If you’ve seen Netflix’s Poop Cruise documentary, you’ll know its never good news when a cruise ship loses its power.

Just this weekend, passengers on board a Celebrity Cruises vessel nearly saw their luxury holiday turn into a disaster due to a loss of power.

The ship, Constellation, was forced to drift for around three hours while sailing near the Italian coast on August 2, and was said to be without power or air conditioning for just under three hours.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises’ parent company, confirmed the vessel had experienced a ‘technical issue’ that was resolved later that day.

But while this cruise managed to fix the issue onboard fairly swiftly, you might be left wondering what would happen if you found yourself on board a cruise with no power.

What happens during a power cut

While it depends what is the cause of the loss of power, the most immediate effect would usually be a loss of propulsion.

This means that, like the Celebrity Cruises ship, the vessel will likely stop moving and be left to drift while the cause of the power loss is resolved.

Again, like what happened on the Constellation, many of the interior lights will likely go out, especially in cabins and hallways, and air conditioning may be affected too.

Lifts will usually be out of action, primarily as a safety measure, to prevent them from stopping working while passengers are inside.

Meanwhile, the bridge could lose radar, GPS and communication tools, although it will likely be able to rely on backup systems during this time.

As Poop Cruise highlighted, toilet and fresh water systems could stop working as they rely on electrical pumps.

Emergency power systems

Fortunately, most cruise ships are equipped with emergency generators, which will prioritise the most important functions required while the main power sources are restored.

These generators will usually maintain power to critical systems, like emergency lighting and bridge controls, while allowing the captain to sustain contact with the coast guard and port authorities.

The emergency power will also support basic medical equipment and run essential navigation systems.

In the case of the Celebrity Cruises ship, Royal Caribbean has confirmed these emergency generators, which are located on the upper decks, will automatically kick in using an independent fuel source.

The infamous Poop Cruise blackout was caused by a fire in the engine room, which prompted the cruise line, Carnival Cruises, to invest more than $500 million on fleet upgrades, including backup generators and fire suppression tools.

In short, the cruise line has ensured no one will ever have to defecate into a red bag on one of its cruises ever again.

Hurtigruten’s Finnmarken is currently undergoing a refurbishment at a drydock in the Norderwerft shipyard in Hamburg, Germany.

According to an update shared by the company, the project included the installation of a new propeller.

The new 14-ton unit was added to the ship over a two-day timeframe, which included a two-hour operation to put it in position.

After getting its new thruster, the 2002-built vessel was refloated for a series of tests while at dock near Hamburg’s HafenCity region.

According to Hurtigruten, work is now taking place onboard to get the Finnmarken ready to welcome guests back soon.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Hurtigruten had to cancel a sailing onboard the ship to allow for the drydock.

Sailing to the Norwegian coast, the 14-night cruise was scheduled to depart from the port of Hamburg on July 25, 2025.

As part of the company’s “North Cape Line,” the itinerary featured visits to Stavanger, Bergen, Træna, Senja, Nordkapp, Tromsø, Reine, Lofoten and Haugesund.

Affected guests were offered the choice of rebooking their reservation on an alternative departure or receiving a full refund of the cruise fare.

Hurtigruten also stated that it would cover any additional costs incurred as a result of the cruise cancellation.

The Finnmarken is now set to resume its regular cruise schedule on August 8, sailing from Hamburg for another voyage to Norway.

The drydock follows a major modernization project that was undertaken onboard the 500-guest vessel earlier this year.

At the time, the ship spent a month in drydock at the Frederikshavn shipyard in Denmark before resuming service under its original name.

Before the refit, the hybrid-powered vessel had been sailing as the Otto Sverdrup, a name it gained during another refit in 2021.

Terra Nova Expeditions recently revealed plans to turn the former RMS St. Helena into an expedition cruise ship.

According to its website, the startup company intends to offer “authentic small-ship adventures” in Antarctica.

With the RMS St. Helena serving as the fleet’s flagship, the company plans to start operations in late 2026.

Terra Nova is described as a “group of like-minded people who believe in doing tourism differently.”

“What unites us is our passion for sustainable, ethical travel and a shared vision for the future of Antarctica,” the company’s website reads.

Greg Carter, who co-founded Chimu Adventures, is Terra Nova’s founder and CEO.

“At Terra Nova, we long for the return of true expedition travel—where the focus is on the destination, not the ship; on the purity of the places we visit, not ticking boxes,” he is quoted as saying.

“Our journeys are immersive, respectful, and deeply human, aboard our truly unique fleet. Antarctica is what we do, day in and day out. This is our passion and our sole focus.”

With a background that also includes a stint as CCO at Albatros Expeditions, Carter leads a team that also includes Beth Mercier.

Joining the company as Chief Commercial Officer, Mercier is said to have over 15 years of experience in the cruise industry, having held positions at Quark Expeditions and Hurtigruten North America.

In addition to the former ship that linked the St. Helena archipelago with South Africa in the past, Terra Nova plans to operate a tall ship named the Icebird.

The company said that the six-guest vessel will be the first sailing expedition vessel, featuring an ice-enforced aluminum hull.

The St. Helena is described as “a storied vessel with a legacy of resilience, reliability, and global connection.”

The ship is said to have undergone an extensive refurbishment and renovation in 2022, which saw an investment of eight million pounds.

According to AIS information, the St. Helena is currently anchored off Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.

Originally built in 1989, the vessel served the British overseas territory of Saint Helena for nearly three decades before being retired in 2018.

The former Royal Mail Ship then briefly served as a floating armory in the Gulf of Oman before being sold to St. Helena LLC and converted into a transportation hub for a circuit of SUV races.

As built, the 98-guest vessel was designed to transport guests and goods.

Terra Nova’s inaugural sailing is currently scheduled for December 2026, with the St. Helena embarking on an expedition cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina.