Celebrity Infinity has finally set sail en route to Greece after unexpected technical issues that left thousands of passengers stuck in Turkey for four days.
On July 7, passengers aboard the 90,040 gross ton ship reported that a small electrical fire had broken out onboard, causing a "total blackout."
"Today... while most guests (including myself) were ashore there was [a] small electrical fire onboard Celebrity Cruise’s Infinity while docked in Kusadasi, Turkey," wrote one guest on the r/celebritycruises Reddit thread.
The resulting "total blackout" affected the air conditioning, elevators, onboard communication systems, and galleys. Guests were left in the dark as Celebrity scrambled to assess the damage and make the necessary repairs.
Initally, passengers were told they'd hopefully depart Kuşadası on July 9, two days after the incident. However, they were stuck in Turkey until Friday, July 11.
Consequently, the remaining ports of call — Mykonos, Greece; Kavala, Greece; and Thessaloniki, Greece — were cancelled.
To compensate for the disruption, Celebrity provided passengers with a 50% refund of their cruise fare as a refundable onboard credit and an additional 50% as a future cruise credit (FCC).
Moreover, Celebrity planned complimentary shore excursions in Turkey for guests to explore beyond Kuşadası and Ephesus.
As of July 11 at 10:45am EST, Cruise Mapper shows Celebrity Infinity en route to Athens (Piraeus), Greece. Disembarkation is scheduled for Saturday, July 12.
Read more: Fire disables cruise ship in the Mediterranean, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in Turkey
Roughly 10% of guests chose to disembark the ship in Turkey
According to reports on Reddit, passengers on Decks 8 and 9 lost power in their staterooms on the morning of July 10. Although it was restored relatively quickly, it was the last straw for many. As such, 256 guests chose to disembark and take a ferry to the island of Samos.
"We’re getting the hell out of dodge, cutting our losses and bailing now - it’s possible they will actually tug us back but most of us are using our 50% refundable credit to finance hotels in Greek islands accessible by ferry, then taking another boat to Piraeus after," wrote one frustrated guest.
Hundreds of guests flocking to the ferry created a hectic scene. Passengers couldn't disembark Celebrity Infinity until 7:00am for the 8:45am ferry, leading to long lines at Turkish customs. There was also confusion about what stamps were needed to clear immigration, as guests hadn't received an entry stamp due to their arrival via ship.
The ferry operators weren't properly equipped to handle hundreds of tourists at once, either.
The Redditor continued, "The result is stressed out port staff trying to juggle hundreds of tourists being jostled back and forth, detained by customs for reasons they don’t understand, [and] running around this small ferry terminal with dozens of bags everywhere."
Passengers aboard Celebrity Infinity's July 12 cruise haven't received any updates from the cruise line
Celebrity Infinity is expected to depart on another 7-night cruise to Greece and Turkey on July 12. Many guests have already arrived in Athens, anxiously awaiting confirmation that the ship will sail on time and that the recent technical issues won't impact their itinerary.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
