Majesty of the Seas grounded after US Coast Guard safety inspection

Feb 14, 2017

Royal Caribbean cruise ship Majesty of the Seas was held from departing Port Canaveral after US Coast Guard inspectors detected safety issues onboard. According to a brief statement by The United States Coast Guard, there were issues concerning the safety of life at sea which are in violation with the international maritime convention SOLAS, but would not give any details. Majesty of the Seas will have to stay in the port until the irregularities have been corrected and will not set sail until the early afternoon of February 13th. 

Passengers on the social media report that during the inspection incorrect or expired lifejackets were found. Some say that there are problems of unspecified nature in connection with the maintenance of the ship. Immediate replacement of the disputed lifejackets needs to be done before the vessel receives the green light to depart Port Canaveral.

On Twitter, Royal Caribbean commented that there had been no complaints in previous inspections by the Coast Guard. “We're sorry about the delay. We're working hard to depart as soon as we can, and appreciate your patience. We passed our previous inspection but the U.S. Coast Guard would like for us to change the jackets immediately.”

Rachel Rogers, currently onboard Majesty of the Seas said “We are spending the night in port due to safety violations reported by the Coast Guard. Never had this happen before. Staff has gone above and beyond to handle this unforeseen situation.”

Majesty of the Seas was scheduled to leave on Monday for a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas. Passengers on board report that the two stops in Nassau and Coco Cay are not removed from the itinerary, and only one day at sea will be canceled.

News 6 Reporter Mark Lehman posted the following statement by RoyalCaribbean.