Passengers aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic skilled a chaotic afternoon on Could 30, 2025, when the ship broke free from its moorings whereas docked in Catania, Italy.
The incident occurred simply after 1 p.m. native time as visitors had been reboarding the vessel following a port cease within the Sicilian metropolis.
Movies and eyewitness studies point out that the ship’s traces snapped one after the other with loud cracks, sending some visitors, who had been on the gangway, tumbling into the water.
“Swiftly, we heard this loud bang,” stated one passenger. “One after the other, the concrete nubs within the floor that maintain the ropes had been pulling out of the bottom and went flying into the ship,” stated one passenger.
Native media reported that robust winds had been a contributing issue within the incident.
Certainly, the Italian Meteorological Service had issued a reasonable wind warning, which signifies sustained wind speeds of 26 to 39 miles per hour or frequent wind gusts of 35 to 57 miles per hour.
Whereas the precise trigger remains to be below investigation, studies point out that the mooring factors on the dock could have failed below stress, mixed with mechanical stress from the ship’s motion.
Port authorities and emergency responders acted rapidly to tug two people from the water after a feminine passenger fell into the water and her husband jumped in to rescue her.
Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that one visitor within the means of disembarking fell from the gangway into the water and each passengers had been taken by ambulance to the native hospital.
“On-duty crew members had been capable of instantly help the visitor from the water and see that they had been evaluated by the medical staff,” stated a spokesperson for the cruise line to Cruise Hive.
“It was decided that they sustained minor accidents and had been transported to a neighborhood hospital for additional examination and therapy.”
Because the ship floated away from the dock and into the harbor, crew members suggested visitors nonetheless on land to return to the town and verify again later.
As soon as Norwegian Epic regained management and returned to port, authorities delayed reboarding till the winds died down.
Passengers reported being instructed they might have the ability to embark by 4 or 5 p.m., however excessive winds continued into the early night, additional delaying the method.
“The disembarkation and embarkation course of was paused till climate circumstances improved and the ship was capable of safely dock once more,” stated Norwegian Cruise Line to Cruise Hive.
A visitor shared that the ship lastly started the reboarding course of at 7:15 p.m., six hours after the incident.
Cruise Delayed in Catania
Norwegian Epic can accommodate over 4,000 passengers and is crusing a 10-night round-trip voyage from Civitavecchia (Rome).
Learn Additionally: Docking a Cruise Ship – How Is It Achieved?
After visiting Santorini, Athens, and Olympia, Greece, in addition to Malta, the 155,873-gross-ton ship arrived in Catania at 8 a.m. The decision was meant to conclude at 6 p.m., and at press time, 9 p.m. native time, the ship stays in port.
She is scheduled to reach in Naples, Italy, on Could 31, adopted by visits to Livorno (Florence), Italy, and Cannes, France, earlier than concluding on June 3, 2025.
Throughout the incident, passengers caught on land took to social media to share their frustration, together with an absence of communication from the crew in port or by way of the Norwegian Cruise Line app.
“Everyone seems to be caught on the port, little or no info from NCL, a few of us have been ready right here since midday. Little or no water, older of us are scorching, there may be not sufficient water or seats,” shared one visitor.
Norwegian Cruise Line responded to the studies and stated, “Throughout this interruption, our crew had been actively attending to our visitors till they had been capable of re-embark the ship. As all the time, the security of our visitors and crew is our prime precedence.”
Regardless of the delay, damaged mooring traces are usually not unusual. In March 2025, a Holland America Line ship needed to skip a port after the traces broke on Rotterdam throughout tough swells.
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