The US Coast Guard has detained a Royal Caribbean Cruises ship in Florida over deficiencies with its lifesaving equipment and unspecified technical problems.
The 2,360-berth Majesty of the Seas (built 1992) was held up in Port Canaveral, in part due to concerns over the conditions of its life vests, according to representatives of the cruiseship giant and the Coast Guard.
Royal Caribbean said the situation followed a routine inspection.
'Technical issues'
"They came across some technical issues, including some outdoor life jackets that were showing their age," the Miami cruiseship owner said in a statement provided to TradeWinds.
Replacement life jackets arrived this morning.
"We expect to address the other issues shortly," New York-listed Royal Caribbean said. "We anticipate receiving permission to sail later today."
Passengers expressed their frustration on social media.
"Supposed ot set sail five hours ago on the Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas," passenger Tim Squires said on Twitter. "USCG inspection revealed theship's life vests were trash. Sad."
Departure today
Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Luke Clayton said Royal Caribbean is working with inspectors. The ship's estimated departure is scheduled for later this afternoon, though the Coast Guard official said he has not received final word from inspectors that it will be able to leave at that time.
"Safety is key, and the cruiseships understand that too," Clayton told TradeWinds. "When you are working with an over 900-foot vessel, there are a lot of different things that they [cruise lines] have to monitor and be aware of. And that's where the Coast Guard comes in, to make sure that all of that is taken care of."
The Bahamas-flagged Majesty of the Seas is the second-oldest vessel in the fleet of flagship brand Royal Caribbean International. The vessel, which is classed by DNV GL, has no other detentions on its record, according to Equasis.
