Cruise Liner Costa Allegra Adrift Off Seychelles After Fire (No Casualties)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/27/italian-cruise-ship-adrift-off-seychelles-after-fire/
Italian cruise ship adrift off Seychelles after fire
February 27, 2012

A fire broke out Monday in the generator room of an Italian cruise ship, leaving it adrift off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, but causing no casualties, officials said.

The accident aboard the Costa Allegra occurred about six weeks after the Concordia, another Italian cruise ship owned by the same company, capsized off Italy, killing 25 people and leaving seven missing and presumed dead.

Asked about Monday's Costa Allegra accident, Italian Coast Guard Cmdr. Cosimo Nicastro told SkyTG24 TV that the ship's captain told Italian authorities the blaze was quickly extinguished.

"The passengers are fine," Nicastro said. But the fire left the cruise liner "without propulsion," meaning the ship, with 636 passengers and 413 crew members aboard, was adrift in the sea because the engines weren't working, he said.

But "the fire danger is over," Nicastro said.

Costa Crociere SpA, which is based in Genoa, Italy, said in a statement that its ship was about 20 miles from Alphonse Island, one of the atolls in the Seychelles, a nation of islands and atolls that is a popular tourist destination.

Officials said coast guard boats and an aircraft were being sent to the disabled ship.
 ::snipping2::
On Monday, Italian coast guard officials dispatched cargo ships near the Costa Allegra to help.

The Seychelles coast guard and air wing mobilized, and an aircraft was flying over the ship late Monday evening, said Seychelles presidential spokeswoman Srdjana Janosevic. The island's port authority sent two tugs to the stricken ship.

"And there are fishing vessels in the vicinity, large ones, that are going to provide support as well," Janosevic said. "They have assistance coming to them."'

The Allegra had left northern Madagascar, off Africa's southeast coast, on Saturday and was cruising toward the port of Victoria, Seychelles' capital, when the fire erupted. Costa said the Allegra had been due in Victoria on Tuesday.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/305339/20120227/costa-allegra-seychelles-italian-cruise-ship.htm
Costa Allegra: Italian Cruise Ship Fire Strands 1,000 in Seychelles
By Daniel Tovrov
February 27, 2012

Italian cruise ship the Costa Allegra is adrift without engine power off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

A total of 1,052 people are aboard the ship, including 636 passengers. They are "in good health and were informed promptly of the situation," according to authorities.

"The shipboard fire-extinguishing system and procedures were promptly activated and the special fire-fighting squads intervened to extinguish the fire," a company statement said.

"Inspections on the state of the engine room are ongoing in order to restart the necessary equipment to reactivate the functionality of the ship."
 ::snipping2::
The Allegra's communications are still operating, although the online ship tracker has been disabled.

http://www.costacruise.com/usa/costa_allegra.html

 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17183134
Cruise ship Costa Allegra adrift off Seychelles
February 27, 2012



The Costa Allegra is adrift in the dark more than 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles, near Alphonse Island.

The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in January, killing 32.

Costa Cruises said in a statement that the fire broke out in the electric generators' room. It did not spread and there were no injuries or casualties.
 ::snipping2::
Tugs and "other naval and aerial units" will reach the ship, which has sent out a distress signal, Costa Cruises says.

Commander Cosimo Nicastro of the Italian coast guard told the BBC that it took the crew a few hours to extinguish the fire.

Although the ship is in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there are "no problems for the passengers". 

However the ship probably needs to be towed to a Seychelles port, he said.

There are no electric lights on board the ship as the batteries are being used to keep essential machinery going.

The Italian authorities have directed three merchant ships and two fishing vessels towards the stricken liner.

The authorities in the Seychelles say they have sent two tug boats, a coastguard ship and an aircraft to the scene.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107175/Costa-Allegra-Concordias-sister-ship-adrift-Indian-Ocean-Seychelles.html
BREAKING NEWS: Sister ship of doomed Costa Concordia adrift off Seychelles following fire
Nick Pisa
February 27, 2012

Information, photos and videos at link.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJMXUB2OfvPF9z9bWTDAPymG7BGw?docId=CNG.7085f8662afad43dcda4140668854d22.321
Costa cruise ship adrift off Seychelles after fire
By Dario Thuburn (AFP)
February 27, 2012

 ::snipping2::
The Italian coast guard said the first vessel to come to the rescue, a 90-metre (295-foot) fishing trawler, was expected to arrive in the area at around midnight Italian time (2300 GMT) and another four hours after that.

The first tug boat is only set to arrive at around 1500 GMT on Tuesday.

The trawler was not expected to evacuate any passengers but would help ensure radio contact as the Costa Allegra's communications equipment is currently relying on emergency batteries, the coast guard said.

The coast guard also said in a statement it had contacted local authorities in the Seychelles and that the accident happened near Alphonse Island some 200 nautical miles from the main island of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Seychelles officials said help was on the way.

"We have made contact with the vessel. We are sending assistance," said Michael Rosette, the Seychelles deputy army chief of staff, adding: "There are no casualties."

A government official told AFP: "An aircraft (from the Seychelles coast guard) is flying over the vessel. Two tug boats and several vessels have been sent for assistance. Several ships in the vicinity are also being sent."

Italy's coast guard said the plane has already made an initial reconnaissance over the area -- where Somali pirates have attacked several vessels over the past few years -- and found that the ship was stable.

"The ship is completely safe. Other vessels are also on their way. The captain is updating us regularly about the situation on board," said Cosimo Nicastro, a spokesman for the Italian coast guard.

The coast guard said that all 636 passengers and 413 crew members on the ship, which left Madagascar on Saturday on its way to the Seychelles, were "in good health and were informed promptly of the situation".

"The Costa Allegra's engines are out but its communications are working," the coast guard said, adding that wind speeds in the area were around 25 knots which can make for choppy but not gale-force conditions at sea.

The ship was at the start of a cruise which would have also taken it to Oman, the Red Sea and the Egyptian Mediterranean port of Alexandria.

Officials said it was around 20 nautical miles from tiny Alphonse Island, part of an atoll that officially belongs the Seychelles and is known for its white sandy beaches and dense forests, as well as tortoises and rare birds.

The 1.74-square-kilometre island has a population of just a couple of hundred people and a luxury hotel, the Alphonse Island Resort.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17186829
Italian cruise ship adrift off Seychelles taken in tow
February 27, 2012

A cruise ship left adrift in the Indian Ocean after a power failure with more than 1,000 people on board has been taken in tow, the BBC has learned.

A French fishing vessel is taking the Costa Allegra to a nearby island where passengers will be disembarked before being transferred to the Seychelles.
 ::snipping2::
The BBC's Katy Watson on Seychelles says that the ship is being towed to the Desroches island, near Alphonse island, south-west of the Seychelles.

Once there the passengers will be disembarked to the one hotel on the island, and then await transfer to the main Seychelles island of Mahe.

Tugs sent from Mahe are due to meet up with the Costa Allegra at around 0900 GMT, our correspondent adds.

The Allegra has no air-conditioning or cooking facilities and an emergency generator powering the radio "could fail at any minute", the Italian coast guard says.
Earlier, Commander Cosimo Nicastro from the Italian coast guard confirmed that the French-registered ocean-going trawler had reached the ship.
 ::snipping2::
The company says it is liaising with passengers' families via their emergency contact numbers, and has reached two-thirds of them. Contact has been made with the relatives of all the crew.

Families in the UK can call the company's emergency line on 020 7940 3300.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0228/Costa-cruise-ship-stranded-in-pirate-waters-near-the-Seychelles
Costa cruise ship stranded in pirate waters near the Seychelles
Costa Allegra, a cruise ship with 1,000 people on board, had a fire in the engine room. The cruise ship, stranded in Somali pirate waters, is now being towed to the Seychelles.
By George Thande, Reuters
February 28, 2012

 ::snipping2::
Costa Cruises said an earlier plan to tow the vessel to the nearest island of Desroches had been aborted because security conditions for mooring the ship and offloading the passengers and crew "would not have been assured".
Two tugs were approaching the cruise ship to assist the Seychelles-based tuna purse-seiner Trevignon pulling the Costa Allegra, which is now due to arrive at the main island Mahe on Thursday morning.

"Helicopters will ensure continuous supply of food, comfort items, flashlights in order to mitigate guests' discomfort given the difficult conditions on board," Costa Cruises spokesman Davide Barbano said in a statement.
 ::snipping2::
Seychelles authorities still face a logistical headache finding accommodation in Mahe for all those onboard.

"Right now we are in consultation with the hotels on Mahe to find out how many beds are available. It's a busy time of year," Srdjana Janosevic, spokeswoman for the Seychelles presidency, told Reuters.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/seychelles/9110926/Costa-Allegra-passengers-face-three-day-voyage-to-safety.html
Costa Allegra passengers face three day voyage to safety
The 1,000 passengers and crew on the crippled Costa Allegra cruise ship face an uncomfortable three day journey without hot food, lights or air-conditioning after a plan to disembark them at a nearby luxury island resort was scrapped on Tuesday.
By Nick Squires, Rome
February 28, 2012

Costa Cruises, the Italian company that owns the ship, announced that instead of being disembarked at Desroches island in the south-west of the Seychelles, the vessel will be towed all the way to Mahe, the main island, more than 200 miles away.
 ::snipping2::
The Costa Allegra was being towed towards Desroches by a 300ft-long French fishing trawler that was sent to its aid overnight. Two tugs are on their way from the Seychelles and will also assist as it changes course.

The ship is expected to arrive in the Seychelles capital, Victoria, on the main island of Mahe, on Thursday morning.
 ::snipping2::
"Helicopters will ensure a continuous supply of food, comfort items and torches in order to mitigate guests' discomfort given the difficult conditions on board," the company said from its headquarters in Genoa.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/feb/28/coast-allegra-dancer-mother-costa-concordia
Costa Allegra dancer's mother tells of disaster striking family twice
Costa Concordia capsized with son, also a dancer, on board just weeks before daughter was cast adrift on sister ship
Tom Kington in Rome and Caroline Davies
February 28, 2012

A British mother has spoken of her disbelief after a cruise ship her daughter is working on was cast adrift just weeks after her son survived the capsizing of its sister ship, the Costa Concordia.

Jayne Thomas said Rebecca, 23, a dancer, is one of more than 1,000 people aboard the Costa Allegra, now being towed to safety after breaking down in the Indian Ocean following a fire on board.

She added that her son, James Thomas, 19, also a dancer, was still recovering from the trauma of the Concordia running aground off the Italian coast in January, with the loss of 32 lives.

Speaking from the family home in Sutton Coldfield, Jayne Thomas told the BBC: "I thought it was a one-off and we wouldn't be going through this experience again. I really didn't think disaster could strike twice.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/02/29/passengers-on-disabled-cruise-ship-to-fly-to-rome/
Passengers on disabled cruise ship to fly to Rome
February 29, 2012

A disabled cruise ship being towed to the Seychelles' main port is expected to arrive Thursday morning -- three days after the ship lost power and began drifting in the Indian Ocean. An aviation official said passengers would begin flying to Rome within hours after arrival at port.
 ::snipping2::
Three planes with a seating capacity of at least 580 passengers were lined up to fly the passengers of the cruise ship Costa Allegra back to Rome, Gilbert Faure, the chief executive of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority said Wednesday. He said the first plane is tentatively scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon.
 ::snipping2::
Costa said soft drinks and cold food such as fruit, cold cuts, cheeses and fresh bread are available to passengers, along with mineral water for personal hygiene needs. They said the situation is "regular" and the weather is good.
 ::snipping2::

[cookie]

how awful!!!  glad that no one was injured...

[MuffyBee]

how awful!!!  glad that no one was injured...

 

[MuffyBee]

This must have been quite a miserable experience for the passengers and crew.  No showers, no toilets

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fgw-cruise-seychelles-20120301,0,6125906.story
Disabled cruise ship's passengers arrive in Seychelles
After a fire broke out Monday aboard the Costa Allegra, more than 1,000 passengers and crew had no engine power, no air conditioning and no running water.
March 1, 2012

 ::snipping2::
But the fire that broke out Monday was brought under control and the more than 1,000 passengers and crew wound up staying aboard the Costa Allegra, which suddenly had no engine power, no air conditioning and no running water for showers or toilets.
 ::snipping2::
The couple ate cold sandwiches for three days and moved their bedding onto the deck to escape the stifling heat after the fire left the Costa Allegra without power.

"The toilets were running over, there was no electricity. It was very hot," said Eleanor.
 ::snipping2::
The crew of the Costa Allegra formed up and clapped as passengers disembarked and were hustled to buses for onward travel. A dozen crew members lined up at two pay phones to call their families. One crew member used a reporters' phone to call India and check on his 8-year-old daughter.

The Seychelles Red Cross set up tents to assist any passengers needing medical help and embassy and consular officials were at the port to receive their citizens. Tour operators lined up dozens of buses to take passengers to either the airport or a Seychelles resort.

"The focus of the operation is to get them a warm meal and a shower," said Guillaume Albert, head of Creole Travel Service. "I think the happy ending is the people coming off the boat."
 ::snipping2::
A Seychelles official suggested Wednesday that the journey may also have taken longer because the French fishing vessel towing the cruise ship had refused to give way to two faster tugs sent by the Seychelles. Although assistance to people at sea is free, assistance to ships is often paid.

On Thursday, Lt. Col. Michael Rosette, the deputy chief of staff of the military, said the tug boats were more appropriate than the fishing vessel but that the decision not to switch towing vessels was up to the cruise line company.
 ::snipping2::
About 375 people are taking advantage of the company's offer of a free 15-day vacation in the Seychelles, including the Bradwells. They will also be reimbursed for the $8,000 they spent on the cruise.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9115682/Costa-Allegra-passengers-tell-of-hell-on-board.html
Costa Allegra: passengers tell of 'hell’ on-board
Passengers disembarking from the stricken Costa Allegra cruise ship have spoken of the panic and confusion on board as they endured three days of “hell” adrift in the Indian Ocean without power.
By Victoria Ward, Seychelles
March 1, 2012


As the luxury liner finally made it to shore, docking in Port Victoria on the island of Mahe in the Seychelles, holiday makers expressed disgust at the way they had been treated and anger with Costa Cruises staff.

Conditions inside the cabins were said to have been “beyond horrific” due to the lack of air conditioning and running water. Lavatories overflowed and they were fed on little but spam sandwiches.

They were forced to sleep on deck in sweltering temperatures of up to 35C and said that the stench in the corridors and cabins was so bad it would remain with them “for a long time”.
The alarm was first raised at around 1.30pm on Monday when an electrical fault caused a fire in the engine room and power was lost. The Tannoy system shut down as did air conditioning, lighting, refrigerators and running water.
More of the story....
Photos at link.

[MuffyBee]

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/01/world/europe/italy-cruise-ship-fire/?hpt=ieu_c2
Disabled cruise ship reaches Seychelles
From Dan Rivers, CNN
March 1, 2012

 ::snipping2::
Two people were injured on the Allegra, officials with the cruise line said. Two Russian guests fell on board -- one injured a shoulder, the other a leg, officials said. And some are sunburned from having to sit on the deck for three days. But no serious injuries were reported, and overall, guests were fine, officials said.
 ::snipping2::
At a news conference Thursday, Costa Executive Vice President Norbert Stiekema said customers are offered full reimbursement for the cruise and their flights, and the same amount again in cash. They will also be reimbursed for their spending on board.

Customers are also offered a week or two-weeks vacation in the Seychelles with expenses covered.

When asked whether a customer accepting compensation would have to sign a form forgoing the possibility of suing the company, Stiekema did not answer.
 ::snipping2::
The ship departed from Diego Suarez, Madagascar, on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive in the Seychelles Tuesday.

Neither Stiekema nor the captain, Niccolo Alba, could explain the cause of the fire, nor why an emergency generator located in a different part of the ship failed after several hours.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.euronews.net/2012/03/01/video-shows-cramped-costa-allegra-cruise/
Video shows cramped Costa Allegra cruise

[MuffyBee]

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/03/costa-cruises-allegra-carnival-cruise/644373/1
Fire-damaged cruise ship Costa Allegra will not return
By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY
March 12, 2012

The fire-damaged Costa Allegra will not return to service, the top executive at Costa Cruises' parent company revealed today.

Carnival CEO Micky Arison told Wall Street analysts during a conference call that the 1,000-passenger vessel, which needs costly repairs, will be sold or scrapped.

The 28,500-ton Costa Allegra is one of the oldest and smallest ships in the Costa fleet, and Arison noted that it had been for sale for some time before the much-publicized fire in one of its engine rooms Feb. 27. The company has completely written down the value of the ship on its books, he said.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/08/10612577-after-cruise-ship-fire-costa-switches-ships-in-europe
After cruise ship fire, Costa switches ships in Europe
By Erica Silverstein, CruiseCritic.com
March 8, 2012

In the wake of an engine room fire that crippled Costa Allegra and sidelined the ship indefinitely as it undergoes repairs, Costa Cruises has announced that it will be redeploying the Red Sea-based Costa Voyager to cover for the out-of-service vessel.

Beginning March 18 and continuing through at least November, the 832-passenger Costa Voyager, which was acquired in November 2011 from Spain-based sister line Iberocruceros, will take over the 792-passenger Allegra's Europe itineraries. Voyager's Red Sea itineraries will be suspended temporarily. (Costa Allegra was sailing a 28-day repositioning cruise between Madagascar and Savona when the fire broke out; the cruise was scheduled to end on March 18.)

Costa is reaching out to passengers on affected sailings. Here's what you need to know.

For passengers booked on Costa Allegra
Costa Voyager will sail the following Allegra itineraries: Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises, March 18 - July 1; a nine-night cruise from Amsterdam to Savona, July 13; weeklong Mediterranean cruises, July 23 - Aug. 20; cruises of various lengths in the Mediterranean, from Aug. 28.

Passengers booked on a Costa Allegra cruise may choose to cancel without penalty. These travelers will receive a full refund and a future cruise credit worth 30 percent of the original cruise fare.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article/82373/costa-allegra-update
Costa Allegra update
Monday, 12 March 2012

The compensation package for Costa Allegra passengers following the onboard fire in late February has been announced.

Over 70 per cent of passengers chose to stay on in the Seychelles for a one or two week all-expenses paid holiday on the islands of Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette and Cerfs arranged by Costa Crociere who also arranged for flights home following their stay.

The remaining passengers were accommodated in hotels on the island of Mahè ahead of flights organized and paid for by the cruise line from Seychelles International Airport on 2 March.
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2012/apr/06/corrections-and-clarifications?newsfeed=true
Corrections and clarifications
Cingulate cortex | Arm Holdings chip designs | What is a sister ship | Tweeting from employment tribunal
April 6, 2012

 ::snipping2::
• A reader rightly points out that common ownership does not necessarily a sister ship make: "[You refer] to the Costa Allegra as the 'sister ship' of the Costa Concordia (Helicopters take aid to stricken Costa Allegra, 29 February, page 18) … While the Costa Allegra is owned by the same company as the Costa Concordia and therefore part of their fleet, it is not a sister ship of the Costa Concordia. A sister ship is a ship of the same class, the same basic design." Thus, he notes, the Costa Concordia is a Concordia class ship so its sisters are the Costa Serena, Carnival Splendor, Costa Pacifica, Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fascinosa. The Costa Allegra, on the other hand, was originally an Axel Johnson class container ship later converted to a cruise liner. "There were five ships in the Axel Johnson class of which the Costa Allegra and Costa Marina are now sister cruise ships."
 ::snipping2::