AT LEAST , 2,515 passengers were stranded on board the Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas on Monday due to “safety concerns.” The ship was docked in Florida where it failed an inspection of its life-saving equipment that included life jackets.
Royal Caribbean confirmed in a statement, the routine check of the 880 foot-long vessel, which was due to sail from Port Canaveral that evening for the Bahamas, was carried out by the US Coast Guard who “came across some technical issues, including some outdoor life jackets that were showing their age.
“We did do an inspection of the lifesaving equipment and found safety concerns. Ultimately, they failed the inspection,” Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Dickinson, a public affairs specialist, told the local news website Florida Today.
Replacement life jackets arrived on Tuesday and the other technical issues encountered were also addressed, according to a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean.
The ship, which has a capacity for more than 2,700 passengers, was cleared to sail around 4pm after “they fixed all their discrepancies” and there were no issues with the ship’s engine, hull or other mechanical parts, Mr Dickinson said.
The original four-night itinerary was cut to three nights following the delay. Royal Caribbean has offered all passengers a refund of 25 per cent of their cruise fare (in the form of on-board credit for onboard) and 25 per cent credit towards the cost of a future cruise.
Several passengers frustrated by the delay expressed concerns on the social media network Twitter, to which Royal Caribbean responded: “We’re sorry about the delay… we’re working hard to depart as soon as we can and appreciate your patience,” in one message.
Some passengers were reportedly dissatisfied with the lack of information regarding the status of the cruise on Monday and Tuesday, and are said to have been visibly upset in their conversations with crew members, according to passenger Stacy
Other passengers appeared less bothered by the delay. “It really doesn’t upset us. They [the crew] treated us well, and the food is good. They kept us informed and are trying to resolve it,” Samuel Alt, a passenger on board the ship who has been on more than six cruises (all but one with Royal Caribbean) told Florida Today at the time of the incident.
Royal Caribbean had no further comments in response to several points including whether the company and crew members were aware of the safety issues and tired condition of the life jackets onboard Majesty of the Seas, and why it failed to replace the life jackets prior to the recent inspection.
