CHARLESTON, S.C.-
A Christmas week cruise on the Norwegian Majesty, a liner which visits Charleston 26 times a year, ended on a hot, sour note when the vessel lost electricity.
The liner limped into port Saturday with electrical problems and no air conditioning. NCL Corp., the Florida company that operates the ship, canceled a weeklong cruise scheduled to leave that night.
The company said two power-producing engines shut down off Florida on Friday and generators were used to power the ship. But there was no air conditioning for the final night at sea as temperatures climbed into the 90s, passengers said.
Kevin Johnson, a Charleston resident who paid $2,000 for the cruise, said he took pictures of passengers sprawled in stairwells and doorways.
The company has offered passengers a 20 percent discount off a future cruise. It also offered full refunds and half off another cruise this year to those who had booked for the cruise that was canceled.
There have been other problems with the ship’s Charleston routes in recent months. The liner cut port calls short on at least three trips because it was slowed reaching its destination on only three of its four engines.
Company spokeswoman AnneMarie Mathews said the electrical problems were not related to the earlier problems.
“It has kind of been a rough patch for Norwegian Majesty,” Mathews said. “But hopefully our guests out of Charleston realize that it is what it is, and hopefully things will be fine in the future.”
She said the company expected the ship to be repaired in time for another cruise leaving Charleston this weekend.
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Information from: The Post and Courier,
