Seven Seas Navigator accidents and incidents

21 May 2020Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

On May 21, 2020, the cruise ship docked in Port Barcelona (Spain) completing a 13-day Transatlantic crossing from Florida and planning crew repatriation via charter flights from Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The ship was without passengers and carrying ~450 crew.

However, Spain's Health Ministry requested the vessel to be quarantined (not allowed disembarkation) after a female crew showing mild flu symptoms tested positive for COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

14 April 2019Coast Guard Medevacs

On April 14, 2019, a 77-year-old male passenger became dangerously ill while the liner was navigating in the Red Sea (off Saudi Arabia's southwest coast) en-route from Salalah to Aqaba. The elderly man suffered intestinal bleeding and chest palpitations. The cruise vessel contacted Saudi Arabia Border Guards (via Jeddah's Maritime Rescue Coordination Center) which dispatched a coastguard boat to meet the ship south of Jazan. The ill passenger was medevaced together with his wife, transferred to Jazan, and taken by an ambulance to Jazan's Prince Mohammed Bin Nasser Hospital.

The incident occurred during the 20-day "World Cruise 2019" itinerary segment (April 9-29) from Singapore to Civitavecchia-Rome, with call ports in Malaysia (Klang, Penang Island), Thailand (Phuket), Myanmar (Yangon), India (Cochin, Mangalore, Mormugao, Mumbai), Oman (Muscat), UAE (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah), Oman (Salalah), Jordan (Aqaba), Egypt (Safaga), Suez Canal (transit), Israel (Ashdod, Haifa), Greece-Crete (Heraklion) and Italy (Sorrento, Civitavecchia).

04 March 2018Ship Grounding

On March 4, 2018, ~6:30 pm, upon leaving Port Benoa (Bali Indonesia), the ship ran aground. The accident was due to unexpected manoeuvre by the Captain to avoid collision with fishing boats in the shipping channel.

No injuries were reported. The vessel remained grounded until midnight when was freed during high tide. Assisted by tugboats, it was berthed at a pier for hull inspection by divers.

The accident occurred during the 16-day cruise from Australia to Asia (itinerary February 25 - March 13) from Fremantle to Singapore.

08 September 2017Other Incidents

On September 8, 2017, Transport Canada issued a fine of USD 36,000 for exceeding the 10 knots (18,5 kph / 11,5 mph) speed restriction in St Lawrence Gulf. The Canadian Government introduced the speed limit in early August 2017 to prevent deaths of right whales (large baleen whales / endangered species).

18 August 2016Other Incidents

On August 18, 2016, RSSC announced the cancellation of the scheduled for 2017 “Northwest Passage Cruise”. The itinerary (scheduled departure on July 19, 2017, from Seward Alaska to Montreal Canada) also visited Greenland. The decision was based on 2016’s weather pattern, deemed by navigational experts as dangerous with too much sea ice packs on the route in July. They recommended postponing the cruise until August, but this would have affected other following itineraries. Instead, the “Northwest Passage”, the cruise ship did 3 itineraries – Vancouver BC to San Francisco CA, San Francisco to Miami FL, and Miami to Montreal.

12 May 2015Other Incidents

On May 12, 2015, Canadian news media reported the ship docked in Vancouver BC carrying a dead 20-m long whale on its bulbous bow.

November 2009Structural and Technical Issues

In November-December 2009, several scheduled itineraries (Nov 8 through Dec 18) were cancelled as the ship had to enter drydock for repairs. Instead of the January 2010 scheduled drydock in Charleston SC (USA), repairs were made in Hamburg Germany.

April 2007Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

In April 2007, CDC reported a Norovirus outbreak affected 22 passengers (out of 456, or 4,8%) and 0 crew (out of 350, or 0%). The ship was on the 12-day Caribbean and Bermuda cruise (itinerary April 5-16) round-trip from homeport Fort Lauderdale Florida.

11 November 2006Coast Guard Medevacs

On November 11, 2006, a 74-year-old male passenger (of US origin) was medevaced after suffering a heart stroke. The ship was on westbound Transatlantic repositioning cruise from Europe to Florida and had to be diverted to Bermuda in order to allow air rescue.

17 January 2005Fire Accident

On January 17, 2005, at ~1 am, the vessel suffered a generator room fire burning through electrical cables of Diesel Generator 2. It also damaged the electrical cables of Diesel Generator 1’s control system. The accident caused a temporary complete loss of power (blackout). Power was later restored using the shaft generator of the main engines. At reduced cruising speed, the ship returned to homeport Fort Lauderdale FL with ~12 hours delay. The next scheduled 7-day Caribbean cruise was cancelled.