One of the World’s Biggest Cruise Ships Breaks Down, Left Adrift off Italian Coast

Photographer: makvik12 - ShipSpotting.com

One of the world’s largest cruise ships, the MSC World Europa, was left adrift off the coast of Italy on Monday morning after suffering an engine failure. The vessel lost all power to its propellers, rendering the crew unable to steer the massive ship.

The incident occurred at 7:25 a.m. local time near the island of Ponza, with 8,585 passengers and crew on board.

The maritime authority told local media, “The situation on board appears calm and under control: the weather and sea conditions are favourable and essential services for passengers continue to be ensured by the on-board generators.”

MSC Cruises confirmed the situation, stating: “All onboard services continue to operate regularly, and there are no conditions that compromise the safety of guests or crew. Passengers, including those scheduled to embark in Naples, were promptly informed of the delay and are receiving constant updates on the evolving situation.”

Authorities and the crew are closely monitoring the situation as the ship remains safely adrift in favorable weather conditions. Passengers have been reassured that essential services continue uninterrupted while efforts are underway to restore full power.