The stricken Costa Allegra cruise ship finally reached the Seychelles' main port today, after three days at sea without power.
Exhausted passengers, who had been forced to stay out on deck since a fire knocked out the ship's power supply on Monday, half-heartedly cheered and clapped as the liner reached Victoria, on the island of Mahé.
Tour operators waited with buses ready to take some of the guests, who have eaten only emergency rations and washed with bottled mineral water for the last 72 hours, to nearby hotels.
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Exhausted: Costa Allegra passengers stared out at land as they finally reached the Seychelles this morning
Overjoyed: A passenger cheers as she stands on firm ground after a nightmare 72-hour ordeal
ired: Passengers, looking slightly dishevelled, are now working out ways how to continue their journeys
Where's my bag? Passengers tried searching for their luggage after leaving the cruise liner
Task: It was an almost military operation to disembark passengers, hand them their luggage and then find them a place to stay
Others now face a further ferry trip for accommodation as many guest houses are currently fully booked because of the Seychelles' carnival.
And around 266 are being flown to Rome on charter flights this afternoon.
American passenger Eleanor Bradwell talked of the cramped conditions endured by guests by saying: 'The toilets were running over, there was no electricity. It was very hot.'
Her husband Gordon Bradwell said they ate cold sandwiches for three days and moved their bedding onto the deck to escape the stifling heat.
Tired and emotional: Many believe the passengers have had it easy, but conditions onboard are said to have been very cramped with no toilets or electricity
Calm after the storm: Passengers said that when the fire first broke out, they were told to put lifejackets on and go to stations on deck
Loss: Passengers had paid more than £2,500 each for the trip, and were reduced to sleeping on deck in stifling temperatures
'It could have been worse than it was,' said 72-year-old Bradwell. "It could have been disastrous... we're here, we're alive."
She added that the initial response to the alarm seemed to be disorganised but overall felt the shipping line had handled the emergency well.
When the fire first broke out, passengers were directed to put on their life jackets and go to stations on the deck. Life boats were lowered but no one got in after the fire was contained.
In England Jayne Thomas, whose daughter is ship dancer Becky Thomas, 23, said she was worried her daughter would 'get abandoned' in the 'chaos' of disembarkation.
The 48-year-old, of Sutton Coldfield in the Midlands, said: ‘She’s going to have some job getting from the Seychelles back home and I’ve no idea what she’ll be doing.
Docking: The Costa Allegra reach land this morning. Passengers' luggage was taken off the boat and organised into lines at the port of Victoria
Patiently waiting: Passengers onboard the Costa Allegra (left) cheered as they docked, while the world's media (right) gathered to chronicle the events
All smiles: Tour operators pictured gathered at the port waiting for the passengers to disembark
‘I hope she doesn’t just get abandoned in Rome and that all her crew mates will stick together and look after each other.
‘I have to assume passengers will be taken care of first, and that can only lead to delays.
‘But to be honest, I will be so relieved when she gets off that boat because conditions must be deteriorating with no toilets, no showers and all that.’
Hopeful: Passengers look out of the Costa Allegra as it arrives in the Seychelles this morning
All on deck: Passengers were forced to stay on top of the Costa Allegre for 72 hours, as a lack of power meant the entire inside of the ship was shrouded in darkness
It is unclear what provisions are being made for the crew, including Becky, but Guillaume Albert, head of Creole Travel Service, said: 'The focus of the operation is to get them a warm meal and a shower. I think the happy ending is the people coming off the boat.'
The cruise ship, which left Madagascar on Sunday, was 200 miles south of the Seychelles when the engine room fire broke out.
After drifting for a day, a French tuna fishing boat made contact and has been slowly towing the stricken cruise liner to the Seychelles.
On the move: The Costa Allegra pictured being towed towards Victoria in the early hours of this morning
Ordeal: The ship's 636 guests were forced to sleep on the decks in temperatures up to 35C and wash with mineral water supplied by helicopter drops
Its 636 guests, who have an average age of 55, were forced to sleep on the decks in temperatures up to 35c (95f) and wash with mineral water supplied by helicopter drops.
They have been unable to relax in their spacious cabins or enjoy the fine dining in the ship’s numerous restaurants.
Nine Italian marines from the elite San Marco regiment, armed with Heckler and Koch submachine guns, have patrolled on board the ship to fend of possible pirate attacks.
And some 400 flash lights and fresh bread was dropped onto the stricken vessel yesterday.
Facing more chaos: The 1,049 passengers on the stricken Costa Allegra will only have two showers available to them when they dock in the Seychelles today
All at sea: The vessel was being towed by a French fishing boat after losing its power supply during an engine fire on Monday
The month-long cruise of the Indian Ocean was cut short by three weeks because of the incident. It was due to arrive in Savona in northern Italy on March 17.
It is fresh embarrassment for the ship’s owners Costa Cruises, who also owned the Costa Concordia, which ran aground and sank off the coast of Italy six weeks ago, killing more than 30 people.
Costa Cruises say the fire was caused by an electrical fault and have ruled out the possibility of arson.
Prosecutors say they have opened an investigation to establish definitively whether it was started deliberately or it was an accident.
Sweltering: The 636 guests were forced to sleep on the decks, in temperatures up to 35c (95f)
Concerned: Jayne Thomas, whose daughter Becky is on board, expressed fears the passengers and crew would face further delays ( dailymail.co.uk )
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