Cruise Ship Nightmare: Power Outage Leaves Passengers Adrift!
A Celebrity Cruises ship, the Constellation, experienced a temporary power outage while sailing off the coast of Italy, leaving passengers without air conditioning or electricity for nearly three hours. The incident occurred on Saturday, August 2nd, during the ship's 11-day Mediterranean voyage.
Details of the Incident
The 2,170-passenger ship was en route to Messina, Sicily, from Kotor, Montenegro, when the “technical issue” caused a complete loss of power. According to CruiseMapper, the ship was approximately 25 miles southeast of Crotone, Italy, when the outage occurred. Satellite tracking data showed the ship's speed dropping to as low as 1.1 mph, indicating it was drifting.
Impact on Passengers
The power outage affected essential services, including lighting, air conditioning, and kitchen facilities. Passengers endured uncomfortable conditions as temperatures inside the ship rose. With kitchens out of service, cold meals were served for dinner. Despite the inconvenience, reports suggest the crew remained professional and communicative throughout the ordeal.
Emergency Response
Emergency generators activated as designed, maintaining minimal essential systems such as emergency lighting, fire detection, and communications. The ship's crew worked with shoreside support teams to restore full functionality. A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises, confirmed the power failure but did not provide specific details about the cause or repair process.
Cruise Ship Power Outages: Not Uncommon?
While concerning, power outages on cruise ships are not entirely uncommon. Most ships have emergency generators that can provide backup power for essential systems. These generators, typically located on the upper decks, can supply power for emergency lighting, elevators, radios, and fire detection systems, and even restart engines if necessary.
The Celebrity Cruises Constellation continued its voyage after the power was restored. The cruise line confirmed that the ship was close enough to the coast for passengers to maintain cell phone service during the outage.