Captain of Celebrity Cruises Liner Relieved of Duty

Celebrity Cruises relieved the captain of the Mercury of his command and was dismissed from the company following his failure to pass a breath alcohol test given by the U.S. Coast Guard, according to Celebrity´s parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises, in a statement.

The staff captain assumed command of the ship, Royal Caribbean said.

The statement said its policy forbids any officer from consuming alcohol within eight hours of reporting for duty, twice as stringent as international maritime regulations.

“The captain´s actions are totally unacceptable, he has been stripped of his command and [was] ordered off the ship,” said Dan Hanrahan, president of Celebrity Cruises, in the statement.