Emergency Aboard the Celebrity Constellation: Ship Loses Power Between Ravenna and Rome

On the evening of August 2, 2025, the cruise ship Celebrity Constellation experienced a significant loss of both hotel and propulsion power while navigating the Ionian Sea, headed towards Messina, Sicily. This incident marooned approximately 2,170 guests in sweltering conditions, deprived of air conditioning, functional toilets, or adequate lighting for about two hours.

The blackout occurred roughly 25 nautical miles from Crotone, Italy, at around 3:00 a.m. local time. During the malfunction, the ship drifted at a perilously slow speed of 1–2 knots instead of its usual cruising speed of 24 knots. With repairs underway, onboard dining options were limited to cold food, and guests noted a quick rise in temperature within the ship’s interior, creating discomfort as ventilation ceased.

After some technical progress, the crew managed to restore partial power, leading the ship to its scheduled destination of Messina by the following morning without any officially declared changes to the itinerary.

A spokesperson from Royal Caribbean Group reported that the technical teams resolved the issue swiftly, making ongoing updates available to passengers to alleviate concerns. Celebrity Constellation, which was launched in 2002, was on an 11-night Mediterranean cruise route from Ravenna to Rome at the time of the incident. Starboard tracking data revealed the vessel’s unusual drift, indicating a brief emergency situation rather than a standard navigation procedure.

Typically, emergency protocols in such scenarios involve a shift to backup generators that can only sustain essential systems but not full hotel operations. Thankfully, no injuries or serious malfunctions were reported post-incident.

For further details on incidents related to the Celebrity Constellation, you can visit its CruiseMinus page.

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