MONACO -- The former
Olympia Voyager was struck by a large wave off the coast of Palma
de Mallorca, Spain, less than three weeks after its sister ship,
the former Olympia Explorer, was rocked by a 50-foot wave while
sailing halfway across the globe.
The Voyager, which
is on charter to Spanish tour operator Iberojet, was sailing from
Tunis, Tunisia, to Barcelona, Spain, and carrying 480 passengers
and 296 crew at the time of the incident.
The wave breached
the Voyagers bridge window and knocked out its communication and
propulsion systems, and damaged its electrical control systems,
Monaco-based V.Ships, the ships operator, said in a
statement.
The Voyagers captain
reported a number of minor injuries to passengers, who were treated
in the ships onboard medical facilities.
Propulsion power,
which was lost after the impact, was restored to two of the
Voyagers four engines, and the ship currently is on its way to
Sardinia, Italy.
The Voyagers sister
ship, the former Olympia Explorer, which sails as the Explorer and
operates the Semester at Sea program, was hit by a wave off the
coast of Adak, Alaska, on Jan. 26. The vessel sailed to Honolulu to
assess any damages. Both vessels are managed by V.Ships.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Rebecca Tobin
at [email protected].