda on three of its four engines at 9:30
p.m.
|
Engine Problems / Delays
|
November
10
|
Ecstasy
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
From a passenger: Departed on a five day cruise from
Galveston. Early next morning the
announcement came that we were diverting to Progresso, Mexico instead
of continuing to Cozumel because of "propulsion problems". This
upset us more as time went on and when
we found out that this has been an ongoing problem with the ship and
has happened at least 3 times in recent months. It made for a
disappointing cruise. |
Engine Problems
/ Itinerary change |
November 7
|
Constellation
Celebrity
Cruises |
The ship reported that 13 of 967 (1.34%)
crew and 72 of 1776 (4.05%) passengers had reported ill on the 27 October - 7 November cruise to the Western Caribbean,
leaving
from and returning to Cape
Liberty, NJ. Symptoms
were consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus) |
Illness |
November 6
|
Elation
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
Four passengers were injured when a welded piece of the
gangway gave way around 12:30 while passengers were embarking at Port
Canaveral for a 5
day cruise to Turks and Caicos. Safety ropes kept the gangway
from falling more than a foot, but the jolt was enought to throw four
people sprwling onto the gangway. Three were treated and released
from hospital. None of the injured proceeded with the cruise.
|
Gangway Slips / Injuries
|
November 5
|
Island Princess
Princess
Cruises |
The ship reported that 11 of 905 (1.22%)
crew and 109 of 1959 (5.56%) passengers had reported ill on the 21 October - 5 November cruise to Hawai'i, leaving
from and returning to Los Angeles.
Symptoms
were consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus). |
Illness |
November 5
|
Radiance of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
From a passenger: Just
got
back from Radiance of the Seas 10/28/06
cruise to Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Thomas, St.
Maarten and Nassau. The
evening we were sailing back to Ft.
Lauderdale (4 November) a fire broke out in the Windjammer and the
captain came on
the loud speaker at 2AM to announce BRAVO - BRAVO - BRAVO, we have a
fire in the Windjammer -- everyone stay tuned to for further
announcements. Finally he came back on about a half an hour later to
inform us that all was well and that we could go back to sleep. |
Fire
|
November 4
|
Carnival Conquest
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
A 42 year old man fell/jumped from his balcony at
approximately
11:00 PM. The ship
did search and rescue and then search and recovery for 4 hours and then
halted operations at 3:30 AM. Coast Guard helicoptors and several
vessels (including oil rig barges) aided in the search and were later
joined by a Coast
Guard cutter -- they continued the search witout success. The
ship resumed its course to Galveston, likely to arrive 3 or 4 hours
late.
|
Passenger overboard
|
November 4
|
Grand Princess
Princess
Cruises |
According to a passenger, at
approx 19:20 (local time) the ship appeared to run aground while
heading to sea from Liverno, Italy. Approx 1/2 mile beyond the
harbor entrance, just as the pilot appeared to have disembarked, the
ship appeared to come to a soft stop. For the next 30 minutes (from our
starboard balcony) it appeared that the ship's officers tried many
combinations of thrusters and props at varying speeds and directions
trying to twist and pivot the ship back and forth on it's axis until at
about 20:00 she began to regain her way forward. No notice was or
has been given to passengers. In an unrelated incident, a
week and a half ago the Golden Princess in the waters around Rhodes
reportedly scraped bottom (sustaining some damage to itself and
to the reefs).
|
Grounded
|
November 3
|
Century
Celebrity
Cruises |
According to a story from the Associated Press and posted
by WVEC.COM, three passengers were med-evaced by the USS Wasp from
the
ship following
injuries sustained when the ship rolled in high seas. The ship
left Malaga on 30 October, stopped in Madiera 1 November and will
arrive in Miami on 9 November.
|
High Seas /
Injuries |
November 2
|
Century
Celebrity
Cruises |
A
73 old British man travelling alone has gone missing from this 14 night
transAtlantic cruise. The cruise began in Barcelona 27October
and
ends 13 November in Miami. The passenger was reported missing 1
November after it appeared his room hadn't been used.
|
Passenger Missing
|
October 31
|
Enchantment of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
A strong squall of wind caused the ship to drag its anchor
300 metres before it ran into a moored barge off Pageant Beach
(Georgetown, Cayman Islands). The ship had been anchored off
shore from the WHarf Restauarnt area, Other than two dents in the
port side and a long 100-foot scrape, there was no damage to the
ship. Most passengers were ashore when the incident
occured. Here's a
picture from a passenger.
|
Collision
|
October 29
|
Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Cruise Line |
A passenger disembarking today wrote describing an
infestation of bed bugs on this 10 day cruise beginning and ending in
NYC, 19 - 29 October. The full text of
the passenger's message can be accessed here.
|
Bed Bugs
|
October 28
|
Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Cruise Line |
From a passenger: At
approximately 7pm, as i left my room on
deck 4 and hit the elevator button, approx 6 crew members exited
elevator with
woman on stretcher with neck brace on. Word later from crew was that
due to
high seas (15-25 ft) tables and approx 10 people fell on deck 12
Italian restaurant
causing multiple injuries. We experienced rough seas and gale
force winds on oct 28 -- "what an experience". This was on
the
last leg of the 10 day cruise, sailing from Tortola (26 Oct) to New
York (29 Oct). |
High Seas /
Injuries |
October 27
|
Constellation
Celebrity
Cruises |
The ship reported that 1 of 978 (0.10%)
crew and 65 of 1955 (3.32%) passengers had reported ill on the 16 - 27 October cruise to the Northeast and Canada, leaving
from and returning to Cape
Liberty, NJ. Symptoms
were consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus).
Passengers on the following cruise also report (on
Cruise Critic) that asignificant number of fellow passengers became
ill during that cruise as well. |
Illness |
October 26
|
Oriana
P&O
Cruises |
From a
reader: The current 13 night
Mediterranean cruise from
Southampton to various ports and back to Southampton (October 19 -
November 1) has been hit by the norovirus bug. This has been reported
on the cruise connections website of P&O where passengers on the
cruise have reported this, and I have friends on board and have spoken
to them. All reports state that the crew have dealt with the outbreak
in excellent fashion but various things like the buffets and BarBQ's
have been curtailed. |
Illness |
October 25
|
Norwegian Wind
Norwegian Cruise Line |
The ship "lost an engine" and had to skip today's scheduled
port cal at Nawiliwili (Kauai). The next day there was a total power
blackout while off Lahaina (Maui) with no AC ,
lights , elevators , toilets , water ,etc. These were gradually
restored over a 7 hour period . Public washrooms were locked and dining
rooms closed (no hot coffee after 7:45 AM ) . At noon they had a
cookout on the pool deck for both passengers and crew. Each passenger
got a free drink and a $50 per cabin shipboard credit. See
Cruise Critic. |
Power failure / Missed port
|
October 26
|
Mississippi Queen
Majestic America
Line |
The seven day cruise beginning October 25 was canceled the
second day after 12 passengers reported ill with norovirus.
Passengers were disembarked at Hannibal and bussed back to St.
Louis. The cruise scheduled for November 1 has also been caceled
so that the ship can be throughly and completely disinfected.
|
Illness /
Cancellations
|
October 24
|
Arcadia
P&O
Cruises |
Encountered rough seas which caused several passengers being
injured, at least one medevac from Ponta Delgado (Azores). Next
port of call is Antigua on 29 October. Several passengers onboard
with severe bruising from falls etc. October 25: Arcadia is having
a bad day today too. The fire alarms are going
off all the time. Captain is investigating the cause, as yet
unknown.. |
High Seas / Injuries
|
October 23
|
Thomson Destiny
Thomson
Cruises |
Passengers report that the ship's toilets have not worked
for three days and there has been no hot water for 24 hours. A
series of blockages in the plumbing system have been blamed for the
problem; experts have been dispatched to deal with the problem. See
article here and also one
here and here.
|
No toilets
|
October 22
|
Mariner of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
The seven day cruise ending today had some issues given a
group of 500+ alternative lifestyle passengers (gay men). There
is debate about how disruptive the group was, but there appears to be
no debate that some passengers were forced to leave the cruise because
of individual behaviour problems. Rather than detail the issues
here, go to Cruise
Critic if you'd like more information (from different perspectives).
|
Onboard disruptive behaviour
|
October 22
|
Mississippi Queen
Majestic America
Line
|
Ten
passengers remain hospitalized with gastro-intestinal illness after at
least 36 passengers complained of illness, forcing the ship to dock at
Paducah, Kentucky. The illness affected approximately 20% of
passengers and crew. The cruise was ended 2 days early and the
ship was cleaned while it returned (passenger-less) to St. Louis.
|
Illness
|
October 20
|
Carnival Valor
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
The ship made an uscheduled stop at Cozumel to let off a
passenger who had a medical ermergency. It was on its return from
Costa Maya to Miami. on this seven day cruise, due back in Miami on
Sunday. The delay created by the stop was minor and will easily
be made up. |
Diversion for Medical Emergency |
October 19
|
Inspiration
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
The five day cruise ending today had some issues around a
group of 450 alternative lifestyle passengers (swingers). There is debate about how disruptive the group was ...
rather than
detail the issues here, go to Cruise
Critic if you'd like more information (from different perspectives). |
Onboard disruptive behaviour |
October 17
|
Adler Dania
Adler-Schiffe
|
The Polish Coast Guard shot warning shots after the German
cruise ship quickly departed from port and bolted for German
waters. The Captain took this action because (as related in
Spiegel Online) the Polish customs officials presented questionable
identification and demanded to inspect the ship's alcohol and cigarette
supplies.
|
Warning shots over bow
|
October
14 - 21
|
Oosterdam
Holland
America Line |
From a passenger: The
broken Azipod was still not repaired so HAL gave all passengers a $
25.00 credit as well as a glass of wine. Calls at ports were
shortened somewhat, especially Puerto
Vallarta. In a conversation with the
Captain, he indicated the propulsion unit would not be repaired until
April during the next haul out. The ship was able to maintain 19
knots instead of the regular 23 or 24 knots. Docking had to be
tug assisted. |
Propulsion problems
|
October 14
|
Pride of America
NCL
America |
The ship struck a 2,800 pound navigational buoy as it left
Honolulu and dragged the buoy chain all the way to Maui. The ship
remained in Maui an extra day (for inspections and reapirs of the
propeller, to which the chain became attached) and skipped its
scheduled call at Kona on the Big Island.
|
Collide with Buoy / Delay
|
October 11
|
Norwegian Star
Norwegian Cruise Line |
A
35 year old women went overboard shortly after the ship left Cabo San
Lucas. According to passengers, the ship turned around at about 7 30pm
(after leaving Cabo at about 5.30) and conducted a search for about 2
hours but to no avail. There are reports that her body washed up
onshore the following day, and some passengers report that she and her
partner had an argument in public before she went missing. The
ship
was late in its arrival to Los Angeles, where the FBI boarded for an
investigation.
|
Person overboard
|
October 10
|
Diamond Princess
Princess
Cruises |
A 58 year old man was arrested in Long Beach after returning
from a cruise. He was suspected of molesting two 12 year old boys
in the ship's sauna. FBI agents interview the two alleged victims
when the ship pulled into port on October 7. Details are laid out
in the Long
Beach Press-Telegram. UPDATE
JUNE 11/06: Alleged
perpetrator acquitted. |
Alleged Child
Molestation (Pax on Pax)
|
October 8
|
Oosterdam
Holland
America Line |
A fire alarm went off at 6:00 AM as a result of a fire (or
excessive smoke) in the engine room and affected one of the
azipods. The problem was put under control with injuries of
difficulty, however one of the azipods was now disabled. Because
of reduced speeds the ship will sail a revised itinerary for the
remianing cruise days, skipping Puerto Vallarta. This is a seven
day cruise from San Diego and the incident occured the first morning of
the cruises. The ship will return to San Diego one day early and
passengers will be permitted to remain onboard. Compensation
included a $150 shipboard credit and future travel discount of 25% of
the fare paid for this cruise.
|
Fire
|
October 4
|
Imagination
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
From a passenger: While
in line to board (on Sept 30), passengers were informed of a
propulsion problem that would prevent the ship from reaching maximum
speed ... therefore
an itinerary change was - 1 day in Nassau and 3 days in
Freeport. The resulting "five day cruise to Cayman and Jamaica" was
horrible considering Freeport had 2
major hotels closed due to prev. storm damage, and Carnivals only offer
was 100$ onboard credit per pass.- cement factory was the view from the
ship which
stayed in port for most of the cruise. |
Itinerary change
|
October 4
|
Star Princess
Princess
Cruises |
A security breach while the ship was in St. John's
(Newfoundland) resulted in passengers being forced to disembark while
the ship was searched. According to police, some passengers had
reported seeing a stranger onboard the vessel, although the
unidentified man left the ship before the search. Three
suspicious packages were found onboard and removed. The ship left
port three hours past its scheduled departure. See
article here.
|
Security
|
October 4
|
Athena
Travelscope Holidays |
The ship returned to Falmouth after a 24 day Atlantic cruise
that passengers have said was "diabolical". The ship missed St.
John's (Newfoundland) because of weather, skipped Sydney (Nova Scotia)
in order to go directly to Halifax (there had been a death onboard),
was delayed by local authoities at Bar Habour (Maine), refused entry at
Boston, and then arrived early in NYC. See
article here.
|
Missed ports
|
September 30
|
Carnival Conquest
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
From Cruise
Critic: Around 3:00 PM we
heard an announcement ... and then all of a sudden made a 90 degree
turn on
a dime. It was pretty scary, I called the pursers desk and they said
that ... someone or something had fallen off the
ship. I went out on
our balcony to see what was going on and no one really knew. By this
time, everyone on the ship was now hanging over the right side ... Come
to find out later - (all speculation here) there was a young lady on 11
having an argument with her
boyfriend. She was either sitting on the rail, or standing near the
rail and was either pushed, fell over, or jumped off the backof the
boat to her death. She missed the water and hit the balcony on level 6
landing on her back ... Speculation was that she jumped [but] no one
really knows exactly what happened ... Click
here for an account from Events Page readers and the Associated Press. |
Passenger Death
|
September 28
|
Ecstasy
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
Upon embarkation, passengers were given a letter stating
that due to a problem with the propulsion system, the ship could not
attain maximum cruising speed, and would be docking in Progreso
rather than Cozumel. The four-day Western Caribbean cruise
embarked from Galveston.
|
Itinerary change
|
September 28
|
Joseph and Clara Smallwood
Marine Atlantic
|
A
search has been undertaken for a man believed to have gone overboard
from a ferry running a 160-kilometre route from Port aux Basque
(Newfoundland) and North Sydney (Nova Scotia). A 54 year old man
was
determined missing after his car was unclaimed. A jacket
containing
car keys and a bag with personal belongings were found near the railing
on the stern of the ship.
|
Missing
|
September 26
|
Thomson Celebration
Thomson
Cruises
|
A 39-year-old Filipino crew member died from injuries
sustained in an accident when one of the ship's tenders was about to be
hoisted onto the vessel. The ship had spent the day anchored off
the island of Guernsey and was preparing to sail for Southampton.
|
Crew Accident / Death
|
September 25
|
Columbus
Hapag-Lloyd
|
The ship scraped bottom during her visit to Sault Sainte
Marie, sustaining no damage. Return visits October 5 and 16
depend on dredging to remove high spots near the dock face. The
high spots, probably caused by sedimentation and wave action, need to
be reduced 7 inches in order to accommodate the 17 feet required by the
Columbus. (Subsequent visit were cancelled.)
|
Scrape Bottom
|
September 22
|
Jewel of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
From a passenger: Bravo, Bravo, Bravo called during early
dinner seating -- area affected is deck 2 midship. The story
onboard was that one of the Platters tossed a lit cigarette into the
trash can thinking it was out. Smoke filled several cabins and the
automatic sprinklers came on. The captain came on the intercom three
times to explain what was going on and let the passengers know when it
was under control. No major damage reported, no injuries.
According to a poster at Cruise
Critic: The
staff and crew had everything under control in less than 20
minutes.
Seven staterooms had to be evacuated and people reassigned to other
rooms. The rooms mostly suffered water damage from the sprinkler
system. |
Fire
|
September 19
|
Freedom of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
According to passengers, the ship collided with a refueling
ship as it was leaving Montego Bay. Damage was not significant
and following an ispection the ship got underway. The delay
lasted approximately 30 minutes.
|
Collision
|
September 19
|
Norwegian Sun
Norwegian
Cruise Line |
Alaska State Troopers are investigating a
sexual assault case aboard the cruise ship as it traveled
the waters of Southeast Alaska. Troopers received a report
shortly after six Tuesday morning that a male crew member
sexually assaulted a 25 year old female member of the crew. The
charge involved is sexual assault in the first degree. |
Sexual Assault (Crew on
Crew)
|
September 17 - 24
|
Rhapsody of the Seas
Royal
Caribbean International
|
From a passenger:
There was a terrible vibration
seven days whenever the main engines
were running. My mid-ship suite shook so hard that blossoms fell
off of the flowers I had sent to our stateroom. I
had contacted Royal Caribbean months in advance to discuss with them
the smoothest possible area to book a stateroom and was advised to get
a suite -- I told them at the time I was a disabled Firefighter with
severe neck injuries. The continual vibrations
caused me a great deal of pain. After the cruise I found out RCI
was aware of the vibration problems when I booked passage,
but said nothing to me about it. RCI offered me a 20%
discount on another cruise. One extremely painful week was enough
sailing for me; I declined. |
Severe
vibrations
|
September 14
|
Seven Seas
Voyager
Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
From a passenger: About
10am this morning 9 men were rescued from a capsized
Zodiac type boat off the coast of Spain. They said they were
trying to get to Spain from Algeria. They are being held under
guard and were provided food and dry clothing. They will be
turned over to the Spanish authorities in Barcelona tomorrow morning
(September 15) |
Rescue at Sea
|
September 11
|
Imagination
Carnival
Cruise Line |
A
35 year old woman was reported missing when the ship docked in Miami
after a four-day cruise to Key West and Mexico. The woman was reportedly least seen by relatives in the
early morning hours of Saturday (10 Sept), several hours after leaving
Calica. |
Missing
|
September
10
|
Grandeur of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
As a result of a mechanical problem involving the rudder,
the cruise ending today didn't arrive in Baltimore until 2:30.
Many passengers missed flights home. The cruise embarking
today’s sailing
is delayed until midnight Monday so that repairs can be made. The
ship was to operate a
Bermuda itinerary
but will instead make a three-night cruise to
nowhere, returning Friday morning to
Baltimore as scheduled. Those who sail will
receive a 50% refund and a 25% credit on a future cruise. Those who
cancel will receive a 125% credit for a future sailing. Those
returning to Balitomre late were give up to $100 toward flight change
fees.
|
Delay / Itinerary Change
|
September 9
|
Diamond Princess
Princess
Cruises |
Just got off the Diamond
Princess cruise to Alaska - 9/2 - 9/9/06 .. ship was delayed on 9/2/06
by three hours due to the norovirus on the previous cruise. Before
boarding we were given "Precaution Health Advisory Norovirus" letters -
from Dr Grant Tarling, warning us of the illness and the precautionary
measures we should take. We received another "Health Advisory
Update"
letter on Thursday, 9/7/06 stating that over the last 24 hours they had
"noticed an increase in new cases strongly suggestive of Norovirus" and
requested our continued support with their recommended health
precautions. The CDC reports 4 of 1120 crew (0.36%) and 127 of
2643 passengers (4.81%) were reported as ill. |
Illness |
September 7
|
Radiance of the
Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
The ship reported that 4 of 870 (0.46%)
crew and 127 of 2131 (5.96%) passengers were ill. The predominant
symptoms
were vomiting and diarrhea. The 7 day Alaska cruise will end in
Seward on September 9. |
Illness |
September 4
|
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
A passenger reports that one of the ship's propulsion pods
experienced an electrical short and was subsequently shut down.
Rough weather prevented the technical crew from having access to the
pod to begin repairs and arrival in Whittier was delayed almost 24
hours. The following cruise (September 7 to Vancouver) had an
altered itinerary.
|
Propulsion Problem / Itinerary Change
|
September 1
|
Disney Wonder
Disney
Cruise Line |
A ship employee (food and beverage department) was arrested
by Brevard County sheriff's
deputies after exposing himself to three women while on the ship.
Disney fired the worker and he is likely to be deported to Turkey.
|
Sexual Offense
|
August 31
|
Ivory
Louis Cruises
|
Twenty-seven
passengers, ten of them
children, came down with diarrhea, fever and
vomiting yesterday on a cruise to the Greek islands. The company
says
the illness is from a virus (i.e., norovirus) and disputed newspapers
which said the illness was from food poisoning. |
Illness
|
August 30
|
Mercury
Celebrity
Cruises |
Alaska State Troopers in Ketchikan
responded
to a report from ship personnel that a male passenger had assaulted a
female
passenger. The investigation revealed the assault had taken
place, as had
the assault of another passenger and two crew members. The
suspect was
permanently removed from the ship along with another family member in
Ketchikan.
Troopers
were continuing their investigation. (Posted at the AST Website)
|
Assault (Pax on pax)
|
August 27
|
Serenade of the Seas
Royal
Caribbean International |
Passengers were notified upon embarkation that there was a
problem with one of the ship's azipod propulsion units and that they
would be cruising at reduced speeds. While no ports were dropped,
arrival and departure times had to be adjusted.
|
Propulsion problem
|
August 26
|
Diamond Princess
Princess
Cruises |
From a passenger: Norovirus
was reported on Aug
27
and the ship's Doctor sent out several memos. Capt also mentioned
hygienic precautions in at least one noontime report from the bridge.
Cruise director also came down with it and spent
2 days in his cabin. Each dining room had a list of
cabin numbers in quarantine. You had to give your cabin number to enter
the dining room. I got a peek at the list and there were three
pages of probably 20 entries per
page. Would estimate minimum of 60 cases that were
reported. Suspect there were many others who were sick but did
not report because they did not want to be quarantined. |
Illness
|
August 25
|
Celebration
Carnival
Cruise Lines |
After its accident August 15, the itinerary for the August
17 departure was altered (Freeport canceled) because the ship was
operating at reduced speeds. The August 21 cruise was canceled so
the ship could be repaired. Repairs took longer than anticipated
and the cruise scheduled to begin August 26 was shortened 3 days and
will embark August 28.
|
Cancelations
|
August 24
|
Diamond Princess
Princess
Cruises |
From a passenger on the cruise
embarking August 19: Spike in
GI incidence Thursday
morning Aug. 24, 2006 (day 5)after being in port in Skagway day
before. At noon hour staff in Horizon Court began serving all
food & bread baskets no longer on table in dining
room. Captain made an annoucement late afternoon
advising of increased precautions & encouraging all pasenegers to
use hand sanitizers. Masked, gloved crew members observed
removing cabin linens into sealed plastic bags. Numbers affected
unknown. |
Illness
|
August 22
|
Voters in Alaska approved a
Cruise Tourism Ballot Initiative despite industry spending of more than
$2 million to defeat the measure. The initiative includes: a $46
excise tax on each passenger; a $4-per-passenger berth fee,a 33% tax on
income from onboard gambling, onboard "ocean rangers" charged with
environmental oversight, required disclosure of profits on shore
excursions and revealing sales earned from shoreside businesses, and
authorization for citizen-initiated environmental lawsuits. |
Democracy in Action
|
August 21
|
Summit
Celebrity
Cruises |
The ship pulled into Seward with a dead humpback whale on
its bow. The whale was spotted by longshoremen after the vessel
tied up. A necropsy is scheduled to determine whether the whale
was alive or dead when it was struck.
|
Whale Strike
|
August 19
|
After a two-year campaign to
prevent construction of a cruise terminal at Gold Coast (Queensland,
Australia) by Save Our Spit Alliance (a community-based, grassroots
alliance with broad and diverse membership), the government announced
that plans to construct a terminal on The Spit were cancelled.
The announcement was in part a result of increased pressure from Save
Our Spit (with yours truly part of action) and perhaps also influenced
by the fact that there is an election campaign underway. An
August 18 poll indicated 85% of voters were against the terminal.
The fight now moves to prevent development of the Spit -- an
undeveloped park area where people hang out on weekends (and weekdays)
to enjoy the quiet, the beach, and the water,. See www.saveourspit.com for more
information. |
Democracy in Action |
August 18
|
Celebration
Carnival
Cruise Line |
One of the ship's propellers struck bottom while approaching
the dock at Nassau spilling an estimated 200 liters of lubricating oil
and affecting the operation of the engine. The Nassau call was
cancelled and the ship is en route back to its homeport, Jacksonville.
|
Environmental |
August 12
|
Sapphire Princess
Princess
Cruises |
A senior assistant purser was taken off the ship in
Ketchikan and appeared in court on charges she stole $400,000 from the
ship's safe. A search of her cabin recovered $400,000 in US
bills, Can$40, $4660 in US traveler's checks, and $9700 in credit card
payment slips.
|
Robbery
|
August 10
|
Infinity
Celebrity
Cruises |
Celebrity today canceled the 13 September sailing in order
to replace one of the ship's two propulsion pods. The affected
pod's electrical system is failing to supply maximum cruising speed and
the ship is unable to maintain itineraries as scheduled.
|
Propulsion problems / Cancellation
|
August 8
|
Summit
Celebrity
Cruises |
A tour bus accident injured 15 passengers on a shore
excursion from Juneau. None of the injuries were lifethreatening,
however one passenger remained in hospital after the ship left.
The bus driver has been cited for reckless driving.
|
Bus Accident
|
August 6
|
Pride of Hawai'i
NCL
America |
When NCL America began
operations there were many complaints about
service and several lawsuits were filed. In the past week I have
received several messages that suggest the problems of past are
returning. Click
here if you wish to read them. |
