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Celestyal Crystal and product tanker collide off Gallipoli, no casualties

Celestyal Crystal and product tanker collide off Gallipoli, no casualties
Celestyal Cruises’ 1990-built Celestyal Crystal collided with a laden product tanker, STI Pimlico, in the early hours of Saturday morning off Gallipoli. No injuries were reported. Images show a gash in the cruise vessel's bow, above the waterline, while the tanker was damaged at midships on the port side.

The two ships collided at around 1:28 a.m. local time. Celestyal Crystal was travelling from Greece to Istanbul.

The cruise line reports all 852 passengers and 382 crew on on board are well and so are the crew members of the 182mtr long tanker.

Celestyal Crystal suffered some structural damages and awaits a class inspection in Gallipoli. According to Turkish media the tanker was laden with 30,000 metric tons of naphtha and her cargo tanks are damaged.

Celestyal cancelled the current cruise, 'as damages must be repaired before the ship can continue with its scheduled itineraries.'

The cruise line apologized for 'the inconvenience and would like to assure that we will spare no effort in ensuring that our passengers are provided with the best hospitality under the circumstances.’

Passengers were to be disembarked for onward journeys at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Apart from those due to end their cruise in Istanbul all others will have their cruise fare refunded and offered a free seven-day cruise, valid until the end 2016.

Those passengers who were travelling from Istanbul to Piraeus, Lavrio to Piraeus and from Kusadasi to Piraeus will be transported from Gallipoli to Istanbul.

A one-night or two-night complimentary stay at a hotel in Istanbul will be arranged as well as a free shore excursion.

On Monday passengers will be flown from Istanbul to Izmir where a free overnight stay at a hotel in Izmir or Kusadasi will be arranged.

For those staying in Izmir transportation to Kusadasi will be arranged and a complimentary excursion in Ephesus will be offered to all passengers. They will then board Celestyal Odyssey or Celestyal Olympia on Tuesday to join the cruise either from Kusadasi to Lavrio or from Kusadasi to Piraeus, accordingly.

Greek passengers or all passengers who were scheduled to disembark in Piraeus after a seven-day cruise were to be transported Saturday from Gallipoli to Istanbul where a fully complimentary overnight stay at a hotel will be arranged.

They will then fly on Sunday or Monday (upon availability) from Istanbul to Athens. A free excursion in Istanbul will be offered.