Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
17 May 2011 09:19
The cruise ship MSC Opera suffered a power failure off the coast of Sweden (AP)
Hundreds of British passengers have had their Baltic cruise holiday cut short after the ship they were travelling on suffered a power failure.
Passengers were set to return home from Sweden on Monday after the MSC Opera suffered a series of electrical problems.
Tugs were sent to rescue the cruise ship on Sunday after one of its engines exploded.
The stricken vessel was then towed through the Baltic sea with 2,000 people on board.
While passengers have been given a credit voucher for the full amount paid, the incident highlights the importance of taking out cruise travel insurance to cover any such trip.
The ship, which usually sails every 10 days from Southampton, had no power, "very poor hygiene" and its bathrooms were "inoperable", according to Tim Schwabedissen from shipping website vesseltracker.com.
After the explosion on Friday, the captain tried to continue the voyage with the one remaining main engine but "this failed", Mr Schwabedissen said.
"On May 15 tugs were called to pull the vessel to Visby where the battered vessel was due to arrive May 16 morning," he added.
"Meanwhile a team from MSC Cruises was sent to Sweden to assist the passengers."
MSC was unavailable to clarify the situation but issued a statement saying there were "technical problems to an electrical panel".
It said the ship was diverted towards the port of Nynashamn, Sweden, where it was due to arrive at 11am.
"Not being able to offer to its guests the usual standards of service, MSC is organising the repatriation of all guests from Stockholm," it said in a statement.
19 July 2018
The flu vaccination does not appear to have been effective in protecting against so-called Aussie flu, figures show.
[more...]
18 July 2018
Bowel cancer screening tests could also provide an insight into whether patients are at risk of other illnesses, a new study has revealed.
17 July 2018
France is still celebrating today after its national football team brought home football's biggest prize after a thrilling final in Moscow.
14 July 2018
Too many passengers heading abroad this summer will be travelling without adequate protection for when an airline goes bust, a new study has shown.
13 July 2018
The mother of Bradley Lowery has welcomed the news that a drug used to help treat her son will soon be made available for other patients on the NHS.
12 July 2018
British GPs have prevented thousands of strokes after learning how to better identify and treat a common heart condition, research has shown.
11 July 2018
London City Airport is considering lodging an application to increase flight and passenger numbers, its boss has revealed.
10 July 2018
Captain Harry Kane is leading England's unexpected bid for glory, and is hoping to inspire the next generation of footballers by going all the way in Russia.
07 July 2018
Experts have warned that a lack of rigorous testing of skin cancer detection apps is putting the public at risk.
06 July 2018
Easyjet has added to worries that travellers are set for a summer of chaos, revealing that nearly 1,300 flights were cancelled last month.
05 July 2018
Soaring temperatures across the UK have led to a surge of asthma sufferers calling a dedicated asthma helpline, a charity has revealed.
04 July 2018
Strikes across Europe led Ryanair to cancel over 1,000 flights in June, the budget airline has revealed.