UPDATE:
Holland America Line has now released a statement regarding the ms Nieuw Statendam cruise ship losing power which resulted in blackouts and a canceled port of call.
Repairs have been made to the engines and the ship is now fully functional. The issue was related to one of the diesel generators. You can read the full statement below:
While Nieuw Statendam was underway from St. Thomas to Half Moon Cay the ship experienced a technical issue with one of the diesel generators, causing a short black-out. During this time the ship, all guests & crew were completely safe & in calm water with good weather conditions.
Due to the delay and in an abundance of caution while the cause of the blackout was being addressed, the scheduled port call at Half Moon Cay was cancelled. The repair is complete and Nieuw Statendam is proceeding as scheduled.
PREVIOUSLY:
The newest Holland America cruise ship named Nieuw Statendam is suffering from major power loss and was adrift. A port of call has been canceled and there have been blackouts onboard.
Newest Holland America Cruise Ship Suffers Power Loss
Guests who are currently on the March 17 sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida are posting that the Nieuw Statendam is suffering engine problems. As a result, the ship had lost power and was adrift for some time early this morning.
Thankfully the captain managed to safely keep the ship away from any land. Unfortunately, the scheduled call at the cruise line’s private island of Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas was canceled.
@HALcruises We are adrift on the new ship Nieuw Statendam with no power for propulsion and only one of four generators working for emergency power. We were approaching HALprivate island, Half Moon Cay @FoxNews @CNN @MSNBC
— STLRS (@STLRS) March 23, 2019
The newest ship in the fleet was originally expected to drop anchor at the island around 8:00 AM this morning. The power failure started as the ship was approaching the island according to guests.
Engineers onboard are actively working on fixing the engine issue and limited power has already been restored for food and drinks. It’s not clear what services were impacted and if the blackouts were shipwide.
@HALcruises @FoxNews Nieuw Statendam now has "limited" propulsion and we are no longer "adrift". Captain is keeping everyone well-informed and is a calming presence. Parts of ship remain in black out. https://t.co/9vGZlCacxV
— STLRS (@STLRS) March 23, 2019
Nieuw Statendam is very slowly heading back to its homeport of Port Everglades, Florida and is scheduled to arrive on Sunday morning. With limited power and propulsion, it is not known if the arrival back will be delayed. Guests booked on the next March 24 sailing should check with Holland America Line for confirmation and details about this.
The new Holland America cruise ship is currently sailing a 7-night eastern Caribbean cruise which also included stops at Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and finally Half Moon Cay which did not take place.
Related: 30 Facts About the New Holland America Cruise Ship
The ship recently joined the fleet and was delivered from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri on November 30, 2018. A recent christening ceremony was held on February 2 which featured godmother Oprah Winfrey.
The 2,666 passenger vessel is the second Pinnacle-class and sister ship to ms Koningsdam. The ship is 99,500 gross tons and the most advanced in the fleet so far.
