The mooring lines of P&O Cruises’ cruise ship Brittannia broke during a storm while in port at the Spanish island Mallorca. The vessel became adrift and collided with a tanker.
Footage on X by Volcaholic show the lines snapping (see below). The accident occurred on Sunday, 28 August, around noon. The 143,000-tonne Brittannia is 330 metres long, has thirteen guest decks and has a capacity of 3647 guests and 1350 crew.
A cruise ship in the port of #Palma in #Mallorca, #Spain broke its moorings due to strong winds and collided with a tanker docked nearby. No reported injuries.pic.twitter.com/gy46OT98kA
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) August 27, 2023
In a statement, a P&O Cruises spokesperson says ‘a small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre. To allow our technical team to make an assessment, Britannia remained alongside in Palma de Mallorca overnight.’
A passenger told WalesOnline ‘the side of the boat is battered’, but it is as yet unclear how severe the damage is.
UPDATE Monday 9:30 pm:
On Monday, a P&O Cruises spokesperson revealed that the Brittannia had departed from Palma on Monday evening. The ship ‘is expected to reach Southampton on the morning of Friday 1 September.’
In addition, the spokesperson revealed the following: ‘Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired on board. We are so sorry, but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board. A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer. The guests remaining on board will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.’
Picture of the Brittannia (top) by P&O Cruises.
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