Captain who failed breath test charged

SEATTLE – A Celebrity cruise ship captain suspected of drinking shortly before the boat sailed from Seattle for Alaska was charged Monday with one count of operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol.

Periklis Petridis, 46, was in command of the 866-foot Mercury when Coast Guard officials, during a routine safety inspection Friday, suspected that he had been drinking. Court papers said he failed breath tests.

Bail was set at $100,000 for Petridis in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Monday. The cruise company said Friday that Petridis would be fired.