Guests aboard Celebrity Constellation faced an unexpected ordeal on Saturday, 2nd August 2025, after the cruise ship experienced a significant technical malfunction, leaving it without power and adrift off the coast of southern Italy.
The incident occurred during an 11-night one-way sailing from Ravenna to Rome, which departed on Monday, 28th July.
After visiting ports in Croatia and Montenegro, the ship was due to enjoy a sea day en route to Messina, Sicily, where arrival was scheduled for Sunday morning at 8 am.
Instead, satellite tracking showed the Millennium-class vessel drifting at just 1–2 knots (approximately 1.1–2.3 mph) for more than two hours, well below cruising speed and far too slow to maintain the planned itinerary, had the issues continued.
At the time, the ship was roughly 25 miles east-southeast of Crotone, in the Ionian Sea.
Two Hours Without Power
Guests onboard reported a complete loss of power: no lights, no air conditioning, toilets not functioning, and only cold food available for dinner.
“One hour in and it’s HOT,” one passenger noted, referencing the warm August temperatures in the region.
Conditions inside staterooms and other interior spaces quickly became uncomfortable due to the lack of ventilation.
Some guests likened the experience to the infamous “poop cruise” incident involving Carnival Triumph in 2013, which was later featured in a Netflix documentary.
However, unlike that situation, power on Celebrity Constellation was restored after roughly two hours, and no reports of escalating sanitation issues have surfaced.
According to unverified reports on Reddit, guests onboard were offered a free drink and 24 hours of free WiFi access as an apology for the inconvenience.
The ship was able to accelerate once power was restored, and it made it to Messina for its next scheduled port visit on 3rd August 2025.
Summer of Power Problems for Celebrity Cruises
The Celebrity Constellation blackout comes just weeks after a separate technical issue disrupted operations aboard Celebrity Beyond, the line’s flagship Edge-class vessel.
On 13th July 2025, Celebrity Beyond suffered a propulsion system failure during a Caribbean cruise, delaying its return to Miami and ultimately forcing the cancellation of the following voyage, scheduled to depart 20th July. The ship was diverted to Freeport, Bahamas, for emergency repairs.
While it resumed service on 27th July, the vessel has not returned to full operational speed.
Celebrity Cruises has since confirmed that Beyond is now sailing under “reduced sailing speed” as a precaution, resulting in itinerary changes for at least eight 7-night cruises between August and October 2025.
Adjustments include earlier departure times, altered port calls, and occasional port swaps – though the number of destinations visited remains largely intact.
No onboard service issues have been reported, and the ship remains fully seaworthy. However, a complete return to normal cruising speed may not occur until the vessel’s next scheduled dry dock in November 2026 – unless an earlier session is arranged.
As Celebrity works to maintain guest satisfaction amid these mechanical setbacks, the back-to-back disruptions aboard Beyond and Constellation may raise broader concerns about the fleet’s resilience during peak travel season.
Cause of the Malfunction Still Unknown
At the time of writing, the cruise line has not released an official statement regarding the nature of the technical failure.
Power losses of this type are sometimes linked to electrical faults or engine room incidents, but no confirmation has been given.
Engineering teams onboard would have initiated emergency repair protocols to restore power and assess the root cause.
Celebrity Cruises would also have remained in close communication with local maritime authorities throughout the situation.
About the Ship
Celebrity Constellation, launched in 2002, is one of the older ships in the Celebrity Cruises fleet.
Weighing in at 90,940 gross tons, she can accommodate 2,184 guests and approximately 1,000 crew members.
Guests booked on upcoming Celebrity Constellation voyages may wish to keep an eye out for official updates from Celebrity Cruises should any long-term mechanical issues arise from this incident.
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