By
Michele Witthaus |
Costa Cruises has announced that, following several days adrift near the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire, the Costa Allegra has docked at Port Victoria on the main island of Mahé.
Members of the Costa Care Team met guests on board to assess their state of health and disembarkation needs. The team consists of 14 people, including executives and managers as well as specialised technicians.
Costa Cruises said that 376 guests out of the 627 on board had agreed to the line’s proposal that they continue their vacation in Seychelles at its expense. They will be accommodated across hotels in Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette and Cerfs. The company will also fly them home at the end of their vacations. The remaining 251 guests decided to return home on flights organised by the company, departing from Mahé on Thursday evening, 1 March.
Costa Cruises provided fresh food and water via helicopter during the incident, which took place in calm weather on 27 February. On Tuesday 28 February, two tugs reached the ship, which was being towed by French-registered ocean fishing vessel Trévignon at a speed of about 6 knots. While the Allegra was stranded offshore, a Navy ship delivered a small generator to restore some basics services on board. Initial plans to disembark passengers on Desroches island could not be carried out due to the lack of facilities to cope with the large number of passengers and crew of the Allegra.
Following the fire, Costa Cruises said: “As provided for by the various international regulations and the Company’s procedures, all fire protection systems and equipment are subjected to regular tests, trials and inspections. In the event of a fire, the ship’s structure itself is designed in order to isolate the fire, thus making it more manageable and less dangerous.” The line added: “All crew members participate in practical training sessions and theory courses during which they are taught how to react in case of fire or smoke, the use of fire-fighting equipment and procedures to be followed. These measures allowed to bring promptly under control and extinguish the fire broke out in the local generators on Costa Allegra.”
The Allegra left Diego Suarez on Saturday 25 February and was cruising towards Port Victoria when the engine fire broke out.