What Crew Members Say About Celebrity-Equinox

On the evening of July 15, 2026, the cruise ship Celebrity Equinox, on its journey from Barcelona to Málaga, initiated a medical evacuation for a passenger requiring urgent care. Positioned approximately nine nautical miles southeast of the Port of Málaga, the vessel coordinated a response with maritime authorities. The CCS Tarifa from Salvamento Marítimo swiftly deployed the SAR vessel Salvamar Manitak (MMSI: 244124400) to assist. The rescue team successfully retrieved the patient and subsequently transported them to Málaga, ensuring they received the advanced medical attention necessary at a local hospital. This operation underscores the effectiveness of maritime emergency services in ensuring passenger safety at sea.

On June 10, a medical emergency unfolded aboard the cruise ship 'Celebrity Equinox' as it navigated the waters from Marseille to Barcelona, approximately 33 nautical miles east of Mataró. In response to the urgent situation, the CCS Barcelona of Salvamento Marítimo swiftly dispatched the SAR helicopter Helimer 203. The helicopter successfully hoisted the patient aboard and made a rapid transport to Girona Airport. Upon landing, an ambulance was on standby to take the patient to a hospital for advanced medical treatment, ensuring timely care was provided in this critical situation.

On April 15, 2026, a medical emergency prompted the 'Celebrity Equinox', which was traveling from Malaga to Barcelona, to initiate a medevac for an English passenger on board. After the ship's doctor assessed the situation and recommended immediate evacuation, the CCS Cartagena of Salvamento Marítimo sprang into action. The SAR vessel 'Salvamar Draco' was deployed to safely retrieve the patient from the cruise liner. Following the successful transfer, the individual was transported to Cartagena, where an ambulance was ready to provide further medical assistance and ensure a swift journey to the hospital.

On December 20, 2025, the cruise ship Celebrity Equinox encountered a significant incident in the bustling port of Buenos Aires when strong winds caused the vessel to break free from its mooring. The ship, while navigating, collided with its own berth, the stern of the ship hitting the pier, while at the starboard side, it made contact with a nearby tanker and an adjacent pier at the bow. The bridge crew struggled to regain control quickly enough to prevent the accident. In response to the situation, several harbor tugs were promptly deployed to assist in regaining stability. The Celebrity Equinox was successfully pulled back to its designated berth and resecured. However, the unfortunate incident resulted in noticeable scratches on the ship's hull and caused a gangway connected to the vessel to tumble into the port basin. As a result, embarkation and disembarkation processes faced delays of up to three hours, leading to a temporary suspension of passenger exchange until the Celebrity Equinox was safely moored with a new gangway in place. The scheduled departure from Buenos Aires that evening was also postponed, necessitating an inspection of the damages sustained. Fortunately, it was determined that the damage was cosmetic rather than structural, allowing the ship to set sail the following morning, December 21, albeit with a substantial delay. This delay led to alterations in the cruise itinerary, impacting the Christmas and New Year’s holiday cruise plans. The initial destination, Montevideo, was only reached on December 22 instead of the planned date of December 21.

In a heartbreaking event on June 1, 2024, an elderly female passenger aboard the 'Ecelebrity Equinox' lost consciousness and tragically passed away in her cabin while the cruise ship was docked at the picturesque Port of Mykonos. The 81-year-old woman was attended to by the ship's medical team but was pronounced dead at the scene. Immediately after the incident, the local port authority was notified, and the Coast Guard commenced a report detailing the occurrence. The deceased passenger's body will be transported to the cruise ship's final destination in Civitavecchia, Italy, scheduled to arrive on June 4. Meanwhile, the Mykonos Port Authority is conducting a preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident, ensuring that all protocols are followed during this difficult time.

A significant lawsuit has emerged following the tragic death of 79-year-old Robert Jones on the 'Celebrity Equinox' cruise ship. The incident took place on August 15, 2022, during an East Caribbean excursion. His widow, Marilyn Jones, aged 78, filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida on April 19, 2023, seeking damages of at least $1 million. According to the legal action, Robert Jones experienced a fatal heart attack two days into their cruise, after departing from Fort Lauderdale on August 13, 2022. Following his death, Marilyn Jones claims that the cruise staff inadequately preserved her husband's body, resulting in decomposition that prevented the family from holding an open-casket funeral. The lawsuit describes how Marilyn was given the choice to keep her husband's body in the ship's morgue for six additional days until their return to Florida. However, she alleges that she was dissuaded from disembarking in San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to warnings that local authorities might take possession of the body and conduct an autopsy. The emotional weight of these warnings left her feeling trapped, especially given her advanced age and the fact that she was traveling alone with her husband. When the 'Celebrity Equinox' finally docked in Fort Lauderdale nearly a week later, the family learned that Robert Jones's body had not been placed in the morgue as promised. Instead, it had been relocated to a cooler on a different deck, which lacked the necessary temperature control for proper preservation. The condition of the body—severely decomposed and laid in a bag on the floor—was devastating for the grieving family who were denied essential cultural practices surrounding death, including an open-casket service. The lawsuit argues that Celebrity Cruises Inc. should have been adequately equipped to manage fatalities, especially given that heart attacks are a prevalent risk among cruise passengers. The plaintiffs, including Marilyn Jones and her two daughters, an adult granddaughter, and two minor grandchildren, contend that the cruise line failed to properly maintain its morgue facilities or conduct regular checks to ensure sufficient preservation of deceased passengers. This distressing case not only highlights the emotional trauma faced by the Jones family but also raises significant questions about the operational protocols of cruise lines in handling such sensitive incidents. As the Jones family seeks justice through a jury trial, the case underscores the need for rigorous standards in the management of passenger fatalities at sea.

A passenger aboard the 'Celebrity Equinox' has tested positive for Covid-19, marking the first incident of its kind during the ship’s return to service. The individual sought medical assistance at the ship's medical center on July 30, 2021, exhibiting symptoms associated with the virus. This occurred six days into the vessel's inaugural cruise from the U.S. in over 15 months, a week-long round-trip journey originating from Port Everglades. Remarkably, the affected passenger was fully vaccinated prior to embarking on the cruise.