| Star Princess in trouble

PRINCESS Cruises’ Star Princess is copping a
lashing after reports surfaced that it did not
assist the crew of a ship which had been adrift
without power, water or food for 16 days.
Star Princess was sailing between Ecuador
and Costa Rica on 20 Mar when guests spotted
a fishing boat whose crew were waving for
help.
Members of the group alerted a crew
member of the problem, however it seems the
message was not relayed to Star’s Captain
Edward Perrin and Star simply sailed on past.
Two members of the stranded ship’s crew
died days after the encounter, with the third
rescued by a larger fishing vessel 12 days later.
Responding to the incident Princess Cruises
said that since it became aware of the
situation it has launched an investigation.
“The preliminary results of our investigation
have shown that there appeared to be a
breakdown in communication in relaying the
passenger’s concern,” the cruise line said,
adding that neither Star Princess’ Captain nor
the officer of the watch were notified.
“Captain Perrin is devastated that he is being
accused of knowingly turning his back on
people in distress,” the cruise line said.
“Had the Captain received this information,
he would have had the opportunity to respond.
“We deeply regret this incident and are
continuing our investigation to fully
understand the circumstances,” the cruise line
added.