The Thomson UK's ship Thomson Majesty has lost propulsion power following minor engine room fire off Livorno.
The ship left the port in Italy en route to Corsica but lost power after outage in the power unit, caused by a short circuit and fire. The engineers activated the CO2 firefighting system and extinguished the flames without putting in danger the people on board. However, Thomson Majesty remained adrift for several hours in the Mediterranean Sea, until the engineers succeed to restart the engines and to return the propulsion power.
The vessel returned to Livorno for additional repairs and special inspection, canceling the voyage to Corsica. There was no official statement from the cruise line, but according to passenger reports, the fire in the engine room caused the blackout.
“Last night on the way from Livorno to Corsica, the cruise ship lost all power. It was drifting in the Med, with passengers in pitch black, without the use of toilets, without any great communication from staff”, said witness from the cruise ship.
After repairs of the engine and inspection the vessel by maritime authorities in Italy, Thomson Majesty returned in service and headed to Barcelona, skipping voyages to Corsica and Marseille.