Tug workers' strike strands cruise ship passengers in Vancouver harbour
Update 1 pm: The cruise ship has now set sail for Alaska
Cruise ship passengers aboard the Celebrity Eclipse were supposed to be en route to Alaska by now, but instead, they spent the last day stranded in the Vancouver harbour, with no indication of when or if they’ll leave.
The boat was supposed to depart Sunday at 4:30 pm but was still in the harbour as of 9:30 am Monday — all because of job action by tug boat workers.
“Without the support of tug boats, the ship is unable to depart the port,” Celebrity said on Twitter. “We’re working with local authorities to resolve the situation so that the ship can depart.”
Hi Claire, there’s a local tug workers strike at the Port of Vancouver. Without the support of tug boats, the ship is unable to depart the port. We are working diligently with all local authorities to resolve the situation so that the ship can embark on its sailing.
— Celebrity Cruises (@CelebrityCruise) August 29, 2022
Fuel barge is still attached to #Crusie ship #CelebrityEclipse pic.twitter.com/iOobqAXVY3
— sherepunjabradio (@SherEPunjab600) August 29, 2022
Tug workers began their strike on August 25, after union negotiations with Seaspan reached an impasse. Union members across British Columbia have been told to decline all employment opportunities until the employer delivers an improved offer.
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Passengers aboard the shift have shared their frustrations on social media and have criticized the cruise line operator for its lack of communication. According to passengers on Twitter, the captain updated passengers at 6 pm Sunday and again at 7 am Monday — but there’s still no clear solution.
“Stuck on Celebrity Eclipse in Vancouver harbour. Been on board nearly 20 hours and not moved an inch,” a passenger named Neil Young tweeted. “Not going anywhere and can’t get off. Worst thing is total lack of communication from the company.”
@CelebrityCruise 1/2 Stuck on Celebrity Eclipse in Vancouver Harbour. Been onboard for nearly 20 hours now and not moved an inch. Not going anywhere and can’t get off. Worst thing is total lack of communication from company . Just had first announcement since 6pm last night
— Neil Young (@shakeyneil) August 29, 2022
According to Young, two other cruise ships left before the Eclipse, which was frustrating to watch. Celebrity replied to him, saying the Eclipse just happened to be the final ship scheduled to depart.
“We spent thousands of dollars to go on this cruise and are stuck at the dock due to a fuel barge that is tied off to the ship, and those employees are striking,” Mark Powers tweeted.
How about we focus on the Celebrity Eclipse that was supposed to leave Vancouver at 4 today? We spent thousands of dollars to go on this cruise and are stuck at the dock due to a fuel barge that is tied off to the ship and those employees are striking.
— Mark Powers (@MarkPow57791085) August 29, 2022
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David McCue, another passenger, shared a photo of his view from Vancouver, adding he’s frustrated to learn he’ll miss out on parts of his cruise to Alaska.
My view of our 2nd day of our Alaskan Cruise-still stuck at the wharf in Vancouver 😡😡😡😡 Not real happy and waiting for updates to see what part of our cruise we will miss out on- if we ever get out of port Vancouver pic.twitter.com/1aDsPVs5Gr
— David McCue (@DavidMcCue1) August 29, 2022
Another passenger, Thiago Salgado, said most of the ship is still in high spirits and enjoying the onboard offerings.
“There are worse places to be stuck at,” he said on Twitter. “Crew is very nice and everything on the ship is working as expected. We are still hoping to set sail to Alaska soon.”
Hello Amanda
Not much else to say. There are worse places to be stuck at…
Passengers are still in high spirits enjoying what the ship has to offer. Crew is very nice and everything on the ship is working as expected.
We are still hopping to set sail to Alaska soon. 🤞🏻— Thiago Salgado (@thiago_salgado) August 29, 2022