Amidst a powerful storm on Sunday morning (August 27th), the cruise ship Britannia, operated by P&O UK from Southampton England, faced a maritime incident while docked in Palma de Mallorca. The adverse weather conditions prompted the ship to break free from her moorings, resulting in a collision with a nearby freight ship.
Passengers onboard recounted the events of the storm, describing how the vessel was pushed towards the shore by tugboats while they were confined to their cabins. Minor damage was reported on the cruise ship, primarily on deck 5. Despite the chaos, the ship's captain kept passengers informed about the situation.
Visual documentation of the incident, captured by passengers, provided a tangible record of the encounter. The storm disrupted an ongoing emergency drill, causing the ship to detach from the dockside moorings, damaging tethering lines, water hoses, and the walkway.
In this narrative of maritime turmoil, Britannia's interaction with the storm echoed a previous incident involving Cunard's RMS Queen Mary 2, which also faced challenges due to adverse weather conditions.
Britannia's current cruise is 14 days, round-trip Mediterranean from Southampton. The itinerary started on August 18th and ends on September 1st, 2023.
For more Britannia incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.