A Norwegian cruise ship at the centre of a police inquiry after suffering an engine failure which caused it to come within a ‘ship’s length’ of running aground off the coast of the Scandinavian country has become the fifth to anchor in the Firth of Forth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators found a low level of lubricating oil caused all three engines of the MV Viking Sky to shut down in rough seas off the coast of Hustadvika in March 2019 - forcing hundreds of passengers to be evacuated.
Forth Ports say they are now providing “safe anchorage” for the liner and its 359-strong crew after it left Portsmouth during a “period of non-operation”.
The ship, operated by Viking Ocean, is the latest vessel to seek refuge in the estuary while out of service amid the coronavirus outbreak.
An entire fleet of Fred Olsen cruise ships are also moored in the Forth after eight crew members on one liner tested positive for the condition.
Several other crew on the Black Watch have also been tested for the disease, while MS Braemar hit the headlines earlier this year when it was refused by several Caribbean ports after at least five passengers tested positive.
They are anchored alongside the Balmoral and the Boudicca in the Forth.
It is unclear whether any members of the Viking Sky crew have yet been tested for the virus.
Viking Ocean did not respond to Edinburgh Live’s request for comment.
A spokesperson from Forth Ports said: “Forth Ports are providing safe anchorage for the Viking Sky cruise liner during this period of non-operation. The ship arrived into the River Forth on Monday 20th April with 359 crew on board.
“The Viking Sky is a regular caller into the Forth and we are pleased to be able to help our customer during this time.”
The ship made international headlines last year when it suffered an engine blackout on one of the most dangerous parts of the Norwegian coast.
Rescue teams airlifted more than 450 passengers to safety after it continued to drift towards shore despite dropping both anchors.
It later returned to the port at Molde with the assistance of a tug, but an investigation concluded the fault was caused by engine lubricant stocks aboard the vessel dropping below 30 per cent of their capacity.
