MSC Opera held in Southampton by Maritime and Coastguard Agency over safety fears

MSC Opera MSC Opera

A LUXURY cruise liner has been cleared to sail after it was detained in Southampton for not complying with international safety regulations.

MCA surveyors visited the 59,000 tonne MSC Opera on its arrival in the city on Wednesday to undertake a routine port state control inspection.

A spokesman said: “Various defects were found which meant that the ship was not fully compliant with international maritime safety regulations.

“As a consequence the MCA decided that it was necessary to detain the vessel in Southampton until such time as the owners were able to demonstrate compliance."

MCA surveyors made a number of follow-up visits to the ship to assess progress before it was finally cleared to sail this evening.

The vessel is offering cruises this summer to Amsterdam, France and Spain as well as the Norwegians fjords and the Baltic operating from Southampton.

The Panama-registered vessel is able to carry up to 1,712 passengers and 720 crew and has nine passenger decks with the usual features such as pools, restaurants and theatres.

The cruise ship had been due to leave Southampton at 4pm for an eight-day cruise to the Norwegian fjords.

A spokeswoman for the company said earlier that the detention in port “was not true”.

“They are doing the checks now and the ship is supposed to leave this evening. This is just a rumour,” she said.

On the company website the ship is described as “classic, grand and opulent just like an opera should be”.

“A true sense of grandeur and spaciousness prevails both inside and out.

“Her staterooms, many with private balconies, are roomy and comfortable. Her public areas feature a sweeping marble reception area and airy open spaces with walls of windows overlooking sprawling decks.”

Comments(30)

aldermoor mush says...
1:10pm Fri 27 May 11

due to set sail at 1600 hrs acording to the vts website,yet another echo yarn

Lone Ranger. says...
1:37pm Fri 27 May 11

aldermoor mush wrote:
due to set sail at 1600 hrs acording to the vts website,yet another echo yarn
Was on the news at one o'clock that the ship was being detained due to safety issues.
.
If these issues are sorted it will sail at 16-00.
.
Fact !!

southy says...
2:01pm Fri 27 May 11

Ah the Opera is in trouble again, She had to be towed into Swedish port in the Balitc Sea less than two weeks ago.

seafoods says...
2:02pm Fri 27 May 11

It aint a rumour, it's a fact.

http://www.dft.gov.u
k/mca/mcga07-home/ne
wsandpublications/pr
ess-releases.htm?id=
29949BF5C557362F&m=5
&y=2011

Torchie1 says...
2:08pm Fri 27 May 11

southy wrote:
Ah the Opera is in trouble again, She had to be towed into Swedish port in the Balitc Sea less than two weeks ago.
Is this one of your revelations or is it to show you read the article in the 'Echo' that reported the story at the time?

southy says...
2:10pm Fri 27 May 11

Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Ah the Opera is in trouble again, She had to be towed into Swedish port in the Balitc Sea less than two weeks ago.
Is this one of your revelations or is it to show you read the article in the 'Echo' that reported the story at the time?
Don't think the Echo Reported it at the time, but can not be sure has I was not in the UK at the time.

Poppy22 says...
2:42pm Fri 27 May 11

Just been reading the same article on the BBC website but, for once, this Echo article is actually clearer than the BBC's, which seems to have confused what the authorities have said with what the ship's representive has said!
Best to be safe than sorry.
Probably down to greed/cost-cutting/n
ot giving proper time to required maintenance???

rob_mccann says...
3:50pm Fri 27 May 11

The most up to date info is normally available at CruiseSouthampton.co
m

http://cruisesoutham
pton.com/cruise-list
/89/southampton-neth
erlands-norway

Brite Spark says...
3:55pm Fri 27 May 11

Apparentley they can't sail until they've found the binoculars for the lookouts in the crows nest.

am5696 says...
4:39pm Fri 27 May 11

rob_mccann wrote:
The most up to date info is normally available at CruiseSouthampton.co m http://cruisesoutham pton.com/cruise-list /89/southampton-neth erlands-norway
Well that's strange, because the website you've said is the most up to date only has 2 in today and there are clearly 3 ships here!

Boatman says...
5:00pm Fri 27 May 11

Still here at 17.00.

Vale83 says...
5:38pm Fri 27 May 11

MCA has taken off the statement from their website..why?

freefinker says...
6:22pm Fri 27 May 11

.. can any of you help me?
I'm looking to buy a good anorak. Please advise where you bought yours.

freemantlegirl2 says...
6:26pm Fri 27 May 11

freefinker wrote:
.. can any of you help me?
I'm looking to buy a good anorak. Please advise where you bought yours.
lmao!! I think I found their website ;)
http://www.cracksman
.connectfree.co.uk/

Lutonman71 says...
6:58pm Fri 27 May 11

I purchased my anorak in a store you should look there first before asking a silly question on here.

X Old Bill says...
7:24pm Fri 27 May 11

southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Ah the Opera is in trouble again, She had to be towed into Swedish port in the Balitc Sea less than two weeks ago.
Is this one of your revelations or is it to show you read the article in the 'Echo' that reported the story at the time?
Don't think the Echo Reported it at the time, but can not be sure has I was not in the UK at the time.
If you had been on a decent cruise ship you would have been able to get an internet connection - Nowhere in the world is out of touch nowadays.
But here is the link for what you missed:
http://www.dailyecho
.co.uk/news/9028577.
Cruise_abandoned_aft
er_power_failure/

X Old Bill says...
7:32pm Fri 27 May 11

She's just passed Hamble.
So she either passed as fit or they are doing a runner.

Ratted says...
7:46pm Fri 27 May 11

The ship was released at 18:50 after demonstrating compliance.

Brite Spark says...
9:05pm Fri 27 May 11

Yep just saw it sail past the Osborne View at Hill Head, the Ulysees was behind it and George Bush was there too, honest!

southy says...
1:55am Sat 28 May 11

X Old Bill wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Ah the Opera is in trouble again, She had to be towed into Swedish port in the Balitc Sea less than two weeks ago.
Is this one of your revelations or is it to show you read the article in the 'Echo' that reported the story at the time?
Don't think the Echo Reported it at the time, but can not be sure has I was not in the UK at the time.
If you had been on a decent cruise ship you would have been able to get an internet connection - Nowhere in the world is out of touch nowadays.
But here is the link for what you missed:
http://www.dailyecho

.co.uk/news/9028577.

Cruise_abandoned_aft

er_power_failure/
So you never noticed I dissapeared for 24 hours.

cyber_fug says...
7:53am Sat 28 May 11

and YOU never noticed that I disappeared for 2 weeks :-P

freemantlegirl2 says...
9:50am Sat 28 May 11

cyber_fug wrote:
and YOU never noticed that I disappeared for 2 weeks :-P
I did ;)

X Old Bill says...
9:56am Sat 28 May 11

southy wrote:
X Old Bill wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Ah the Opera is in trouble again, She had to be towed into Swedish port in the Balitc Sea less than two weeks ago.
Is this one of your revelations or is it to show you read the article in the 'Echo' that reported the story at the time?
Don't think the Echo Reported it at the time, but can not be sure has I was not in the UK at the time.
If you had been on a decent cruise ship you would have been able to get an internet connection - Nowhere in the world is out of touch nowadays.
But here is the link for what you missed:
http://www.dailyecho


.co.uk/news/9028577.


Cruise_abandoned_aft


er_power_failure/
So you never noticed I dissapeared for 24 hours.
Area 51? or another planet? or just vanished into the ether?

cyber_fug says...
10:11am Sat 28 May 11

freemantlegirl2 wrote:
cyber_fug wrote:
and YOU never noticed that I disappeared for 2 weeks :-P
I did ;)
aaww thanks FMG2 ... (i think) ;o)

Brite Spark says...
10:21am Sat 28 May 11

Brite Spark wrote:
Yep just saw it sail past the Osborne View at Hill Head, the Ulysees was behind it and George Bush was there too, honest!
George Bush being the huge aircraft carrier anchored off Spithead for the weekend.
6,000 American sailors ashore, lock up your sons and daughters!

(They only get Cinderella leave, back on board for midnight!)

freemantlegirl2 says...
10:58am Sat 28 May 11

Brite Spark wrote:
Brite Spark wrote:
Yep just saw it sail past the Osborne View at Hill Head, the Ulysees was behind it and George Bush was there too, honest!
George Bush being the huge aircraft carrier anchored off Spithead for the weekend.
6,000 American sailors ashore, lock up your sons and daughters!

(They only get Cinderella leave, back on board for midnight!)
Yes I did mean it like that CF ;) welcome back x

BS, my oh my.... 600 you say....rushing off to put on a nice frock - FROCK people!

X Old Bill says...
11:28am Sat 28 May 11

Not sure that it will please some of the folk on here but:
The USS George H W Bush is powered by TWO large nuclear reactors and carries enough firepower to destroy a small town.
Awesome!

NOTSOCOMMENSENSE says...
5:40pm Sat 28 May 11

X Old Bill wrote:
Not sure that it will please some of the folk on here but: The USS George H W Bush is powered by TWO large nuclear reactors and carries enough firepower to destroy a small town. Awesome!
Its got enough firepower to sink a small country lets hope the i.o.w doesn't p them off

X Old Bill says...
6:20pm Sat 28 May 11

NOTSOCOMMENSENSE wrote:
X Old Bill wrote:
Not sure that it will please some of the folk on here but: The USS George H W Bush is powered by TWO large nuclear reactors and carries enough firepower to destroy a small town. Awesome!
Its got enough firepower to sink a small country lets hope the i.o.w doesn't p them off
Good point, however I was referring to the stuff that you can actually see on deck!
I think that just a couple of planes with appropriate munitions could do some serious damage on their own.

clausentum says...
10:11pm Sat 28 May 11

cyber_fug wrote:
and YOU never noticed that I disappeared for 2 weeks :-P
2 weeks. Pah!

I took a 2 MONTH break from the sycophantic sock puppets and their incestuous drivel :-)

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