Another cruise ship experiencing propulsion problems

Another cruise ship is experiencing propulsion problems, this time in Alaska.

The 2,138-passenger Celebrity Millennium limped into the port of Seward on Friday several hours behind schedule after experiencing an electrical problem with one of its two propulsion motors.

The 91,000-ton, 12-deck-high Celebrity Cruises vessel will remain in the port through at least Tuesday while undergoing “intricate” repairs, the line says in a statement sent to USA TODAY.

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The problem surfaced near the end of a seven-night cruise that already was scheduled to conclude in Seward on Friday, and passengers on the sailing have since departed (albeit a few hours late).

The bigger impact has been on a new crop of passengers who began arriving Friday afternoon for the vessel’s next voyage, a seven-night sailing from Seward to Vancouver, B.C.

Celebrity is giving those passengers the option of staying on board the vessel while it is undergoing repairs and using it as a floating hotel, or returning to nearby tourism hub Anchorage, where hotels, tour buses and shuttle buses are in short supply.

Whatever they choose, passengers on the sailing will receive a full refund for the voyage, Celebrity says. In addition, depending on their choice, they will receive a credit for 50% or 100% off a future cruise and/or assistance with alternate travel arrangements.

“We know this is very disappointing for our guests, and we share that disappointment,” Celebrity says in the statement.

All hotel functions of the ship, including toilets, lights, air conditioning and elevators, are in working order.

The incident comes nearly six months after a string of technical problems on Carnival ships left many Americans questioning the reliability and safety of cruise ships.

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Travel agent Chuck Flagg of The Flagg Agency in Canton, Ga., who had six clients booked on this week’s sailing, tells USA TODAY they were told of the problem just after boarding the vessel on Friday.

Flagg’s clients chose to stay on board, and he was able to book them on several excursions out of Seward over the next three days, including a dogsledding trip today, a local boat tour around nearby Resurrection Bay on Sunday and salmon fishing on Monday.

“I have to say I am very happy to see how Celebrity Cruises has stepped up with the compensation offered,” Flagg says.

Celebrity says that after repairs are complete the vessel will sail directly to Vancouver, skipping all of its port calls in Alaska over the coming week.