Six young men are under investigation in Italy after they hacked the computer system onboard MSC Divina to broadcast false emergency announcements to public areas on the ship.
MSC Divina was sailing overnight from Marmaris, Turkey, to Naples on 29-30 July when the illegal broadcast caused panic and confusion among passengers.
The broadcast allegedly notified passengers that the ship was adrift after the captain had lost control.
Following the incident, Captain Gabriele Russo addressed passengers over the ship's public address system, explaining that the announcements had been made by individuals who transmitted messages completely unrelated to the ship's normal operations.
Charges against the young men include unauthorised access to a computer system and causing an alarm.