Power Outage Leaves Celebrity Constellation Adrift Off Italian Coast

Photographer: Cruises and Ferries (ShipSpotting.com)

This past Saturday, a Celebrity Cruises ship carrying thousands of vacationers was left temporarily adrift off the coast of southern Italy following a significant electrical failure.

The incident took place on August 2, when the Celebrity Constellation lost power while sailing in the Ionian Sea, roughly 25 miles southeast of Crotone, Italy. The ship was in the middle of an 11-night Mediterranean cruise and was scheduled to spend the day at sea before arriving at its next destination in Messina, Sicily.

Instead, the vessel experienced a complete electrical outage lasting nearly three hours, cutting off essential services including air conditioning, lighting, toilets, and kitchen operations.

The Celebrity Constellation, which can accommodate over 2,100 guests and around 1,000 crew members, slowed to a crawl—just 1 to 2 knots, a far cry from its usual cruising speed of 24 knots. The ship drifted during the blackout while passengers endured uncomfortable conditions inside with temperatures approaching 80°F.

A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told USA Today that the power failure was due to a “technical issue,” but did not elaborate on the cause or the timeline for repairs. Engineering teams aboard the vessel worked closely with support staff on shore to restore full power.

While most systems were gradually brought back online after about two hours, the vessel remained stationary for a while longer before full propulsion was restored.

The Celebrity Constellation had departed Ravenna, Italy, on July 28, with plans to end its voyage in Civitavecchia-Rome on August 8. The ship is now headed to Naples, though it's still uncertain whether it made it to Messina as initially planned.

Power outages at sea are not unusual and can stem from a range of issues, such as electrical malfunctions, problems in the engine room, or software-related complications. Some comparisons were made to the infamous 2013 Carnival Triumph incident—popularly known as the “Poop Cruise”—which was chronicled in Netflix’s Trainwreck series. However, passengers aboard the Constellation emphasized that this situation was far less severe.

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