Thomson Celebration The Thomson Celebration suffered an engine failure as the cruise ship was leaving Grand Harbor in Valletta, Malta on Saturday, according to the Times of Malta.

The Maltese newspaper states that the cruise ship “drifted for around 100 metres before the captain was forced to drop anchor in order to avoid hitting the breakwater.”  This is a rather concerning scenario. I last saw the Thomson Celebration in Venice in May (photo above) while it was proceeding along the Canale della Giudecca. Without the assistance of tugs, power loss of this type could easily cause substantial damage to adjacent shore-side structures and/or the ship itself.

The Thomson Celebration reportedly blocked the Valletta harbor’s entrance for about an hour, according to the newspaper (photo below). “Two tug boats helped secure the ship in order to stop it moving around with the currents.” Assisted by tugs, the Thomson Celebration left the harbor once power was restored and sailed on its planned itinerary.

The Thomson Celebration is a 32 year-old ship built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in 1984 for Holland America Line (HAL) as the MS Noordam. The cruise ship is still owned by HAL, under long-term charter to the United Kingdom-based Thomson Cruises.

Photo Credit: Rene Rossignaud via Times of Malta

Celebration Malta Photo: Rene Rossignaud