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Mallorca: P&O ship with thousands of Britons onboard collides with tanker

Cruise vessel’s mooring ropes snapped in high winds, which blew liner into nearby oil transport ship off coast of Palma

A P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British holidaymakers has crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Palma in Mallorca after it snapped its moorings.

The Britannia was blown by gales towards the other vessel on Sunday after a storm battered the island in the Balearics. P&O said a small number of people had sustained minor injuries.

It was understood that 321 guests from the ship will be flying home early as it heads back to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board, as required by maritime law.

Ricky Stubbs, a passenger, said he and his children had been about to disembark when the crash happened.

“We were at the stairwell next to the sunset bar,” he said. “A loud crash came from the bar and the door flung open with people running in. Within seconds there was more crashing followed by chaos as people were trying to escape the onslaught of wind and rain.

“People were being ushered in by other guests and staff. You could clearly see some had injuries due to either falling over or debris flying around, and people were distraught.

“A couple of minutes later the captain came over the speaker asking all guest to return to their rooms until further instructions.”

Stubbs said the passengers had been told they would be staying overnight while the boat was moored up so the damage could be assessed.

“Huge respect for the captain and all the staff as they managed to stay calm and keep everyone updated,” he said. “The captain made announcements every 10-15 minutes once we were back in our cabins and they did a great job in a stressful situation.”

The £473m ship, which entered service in 2015, is the flagship of the P&O fleet.

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said: “On Sunday 27 August, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard.

“We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people onboard.

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer. The guests remaining onboard will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

Mallorca had been experiencing winds of 75mph and torrential rains, which caused sun loungers to be blown into the air. An amber weather alert was in place across the whole of the island and had been extended until midnight on Sunday.

The Tramuntana region and the north and north-east of the island were most likely to be affected, forecasters said.

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P&O Britannia cruise ship crashes during Mallorca storms

• Published 27 August 2023

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Watch: Two ships collide as storms hit Mallorca

A cruise ship broke free from moorings and collided with a freight vessel during a storm in Mallorca, Spain.

Passengers on Britannia, a P&O Cruises ship based in Southampton, described how after it broke loose the ship "floated away like a paper boat". A walkway also fell into the sea.

A small number of people are being cared for onboard after sustaining minor injuries, P&O said.

It said the ship will stay in Palma to allow for a technical assessment.

The captain earlier told passengers there was "no structural compromise".

People aboard the ship recorded videos and images of the incident, showing an emergency response and debris floating in the sea.

Passenger Gavin McCoy said the "unexpected drama" happened while "the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill".

He said that at about 11:00 BST "a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea".

He said he was "sitting by the window in the coffee shop, and the first thing we saw were the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air," Mr McCoy added.

"We've drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship."

Another passenger, Dale Hopkin said it was "madness" on board as sunbeds "were starting to flip".

Mr Hopkin, from Blackpool, said the rain was so heavy he could not see out of the ship's windows.

He added that after the vessel broke free from its moorings "it floated away like a paper boat. The staff couldn't do anything more".

His wife, Tracey Hopkin, described it all as "a bit of drama" and said the ship came close to the breakwater rocks in the harbour.

She said she heard "a really loud noise, a grating sound" and "couldn't believe what I was seeing".

She praised the actions of the staff and said there were regular updates from the ship's captain.

Another holidaymaker, Tilley Eve, said for around two hours "things were really bad", adding: "I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz."

She said some families had put life jackets on their children.

The storm is likely to be one of the severe thunderstorms, affecting the Balearic Islands .

Torrential outbreaks of rain and gusts of up to 120km (75 miles) per hour have hit the islands. The conditions led to the cancellation of over 20 flights, Spain's airport operator said.

Weather warnings for parts of the archipelago have been extended until Monday.

The captain informed passengers that "there's no structural compromise, but deck five has sustained a small amount of damage" on the PA system.

P&O Cruises spokesperson said they were "aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning" and were "working to assess the situation".

Mr McCoy said that everyone was safe and there was "no problem on the ship apart from a few scrapes and bumps to one or more lifeboats that project from the ship".

"The many people on coach excursions will be able to get back on again," he added.

Passengers will have access to onboard entertainment and activities while technical teams make an assessment of the ship, P&O said.

The cruise started in Southampton and is due back on 1 September.

This is the second time an emergency has happened on a Southampton ship due to bad weather in recent weeks , with the Queen Mary 2 breaking free from its bow mooring line and drifting off the quay on 4 August.

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P&O Cruises

Hundreds of passengers to be flown home after P&O cruise liner 'crashed into petrol tanker'

More than 300 passengers will leave the ship after a small number of people were injured during a "weather-related" incident off the coast of Mallorca on Sunday.

Monday 28 August 2023 20:56, UK

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More than 300 guests who were on board a P&O cruise liner which reportedly crashed into a petrol tanker will have their holiday cut short and be flown home.

A small number of people were injured in the "weather-related" incident in Mallorca on Sunday - with footage taken by a passenger showing fierce gusts sweeping across the waves from the ship's window.

The P&O ship, which moored off the coast of the Spanish island, will return to Southampton on Friday morning with a reduced number of passengers, a spokesperson for the company has said.

They added that this was because one of the ship's lifeboats had "sustained structural issues" and therefore maritime regulations meant it would have to return to the UK.

The ship, called Britannia, was carrying thousands of passengers but 321 of them will now leave the ship and be flown back to their original starting point.

The nationality of those who will return is not clear but some will be flown to Southampton.

The rest of the guests will conclude their trip on Friday as planned.

Storm in Palma Mallorca breaks it’s moorings and pushes P&O Britannia into another ship and onto rocks. Ship not compromised and being pushed back into position by tugs pic.twitter.com/0RbdQIhPRT — Stephen Marsh (@millermanuk) August 27, 2023

Port authorities in the Mallorca capital Palma said Britannia had collided with a petrol tanker.

In a statement, P&O said its Britannia ship "was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca" on Sunday.

"Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia's lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard," it added.

"We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board."

The spokesperson said "a limited number of guests and crew" had been advised they would be leaving the ship and would be flown back to their starting point.

Read more UK news: Passengers face severe delays after air traffic control fault Glitch 'remedied' but flights cancelled - air traffic control chaos latest

P&O Cruises had earlier told Sky News on Sunday that the ship was involved in a "weather-related incident" alongside the port in Palma.

The company added that a "small number of people" sustained minor injuries and were being treated by their onboard medical team.

Britannia, which entered service in 2015, is 330 metres long and weights 143,000 tons, according to the company's website.

It has 13 guest decks and an operating capacity of 3,647 guests and 1,350 crew.

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P&O cruise ship with thousands of passengers onboard crashes into tanker

A small number of people were injured after the ship collided with a freight vessel, article bookmarked.

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A small number of people are injured after a P&O cruise ship that was carrying thousands of British holidaymakers crashed into a petrol tanker.

The ship broke free of its moorings during a storm in Mallorca , Spain and collided with a freight vessel.

Port authorities in the capital Palma said the ship collided with a petrol tanker because of high winds.

One passenger Gavin McCoy told the BBC that the incident happened while “the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill”.

He added: “A sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea.”

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He said he was sitting by the windown in the coffee shop when he saw “the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air”.

Another passenger told Wales Online: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship.

“We were browsing our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.”

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “P&O cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.”

A view shows a car passing through a flooded road in Mallorca, Spain, August 27, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video

“To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

Britannia, which entered service in 2015, is 330 metres long and weights 143,000 tons, according to the company’s website. It has 13 guest decks and an operating capacity of 3,647 guests and 1,350 crew.

Torrential rain has lashed the islands of Mallorca, with the conditions leading the cancellation of over 20 flights.

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Watch: P&O cruise ship crashes into freight vessel during Mallorca storms

Several passengers treated on board Britannia after suffering minor injuries when ship broke free of moorings

A P&O cruise ship collided with a freight vessel after being ripped from its moorings during a severe storm on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

A small number of people are being cared for on board the Britannia after sustaining minor injuries, P&O Cruises said.

The company said the ship, based in Southampton, would stay in Palma so a technical assessment could be carried out. Passengers said the captain had told them there was “no structural compromise”.

People aboard the vessel recorded footage of the incident, which showed furniture flying around the deck and emergency alarms sounding.

Speaking to the BBC, passenger Gavin McCoy said that at about 11am “a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea”, adding: “We’ve drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship.”

Mr McCoy said that everyone was safe and there was “no problem on the ship apart from a few scrapes and bumps to one or more lifeboats that project from the ship”.

A P&O Cruises spokesman said: “On Sunday Aug 27, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca. 

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard. We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton, or their starting point, by flight and transfer. The guests remaining on board will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

Wind speeds of 75 mph on Mallorca, and torrential rain, led to the cancellation of more than 20 flights. Weather warnings for parts of the area have been extended until Monday.

Palma de Mallorca airport was said to be in “chaos” with frustrated passengers stranded with no accommodation and few alternative flight options. Some customers were sent to nearby hotels by airlines, only to be told no bookings had been made.

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