Port Victoria , Seychelles ( CNN ) -- The cruise ship Costa Allegra , disabled two days ago by an engine room fire , is due to arrive in the Seychelles Thursday , Costa Cruises said Wednesday . Passengers and crew will be put on planes and sent home almost immediately , the Indian Ocean nation 's tourism chief said . Costa Cruises said it had secured 600 plane tickets and 400 hotel rooms . There are more than 1,000 people on the Allegra . With power out , they are using mineral water for washing , Costa said . They have a supply of cold food including fruit , cheese and cold cuts , and fresh bread is being flown to the ship by helicopter , the company said . A large French fishing ship began towing the liner to port on Tuesday . A Seychelles Coast Guard ship reached the Costa Allegra later in the day , along with two tugboats from the Seychelles Ports Authority , said Seychelles presidential spokeswoman Srdjana Janosevic . The ship was being escorted to Port Victoria , the Seychelles capital , she said . The Allegra lost power in the Indian Ocean Monday with 636 passengers on board and a crew of 413 , according to Costa Cruises . Most of the passengers are from Europe , but eight are from the United States and 13 are from Canada . Costa initially said Tuesday the ship was expected to arrive Wednesday at the Seychelles island of Desroches , but said later that after `` extensive and accurate checks , '' passengers could not get off on Desroches . The ship is instead being towed to the Seychelles island of Mahe , where Port Victoria is located , the cruise line said . `` The disembarkation in Desroches does not assure the necessary and adequate security conditions for mooring the ship and guests ' disembarkation , '' the cruise line said in a statement . `` In addition , logistics and hotels on the island are not enough ; it would require an immediate transfer from Desroches to Mahe through ferries . '' The ship departed from Diego Suarez , Madagascar , on Saturday and was originally scheduled to arrive in the Seychelles Tuesday . The Allegra is a fleet mate of the Costa Concordia , which wrecked off the coast of Italy on January 13 , killing at least 21 people . CNN 's Zain Verjee , Vladimir Duthiers and Aliza Kassim contributed to this report .
The Costa Allegra is being towed and should arrive Thursday , its owner says . Passengers and crew are using mineral water for washing , Costa says . An engine room fire on Monday left the cruise liner without propulsion . Comment: