The ship—identified as the Celebrity Infinity—had left from Nafplio bound for Piraeus with 2,109 passengers and 946 crew aboard.
A Celebrity Cruises ship carrying more than 3,000 people lost propulsion off the coast of Piraeus, Greece, on Feb. 15, before being towed safely into port by four tugboats, according to Greek maritime authorities and the cruise line.
In a press release issued the same day, the Hellenic Coast Guard said its Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) received an early morning report that a Malta-flagged cruise ship had suffered a malfunction in its electrical power distribution panels, resulting in a loss of propulsion and steering in the sea area outside Piraeus.
The ship—identified as the Celebrity Infinity—had left from Nafplio bound for Piraeus with 2,109 passengers and 946 crew aboard, according to a press release.
With assistance from four tugboats, the ship was guided safely into port without injuries or pollution, the Coast Guard said. The Central Port Authority of Piraeus has temporarily prohibited the ship from leaving until all damages are assessed and repaired.
The Celebrity Infinity was nearing the end of a nearly two-week voyage from Barcelona and had been scheduled to remain overnight in Piraeus before concluding its trip on Feb. 16, according to data from CruiseMapper.
Celebrity Cruises confirmed the technical issue in an emailed statement, saying the ship’s team “quickly addressed” the problem.
“We are completing necessary maintenance and have cancelled our next sailing,” the company said in a statement to media outlets. “The safety and comfort of our guests and crew are our top priorities.”
The Miami-based cruise line added: “We apologize to our guests for the impact to their vacation and are working directly with them on travel arrangements and compensation.”
The incident adds to a string of technical and weather-related episodes involving cruise ships in recent years. Last summer, the Celebrity Edge—also operated by Celebrity Cruises—broke free from its moorings during a heavy rainstorm in Juneau, Alaska, due to strong winds. The ship drifted briefly before its captain maneuvered back to dock. No injuries or damage were reported, according to a statement from Royal Caribbean Group, Celebrity’s parent company.
Others in the cruise industry have faced similar challenges. On Jan. 26, the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star freed an Australian cruise ship trapped in Antarctic pack ice while it was at sea as part of Operation Deep Freeze 2026, the United States’ annual logistical mission to support scientific research on the continent.
"While Scenic Eclipse II was never in need of rescue services, the coordination between both vessels ensured we could navigate the changing pack ice safely and efficiently," Capt. James Griffiths, Scenic Group's general manager of ocean operations, said in a prepared statement to the media.
