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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Cruise Line |
|
|
Type of Incident |
| December 30 |
Olympia Voyager Royal Olympia Cruises |
The January 2, 2004 cruise to the Amazon and Southern
Caribbean is cancelled because of ongoing negotiations under Chapter 11. |
Cancellation |
|
| December 29 |
Volendam Holland America Line |
53 passengers and 11 crew came down with probable cases of
norovirus during the previous week's cruise. |
Illness |
|
| December 28 |
Pacific Sky P&O Australia |
Up to 200 passengers
suffered nausea, vomiting and diarrhea which last up to 3 days -- most
likely the result of norwalk-like virus. The previous
cruise
was marked by a rowdy bunch of high school graduates who, by
passenger accounts, were drunk and disorderly, harassed and
disregarded the staff, threw deck chairs overboard, called 'man
overboard' the night before arriving in Sydney -- the captain stopped
the ship, ordered a headcount and sent a boat down to the water, only
to discover that it was a hoax. This cruise
had its departure delayed 3.5 hours. |
Illness / Rowdiness |
|
| December 18 / 22 |
Olympia Voyager Olympia Explorer Royal Olympia Cruises |
Olympia Explorer's cruise from LA on December 22 was
cancelled after the cruise line filed for Chapter 11 protection in US
courts. The December 18 sailing of the Olympia Voyager anchored
off St. Thomas rather than cruise to the Amazon. |
Federal Maritime Commission
will issue information |
Cancellations |
| Late November |
Coral Princess Princess Cruises |
A kitchen assistant (new employee) jumped overboard and committed suicide shortly after the ship left Cozumel. According to an officer onboard: he was a new guy, had only been on the ship a short time and he said he missed home a lot. People remembered him being very miserable and lonely. Our Captain was very sympathetic and held two memorial services for him so that many of the crew could attend. | Suicide |
|
| November 30 |
Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Line |
73 passengers and 4 crew
reportedly contracted norwalk-like virus during the previous cruise |
Illness |
|
| November 29 |
Empress of the North American West Steamboat |
Ship went aground on the Oregon
side of the Columbia River. Two crew and on passenger suffered
minor
injuries. |
Grounded |
|
| November 22 |
Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Line |
About 100 passengers suffered symptoms of Norwalk-like virus
aboard the cruise that ended today. About 4.5 per cent of the
ship's passengers became ill. |
Illness |
|
| November 15 |
Queen Mary 2 Cunard Line |
Fifteen people died on Saturday when a dockside gangway to
the Queen Mary 2 collapsed at Saint-Nazaire in western France. As up to
50 visitors were walking onto the liner across a gangway, the structure
collapsed under them, injuring about 32 people, 12 of them seriously |
Accident |
|
| November 13 |
Veendam Holland America Line and Norwegian Wind Norwegian Cruise Line |
Passenger report: Both ships were docked at the
Cozumel pier stern to stern with approximately 20-30' between the 2
ships. A sudden brief storm with high wind
and rain came in around 7-7:30 and pushed the Veendam into the Wind.
The Wind seemed to have more damage than the Veendam. From
what we could see, the Veendam had damage to a window cleaning walkway.
The Wind had a nice size dent 15' wide in the stern at Deck 7/8
towards the port side. The floor on the deck was buckled where it
meets the stern. Also a section of pipe under deck 8 crimped.
Possibly related to the accident and to the crimped pipe, a
sprinkler line burst
in the aft stairwell around the same time. Departure from Cozumel
was delayed by only 15 minutes and as far as we know, there were no
injuries. |
Bump |
|
| November 13 |
Opera Silja Line |
The Silja Opera, a cruise ship sailing under a Swedish
flag, collided with a Yermak icebreaker stationed at the exit of a St.
Petersburg port on Wednesday. The Silja Opera's lifeboats were
damaged but the ship remained capable of traveling. |
Collision |
|
| November 2 |
Royal Princess Princess Cruises |
A passenger report indicates that the ship collided with the
pier when it was docking, causing an 8 foot rent in the bow of the
vessel and delaying its departure
until repairs were completed. Mykonos was skipped as a result;
Rhodes was missed earlier in the cruise because of sea conditions. |
$100 shipboard credit plus $100 off a future cruise |
Collision and delay |
| November 1 |
Sapphire Princess Princess Cruises |
Announced that the ship's
maiden voyage will be delayed from May 16 to June 13. Sapphire's
hull was damaged by a shipyard fire when it was originally destined to
be the Diamond Princess -- This delay is the continued after effect of
the
original delay. |
Delay |
|
| October 22 - November 1 |
Sun Princess Princess Cruises |
A passenger reported that
during this 10 day cruise they were told that 1 of the 4 engines were
not
working. Consequently, they left ports of call early and arrived late.
They
also did not stop at Princess Cay as planned. |
Onboard credit of $65 (presumably for not stopping at
Princess Cay) |
Engine problems |
| October 31 |
Aurora P&O Cruises |
Around 580 passengers and
28 crew infected with Norwalk-like virus on this cruise that begin in
Southampton on October 20. The ship was refused permission to
dock
in Greece. It stopped in Gibraltar November 3rd. Cruise
ended in Southampton November 6. |
Illness |
|
| October 24 |
Empress of the North American West Steamboat |
The paddle wheel ship was
headed upriver to Clarkson when it hit the gate at Ice Harbor Dam and
became
stuck in the navigational lock. 200 Passengers bussed back to
Portland. |
Grounded |
|
| October 17 |
Westerdam Holland America Line |
Fire broke out on the ship while it was under construction
at Fincantieri shipyards in Marghera, Italy. The fir broke out on
the aft section at about 7:30 AM and was extinguished by 11 AM.
The ship's delivery on April 15, 2004 does not appear
to be affected. |
Fire |
|
| October 16 |
Kempiniski Ganna |
A 2002-built Nile cruise ship suffered a fire as it sailed
from Luxor to Aswan with 144 passengers. The captain ordered the
ship abandoned. One passenger remained unaccounted for, 2 were
taken to hospital and discharged, and nine treated for injuries.
The fire is thought to have broken out in a passenger cabin. |
Fire |
|
| October 16 |
Holiday Carnival Cruise Line |
Carnival Cruise Line reported an outbreak of
gastrointestinal illness that affected at least 5% of passengers on the
5-day sailing from New Orleans ending October 16. A total of 97
passengers and 53 crew experienced symptoms consistent with
Norwalk-like virus. |
Illness |
|
| October 5 |
Sundream Sun Cruises |
As the ship was being guided into the dock at La Gomera, it
collided with the pier. It required repairs at Tenerife and
returned early to Southampton. The following cruise was also
shortened (to accommodate time needed for repairs). |
100 Pounds per passenger |
Collision |
| September 25 |
Oceana P&O Cruises |
95 passengers were struck by
a minor gastro-intestinal illness during the voyage. The source
is
unknown. |
Illness |
|
| September 25 |
Oceana P&O Cruises |
Nine passengers' hair turned green after using the onboard
swimming pool. The cause is not known, but as a "gesture of
goodwill, the passengers were referred to the ship's beauty salon for
corrective treatment. |
||
| September 25 |
Norwegian Crown Norwegian Cruise Line |
Sustained damage to the port side propeller when it came
into contact with a fishing net while sailing from Quebec City to
Boston. The ship will be delayed one day. |
Collision |
|
| September 23 |
Melody Mediterranean Shipping Company |
Ship ran into the pier at
Kusadasi harbour. Ship had to wait several days for repairs to be
completed. |
Collision |
|
| September 19 |
Opera Silja Line |
Collided with several ships and a crane at St. Petersberg.
Damage not sufficient to delay itinerary. |
Collision |
|
| September 17 |
M/V Astoria |
This German ship was detained by London's port authority
after a routine inspection revealed that it's galleys were infested
with cockroaches. The
ship's passengers are believed to have disembarked in London, and the
ship returned (unauthorized to leave) to Bremerhaven. |
Infestation |
|
| September 8 |
Celebration Carnival Cruise Line |
Because of continuing propulsion problems, the itinerary on
this 5 day cruise has been changed to make only one port call in Mexico
rather than two. |
$400 per stateroom onboard credit plus 50% off a future
cruise |
Engine problems |
| September 4 |
Celebration Carnival Cruise Line |
Because of a malfunction in one of the two propulsion
systems, the ship will arrive in Galveston 12 hours later than
scheduled. The following 4-day cruise will depart a day late and
instead of the planned 4-day cruise to Cozumel will be a 3-day trip
without any stops. |
Guests on modified cruise
received $300 per cabin onboard credit and 50% off a future cruise. |
Engine problems |
| September 2 |
Zaandam Holland America Line |
According to passengers, there was an outbreak of
gastro-intestinal disease on the cruise ending August 30; they were notified the third
night of the cruise by a letter delivered to each cabin that Norwalk
was on the ship and instructing them to take proper precautions. 40 passengers
were off-loaded in Ketchikan and an estimated 60 others at two
other ports. Among those disembarked at Ketchikan were two octogenarians
(because one reported an ongoing health condition that included
gastrointestinal sensitivities for which he took medication). Despite
promises onboard, the 82 and
95 year olds were not given necessary assistance by HAL once they
left the ship (including having to carry their own luggage up stairs).
They are awaiting reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses that they
were told were arranged to be paid in advance. |
Per diem reimbursement plus a certificate, worth 25% of the
per diem reimbursement, which could be used toward a future cruise |
Illness |
| August 28 |
Regal Princess Princess Cruises |
There was an outbreak of Norwalk-like virus on the ship
on Aug 19th, the day after it left Copenhagen. A total of 301
passengers and 45 crew were reportedly ill during the planned 16 day
cruise. The cruise ended two days early
in NYC (Sept 2) after missing planned stops in Greenland and
Newfoundland. While the cruise line suggests that a passenger
brought the virus with them when they boarded in Copenhagen, a
passenger on the previous cruise reports that there had been "...several days of
overflowing toilets in the public restrooms, as well
as in the passengers cabins occurred. Carpets were changed, plastic
over carpet in several areas seemed the norm. Several crew members
fell ill including our assistant waiter who was quarantined for days."
There were purportedly plumbing problems on several earlier
cruises as well. A report from onboard indicates
that
as of September 7th, there have been no illnesses and all
of the crew is back on duty. |
$300 US shipboard credit, plus refund of 1/16 of the cruise
price, plus a
refund of a portion of the government taxes and port fees as shipboard
credit. -------
Passengers
with Princess Air/Sea had their return flight changes handled by
Princess Cruises; independent pax were left to make their own
arrangements. |
Illness |
| August 27 |
Sun
Princess Princess Cruises |
A 61 year old man is indicted on six felony counts of
sexual abuse on a minor. It is alleged that he
forced sexual relations on a 15 year old boy while the boy was in the
sauna and the cruise ship was near Juneau. |
Sexual Assault (Pax on Pax) |
|
| August 26 |
Ocean Monarch Majestic International Cruises |
A German passenger died, and four others are infected with
Legionnaires' disease following return to Germany from
a cruise to Greenland.The cause of the infection is not known,
a spokesperson for the cruise operator said. |
Illness |
|
| August 18 - 25 |
Volendam Holland America Line |
According to a physician (passenger) onboard, there was an
outbreak of norwalk-like virus that affected at least 50 (and as many
as 75 or 100). There was no public acknowledgement by the cruise
line during the cruise, but on the 3rd day all self-serve options were
discontinued
and the chips witched to its "infectious disease" protocol. Passengers were quarantined to cabins. |
Illness |
|
| August 16 |
Amsterdam Holland America Line |
According to Alaska state's epidemiology lab, about 25
passengers have been afflicted with a gastrointestinal virus.
Cruise line officials wouldn't say how many passengers were ill.
They did say that an undisclosed number of passengers were
removed from the ship in Sitka and Juneau and flown home at the cruise
line's expense. |
Illness |
|
| August 9 |
Vision of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Because of difficulties with the diesel electric propulsion
motors, the ship left port (Ketchikan) 17 hours late (8 AM on Saturday
instead of 3 PM on Friday). |
Engine problems |
|
| August 9 |
Star Princess Princess Cruises |
107
passengers and 14 crew members were afflicted by Norwalk-like virus on
cruise between Seattle and Alaska. Departure of next cruise delayed
several hours for disinfecting of the ship. |
Illness |
|
| August 8 |
MTS
Atlantis (Greece) |
A crewman was killed and 19 others admitted to hospital when
a fire extinguisher exploded while ship anchored
at the island of Santorini. None of the 1,063 tourists and other
passengers on a day trip from Crete were on board when
the incident occurred. |
Crew member killed |
|
| August 6 |
Mirage Ocean Club Cruise Line |
A 31 year old steward was arrested for allegedly having
consensual sex with a 15 year old female passenger. He was charged with
lewd and lascivious battery on a minor under 16 years of age. |
Sexual Assault |
|
| August 1 |
Brilliance of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
While cruising between Corfu and
Civitivecchia, the ship was hit by a storm -- the ship twice listed
hard to the port side .. approximately 13.6 degrees. One
passenger was injured; most were "awake" and not able to return to
sleep. After daybreak the ship had a power blackout that lasted
several hours. |
Severe List -- Power Loss |
|
| July 29 |
Conquest Carnival Cruise Line |
A 25 year old man was charged with raping a 16 year old
female fellow passenger the night before the ship docked at New Orleans
on Sunday, July 27. |
Sexual Assault (Pax on Pax) |
|
| July 28 |
Summit Celebrity Cruises |
Charges filed against a 33 year old male accused of
inappropriately touching a passenger during a massage. Source: Alaska
State Troopers Press Release, Aug 7 |
Sexual Assault |
|
| July 26 |
Mona Lisa Holiday Kreuzfahrten |
670
passengers were evacuated after the ship ran on
to rocks near Sptisbergen in the Barents Sea (close to
the Arctic Circle). Both propellers and the hull are
thought to be damaged. Cruise scheduled for August 2 has ben
cancelled. |
Grounded |
|
| July 26 |
Rhapsody of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
First reported that 63 passengers became ill with what
appears to be Norwalk-like virus. The number was
revised to 72 by RCI, but passengers claim the numbers are much higher
because people didn't report being ill given the quarantine policy. |
Sick guests were asked to stay in their cabins for 72 hours,
and their cabin mates 24 hours. Those passengers will have the costs of
future voyages prorated for time spent quarantined. |
Illness |
| July 18 |
Vision of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
A 28-year-old male
passenger was arrested in Skagway, accused of sexually assaulting a
22-year-old female passenger when the ship was 15 miles out of Glacier
Bay. |
Sexual Assault (Pax on Pax) |
|
| July 16 |
Millennium Celebrity Cruises |
The July 22 cruise (11 days from Barcelona to Venice) is
being cancelled
so the ship can enter dry dock and have replaced a thrust-bearing unit
in the ship's port propulsion system, |
Full refund plus
a free cruise |
Cancellation |
| July 11 |
Summit Celebrity Cruises |
Delayed departure (two days) to allow time for repairs after
the ship was holed during the previous cruise. |
$300 onboard credit |
Delay |
| July 9 |
Summit Celebrity Cruises |
The hull was damaged when
the vessel, under the control of a marine pilot who called out
instructions as a crew member steered, hit a rock leaving Hubbard
Glacier. The result was a 10-foot-long hole
in the ballast tank midway along the hull, and a 140-foot-long
crease. The ship docked safely at Seward on Friday (July 11). |
Holed |
|
| June 18 |
Hebridean Princess Hebridean Island Cruises |
Cruise was cancelled when half of the ship's 38 crew were
struck down with severe tonsillitis. |
According to the
ship's owners, all passengers were offered appropriate compensation. |
Illness
- Cancellation |
| June 12 |
Spirit of Columbia Cruise West |
The master reported that his vessel had went "touch and go"
(hit bottom) and possibly bent the port shaft and propeller in Jackpot
Bay (Prince William Sound), approximately 75 miles south of Whittier.
All passengers were safely off-loaded in Whittier and the ship was
inspected. |
Grounded |
|
| June 7 |
Legend of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
The 41
year old Food and Beverage Manager is arrested at
Seward, Alaska and charged with sexually assaulting a 22 year old
female crew member on June 5th. |
Sexual Assault |
|
| May 27 |
Norwegian Sky Norwegian Cruise Line |
About 90 passengers and 20 crew members returning on a
cruise
on Saturday (May 24) reportedly contracted Norwalk-like virus. This was
the second week in a row with
an outbreak. |
Illness |
|
| May
25 |
Norway Norwegian Cruise Line |
Initially next 3 cruises cancelled because of boiler
explosion. By early-June, cruises through September had been
cancelled. Subsequently announced that
all cruises were cancelled indefinitely. |
Full refund and 100/50/25% future cruise credit depending on
sailing date. |
Cancellation |
| May 25 |
Norway Norwegian Cruise Line |
A boiler room explosion killed eight crew members and
injured a dozen others. No passengers were injured. The
ship had arrived at the Port of Miami around 5 a.m. The fire began at
6:30; it was caused by a steam leak. |
Boiler Explosion |
|
| May 19 |
Norwegian Sky Norwegian Cruise Line |
About 55 passengers and 5 crew members returning on a cruise
on Saturday (May 17) reportedly contracted Norwalk-like virus. |
Illness |
|
| May 18 |
Veendam Holland America Line |
A 51-year old man was missing from the ship when it
disembarked passengers in Vancouver. Given that he could not be
found onboard, and the computer system indicates that he didn't leave
the ship, the assumption is that the man fell overboard. |
Passenger overboard |
|
| May 16 |
RCCL |
Miami Herald reported on May 17 that a suit had been filed
charging that RCI and Celebrity Cruises charged
at least $150 million in fraudulent taxes
to passengers that the companies pocketed as additional fare revenue.
A settlement reached in 1997 in a similar case barred RCI and
Celebrity from charging customers "any fees in addition to the
advertised initial ticket price, except those fees actually passed on
by the company to a government agency." (See "Cruise lines accused of
fraud," Jay Weaver and Dale K. Dupont, Miami Herald, May 17, 2003) |
Port taxes |
|
| May 15 |
Vistamar Plantours & Partners |
Ship collided with underwater rocks near the port of Ibiza.
It was towed by emergency tugs to Ibiza and all passengers and
crew evacuated. This cruise, planned to end on May 27, was
cancelled as were two additional cruises. The ship resumed
operations in mid-July. |
Collision with
rocks |
|
| May 11 |
Conquest Carnival Cruise Line |
A 35 year old man fell from a 10th floor balcony between
midnight and 1 AM. Initial searches for
him were unsuccessful, but the body was found the morning of May 14th. |
Passenger overboard |
|
| May 9 |
Safari Spirit American Safari Cruises |
Ship hit some rocks about 80 miles north of the northern tip
of Vancouver while sailing from Seattle to Alaska. All aboard
were safely evacuated to lifeboats. The ship sank in about 30
feet of water. |
Grounded / Sunk |
|
| May 6 |
Holiday Carnival Cruise Line |
The ship left port almost 24
hours late after security breaches: an off-duty policeman reported he
had a gun in his luggage (which hadn't been noticed by security), four
bullets were found in the ship's passageway, and another passenger had
left ammunition in his bag. The Coast Guard ordered the ship to
remain at the pier while passengers, crew, and baggage were rechecked.
The ship, scheduled to leave Monday finally departed Tuesday at
4:00 PM. |
Security Breach and Delay |
|
| May 3 |
Norwegian Sun Norwegian Cruise Line |
The ship
is being investigated by the State of Washington for an illegal
discharge of 16,000 gallons (40 tons) of raw sewage into the
Strait of Juan de Fuca (just off Whidby Island, a popular vacation
resort). The strait is known to be habitat for Orca whales. |
Environmental |
|
| April 28 |
Norwegian Dream Norwegian Cruise Line |
Passengers notified at embarkation that cruise itinerary
will not include St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Talinn as planned. Due
to ice in the Gulf of Finland (a fact that is disputed) the ship
instead would stop at Amsterdam, Germany, and Norway. Passengers say
they should have been notified earlier about the change given that the
decision to change the itinerary was made before most passengers had
left home. Close to 1000 passengers (60%) have signed a petition
demanding appropriate compensation for in effect doing the same thing
as substituting a cruise to Mexico for a cruise to Alaska. |
An onboard credit of $100 (inside cabins), $150 (outside
cabins) or $200 (suites) for up to two people in each cabin.
Third and fourth person in a cabin received nothing. |
Itinerary Change |
| April 28 |
Regal Empress Regal Cruises |
Regal Cruises ceases operations. Passengers must seek
refunds through the Federal
Maritime Commission. |
Bankruptcy |
|
| April 23 |
Legend of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
A 20 year old passenger was arrested and accused of planting
two threatening notes on the ship (leading to an FBI search for
chemical, biological, radiological and explosive weapons) in hopes that
the cruise would end early (so she go home to her boyfriend). The
ship missed its stop at Hilo and had its stop at Kona cut short
because it had been diverted to Honolulu after the threatening notes
were found.
Some passengers felt the cruise line was
not as forthcoming about what was going on during the crisis
-- one man said he didn't know that someone had been apprehended until
he arrived at the airport at the end of the cruise. |
No compensation. |
Missed ports |
| April 19 |
Regal Empress Regal Cruises |
A three night (April 18) and ten night (April 21) cruise are
cancelled when the ship is served with an arrest warrant by US Marshals
over $750,000 in unpaid invoices to a supplier of engine services. |
Cancelled cruise |
|
| April 18 |
Pride of Provence P&O Ferries |
Ship hit a breakwater at Dover, England while visibility was
good and sea conditions were fine. Her Master has been suspended from
duty as an investigation continues. Twenty-eight people suffered minor
injuries in the accident which left an indentation from deck 5 to the
ship's double-hull bottom |
Full refund or free cruise |
Delivery delay |
| April 18 |
Sovereign of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
A 30 year old cruise ship worker is charged with committing
sex acts on a 14-year-old girl. The victim was apparently on a
high school band trip and
told chaperones she had sex with the man on the last night of the
cruise. |
Sexual assault of child |
|
| April 14 |
Costa Fortuna Costa Cruises |
A fire broke out while the Costa Fortuna was being fitted
out at Fincantieri's Sestri Cantiere Navale in Genoa. The fire
took about three and an half hours to be extinguished. Deck 8, fitted
with cabins, was heavily damaged for 'more than half of its length,
from aft to bow.' Damage was also reported on decks 7 and 9.
However, Fincantieri confirmed that the ship will be delivered on
schedule this November. |
Fire |
|
| April 12/13 |
Celebration Carnival Cruise Line |
A 31 year old man accidentally fell overboard in the Gulf of
Mexico (8 hours after leaving Galveston) and was rescued 17 hours later
by a passing cargo vessel. |
Passenger overboard |
|
| April |
Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Line |
15 year old girl raped by other passenger. Details
here. |
Rape |
|
| April 14 |
Island Adventure SeaEscape |
A fire in a storage area on a lower deck of the ship forced
evacuation of crew from the ship. There were no passengers
onboard. Minor damage. |
||
| March 29 - April 5 |
Viking Burgundy Viking River Cruises |
Reported by a passenger that approximately 90 of the 150
passengers (and a number of
crew) became ill during the cruise, with gastro-intestinal
symptoms like Norwalk-like virus. There was no confirmation
of the cause. |
Illness |
|
| March 23 |
Pacific Sky P&O Cruises |
Repairs are taking longer than expected so the March 23
cruise is cancelled. It was announced March 31 that the ship
should be ready to sail on April 2. |
Full refund plus 25%
discount on a future cruise on the Pacific Sky |
Cancellation |
| March 15 |
Pacific Sky P&O Cruises |
The ship had to turn back to
Auckland on an 11 day cruise to Fiji that began March 12. The
ship took on 17 tonnes of water after it sprang a leak through cracked
and corroded plating on the side of the 19-year-old ship. Cracks
in the same area had reportedly been repaired prior to the ship's
departure from Auckland. Cruise cancelled. Associated Press
reported that the ship has been impounded because safety inspectors
found serious rust in its hull. P&O is confident that the
ship will be repaired in time for its March 23 departure. |
Full refund plus 25%
discount on a future cruise |
Cracks in hull/ Cancellation |
| March 13 |
Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line |
An injured crewman was airlifted to Oahu after falling from
a tender and injuring his legs on the propeller when the ship was
visiting the Fanning Islands (Republic of Kiribati). The ship was
diverted to Christmas Island. Subsequent ports of call cancelled
because of diversion. |
No compensation for missing ports |
Crew injury / Itinerary change |
| March 13 |
Ryndam Holland America Line |
"The ship listed to
the port side around 6:30 PM and caused injuries to passengers and
crew. Furniture went flying, dishes broke, glasses destroyed.
The pool emptied down the elevator shafts, and put elevators on
the port side out of commission for four days. They explained the
incident as a mechanical failure from going from manual to automatic
pilot." -- Passenger account |
Free drinks |
Unexpected list |
| March 12 |
Caronia Cunard Line |
Three passengers arrested
after British police seized 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of cocaine
found in luggage. The seizure in Southampton had a street value
of US$1.8 million |
Drug bust |
|
| March 11 |
Oosterdam Holland America Line |
The first two voyages originally planned have been cancelled
because the ship's delivery will be delayed. The maiden voyage
will now depart August 3 (instead of July 10) |
Cabin upgrades and shipboard credits for rebooking |
Cancellation |
| March 9 |
Costa Tropicale Costa Cruises |
Six Argentinean passengers were arrested
at Santos, Brazil, suspected of attempting to smuggle cocaine into
Europe on this transatlantic cruise. Fifty kilos of cocaine were
found on board. |
Drug smuggling |
|
| March 9 |
Costa Tropicale Costa Cruises |
Claimed by passengers (but disputed by company) that 30
people had suffered symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea caused by
food poisoning while off the coast of Brazil. One passenger
died of a heart attack, but had suffered stomach complaints before his
death; family members as asking for an autopsy |
Illness |
|
| March 9 |
Carnival Conquest Carnival Cruise Line |
The US Coast Guard plans to board the CARNIVAL CONQUEST to investigate a sharp roll made by the ship that sent passengers running for life vests, and glass crashing to decks. Many passengers believe the ship tilted abruptly from one side to the other early on the morning to avoid colliding with another vessel. Seven passengers reported to a newspaper in New Orleans that they saw the lights of another vessel silhouetted in thick fog less than 200 yards from the CONQUEST. Carnival Cruise Lines blamed the sudden list on a strong gust of wind that broadsided the ship as it turned into the shipping channel bound for Gulfport, Miss. (Source: Maritime Matters, March 16, 2003) | Near miss collision OR unexpected list |
|
| March 9 |
Costa Tropicale Costa Cruises |
50 kilograms (110 pounds) of cocaine reportedly found hidden
in suitcases of passengers on the ship when it was docked in southern
Brazil. |
Drug bust |
|
| March 5 |
Crystal Harmony Crystal Cruises |
Reported that contrary to a written promise to not discharge
in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, the ship discharged 36,000
gallons of treated bilge, treated sewage, and grey water during its
visit on October 9, 2002. The company stated that it didn't
report the discharge because it wasn't illegal -- it only represented
that they didn't keep their promise. |
Environmental |
|
| February 28 |
Monarch of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Crew member burned by hot water when a valve he was working
on malfunctioned. He was performing routine maintenance on a
boiler in the engine room.. |
Crew injury |
|
| February 27 |
Explorer of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
A cleaning crew discovered a minor
fire at the aft end of Deck 13. The fire was extinguished 13
minutes later, causing damage to the inline skating facility and the
top of the waterslide on Deck 12. Those facilities will be closed
for repair. Go
here for photos provided by a passenger. |
Fire |
|
| February 19 |
Marco Polo Orient Lines |
After being pushed by wind on to shallow waters while in the
South Shetland Islands, the hull of the ship was found to have three
cracks (4, 3, and 1.7 meters long by 2 centimeters wide). Eight
millimeter thick plates were welded over the cracks at
Ushuaia and the ship continued on its cruise. |
Cracks in hull |
|
| February 19 |
Radiance of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Ship struck by strong winds as it crossed a squall line and
briefly went into a seven degree list (tilt). No injuries. |
Unexpected list (tilt) |
|
| February 18 |
Star Flyer Star Clippers |
Ship sustained minimal damage and a small section of the
wharf collapsed at Port Klang, Malaysia after it collided with the
wharf. |
Collision with wharf |
|
| February 10 - 17 |
Sundream Sun Cruises |
Reported by a passenger that a significant number of
passengers became ill with
gastrointestinal disease during this cruise. There is no report
from UK authorities about the number affected,
although there had been a Norwalk-like virus outbreak a couple
of weeks earlier. |
Illness |
|
| February 10 |
Carnival Victory Carnival Cruise Line |
Ship experienced
a 5 degree tilt when a stabilizer malfunctioned. No injuries. |
Unexpected list (tilt) |
|
| February 7 |
Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Line |
A 24 year old native of Indonesia was charged with sexual
battery after a 28 year old woman identified him as the man who entered
her cabin while she was sleeping around 5 AM on Thursday and raped her.
Police said he used a master key to unlawfully enter the room.
The perpetrator was detained and held by Carnival onboard
security personnel until the ship reached Fort Lauderdale. |
Rape |
|
| February 6 |
Norwegian Wind Norwegian Cruise Line |
A couple aboard the ship reported observing whole beer
bottles, whole wine bottles, beer and pop cans, corks, plastic plates,
plastic utensils, plastic cups and organic material all being tossed
into the ocean from the back of the ship. The ship was between
Hawaii and Fanning Island. The company insists it did nothing illegal.
The incident is
being investigated by the US Coast Guard and EPA. |
Environmental |
|
| February 6 |
Regal Empress Regal Cruises |
Engine trouble forced the cancellation of a three day cruise
scheduled for today. The cruise expected to end today was
experiencing trouble (attributed to contaminated fuel) and was expected
back to Port Manatee one day late. |
Full refund or free cruise |
Engine problems / Cancellation |
| February 6 |
Island Princess Princess Cruises |
Announced that the ship's delivery will be delayed 2 months.
The maiden voyage, originally planned to be a Panama Canal
transit on May 13, is now set for July 12 -- an Alaska sailing from
Vancouver to Seward. |
Full refund or free cruise |
Delivery Delay / Cancellation |
| February 3 |
Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line |
A technical problem in one of the two Azipod transformers
has forced the ship to operate at a slower speed. The current
cruise will skip the stop at Fanning Island, but all Hawaiian islands
scheduled will be visited. It remains unstated how cabotage law
requirements ($200
fine per passenger for not including a foreign port) will be handled. |
Engine problems |
|
| February 2 |
Sun Princess Princess Cruises |
265 passengers and 29 crew came down with a gastrointestinal
illness during the ship's voyage from Los Angeles to Hawaii (Jan. 25 -
Feb. 1). It is suspected to be Norwalk-like virus. After
new cases continued to appear, Princess decided to cut the cruise short
(ending it on February 4th in Honolulu) and to fly passengers back to
the mainland from Hawaii. The ship will be sanitized on its five
day voyage back to Los Angeles (arriving February 9th). |
Refund of one-third of
the
cost of the cruise and $500 credits for a future cruise |
Illness |
| January 30 |
Stena Europe Stena Line |
The Irish Coast Guard was called
to assist when the ferry Stena Europe lost all power with 155
passengers and 65 crew aboard. The ship was adrift for three hours in
winds of 35-45 knots. |
Engine failure |
|
| January 27 - 30 |
Ecstasy Carnival Cruise Line |
An older disabled man reportedly jumped to his death from
the top of the atrium into the lobby area of the ship. (Contributed by
two readers of this page who were on that cruise.) |
Suicide |
|
| January 29 |
Infinity Celebrity Cruises |
Cruises sailing February 2 and 13 and February 23 are
cancelled in order to replace the thrust bearing unit of the port
propulsion pod. The ship is expected to re-enter service on March
3. This is the third time since its delivery that the Infinity
has required repairs to its mermaid podded propulsion until. |
Full refund plus
50% off a future cruise of 12
nights or less. |
Cancellation |
| January 29 |
Infinity Celebrity Cruises |
The transcanal cruise scheduled to end in San Diego on
February 2 will end in Acapulco on January 30th instead. |
25% refund plus 25% off a future
cruise |
Engine problems |
| January 28 |
Pacific Venus Japan Cruise Line |
It was announced that
two passengers contracted Legionnaire's disease while on board
the Pacific Venus. The passengers were on a cruise to Taiwan from
December 27 to January 6. A cruise schedule for February 1-28 has
been cancelled. |
Illness |
|
| January 27 to February 4 |
Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Line |
102 passengers and 10 were ill with a gastrointestinal
illness. Clinical presentation of the illness is consistent with
a norovirus outbreak. |
Illness |
|
| January 20 to February 3 |
Sundream Sun Cruises |
Vessel reported 95 passengers and 12 crew with
gastrointestinal illness. The vessel made one U.S. port of call
in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on January 31, and then proceeded
onto Venezuela. A U.K. public health laboratory confirmed
gastrointestinal illness from the ill passengers and crews’ stool
samples. |
Illness |
|
| January 26 |
Elation Carnival Cruise Line |
A 35 year old woman went missing following a fight with her
husband. She was noticed missing the next morning by her husband
when he woke in the morning. |
?Suicide? |
|
| January 25 |
Wind Spirit Windstar Cruises |
Reported on "Cruise Critic" by a passenger that the ship
experienced engine problems and generator problems that left it adrift
for a night and part of a day. The ship made it back to Torotola
and underwent necessary repairs. |
Engine and generator problems |
|
| January 15 to February 3 |
Olympia Voyager Royal Olympia Cruises |
Vessel reported 35 passengers and 5 crew reported ill with
gastrointestinal illness. The cruise began in Port Everglades
Florida and concluded in Houston Texas. Extensive cleaning and
disinfection was initiated during the first week of the cruise as the
initial cases were identified. No new cases were identified the second
week. |
Illness |
|
| January 14 |
Ecstasy Carnival Cruise Line |
The company reported an accidental discharge of 60 gallons
of grey water while anchored at Avalon Bay (Catalina Island,
California), approximately one-half mile from land. |
Environmental |
|
| January ? |
Regal Empress Regal Cruises |
Outbreak investigation by CDC -- source not identified nor
are numbers of passengers affected publicly acknowledged |
Illness |
|
| January ? |
QE II Cunard Line |
Outbreak investigation by CDC for gastrointestinal disease
caused by Norwalk-like virus -- number of passengers affected unknown |
Illness |
|
| January 5 |
Statendam Holland America Line |
An elderly man was suspected to have jumped overboard the
night before disembarkation at San Diego following a roundtrip cruise
from
San Diego to Hawaii. According to a spokeswoman for Holland
America Line, "'We're a 130 year old company and it happens very
rarely, but it is not unheard of on a cruise ship' to lose a passenger." |
Person overboard |
|
| January 5 |
Norway Norwegian Cruise Line |
Reported that 105 passengers and 11 crew contracted
Norwalk-like virus. Passengers onboard suggested that the number
afflicted was much higher than 100. |
Illness |
|
| January 1 |
Nantucket Clipper Clipper Cruise Line |
The ship left Charleston, SC
on December 28, 2002. It reported to the CDC on January 1 a
report indicating 5 (5.2%) passengers and 5 (14.7%) crew had reported
gastrointestinal illness. The vessel is not scheduled to return
to the US until March 2003. |
Illness |
|
| January ? |
Arabella Cruise Arabella |
Outbreak investigation by CDC -- source not identified |
Illness |
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Events at Sea 2002
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