Crippled Italian Cruise Ship: Costa Allegra Arrives in Seychelles

Costa Allegra, the disabled cruise ship had finally arrived in Victoria, capital of Seychelles yesterday with more than 1,000 people on board, after a French fishing boat towed it to port.

The passengers were met by a Red Cross medical team in Victoria by ambulances. There were also fleet of small buses to take them to hotels on the country's main island of Mahe, according to reports.

Hotel accommodations and onward flights back home have been reserved on Wednesday by Costa Cruises team.

The stricken ship had stayed in the Indian Ocean for three days when it had run out of power on Monday, following a blaze which had knocked out the engine room.

Ship captain Niccolo Alba told reporters at a news conference that they were able to extinguish the blaze but two more generators in the engine room had caught fire, which led him to declare a general emergency.

The 627 passengers were so weary that they complained about horrendous heat and deplorable hygiene conditions.

One passenger told reporters that they were forced to stay on deck liners and sleep there for three days without lights, air conditioning and not enough foods.

Another disgusted passenger told Reuters Television about how inconvenient their condition was.

"It was terrible, as you can imagine. Hygiene conditions were absolutely deplorable. I have some photos that show the state of the toilets. We stayed for three days without electricity, it's very difficult to live in such conditions, especially in such heat," he said.

An independent report says that more than half of the passengers had grabbed the seven or fourteen day trip on the archipelago with the company, Costa Cruises. This is the same company for Costa Concordia, which was smashed off the rocks in Italy last January, with 25 people being killed.

At the Indian Ocean where the ship stayed was the point where Somali pirates usually pass by, according to Alba.

Meanwhile, the ship crews were being praised by a German passenger as they tried their best to comfort them.

“I felt tired and dirty and had been afraid of pirates, but there was never any shortage of drinking water or sandwiches,” said one passenger from the Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

A good news also from the executive vice-president at Costa Cruises, Norbert Stiekema, says that they offered passengers an option whether they continue to take a holiday or a free flight back home.

Outstanding bills of passengers in the ship were also being cancelled.