MSC Seascape accidents and incidents

21 September 2024Crew / Passenger Crimes

(sexual) On September 21, 2024, upon debarkation from the ship, a 35-year-old male passenger was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious touching of a minor.

The man (Yorkiss Yazbek Montalvo Ramos, from Reynosa, Tamaulipas Mexico) reportedly grabbed a 17-year-old boy’s penis around 3 AM (Sep 21st) after he followed the boy into a public bathroom.

The incident occurred at the end of the 7-day "Eastern Caribbean Cruise" (itinerary Sep 14-21, roundtrip from PortMiami, Florida USA) visiting Dominicana (Puerto Plata/Sep 16), Puerto Rico (San Juan/Sep 17), and The Bahamas (Nassau/Sep 19, Ocean Cay/Sep 20).

14 November 2023Crew / Passenger Deaths

(overboard) On November 14, 2023, a 30-year-old male crew went overboard while the ship was en route from San Juan (Puerto Rico) to Puerto Plata (Dominicana).

The man (Vishnu Vardhan Cheelam, from Mauritius) was employed on the ship as a Hotel Cleaner. Around 9 PM Puerto Rico time (~1 AM UTC) the ship initiated a slowdown, the MOB distress signal (man overboard) was announced and the ship stopped off Puerto Rico's coast. The conducted search and rescue operation involved MSC Seascape's lifeboats as well as two USCG ships and a Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk (rescue helicopter).

After several hours, the ship was cleared to resume the voyage, while the USCG vessels continued the operation. The body was not found.

The incident occurred during the 7-day "Eastern Caribbean Cruise" (itinerary Nov 11-18, roundtrip from Miami, Florida USA) with call ports in the Bahamas (Nassau/Nov 12), Puerto Rico (San Juan/Nov 14), Dominicana (Puerto Plata/Nov 15) and Ocean Cay Bahamas (Nov 17).

23 July 2023Drug Smuggling

On July 23, 2023, upon returning back to homeport Miami, the US CBP (Customs and Border Protection) agents conducted an onboard search after observing suspicious behavior from two female passengers/sisters (Parker and Herder). The CBP officers asked the women to bring their luggage for a secondary inspection and an NDD unit (Narcotic Detection Dog) alerted them about drugs in their belongings.

Upon further search of their shared stateroom was found an unusual item sewn inside the lining of their backpacks. The agents discovered a total of four packages of cocaine (two in each backpack) totaling ~4,75 kg/~10,5 pounds. The drugs' street value was estimated at ~US$40,000.

During questioning was revealed that Herder invited Parker to join her on the voyage, which was paid for by a friend. They both denied any knowledge of the drugs in their luggage and stated that they were neither asked nor paid to smuggle the cocaine. Herder mentioned that her backpack felt heavier after leaving it unattended at a restaurant during their stop in Jamaica. Parker claimed that friends they met in Jamaica gave her a bag to hold her belongings, but she didn't notice anything suspicious about it.

CBP agents reviewed the cruise ship's CCTV footage showing the sisters leaving together and returning separately on July 19th, while the ship was docked in Ocho Rios. The footage also showed both of them carrying dark-colored backpacks. Phone records revealed that Herder texted a message to "Kenny Jamaica" two days before the voyage, expressing confusion about his activities and her intention to stop whatever was going on.

Federal prosecutors accused them of attempting to import a controlled substance but without charges filed at the time of the arrest.

The incident occurred during the 7-day "Western Caribbean Cruise" (itinerary July 16-23, roundtrip from Miami, Florida USA) visiting The Bahamas (Ocean Cay/Jul 17), Jamaica (Ocho Rios/Jul 19, port stay 8 am - 4 pm), Grand Cayman (George Town Harbour/Jul 20) and Mexico (Cozumel/Jul 21).

17 April 2023Crew / Passenger Crimes

(sexual) On April 17, 2023, while the liner was at sea and navigating in Bahamian waters (en route from  Ocean Cay to Nassau), a 34-year-old ship nurse allegedly sexually assaulted a 41-year-old female passenger onboard.

Om April 18th, when the ship docked in Nassau, the male crew (Titus Dabre, from Mumbai, India) was arrested and accused of raping an American woman (from Cleveland, Ohio USA) he was tending to at the Infirmary. Reportedly, he administered a dosage of medication and moments later sexually assaulted the tourist.

The matter was reported to the police. The Indian crew was incarcerated and bail was denied. The Bahamian court scheduled a jury trial for August 23rd.

The incident occurred during the 7-day "Eastern Caribbean Cruise" (itinerary Apr 16023, roundtrip from Miami, Florida USA) with call ports in The Bahamas (Ocean Cay, Nassau), Puerto Rico (San Juan/Apr 20) and Dominicana (Puerto Plata/Apr 21).

19 January 2023Propulsion / Power Loss

On January 19, 2023, due to power loss (a "technical problem" with one of the engines) resulting in reduced max speed, the current itinerary was modified and one of its call ports was canceled.

The ship's technical team tried to resolve the issue during the voyage and was even joined by an engine specialist (who boarded Seascape in Grand Cayman on Jan 19th), but the problem with the faulted engine remained. To be able to return back to Miami as scheduled, the visit to Ocho Rios was canceled.

The accident occurred during the 7-day "Western Caribbean Cruise" (itinerary Jan 15-22, roundtrip from Miami) with call ports in The Bahamas (Ocean Cay/Jan 16), Mexico (Cozumel/Jan 18), Grand Cayman (George Town Harbour/Jan 19) and Jamaica (Ocho Rios/Jan 20/canceled).

After the original itinerary was altered, the ship spent Jan 20th cruising, while Jan 21st was a sea day combined with a short visit to Ocean Cay.

(CruiseMapper emailed report by Ben Nelson)

The problem with MSC Seascape, as reported, is not complete. Passengers were told the engine problem resulted from a failure of a computer. Arrival at Georgetown [Grand Cayman] was late and many excursions were truncated or canceled. Some passengers were able to exit the ship many hours late and only after waiting hours for space on a tender to go ashore.

Reimbursement costs did not cover waisted travel costs and other related costs to and from the ship.

There was, apparently, great danger if the second engine computer also malfunctioned.

Bottom line, the cruise had only one successful major port call [Cozumel]. Passenger safety was not reasonably assured. Passengers were not nearly adequately compensated for a failed cruise.