Packed cruise ship loses power, set adrift for 3 hours due to ‘technical issue’

These travelers certainly didn’t feel like celebrities.

This past Saturday, a Celebrity Cruises ship packed with vacationers was left temporarily powerless after a significant electrical failure — causing it to drift off a southern Italian coast, according to CruiseMapper. 

The incident occurred on Saturday, August 2, when the Celebrity Constellation lost power while sailing in the Ionian Sea — approximately 25 miles southeast of Crotone, Italy — during its 11-night Mediterranean voyage.

The cruise ship, which carries over 2,100 guests and roughly 1,000 crew members, was scheduled to spend the day at sea before its next port of call in Messina, Sicily.

Instead, the vessel suffered a total electrical outage for three hours — cutting off lighting, air conditioning, toilets and kitchen facilities.

The ship slowed to just 1–2 knots, far below its typical cruising speed of 24 knots, and drifted for nearly three hours, according to Cruise Hive.

Passengers aboard the Constellation were left without air conditioning in temperatures nearing 80°F, causing conditions inside the ship to quickly become uncomfortable. In the absence of functional kitchens, guests were served cold meals for dinner.

Despite the discomfort, many passengers noted the crew remained professional and communicative.

The ship’s emergency generators activated as designed, maintaining minimal essential systems including emergency lighting, fire detection, and communications.

A spokesperson for the Royal Caribbean Group, parent company of Celebrity Cruises, confirmed to USA Today that the vessel experienced a power failure caused by a “technical issue” but provided no further details about the root cause or the repair process.

Engineering crews on board worked closely with shoreside support teams to restore functionality.

Although power was gradually restored after about two hours, the vessel remained stationary for some time before regaining full propulsion.

The cruise took off from Ravenna, Italy, on July 28 and will end in Civitavecchia-Rome on Aug. 8.

It is currently en route to Naples, though it remains unclear if it made it to Messina on schedule.

Power failures at sea, which are not uncommon, can be triggered by a range of factors, including electrical faults, engine room complications or software issues.

Comparisons were made to past incidents such as the 2013 Carnival Triumph power failure — which was detailed in the Netflix docuseries “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise” — though passengers aboard the Constellation were quick to note that this was nowhere near as severe.