In more troublesome news for Carnival Corp., the Costa Allegra was adrift off the Seychelles Islands, following an engine room fire early on Monday. Costa issued a statement Monday afternoon saying that engine room inspections were in process, in an effort "to determine when the equipment can be restarted."
The ship was located more than 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles and approximately 20 miles from Alphonse Island. "Tugboats and other naval and aerial units have been dispatched to Costa Allegra," Costa said.
According to Seychelles officials, help was expected to reach the vessel by tonight. Although the fire was put out, and none of the 1,000 passengers was injured, there was a power blackout, and the crew was forced to make a mayday call for assistance. According to Costa, a general emergency alarm was sounded and passengers and crew reported to their muster stations.
Passengers robbed in Mexico
The latest Carnival troubles came on the heels of news that 22 passengers on the Carnival Splendor were robbed during a shore excursion in Puerto Vallarta last week. There were no injuries, but the armed assailant made off with cash, cameras, jewelry and other valuables. The specific tour was the City Tour & Tropical Jungle Escape. All the guests returned safely to the ship and disembarked Sunday in Long Beach, Calif., following the weeklong Mexican Riviera sailing. In the Mexico incident, Carnival issued a statement saying that "numerous authorities were notified and responded to investigate, as well as assist the affected guests. The tour in question has been suspended until further notice. "Carnival sincerely apologizes to its guests for this very unfortunate and disturbing event and is providing its full support and assistance."
Prior to this incident, cruise lines had already cut port calls in Mexico in the wake of U.S. State Department travel warnings over drug-related violence. Major lines including Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Norwegian and Disney last year dropped the port city of Mazatlan from itineraries and have not returned.
Princess Cruises also avoided Puerto Vallarta on several cruises, but had planned to return later this year. Holland America dropped Acapulco from wintertime sailings.
Travel advisories
Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department advised visitors to defer non-essential travel to some parts of Jalisco, the state where Puerto Vallarta is located. Specifically, the State Department warned of troubles in areas bordering the neighboring states of Michoacan and Zacatecas, due to reported gun battles between criminals and authorities.
There is no warning against traveling to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, but travelers are advised to exercise caution when traveling at night outside of cities in Jalisco.
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