Luxury liner impounded after failing inspection

MORE than 150 passengers and as many crew remained stranded on board their grounded luxury cruise liner last night after the vessel was impounded by marine inspectors.

The Department of the Marine has grounded the Seabourn Pride in Waterford City after it failed a safety inspection. Serious defects were found in the liner’s engine room by Department of the Marine officials. The vessel will not be allowed sail until all the faults have been rectified.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation, which represents the ship’s crew, said the ship was allowed to sail from Britain to Ireland on Tuesday, despite faults being detected in the engine room by British marine officials. It wants an investigation into why the ship with 300 people on board was allowed to sail.

Local inspector, Tony Ayton, said lives could have been put at risk. “It is the responsibility of all authorities to inspect ships and take action where problems are uncovered. They should not just allow ships to go and pass the buck to another authority.

“If there’s a problem in the interim, people’s lives - the crewmen and the passengers - can be put at risk,” he said in an interview with WLR FM.

A Department of the Marine spokesman said passengers and crew are being allowed on board but that the liner can not leave until it passes a further inspection.

“The vessel is registered in the Bahamas and we have advised them of these issues. Once the problems uncovered have been addressed, the inspectors will go back on board and we will be letting the Bahamas know that the vessel is free to leave.”