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Mallorca: P&O ship with thousands of Britons onboard collides with tanker

Cruise vessel’s mooring ropes snapped in high winds, which blew liner into nearby oil transport ship off coast of Palma

A P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British holidaymakers has crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Palma in Mallorca after it snapped its moorings.

The Britannia was blown by gales towards the other vessel on Sunday after a storm battered the island in the Balearics. P&O said a small number of people had sustained minor injuries.

It was understood that 321 guests from the ship will be flying home early as it heads back to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board, as required by maritime law.

Ricky Stubbs, a passenger, said he and his children had been about to disembark when the crash happened.

“We were at the stairwell next to the sunset bar,” he said. “A loud crash came from the bar and the door flung open with people running in. Within seconds there was more crashing followed by chaos as people were trying to escape the onslaught of wind and rain.

“People were being ushered in by other guests and staff. You could clearly see some had injuries due to either falling over or debris flying around, and people were distraught.

“A couple of minutes later the captain came over the speaker asking all guest to return to their rooms until further instructions.”

Stubbs said the passengers had been told they would be staying overnight while the boat was moored up so the damage could be assessed.

“Huge respect for the captain and all the staff as they managed to stay calm and keep everyone updated,” he said. “The captain made announcements every 10-15 minutes once we were back in our cabins and they did a great job in a stressful situation.”

The £473m ship, which entered service in 2015, is the flagship of the P&O fleet.

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said: “On Sunday 27 August, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard.

“We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people onboard.

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer. The guests remaining onboard will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

Mallorca had been experiencing winds of 75mph and torrential rains, which caused sun loungers to be blown into the air. An amber weather alert was in place across the whole of the island and had been extended until midnight on Sunday.

The Tramuntana region and the north and north-east of the island were most likely to be affected, forecasters said.

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P&O Cruise passengers injured after 'weather-related' incident in Mallorca

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Powerful storm causes chaos at resort, cruise ship collision on Spanish island of Mallorca

The Spanish holiday island of Mallorca was slammed by a storm with wind gusts of up to 100 km/h on Sunday, causing chaos at a local hotel and caused a collision involving a cruise ship.

Video captured guests fleeing from the pool at the Sol Mirlos Tordos Hotel as sun loungers were sent flying by the powerful winds.

The storm also broke the P&O Cruises ship Britannia free of its mooring, causing it to collide with another ship in the island's capital of Palma.

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"P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre," a spokesperson for P&O Cruises said.

With files from Reuters

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People injured after P&O cruise ship involved in 'weather-related incident' in Mallorca

It's reported that P&O ship Britannia, carrying thousands of travellers, crashed into a freight vessel on Sunday morning during severe storms.

Monday 28 August 2023 08:22, UK

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Watch: P&O cruise ship crashes into freight vessel during Mallorca storms

Several passengers treated on board Britannia after suffering minor injuries when ship broke free of moorings

A P&O cruise ship collided with a freight vessel after being ripped from its moorings during a severe storm on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

A small number of people are being cared for on board the Britannia after sustaining minor injuries, P&O Cruises said.

The company said the ship, based in Southampton, would stay in Palma so a technical assessment could be carried out. Passengers said the captain had told them there was “no structural compromise”.

People aboard the vessel recorded footage of the incident, which showed furniture flying around the deck and emergency alarms sounding.

Speaking to the BBC, passenger Gavin McCoy said that at about 11am “a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea”, adding: “We’ve drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship.”

Mr McCoy said that everyone was safe and there was “no problem on the ship apart from a few scrapes and bumps to one or more lifeboats that project from the ship”.

A P&O Cruises spokesman said: “On Sunday Aug 27, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca. 

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard. We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton, or their starting point, by flight and transfer. The guests remaining on board will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

Wind speeds of 75 mph on Mallorca, and torrential rain, led to the cancellation of more than 20 flights. Weather warnings for parts of the area have been extended until Monday.

Palma de Mallorca airport was said to be in “chaos” with frustrated passengers stranded with no accommodation and few alternative flight options. Some customers were sent to nearby hotels by airlines, only to be told no bookings had been made.

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Hundreds of passengers forced to fly home early after P&O Cruises ship collision

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Hundreds of passengers are to leave a P&O cruise ship early after it collided with another boat during severe weather in Palma de Mallorca.

Britannia reportedly came free from its mooring during the storm and was involved in a bump with another vessel on Sunday.

A small number of people sustained minor injuries and were cared for by the onboard medical centre, a P&O Cruises spokesperson said.

Inspections revealed that one of the lifeboats sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard, the spokesperson added.

This means the ship has to return to Southampton with a reduced number of passengers.

It is understood 321 people will be flying home early.

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A P&O Cruises spokesman said: “On Sunday August 27, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard.

“We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board.

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer.

“The guests remaining on board will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

Britannia departed from Palma de Mallorca on Monday and is expected to reach Southampton on Friday, the spokesman added.

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Mallorca weather forecast: Latest storms update and travel advice after P&O Britannia cruise ship crash

Spanish forecasters issued a warning to holidaymakers heading to the balearic islands, while valencia and catalonia were expecting severe weather.

Mallorca was hit with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain this weekend, forcing locals and holidaymakers to flee the area and take cover.

The emergency services in the Balearic Islands reported 84 storm-related incidents in Mallorca in the space of an hour on Sunday alone.

Tourists hoping to relax in the typically balmy conditions on the Spanish island instead watched gales batter buildings and topple trees, and hundreds of tourists were left stranded at Palma airport with little information on how to get home.

The violent storm followed the news of a crash aboard a P&O cruise ship near the island, where a small number of people are being treated for minor injuries.

Here’s what we know so far.

What happened to the cruise ship in the storms?

A cruise ship broke free from its moorings at 11am BST on Sunday in the Mallorca storm, crashing into a freight vessel.

Holiday park evacuated and person rushed to hospital as River Arun bursts banks

Passengers on Britannia , a P&O Cruises ship based in Southampton, told the BBC that the ship broke loose and “floated away like a paper boat”. A walkway also fell into the sea.

P&O said that a small number of people are being cared for on board after sustaining minor injuries. It said the ship will stay in Palma to allow for a technical assessment.

The captain had earlier told passengers there was “no structural compromise”.

People aboard the ship shared videos and images of the collision, showing emergency services and debris floating in the sea. Passengers told the BBC that they couldn’t believe their eyes, and heard “loud noises” and a “grating sound” as the vessel collided with the ship.

They said that at some points conditions were especially bad, shaking and rocking the ship. Some children were fitted with lifejackets.

Holidaymakers praised the staff on board and said the captain and crew kept them updated.

The captain informed passengers that “there’s no structural compromise, but deck five has sustained a small amount of damage” on the PA system.

Storm in Palma Mallorca breaks it’s moorings and pushes P&O Britannia into another ship and onto rocks. Ship not compromised and being pushed back into position by tugs pic.twitter.com/0RbdQIhPRT — Stephen Marsh (@millermanuk) August 27, 2023

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said they were “aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning” and were “working to assess the situation”.

The cruise started in Southampton and will board again on Friday while technical teams assess the damage.

How have the storms affected travel?

The treacherous conditions, which have seen outbreaks of rain and gusts of up to 120km (75 miles) per hour, have led to the cancellation of more than 20 flights, Spain’s airport operator said.

Spanish forecasters AEMET Met Office also issued a warning to holidaymakers heading to the area in the coming days, as they said: “Severe thunderstorms are affecting the Balearic Islands, leading to heavy rain and strong gusty winds.”

Spanish outlet El Confidencial reported that the coastal areas of Valencia and Catalonia were at particular risk, with waves expected to reach up to a height of six metres. A severe weather warning is in place until at least Tuesday.

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded overnight at Palma airport, with the majority of flights grounded.

A separate technical issue that has hit UK traffic control systems added to the chaos, affecting all flights going to and from the UK.

Britain’s National Air Traffic Services said it was experiencing “technical issues” and has “applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety”.

“Engineers are working to find and fix the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” it said.

There was no further information on when the glitch will be fixed.

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Giant cruise ship, which snapped moorings, remains in Palma port; 300 passengers sent home

Passengers told to muster at emergency stations.

The British super-liner collided with a petrol tanker.

The British cruise ship, Britannia , which snapped its mooring lines during the freak storm on Sunday remained in Palma port this morning with about 300 passengers having to disembark and checks underway to establish the extent of the damage. As a result of damage to life-boats and other life-saving equipment, which can't be repaired on board, some passengers had to leave the ship and return home to the United Kingdom in accordance with British maritime law.

Passengers on board the ship said they had been told to muster at their emergency points within minutes of the ship breaking its moorings with the captain saying on the tannoy system "this is not a drill...."

A P&O cruise ship, the Britannia, broke its moorings in the port of Palma, Mallorca, Spain due to strong winds from a storm. The ship drifted towards an oil tanker and collided with it, but there were no injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/FNowXtyNdv — Policy Scoop (@policyscoop) August 28, 2023

Passenger Gavin McCoy told the BBC that the the "unexpected drama" happened while "the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill". He said that at about 11:00 BST (11a.m. local time) "a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea".

P&O Britannia cruise ship crashes during Mallorca storms https://t.co/W74L9JlueK — Richard Gordon (@RichardWGordon) August 28, 2023

He said he was "sitting by the window in the coffee shop, and the first thing we saw were the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air," McCoy added."We've drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship."

It was unclear this morning how long Britannia would remain in port.

Photo gallery

The storm that battered Mallorca on Sunday

This past Sunday, August 27 2023, the island was shaken by strong storms and hurricane-force winds that left a total of 366 incidents in the Balearic Islands, 332 in Mallorca, up to 8.30pm. 

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Cruise ship sent crashing into cargo vessel as hurricane-force winds hit Majorca

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Several passengers on board a P&O cruise ship sustained minor injuries when severe stormy weather sent it smashing into a cargo vessel in Majorca.

Along with its neighbours Ibiza and Menorca, the island is being battered by hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.

Weather warnings for wind and stormy seas have been extended into Monday for the Balearics and parts of Catalonia in Spain ’s north-east.

Thousands of people sailing on the P&O ship Britannia, which is based in Southampton, got a frighteningly close look at the extreme weather this morning.

Their vessel broke free from its moorings near the island’s shore at around 11am and collided with a smaller ship nearby, causing the walkway to fall into the sea.

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According to BBC News , the captain informed passengers after the incident that ‘there’s no structural compromise, but deck five has sustained a small amount of damage’.

Britannia, which can hold 6,647 passengers and 1,350 crew, will remain in Palma while a technical assessment is completed.

One Welsh passenger told WalesOnline : ‘It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.

‘We went out onto our balcony and could see debris in the ocean and all the damage to the side of the boat and our lifeboat.’

P&O said a small number of people had sustained minor injuries and were being cared for on board.

A spokesman for the company said: ‘On Sunday 27 August, P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

‘A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.

‘To allow our technical teams to make an assessment, Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

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A 'small number' of passengers on a P&O cruise ship were injured after it struck an oil tanker in the Mediterranean

• A P&O cruise ship struck an oil tanker in Palma, Mallorca on Sunday following a storm. 
• The Britannia's moorings snapped in heavy winds and it drifted into the tanker.
• P&O said a "small number" of passengers had minor injuries and were receiving medical care. 

A P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers struck an oil tanker in Mallorca after a storm hit the Mediterranean island. The vessel escaped its moorings and was blown into the tanker in Palma on Sunday by strong gusts of winds. 

"A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre," a P&O representative told Insider.  Passengers were taken off the Britannia while an assessment was carried out, but they were all now back on board and the captain had given passengers an update, the representative added. 

Graves destrozos en el Puerto de Palma tras el paso de la tormenta https://t.co/tmuX2HKA3Q pic.twitter.com/ngXJyJ4gKx — Crónica Balear (@CronicaBalear_) August 27, 2023

Winds blew the vessel into Piniente pier in Palma late Sunday morning, local news site Mallorca Diario reported. A video shared online shows the ship's moorings snapping off due to heavy winds. One passenger, Ricky Stubbs, told the Guardian that passengers came running inside escape the wind and rain after crashing sounds could be heard. "People were being ushered in by other guests and staff," Stubbs said. "You could clearly see some had injuries due to either falling over or debris flying around, and people were distraught." 

Another passenger shared videos on X of the ship guests waiting at the port terminal, which had debris from the storm outside.

Local outlet Crónica Balear also tweeted images from the cruise terminal that show damage caused by the storm, including broken windows and ceilings. 

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

• Main content

More Mallorca storms on the way to ruin holidays after P&O cruise ship crash chaos

The last few days have seen a storm batter the Balearic Islands with vicious winds and rains that have thrown dream holidays into chaos with more bad weather seemingly on the horizon

• 11:59, 28 Aug 2023

There are more storms forecast for Mallorca after the holiday hotspot was battered in recent days with winds getting so bad on the island that a P&O cruise ship crashed into a freight ship .

Footage from the island shows tourists running for cover as sun loungers and chairs fly past behind them after the winds broke the moorings of the cruise ship, when thousands of passengers were on board .

Brits who escaped to the Balearic Islands to try and get some last rays of sun this summer are set for more rain and wind with storms on the horizon.

After getting through the storms of the last few days, holidaymakers will be afforded a few days of calmer conditions, with just some showers, but temperatures upwards of 29C.

However, come the weekend, storms are seemingly set to return once more, BBC Weather forecasts. Temperatures will remain high but the Spanish island will be hit hard by wind and rain once more.

On their forecasts, they predict that today, the island will see intermittent showers with clear skies in places. It will remain sunny for the rest of the week before Saturday and Sunday are seemingly set to see the storms return. On Saturday, the storms will peak around 3-5pm and on Sunday they will be more widespread throughout the entire day. However, on both days winds are only forecast to be "moderate".

Recent days have seen a squall trigger a dangerous storm on the islands. A squall is a violent burst of wind that can often lead to destructive weather. This is typically a pretty short event, often measured in minutes, but sees a notable uptick in wind speed. Squalls are triggered by air rising explosively, these updrafts produce the storm clouds.

Not even two days ago, the packed P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British passengers crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Palma, after its moorings snapped in the weather. Holidaymakers were left stranded after gales sent the Britannia hurtling into another vessel in the Balearics.

It was reported that a storm “suddenly hit” the island with heavy rain and hail accompanied by strong 55 MPH gusts. The huge £473m ship was later anchored offshore following the incident. Passengers were told “this is not a drill” by the captain earlier after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water.

Passengers on board the cruise ship were left in tears after the crash as tables and chairs were thrown along the decks. The ship will now stay in Palma to allow for a technical assessment. Elsewhere on the island, holiday resorts were wrecked and sun loungers and parasols were uprooted. Footage shared by Wendy and Alan Penson, from Caerphilly, Wales, showed the biblical scenes at the resort, as sun loungers were blown right into the pool.

Wendy said: “It said to expect thunderstorms on the news but we saw the weather change and Alan said ‘start filming’, and we couldn’t believe how quickly it changed. It was just like a hurricane coming through from the sea into the cove. There is a small yacht opposite us and it ripped the sail off that. The Bali beds aren’t light, they’re made of steel, but the storm just took them like they were nothing.

"I was speaking with someone who works at the hotel and she said when the temperature starts to drop after a period of no rain, this tends to happen. But she said they’ve never known it like this before." Alan added: “The unexpected storm happened at about 10.49am Spanish time. It all happened very quickly, as seen in the video.”

Meanwhile, other holidaymakers had to run for cover, narrowly avoiding being hit by chairs blown about by the storm as two other tourists who had tried to brave the beach had to give up their plans and run, rubber rings still around their waists.

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UK cruise ship crashes in Mallorca storms

It said the ship will stay in Palma to allow for a technical assessment.

•Passengers on Britannia, a P&O Cruises ship based in Southampton, described how after it broke loose the ship "floated away like a paper boat". A walkway also fell into the sea.

•A small number of people are being cared for onboard after sustaining minor injuries, P&O said.

A cruise ship broke free from moorings and collided with a freight vessel during a storm in Mallorca, Spain.

Passengers on Britannia, a P&O Cruises ship based in Southampton, described how after it broke loose the ship "floated away like a paper boat". A walkway also fell into the sea.

A small number of people are being cared for onboard after sustaining minor injuries, P&O said.

The captain earlier told passengers there was "no structural compromise".

People aboard the ship recorded videos and images of the incident, showing an emergency response and debris floating in the sea.

Passenger Gavin McCoy said the "unexpected drama" happened while "the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill".

He said that at about 11:00 BST "a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea".

He said he was "sitting by the window in the coffee shop, and the first thing we saw were the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air," Mr McCoy added.

"We've drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship."

Another passenger, Dale Hopkin said it was "madness" on board as sunbeds "were starting to flip".

Mr Hopkin, from Blackpool, said the rain was so heavy he could not see out of the ship's windows.

He added that after the vessel broke free from its moorings "it floated away like a paper boat. The staff couldn't do anything more".

His wife, Tracey Hopkin, described it all as "a bit of drama" and said the ship came close to the breakwater rocks in the harbour.

She said she heard "a really loud noise, a grating sound" and "couldn't believe what I was seeing".

She praised the actions of the staff and said there were regular updates from the ship's captain.

Another holidaymaker, Tilley Eve, said for around two hours "things were really bad", adding: "I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz."

She said some families had put life jackets on their children.

The storm is likely to be one of the severe thunderstorms, affecting the Balearic Islands.

Torrential outbreaks of rain and gusts of up to 120km (75 miles) per hour have hit the islands. The conditions led to the cancellation of over 20 flights, Spain's airport operator said.

Weather warnings for parts of the archipelago have been extended until Monday.

The captain informed passengers that "there's no structural compromise, but deck five has sustained a small amount of damage" on the PA system.

P&O Cruises spokesperson said they were "aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning" and were "working to assess the situation".

Mr McCoy said that everyone was safe and there was "no problem on the ship apart from a few scrapes and bumps to one or more lifeboats that project from the ship".

"The many people on coach excursions will be able to get back on again," he added.

Passengers will have access to onboard entertainment and activities while technical teams make an assessment of the ship, P&O said.

The cruise started in Southampton and is due back on 1 September.

This is the second time an emergency has happened on a Southampton ship due to bad weather in recent weeks, with the Queen Mary 2 breaking free from its bow mooring line and drifting off the quay on 4 August.

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