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Power Outage Hits Celebrity Cruises Ship, Extends Port Visit

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Celebrity Infinity’s current 7-night voyage to Greece has met a major hiccup.

While docked in Kusadasi, Turkey, on July 7, 2025, the 2,170-guest ship allegedly experienced a small electrical fire that led to a power outage.

It’s unclear exactly when and where the fire occurred, but these situations are most common in engine rooms around electrical panels, switchboards, and cabling.

According to current passengers, the blackout lasted for several hours with no power for announcements from the crew and no air conditioning.

“While most guests (including myself) were ashore there was a small electrical fire onboard Celebrity Cruise’s Infinity while docked in Kusadasi, Turkey. It was a total blackout for a few hours,” a current guest shared in the early morning hours of July 8 from the port.

With the cruise port hitting a high of 91 degrees Fahrenheit on July 7, the lack of air conditioning was the biggest complaint in cruise forums.

But for the most part, guests have been expressing their appreciation for the crew during this difficult situation and making the most of spending a bit more time exploring the Turkish city.

“I have to shout out the crew on this ship as they fielded concerns for all aboard. No power meant no communications, power to rooms, AC, Delayed Shows, Delayed Meals (kitchens literally went into a near total standstill), and obviously disappointed guests,” the cruiser added.

“It was a very hot day in Turkey today as well, so that added to the pressure.”

It’s unclear if all power has been restored as of the time of publication, but the fire was quickly put out and crew members are hard at work on making the necessary repairs.

Cruise tracking data shows that the 90,940-gross ton ship has extended her visit in Kusadasi, as she is still docked when she was meant to depart at 9:00 p.m. on July 7.

Per current guests, she will remain in the port until the late afternoon of Wednesday, July 9, to ensure all systems are functioning properly before heading back out to sea.

Cruise Hive reached out for a statement and received the following from a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson: “Our team is addressing a technical issue. We have communicated with our guests directly.”

For context, Royal Caribbean Group is also the parent company for Celebrity Cruises.

What Happens Next? 

With Celebrity Infinity spending over an extra day in port, it goes without saying that the 7-night itinerary has been changed.

The planned calls on Mykonos, Greece, on July 8 and on Kavala, Greece, on July 9 will no longer be possible.

That said, a current guest reported that the crew was trying to replace the sea day on July 11 with a day in Mykonos.

“We’ll miss our scheduled port of Mykonos, Greece tomorrow, but they will remove our one sea day and replace it with that towards the end of the 7 day cruise,” the guest confirmed.

The final port call on Thessaloniki, Greece, on July 10 is so far unaffected, and the cruise ship is expected to disembark as planned in Athens, Greece, on July 12.

Photo Courtesy: Celebrity Cruises

Of course, this plan rides on how smoothly the repairs go. If the damage is more extensive than initially expected or there are additional delays, the itinerary could change again.

Guests embarking on the subsequent 7-night Greek sailing on July 12 will also likely want to keep an eye out for any updates from Celebrity Cruises, just in case.

Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents

More likely than not, the repairs will go to plan and the Millennium-class cruise ship will soon be fully operational and back in action.

Power outages (and small electrical fires) like this aren’t super common, and thanks to the skill and training of the crew members, can be resolved quickly.

At the end of last week, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas just suffered an overnight power outage due to minor electrical issues.

However, technicians were able to restore most of the power before the night was through and the only lasting impact was a slightly delayed embarkation for the next sailing.



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Cruise ships panned for fireworks callousness amid Ha Long Bay accident rescue efforts

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Fireworks display on Ambassador Cruise. Photo courtesy of Ambassador Cruise


Two cruise ships in Ha Long Bay have attracted criticism for setting off fireworks even as authorities continued to search for the victims of a tourist boat accident.

The displays on Saturday night by Ambassador Cruise and Sea Octopus took place just hours after the Vinh Xanh 58 overturned with 49 people on board including over 20 children.

The accident claimed the lives of 35 people while four others were still unaccounted for until now.

Many tourists expressed shock that the fireworks went ahead despite the sirens blaring across Ha Long City as rescue operations continued into the night on Saturday.

“Watching the live stream, I couldn’t believe it,” Ha Viet, a tourist from Hanoi, said.

“Rescue teams were still struggling to find victims, yet some cruise ships were hosting entertainment activities like nothing had happened.”

Vinh Xanh 58 was struck by a sudden thunderstorm at around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Thuy Anh, a tourism industry worker in Ha Long, called the fireworks display “insensitive and unprofessional.”

“Some claimed the ships lost internet connection and weren’t aware of the tragedy, but that’s unreasonable. The accident happened in the afternoon and the fireworks didn’t start until 9 p.m.”

While many people slammed the fireworks displays, others urged for understanding, pointing out that the companies had issued public apologies.

A tourist familiar with Ha Long cruises said activities such as music and fireworks are often highlights for both local and international guests in the evenings.

“The cruise operators have apologized and committed to addressing the consequences.”

On Sunday Ambassador Cruise and Sea Octopus issued formal apologies on their social media pages.

Ambassador Cruise said the fireworks were part of a pre-planned schedule but admitted to a “lack of sensitivity,” which caused emotional distress to victims’ families and the public.

Sea Octopus described its fireworks display as a “serious and unacceptable mistake” due to poor communication and situational awareness among its crew.

The company pledged to tighten procedures, improve emergency communication and support affected families during this difficult time.





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World’s largest cruise ship heads to Florida ahead of August maiden voyage

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The largest cruise ship in the world that’s anticipated to become the crown jewel of Royal Caribbean’s sprawling fleet will be docking in Florida before it departs on its first-ever voyage in late August.

The “Star of the Seas” ship, complete with 20 decks and a mind-boggling capacity for 5,000 passengers, set sail from its construction port in Finland on Thursday and is set to arrive at Florida’s Port Canaveral on Aug. 15, according to its website.

Royal Caribbean’s “Star of the Seas” will embark on its maiden voyage on Aug. 31. Royal Caribbean

The ship is set to embark on its maiden voyage on Aug. 31. In the meantime, staff at Port Canaveral are battening down the hatches as they prepare for the thousands of tourists it will attract.

After departing from the Orlando dock, the ship will make stops in the eastern and western ends of the Caribbean, including San Juan, St. Kitts, Cozumel and access to Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.

The luxury cruise will dock in Florida. Royal Caribbean

Such luxury comes at a hefty price, though.

The cheapest ticket starts at $951 per person. The experience boasts a laundry list of activities free of extra charge, including access to the largest waterpark at sea and even a taste of Broadway through rotating performances of “Back to the Future: The Musical,” according to its website.

The tickets come at a hefty cost. Royal Caribbean

For the last 22 years, Royal Caribbean has been voted Best Overall by Travel Weekly readers.



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18 Filipino workers removed from cruise ship

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Stock/file

NORFOLF, Virginia — At least 18 Filipino workers, who were working in a cruise ship that was docked at the Port of Norfolk in Virginia, “were forcibly removed in handcuffs.”

They were then deported to the Philippines and banned for 10 years from reentry to the United States.

This was according to the Filipino American community leaders on Saturday.

READ: Filipinos in US fear Trump immigration crackdown

The raid happened only recently and was conducted at the Carnival Sunshine cruise line by agents of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), said National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC).

The two groups said in a joint statement that the workers, who had not been charged or found guilty of any crime, were removed “in an alarming escalation of unjust immigration practices.

READ: PH caregivers in US air fears in time for Marcos visit

They also noted that the workers had valid 10-year visas.

“These crew members are dedicated parents and spouses with exemplary backgrounds, having passed rigorous background checks to obtain their work visas,” they said.

“Their abrupt removal, accompanied by the cancellation of their visas and a shocking 10-year ban from reentry, has inflicted deep humiliation, plunging their families into dire financial straits.”

READ: Filipino freed from detention decries ICE abuse, neglect of PH government

‘Left in fear’

The CBP confirmed an ongoing operation but did not provide details, according to a report by USA Today.

The report also said the crew members had valid work visas and were previously cleared to work in the United States.

As the Carnival Sunshine is set to dock again in Norfolk this Sunday, the remaining crew members “are left in fear of being the next victims of these aggressive actions,” the PWC and NaFFAA said.

‘National trend’

The Fil-Am groups said the raids reflect “a disturbing national trend that has seen other crew members deported under similar false pretenses, despite their valid visas and lack of criminal charges.”

“Community members are outraged by this blatant mistreatment of Filipino workers and are demanding accountability from Customs and Border Patrol, Carnival Corporate and the Philippine Embassy to safeguard the rights and well-being of Filipino and other cruise ship seafarers,” the groups said. /cb



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