Marella Explorer accidents and incidents

20 July 2023Coast Guard Medevacs

On July 20, 2023, at 2:35 am Montenegro time (00:35 UTC) the ship issued a distress call requesting the emergency medical evacuation of a 9-month-old British baby. The distress signal was sent when the ship was approx 19 NM/35 km/22 mi away from the Bay of Kotor/s entrance.

Via Kotor Port Authority, Montenegro's Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat to facilitate the medevac. The baby (together with two companions) was safely offloaded from the ship and transported to Lustica Bay Marina, from where was ambulanced to a local hospital. The debarkation was completed at 4:23 am, and at 4:40 am was handed over for medical treatment ashore.

The incident occurred at the end of the 7-day ""Adriatic Explorer Cruise" (itinerary July 14-21, roundtrip from Kerkyra, Corfu Island Greece) with call ports in Slovenia (Koper/Jul 16), Italy (Trieste/Jul 17), Croatia (Split/Jul 18, Dubrovnik/Jul 19), and Montenegro (Kotor/Jul 20).

03 March 2021Coast Guard Medevacs

On March 3, 2021 (at 11:10 am) the cruise ship contacted the Torbay Coastguard Rescue Team for assistance with the medevac of a male crew. During the Coronavirus crisis, Marella Explorer was at anchorage in Tor Bay (off South Devon, England), without passengers and manned by a skeleton crew.

For the medevac operation, the liner deployed one of its tender boats to transport the ill man and a nurse ashore. The tender (escorted by a Coastguard rescue boat) berthed at the ferry pontoon (in Torquay Harbour) from where the man was ambulanced to Torbay Hospital.

17 March 2019Ship Collision / Allision

On March 17, 2019, while navigating for berthing, due to machinery/engine malfunction the liner collided with the pier in Port Bridgetown Barbados. The ship sustained a bow hull damage. One passenger was injured.

The accident occurred at the end of 7-day "Tropical Delights Cruise" (itinerary March 10-17) roundtrip from homeport Bridgetown, Barbados, with call ports Oranjestad (Aruba), Willemstad (Curacao), Kralendijk (Bonaire), St Georges (Grenada) and Castries (St Lucia).

Note: Actually, this type of marine accident is called “allision” (striking a fixed object) as opposed to “collision” (striking another vessel).

(CruiseMapper-emailed report from Sarah Jane) Hi, just wanted to report an allision for the ship, it crashed into the pier with serious damage at the front, 1 passenger injured (don't know anything else about the passenger). And today (March 18) after it was going to be tried to fix it broke free and crashed again. No passengers as it was the end of the cruise, but it is afloat at sea uncontrollably there is a helicopter following.

19 October 2016Coast Guard Medevacs

(TUI's old Mein Schiff 1) On October 19, 2016, a 55-year-old male passenger was medevaced by a Greek Coast Guard helicopter. The ship was approx 6 mi / 10 km south Ikaria Island (Greece).

The man (from Germany) was suffering from cardiac symptoms. He was flown to Aristarchos (Samos Island's international airport), from where was transported by an ambulance to a hospital.

20 September 2016Coast Guard Medevacs

(TUI's old Mein Schiff 1) On September 20, 2016, an 80-year-old female passenger was medevaced by a Portuguese Air Force helicopter. The ship was approx about 100 km / 60 mi northwest of Montijo Portugal.

The rescue unit was dispatched from 751 Squadron (Montija Air Base, approx 35 km / 20 km from Lisbon. The elderly woman (of German origin) was flown to Transit Aerodrome 1 (military base Figo Maduro), from where she was transported by an ambulance to Lisbon's St Joseph's Hospital.

10 August 2014Ship Collision / Allision

(TUI's old Mein Schiff 1) On August 10, 2014, a seismic survey vessel (Princess Marseilles, length 76 m / 250 ft) struck the TUI ship in Port Bergen (Norway).

The vessel suffered a mechanical failure while attempting to moor into port, lost control and its stern struck the TUI ship's bow.

No injuries were reported. Both ships sustained only minor hull damages (scratches). The cruise ship operated a Norwegian Fjords itinerary roundtrip from homeport Hamburg, Germany.