Cruise ship, passengers stranded in Miami for repairs

Stranded cruise ship passengers board buses as repairs are made aboard the ship

From John Zarella
CNN Miami Bureau Chief

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- More than 2,000 Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were touring Miami instead of the Caribbean on Monday after the U.S. Coast Guard said the S.S. Norway couldn't sail until more than 100 safety violations were corrected.

A surprise inspection on Sunday left the ship in port when inspectors found that holes in the Norway's sprinkler system had been repaired with so-called "soft patches."

"It's holding and it's not leaking, but if they have a fire and one of the soft patches breaks, then they lose the entire sprinkler system," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Carr.

The cruise operator opened the shipboard bar, offered passengers a refund and a discount on future cruises, and dispatched buses to carry tourists to Miami attractions while repairs were under way.

"We're working very closely with the Coast Guard," said company spokesman Andy Stuart, "but we don't have a detailed update on when the repairs will be complete."

Stuart said, however, that passengers had been asked to return to the ship by 7 p.m. Monday "in the event that we are able to sail."

Several passengers told CNN they weren't overly upset at the delay and were taking the opportunity to see south Florida draws like Seaquarium.

"We're from Nebraska and I've never been to Miami," said one woman. "We'll make the best of it and have a little fun today."

"We won't be disappointed until tomorrow," said one man. "If we're still here tomorrow it may be a different story."

The Norway was scheduled to leave Miami at about 4 p.m. on Sunday for a seven-day cruise of the western Caribbean, reaching such ports as Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line's private Bahamas island.