I've not seen any details of this incident on this or any other forum. Can anyone provide any additional information?

ISLAND STAR CRUISE OF SEPTEMBER 29 CANCELLED

Island Cruises regrets to announce the cancellation of its Island Star cruise from Palma, Majorca, on Saturday, September 29. This is due to essential repairs which have to be carried out on the vessel's engines. 1489 passengers are affected.

Island Star was forced to cut short its September 22 cruise because of related mechanical failure and the company does not wish to risk inconveniencing and disappointing passengers on the September 29 cruise. It is now being taken to a nearby port for further repairs.

Patrick Ryan, managing director of Island Cruises, said: "we deeply regret needing to take this decision but the safety and comfort of our passengers must always come first. We will be offering our passengers a 100 per cent cash refund and a 25 per cent future cruise discount certificate to try and make up for this disappointment".

Some Island Cruise holidaymakers are booked on a one-week resort holiday in Palma followed by the seven-day cruise on Island Star. These will be offered a second week at the resort or a 50 percent refund on the cost of their holiday together with a 25 per cent future cruise discount certificate for a 7 night Mediterranean cruise which can be taken by October 2009.

All passengers are in the process of being contacted but an information helpline is available for them: 0844 800 3131.

ISLAND STAR CRUISE OF 22 SEPTEMBER CURTAILED

Island Cruises confirms that one of its ships, the Island Star, suffered a power outage on Tuesday evening, September 25, while on a week's Mediterranean cruise.

The cruiseliner, with 1,476 passengers on board, docked at Villefranche, near Nice on the French Riviera, where every effort was made to resolve the problem. Unfortunately, this proved not to be possible and the decision was taken to fly cruise passengers home on Thursday 27 September.

Island Cruises' managing director, Patrick Ryan, flew to Nice to meet with passengers personally. He said: "Island Cruises apologises for the disappointment this has caused passengers and offers its assurance that everything possible was done to get Island Star's voyage underway again before this difficult but unavoidable decision was taken".

"Due to the disruption of their cruise passengers will receive a 100 percent cash refund. We would like to thank passengers for their support and patience at this time".

Island Cruises are arranging for customers to be flown back to their original airport of departure where possible. If this is not achievable, customers will be flown back to an alternative UK airport where onward transportation will be arranged. Company representatives will be on hand to assist with this process in most cases.

A helpline for concerned families and friends of passengers is operational from 0700 on Thursday, September 27. The number is: 0844 800 3131.

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Originally posted by ahrpd:
Lloyds MIU reported a few days ago that ISLAND STAR was "abandoned by passengers and crew due mechanical failure off Nice during bad weather abt 25 Sep 2007...

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This makes it sound like they were put in the lifeboats during a raging storm. If that was the case I would have thought it would have been in the mainstream press and videos would have popped up on CNN.

The only dramatic account I could find was in the Liverpool Daily Post where one of the passengers claims that the captain announced an "emergency evacuation" and suggests that passengers were lowered to the sea in the ship's lifeboats.

Did that really happen? Or is it possible that the passengers were brought ashore via the ship's tenders as they would for any stop at Villefranche? And it happened to be raining at the time.

Anyone have more information?

To initially offer only 60 % refund in such a situation is an impertinence. (if this is true)

[ 10-04-2007: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originally posted by Ernst:
To initially offer only 60 % refund in such a situation is an impertinence. (if this is true)

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I can't see that link but as they got "100 per cent cash refund and a 25 per cent future cruise discount certificate" as stated in the 29 Sept press release, I doubt a 60% initial offer is true?

"Grâce à des vols réguliers mais aussi et surtout à l'affrètement de plusieurs vols spéciaux, les naufragés de la croisière ont pu regagner leurs foyers, généralement britanniques.

Avec le flegme qui les caractérise, ils s'étaient au préalable prêtés de bonne grâce à toutes les formalités et à toutes les obligations autant que possible simplifiées par les représentants de la compagnie de croisière : l'office maritime monégasque.

Peur quand l'escale forcée a été annoncée ? Quand le géant des mers de 208 mètres de long et 27 000 tonnes s'est trouvé plongé dans l'obscurité ? « Non, on nous a bien expliqué ce qui se passait. »

Chagriné quand la fin prématurée de la croisière s'est imposée ? « Nous avons bien compris le problème et aussi l'obligation du débarquement. Et puis, il ne restait qu'une journée à passer à bord. »

Du stress ? « Oui un peu, poursuit une autre croisiériste. Il a disparu dès que l'organisation de notre rapatriement nous a été expliquée. »

Zen, ces Anglais ! Pas de cri, pas de colère. Le personnel mobilisé a apprécié.

« ça n'aurait pas été la même chose, souffle un agent, avec une clientèle américaine ou française?>"

For the non-French speaking, in essence, the article says the breakdown was related to the cooling system of the engines and couldn't be addressed during the day in spite of some additional technicians comming aboard.
No one was scared aboard during the breakdown and resulting obscurity because everything has been well explained to the passengers during the event.
An evacuation and return by flight (with their luggages by accompagning trucks to the airport) to their home has been quickly and efficiently organized.
There was no complain from passengers (one said: "anyway, we had one cruise day left only") and the article said (as Tom Burke pointed out), the Brits behave really well and kept their legendary "flegme"and things went smoothly. Had it been for French or American citizens, things would certainly not have been the same! (wich in my opnion is not completely false).

So nothing really new.

[ 10-05-2007: Message edited by: Vaccaro ]

[ 10-05-2007: Message edited by: Vaccaro ]

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Originally posted by sslewis:
As a French National I would like to point out that I was indeed impressed by the "Coolness" of UK passengers this time and agree that US citizen would have been quick to sue whilst French would have set a Mutiny as they always do.....!
Well Pascal do you agree?

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