biggest cruise ship accidents

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The 9 Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

See recent posts by Neil Gladstone

The Titanic may be the most famous ship disaster, but surprisingly, it’s not even close to being the deadliest wreck that ever occurred on a luxury liner. If you’re trying to dissuade someone from taking a cruise, you should show them this list of maritime misadventures presented in no particular order. Disclaimer: The vast majority of cruises sail without incident and are safe and not filled with poop. (Oh yeah, we’ll get there.) Get your plate ready for a buffet of high-seas horror.

1. RMS Titanic

The many experts in 1912 who considered the Titanic “unsinkable” were to be proven wrong on the boat’s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. Thomas Andrews had designed the ship to withstand head-on collisions and rammings from other ships. However, the North Atlantic Ocean iceberg that took down the vessel scraped through five of its 16 watertight compartments. The boat would have reportedly remained afloat if it had only gone through four. Like other systems at the time, the Titanic’s lifeboats were designed to shepherd passengers to nearby rescue ships, not take them to shore. Unfortunately, help was many hours away in the wee hours of April 15 when the boat was going under. The poor crew organization also caused many lifeboats to leave the ship at far less than full capacity. Plus, they only had enough boats for about a third of the onboard. As a result, more than 1,500 people died — either on the ship or in the icy waters, waiting for help. A recent theory suggests a fire that started in the hull before the ship set sail weakened the vessel’s steel walls, making it susceptible to an iceberg that normally wouldn’t have caused as much damage.

2. Eastern Star’s Dongfang zhi Xing

In 2015, Dongfang zhi Xing was traveling on the Yangtze River in China when a thunderstorm struck, and the boat capsized. Ships in the area were warned that bad storms were coming and told to take precautions, but it is unclear if the Dongfang zhi Xing ever received the warnings and continued to sail. The ship was met with winds of up to 72-85 mph, and ultimately, a downburst (a strong downward wind) caused the ship to capsize and sink. Out of the 454 people on board, only 12 survived, making the total number of dead 442.

3. Carnival Cruise Line’s Triumph

A generator fire on Carnival Cruise Lines’s Triumph (now called Carnival Sunrise) left the ship powerless, and a late-night comedy punchline was born: “The Poop Cruise.” Without working bathrooms, passengers were forced to drop their payloads into red “hazardous waste” bags and stuff them into garbage cans left in the hall. Passengers described carpets soaked with more than two inches of raw sewage. News reports described the scene as a “shanty town” and a “new circle of hell.” One passenger reportedly called her husband and told him that their 12-year-old daughter had Skittles for breakfast. It took four days for the Triumph to be towed from the Gulf of Mexico to Mobile, Alabama, where it was possible to smell the ship from the dock. Later, 31 passengers claimed long-lasting damage, including PTSD, and sued. After the verdict, 27 of them split $118,000, many earning less than $3,000 (minus legal fees) for their troubles.

4. Costa Concordia

One of the biggest passenger ships ever wrecked, the Costa Concordia had 17 decks, six restaurants, a three-story theater, and enough room for 4,200 vacationers. On January 13, 2012, Captain Francesco Schettino agreed to a request by the ship’s chief maître d’, Antonello Tievoli, and sailed closer to Isola del Giglio than normal. Why? Tievoli, a native of Giglio, wanted to impress and “salute” local residents. Unfortunately, Captain Schettino turned off the ship’s alarm for the computer navigation system and later admitted he thought he knew the waters well enough to navigate by sight. However, the ship’s first mate testified that the captain had left his glasses in his cabin and requested them. The Costa Concordia struck an underwater rock, capsized, and sank, killing 32 passengers. Schettino’s worst maritime sin? He abandoned the ship with 300 passengers still onboard. A Coast Guard officer in contact with the ship at the time of the sinking claimed he told Schettino to get back onboard. After being convicted of manslaughter and pursuing several appeals, Schettino only started his 16-year prison sentence in May of 2017. The salvage effort (the ship was completely dismantled) was the largest effort of its kind.

5. SS Eastland

Launched in 1903, the SS Eastland was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. Although the ship had noted listing (tilting) since its inception and some measures had been taken to rectify this, the SS Eastland was still suffering from being top-heavy when boarding for a cruise in 1915. The ship was meant to sail from Chicago to Michigan City, Indiana, carrying workers from Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne Works for a picnic. On July 24, 2,572 passengers boarded, with many congregating on the open upper decks. While still docked, the ship began to list to the port side, and reportedly, at some point, more passengers rushed to the port side, causing the ship to roll onto its side completely. Despite the river’s bottom being just 20 feet below and the shore being about the same distance, a total of 844 passengers and crew members died, including 22 entire families.

6. Royal Pacific

When the Royal Pacific was first launched as a passenger ferry in 1964, it could carry 250 passengers, 91 cars, and 16 trucks. Sold and converted into a cruise ship in the late 1980s, the boat’s maiden voyage was a two-night “cruise to nowhere” from Singapore and sailed by Phuket, Malacca, and Penang before returning home. At around 2 a.m., when most passengers were asleep, the crew heard a loud bang, and the plates on the buffet table crashed to the ground. A Taiwanese trawler, Terfu 51, had accidentally rammed the ship, leaving a six-foot gash in the side. As the trawler pulled away, there was a deafening sound of metal scraping against metal. The PA system wasn’t working properly on the boat, but the safety officer ran downstairs to survey the damage. When he returned, he told everyone to put on their life jackets. Reports vary about how many passengers were impacted — most tallies number 30 dead and 70 injured. Several passengers also complained that a mix of Greek-, English- and Mandarin-speaking crew members led to few people understanding what anyone was saying.

7. SS Morro Castle

The story of the SS Morro Castle is so dreadful it’s surprising no Hollywood producer has turned the tale into a horror movie. Director Fritz Lang collaborated on a script about the tragedy, and named it “Hell Afloat” (which is a pretty apt description), but it was never made. Between 1930 and 1934, the SS Morro Castle regularly shuttled 480-plus passengers between Havana and New York. While onboard, there was no Depression to worry about and no Prohibition, which meant plenty of booze-filled partying. However, the September 1934 return sail from Cuba to the Big Apple seemed cursed. On September 7, Captain Robert Wilmott complained of stomach trouble after eating dinner and retired to his cabin, where he later died of an apparent heart attack. Chief Officer William Warms took command, and a few hours later, around 3 a.m. on September 8, a fire started in one of the storage lockers. The crew’s attempts to fight the fire were haphazard and inadequate, and soon, the blaze couldn’t be contained. Many crew members abandoned the ship, leaving confused passengers to fend for themselves in the dark, smoky hallways. Some jumped from the deck to their death in the water. Rescuers lined up on the Jersey Shore to meet the lifeboats carrying passengers. The next morning, the burning, black hull of the SS Morro Castle ran aground at Asbury Park, New Jersey. Of the 549 people aboard the cruise, 86 guests and 49 crew members died.

8. Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas

A cruise can be an oasis of calm in rough waters, but it’s also a petri dish of disease where viruses ricochet from passenger to passenger. In 2014, the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas cruise from New Jersey to the Caribbean earned the dubious honor of being the ship with more sick passengers than any other boat trip since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started keeping statistics more than 20 years ago. An estimated 700 passengers and crew members were sick at some point. Most cruise ship illnesses result from norovirus, that causes inflammation of the stomach and large intestines and regular trips to the “head.” If you’re wondering how to stay healthy on a cruise with sick passengers, plenty of handwashing (and avoiding ill people) is key. Bugs pass quickly through contact with ship railings, bathroom doors, and buffet food.

9. MTS Oceanos

Built by a French company and first launched in 1952, the MTS Oceanos was purchased by a Greek company in 1976. On August 3, 1991, Oceanos set sail for East London, South Africa, and headed north for Durban, led by Captain Yiannis Avranas. The ship reportedly headed into 40-knot winds and 30-foot swells, and thus, the typical sail-away outdoor deck party with British entertainers Moss and Tracy Hills was moved to an indoor lounge. The sea conditions worsened that night, leading to the ship rolling from side to side, and eventually, an explosion was heard due to a lack of repairs for the waste disposal system. This all led to the ship losing power and water filling its generator room, so the generators were shut down and the ship was led adrift. A distress call was sent and answered by numerous South African helicopters and a Dutch container ship. Shockingly, the captain and many crew members were among the first to be airlifted to shore, leaving the entertainment staff to coordinate the rescue efforts and help passengers to safety. All 571 passengers and crew members were saved by the time the ship sank nose-first into the sea.

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The world’s worst cruise ship disasters

Tragedies aboard cruise ships live on in infamy as the sinking of RMS Titanic, the biggest cruise disaster in history, bears witness. Ship-technology.com lists the worst ever cruise ship disasters.

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RMS Titanic

The sinking of RMS Titanic in April 1912 remains the worst, and the most infamous, cruise ship disaster in history. The sinking of the biggest passenger ship ever built at the time resulted in the death of more than 1,500 of the 2,208 people onboard.

The accident occurred when the ship hit an iceberg while cruising at its maximum speed of 23k on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The massive loss of life in the North Atlantic Ocean resulted mainly from hypothermia.

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RMS Titanic was the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners operated by White Star Line. It was constructed by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast in three years and was designed by the naval architect Thomas Andrews.

RMS Titanic measured 269.11m in length, 28.042m in breadth, had a gross tonnage of 46,328t and comprised nine decks. The cruise ship was equipped with 20 lifeboats for 1,178 people.

The steamship’s three propellers were driven by two four-cylinder, triple-expansion, inverted reciprocating steam engines and one four-blade low-pressure Parsons turbine.

RMS Lusitania

The sinking of RMS Lusitania in May 1915, after being hit by the German military submarine U-20, caused 1,201 deaths during a voyage from New York to Liverpool. She was considered the largest, fastest and most luxurious ship in the world at the time of her launch in June 1906.

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The Lusitania disaster resulted in the death of many Americans and became one of the major reasons behind the US entering World War I.

The German submarine targeted the submarine as a naval ship, as it was also carrying war weapons for the British.

RMS Lusitania was built by John Brown and Co. of Scotland and completed its maiden voyage in September 1907. The steamship was owned and operated by Cunard Company; a rival of White Star Line, which owned the Titanic.

RMS Lusitania had an overall length of 239.8m, beam of 26.7m, draft of 10.2m, depth of 18.4m, gross tonnage of 31,550t and ten decks. It was designed to accmmodate 2,165 passengers and 827 crew members. It was equipped with four 375kW generator sets and possessed a service speed of 25k and a maximum speed of 26.35k.

RMS Empress of Ireland

RMS Empress of Ireland, which sank in the Saint Lawrence River in May 1914, claimed the lives of 1,012 people out of the 1,477 people onboard. It was the second major cruise ship disaster after the Titanic disaster. The Ocean Liner operated on the North Atlantic route between Quebec and Liverpool in England.

The passenger steamship collided with the 6,000t Norwegian collier, the Storstad, following a thick fog which engulfed the river. Just five of the 42 lifeboats could be launched into the water due to the listing of the vessel on her starboard side. The accident was aggravated by the cold conditions, failure to close the ship’s watertight doors and failure to close all portholes aboard.

RMS Empress of Ireland was owned by Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. It was designed by Francis Elgar and built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering. The ocean liner was launched in January 1906 and completed her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montreal in June 1906.

The cruise ship was 168m long, its beam measured 20m and gross tonnage was 14,191t. The ship was equipped with two steam engines and two quadruple expansion propellers, which provided a maximum operating speed of 20k.

MS Estonia, formerly known as Viking Sally, Silja Star and Wasa King during different periods from 1980 to 1993, sank in September 1994 during its voyage from Tallinn to Stockholm, resulting in 852 deaths, while 137 people were saved through rescue operations.

The cruise ferry accident was caused by rough sea conditions in the Baltic Sea, when wind speeds ranged from 35mph to 45mph. The bad sea conditions forced the ship to initially list on the starboard side and later sink completely.

The ferry was constructed by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, in 1980. The ferry, initially named Viking Sally, was delivered in June 1980 to its first owner Rederi Ab Sally. The vessel was operated by EstLine from 1993 to 1994.

MS Estonia measured 155.43m in length, 24.21m in breadth, had a draught of 5.55m, a gross tonnage of 15,598t and featured nine decks and ten lifeboats. The vessel was equipped with four 4,400kW diesel engines connected to two propeller shafts, and had an operational speed of 21k. The cruise ferry had capacity to accommodate 2,000 passengers and 460 cars.

SS Eastland

The SS Eastland disaster in July 1915 claimed more than 844 lives out of the 2,500 people onboard. The disaster occurred when the ship listed while being still tied to a dock in the Chicago River during preparations to cruise to Michigan City.

The probable causes of the disaster are believed to be the flaws in its design and construction, inadequacy of its ballast tanks and overloading. The accident occurred when the passengers embarked the ship. The ship initially listed to the starboard side and further to portside, throwing off passengers and trapping some in the interior cabins.

SS Eastland was owned by Michigan Transportation Company and operated by Chicago-South Haven Line. It was constructed by Jenks Ship Building Company, which specialised in constructing freighters but had no prior experience in construction of passenger vessels. The vessel was launched in May 1903.

The cruise ship had an overall length of 275m, width of 38m and gross tonnage of 1,961t. It was equipped with two triple expansion steam engines, four scotch boilers and two shafts. The vessel was designed for a top speed of 16.5k. It was equipped with 11 life boats and 37 life rafts.

Saint-Philibert Cruise Ship

Saint-Philibert was a twin screw-propelled small cruise ship that met with disaster in June 1931 resulting in the loss of about 500 lives, sparing just eight passengers while on its homeward run on the Loire Estuary in France.

The disaster was induced by harsh storms driving the passengers to take shelter behind the machinery casings, which caused the ship to list over. It was further struck by a wave causing her to sink. The ship, which carried approximately 500 people during the voyage, exceeded the normal carrying capacity by about 80%.

The inadequacy of the ship’s speed to face such waves, lack of coverings for shelter and absence of communication equipment further aggravated the situation. Besides, the captain and crew were considered unqualified.

Saint-Philibert cruise ship measured 32m in length and 6.4m in breadth, and had a draft of 2.74m and gross tonnage of 189t.

SS Admiral Nakhimov

The SS Admiral Nakhimov disaster in August 1986 resulted in the death of 423 people, mostly Ukranians, out of the 1,234 people onboard. The accident occurred in the Tsemes Bay near the port of Novorossiysk enroute Sochi.

The cruise ship collided with the large bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev at a speed of five knots, causing it to sink within a few minutes. The accident was caused by negligence of the captains of the two ships. The captain of Pyotr Vasev failed to heed the warning announced from SS Admiral Nakhimov, while the captain of Admiral Nakhimov was absent on the bridge at the time of the tragedy.

The passenger liner was originally named SS Berlin III and operated on the Crimean-Caucasian line. It was owned by Norddeutscher Lloyd and constructed by Bremer Vulkan.

SS Admiral Nakhimov had an overall length of 174m, beam of 21.02m and gross tonnage of 17,053t. It had a capacity to accommodate 1,125 passengers and 354 crew, and a cruise speed of 16k.

Aleksandr Suvorov

Aleksandr Suvorov, a river cruise ship of the Valerian Kuybyshev-class, met with disaster in June 1983 resulting in the death of 176 people out of the 415 people onboard, while cruising on the Volga-Don basin in Russia. The blame for the accident was placed on the captain who failed to prevent the accident and had not provided a proper order.

Just prior to the accident, an auction to be held at the cinema hall was announced, leading the passengers to the upper deck of the ship. The ship, which was cruising at a speed of about 13.5k at the time, crashed onto a bridge, failing to pass through the second span of the bridge. A freight train passing through the bridge was also affected by the crash, causing some cars to derail and fall on the ship.

Volga-Don Shipping Company was the operator of the ship at the time. Slovenské Lodenice constructed the vessel in Komárno, Czechoslovakia. The ship was restored after the accident and is currently operated by Vodohod.

Aleksander Suvorov has an overall length of 135.75m and width of 16.8m, and is comprised of four decks. It can accommodate 400 passengers and 83 crew, and runs on a 6CHRN36/45 (EG70 -5) diesel engine.

SS Morro Castle

The SS Morro Castle disaster in September 1934 resulted in the loss of more than 137 passengers and crew out of the 318 passengers and 240 crew onboard. The cruise ship was on its 174th return voyage to New York City from Havana.

The disaster was caused by a fire, which emanated from the cruise ship’s library and engulfed the entire ship. The fire was worsened by bad weather, inadequate crew and the ship’s design, which incorporated easily flammable interior materials. Just 12 lifeboats were launched out of the many lifeboats capable of rescuing 408 people.

The ship was owned by Agwi Navigation Co. and operated by Ward Line. It was constructed in 1930 at a cost of approximately $5m by Newport News Shipbuilding. The vessel completed her maiden voyage in August 1930 and served Ward Line along with its sister vessel SS Oriente for four years.

SS Morro Castle was 155m long, 21.6m wide and 11.9m deep, and had a capacity to carry 489 passengers and 240 crew. The steam turbo-electric liner was propelled by two turbines and sailed at a speed of 20k.

SS Andrea Doria

The SS Andrea Doria collided with the eastbound Swedish passenger liner Stockholm due to poor visibility caused by a thick fog. The disaster took place in July 1956 near the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, while cruising towards New York City resulting in the death of 52 people, while 1,660 people were rescued.

It is considered the world’s first major radar-assisted collision at sea, as the cause of the accident is assumed to be from the misreading of the radar. It was struck just aft and below the starboard bridge, and sank after 11 hours.

The ocean liner was owned by Italian Line and constructed by Ansaldo Shipyards of Genoa, Italy, at a cost of approximately $30m. It was launched in June 1951 and set out on its maiden voyage in January 1953.

SS Andrea Doria measured 212m in length, had a beam of 27m and a gross tonnage of 29,100t. It featured ten decks and was equipped with two steam turbines providing a top speed of 23k.

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The Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

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A cruise is supposed to be a week of rest, relaxation, and adventure, but for the people on the cruises on this list, it was a nightmare. This list is full of the worst cruise ship disasters in history, from disease outbreaks, to power outages, to shipwrecks.  

This list will make you think twice about going on that cruise to the Caribbean. Disasters like these are, statistically, not that common. But still, you would not want to be stuck on any of these unfortunate maritime adventures.

Viking Sky: Lost Power In Dangerous Waters Off The Coast Of Norway

March 14, 2019, the Viking Sky set sail off the coast of Norway with more than 890 passengers on board. For unknown reasons, the ship lost power in particularly dangerous waters off the Norwegian coast called Hustadvika. An evacuation team began airlifting passengers to safety via helicopter. The ship rocked in the waves and high winds, causing glass to shatter, heavy objects to fall and slide, and cabins to flood. 

The ship was stranded for 24 hours before it regained power and was tugged back to shore. Twenty people were injured, everyone's trips were refunded, and the rest of the cruise was canceled. 

Titanic: Hit An Iceberg

Though Titanic wasn't technically a cruise ship, its demise is the worst maritime mishap in history. The ship, which was supposed to be unsinkable, hit an iceberg and went under. About 1,500 people perished.

Costa Concordia: Ran Aground

S. S. Eastland: Tipped Over At Port

Seabourn spirits: bombarded by pirates.

In 2005, Seabourn Spirits was bombarded off the coast of Somalia by two boats of pirates . The ship's captain was able to outrun them, and thankfully only one person  was injured. The ship made it to port to repair the damage from grenades.

Royal Pacific: Collided With Fishing Trawler

In 1992, the Royal Pacific collided with a Taiwanese fishing trawler due to poor visibility in the middle of the night. The collision caused the cruise ship to sink, and 30 of the 530 passengers perished. 

Star Princess: Fire On Ship

In 2006, a fire broke out on the Star Princess while it was on its way to Jamaica. Three hundred rooms were damaged, 13 people had to be treated for smoke inhalation, and one person suffered a coronary because of the smoke. The cause of the fire was a discarded cigarette.

MTS Oceanos: Capsized Due To Negligence

The MTS Oceanos was carrying 571 passengers on a short cruise from East London to Durban, South Africa. The ship had been neglected and badly needed repairs, but it sailed anyway. It capsized because of a hole in the bulkhead. The captain abandoned ship without even bothering to send a distress call, but thankfully an entertainer named Moss Hills put out an SOS and successfully evacuated everyone on board. 

Carnival Triumph: No Working Toilets

Pacific Sun: Harsh Storm

Louis Majesty: Rogue Waves

Celebrity Mercury: Norovirus Outbreak

Carnival Splendor: Lost Power

Explorer of the Seas: Record Number Of Sick People

M.s. black watch: legionnaires disease.

Norwegian Dawn: Cabins Flooded

In April 2005, a rogue 70-foot wave hit the Norwegian Dawn , smashing windows and flooding 62 cabins. The ship encountered stormy weather on its way back to New York City from the Bahamas. About 300 passengers chose to get off early, in Charleston.

In the middle of the ocean, no one can hear you scream.

10 Major Cruise Ships And Passenger Vessels That Sank

The Titanic might seem the worst passenger ship accident. However, many historic cruise ships met the same fate, though they were not as famous as the RMS Titanic. The earliest cruise ships were constructed in the 1850s but gained prominence after the World Wars ended when vacationing on the seas seemed attractive.

Cruise ships were also constructed before that and targeted the affluent section of society. Also, cruise voyages in the 19th and 20th centuries were fraught with many dangers compared to present-day journeys, which have become relatively safer, thanks to advancements in maritime technologies. 

However, one commonality remains. Cruise voyages are as thrilling and exciting as they were in their bygone days. This article will enlighten you about the 12 major cruise ships that sank. 

1. The Unfateful RMS Titanic

The most infamous cruise ship accident has to be the RMS Titanic. The Olympic-Class Ocean liner was owned by White Star Line and built in Northern Ireland. It was the largest passenger ship of its time, designed by Thomas Andrews, capable of carrying over 3000 people.

It was called unsinkable due to its 16 watertight compartments that could be closed in case of a collision. Sadly, the ship sank from Southampton to New York on its first voyage. It hit a massive iceberg in April 1912, near Newfoundland, Canada, and drowned three hours later, consuming 1500 of the 2208 people onboard. The chilly waters of the North Atlantic killed everyone from hypothermia before help could arrive.

Directed by James Cameron, the movie released in 1997 immortalized the ship disaster. The Titanic was almost 270 m long and 28.042 m broad. It had nine decks and a gross tonnage of 46,328 tonnes. It was equipped with only 20 lifeboats, enough for 1,178 passengers. Had there been more life crafts, precious lives could have been saved.

2. The Mighty, Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia sank due to a small mistake of the captain and one of the officers. It was a magnanimous passenger ship containing 17 decks, a three-storeyed theatre, swimming pools, gymnasiums, restaurants, and much more. The ship could accommodate over 4000 people.

According to investigation reports, the vessel hit an underwater rock when it sailed pretty close to the shore of Isola del Giglio island on 13 January 2012. Captain Francesco Schettino closed the computer navigation alarm since he thought he could navigate the waters himself. Unfortunately, he left his glasses in his cabin, and the damage had been done by the time he got them.

The vessel capsized and sank near Tuscany. Despite the six-hour rescue operation, 34 people died. What’s shocking is that the captain abandoned the ship while 300 passengers were onboard, despite the Coast Guard Officer’s attempt to dissuade him. He was convicted of manslaughter and got a 16-year prison sentence in 2017.

3. The Graceful, MS Estonia

Cruise ferry MS Estonia was struck amidst bad weather in the Baltic Sea, which led to its demise. The ship was built in 1980 by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. It was known by many names like Viking Sally and Wasa King before 1993. It sank while sailing from Tallinn to Stockholm in September 1994.

According to reports, it sank as its bow door locks couldn’t open during the storm, with strong winds lashing at a speed of 35 to 45 miles per hour. Hence, the ship tilted to the starboard side and later drowned completely due to excessive flooding on the car deck. The ship surged in an hour and took 852 people to the seabed. Only 137 passengers survived and were rescued.

MS Estonia was 155.43 m long and 24.2 m wide, with a 5.5 m draught and 15,598 gross tonnages. It had 9 decks and 10 lifeboats which were not enough for 2000 people. It could also carry over 410 cars.

4. RMS Lusitania

The German attack on Cruise Ship RMS Lusitania in 1915 was one of the main reasons behind the entry of the US into the First World War. It was hit as a naval vessel since it also contained military weapons for Britain.

Military Submarine U-20 attacked the cruise while traveling to Liverpool from New York. Launched in 1906, the vessel was constructed by Jon Brown and Corporation and operated by Cunard Company.

The humongous steamship was the largest and most luxurious vessel at that time. It measured almost 240 m lengthwise and 27 m breadthwise, with a 10.2 m draft. The 31,550-tonne ship had 10 decks and a maximum sailing speed of 26.3 knots. It could easily carry 2160 people and over 800 crew. When it sank, 1201 people lost their lives, most Americans.

5. SS Andrea Doria

The SS Andrea Doria went down not because of rough seas or striking an iceberg or underwater formations. Instead, it collided with another passenger vessel called Stockholm due to misreading the radar. Hence, it is remembered as the world’s major radar-caused collision. The incident could not be averted as thick fog barred visibility.

The disaster occurred in July 1956 off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, when the liner was sailing to New York. Hit under the starboard bridge, it was engulfed by waves after 11 hours which gave nearby vessels enough time to respond to its SOS call. Over 50 people died, mostly due to the impact, and over 1650 were rescued.

Owned by Italian Line, it was constructed for a whopping 30 million US dollars. The 212 m long ship had 10 decks and powerful steam turbines, enabling it to attain a maximum speed of 23 knots.

6. SS Eastland

This passenger ship used for touring killed 844 people while it was docked in a port on the Chicago River on 24 July 1915. The vessel rolled over to its starboard side and submerged in water, trapping most passengers inside. It is one of the greatest ship accidents recorded in the history of the Great Lakes.

The accident occurred while the 2500 people were embarking on the vessel, preparing to cruise through Michigan. The possible causes of this disaster were structural flaws in its design, overloading, and inadequacy of the ballast tanks.

Later it was salvaged and handed over to the US Navy, which restored and modified it. It became a gunboat called USS Wilmette and was used for training. It was scrapped after the second world war ended.

It was launched in 1903 by the Michigan Transportation Company. the 275 m long cruise ship was equipped with 11 lifeboats and 37 life rafts. t had a top speed of 16.5 knots.

7. RMS Empress of Ireland

Ocean Liner Empress of Ireland was carrying 1477 passengers when it struck another Norwegian vessel, the 6000-tonne Storstad, due to poor visibility in the Saint Lawrence River. More than 1000 people died in May 1914, the second biggest cruise disaster of the period, following the Titanic incident.

The cruise ship followed the North Atlantic route between Liverpool and Quebec. Though it contained 42 lifeboats, only four could be launched in water as it tilted on her starboard side, causing panic and chaos onboard the ship. The harsh cold and the inability to close its watertight doors and portholes worsened the situation.

The 168 m long and 20 m broad cruise ship was launched in 1906. t was owned by the Canadian Pacific Steamship company and designed by Francis Elgar. Mirfield Shipping and Engineering were responsible for her construction.

It had 14,191 gross tonnages, two steam engines, and propellors, providing a top sailing speed of 20 knots.

8. SS Admiral Nakhimov 

The collision of the cruise ship SS Admiral Nakhimov with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev was due to the carelessness of both the vessels’ captains. T e captain of the bulk ship failed to respond to the warning signals issued by the cruise ship. H  was not present on the bridge when the vessel hit each other at 5 knots.

The cruise ship disaster occurred in 1986 in Tsemes Bay near Novorossiysk port when the vessel was en route to Sochi. I  was carrying 1234 passengers, of which 423 died due to the collision and its aftermath. 

Initially named SS Berlin II, the cruise liner operated on the Crimean-Caucasian route. It was built by Bremer Vulkan and owned by Norddeutscher Lloyd.

The majestic ship had an overall length of 174 m, a 21 m beam, and 17,054 gross tonnes. It could conveniently accommodate 1125 passengers and over 300 crew members. It had a cruising speed of 16 knots.

9. SS Morro Castle

Cruise vessel SS Morro Castle was burned and sank in September 1934, claiming the lives of over 135 passengers and crew members. A total of 318 passengers and 239 crew were aboard the ship on its journey from Havanna to New York.

The accident occurred as the fire spread from its library to the decks and cabins, engulfing the superstructure in flames. I  was aggravated by the ship’s decor, which was made of wood and other flammable material. The fire could not be controlled due to rough weather, incapable staff, and the ship’s design. 

Only 12 lifeboats could be launched out of the several available on board. The decks burned the feet, and passengers leaped into ocean swells. The ship was abandoned by afternoon and the survivors were taken to the New Jersey Coast.

 Interestingly, the previous evening, the ship’s captain, Robert Wilmott, died suddenly. T e Chief Officer took command and was worried about a strong northeast wind and dark clouds.

The exact cause of the fire remains a mystery; however, an overheated funnel and electric circuitry are blamed. T ose related to the incident, also speak of arson by a crew member.

It was owned by Agwi Navigation Co. and constructed in 1930. T e 155 m long cruise ship could carry 489 people apart from 240 crew at a speed of 20 knots.

10. Saint-Philibert

A small cruise ship sailing from Loire River, near the French coast, met with tragedy in June 1931. T e ship was carrying 500 people, mostly workers, and their children, from Nantes port. I  exceeded its carrying capacity by 80 percent. T e danger was doubled when it encountered raging seas and rough weather, which was not precedented as it was the summer season.

The captain and crew members panicked as there was nothing to be done. O t of the 500 people onboard, only 8 survived the horrific accident. T e violent storm forced passengers to take shelter near machinery casings, which tilted the ship to its starboard side and it ultimately capsized when struck by a gigantic wave.

The ship was not equipped to face bad weather, and the captain and crew were not experienced. Appropriate communication equipment was also missing onboard the vessel.

A trial was conducted in 1933, the victims’ families lost the case, and the ship’s owners were set free without any penalties. The cruise vessel was 32 m long and 6.4 m broad with a gross tonnage of 189 tonnes.

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• Titanic vs. Modern Cruise Ship: How Ships Have Evolved 
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Top 10 Largest Cruise Ships in 2022

Disclaimer:  The authors’ views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Marine Insight.  Data and charts, if used in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendations on any course of action to be followed by the reader.

The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared, or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight.

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Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

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The 8 Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

Somali pirates, icebergs, and coral reefs have ruined many would-be vacations.

Gregorio Borgia | AP

Carnival Triumph:  What was supposed to be a four-day jaunt to the Caribbean became an eight-day nightmare when an engine fire left the ship floating in the Gulf of Mexico without power, air-conditioning, or a working septic system.

[ RELATED: Cruise From Hell Set to Limp Ashore Tonight ]

Carnival Splendor:  Carnival's Splendor suffered a similar fate as Carnival's Triumph in November 2011. Both were stranded by engine fires, though the Splendor was left floating in the Pacific Ocean. After three days the Splendor and its 4,500 passengers were towed back to the San Diego Bay.

Costa Concordia:  This Italian cruise ship ran aground on a reef off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, in January 2012 and toppled onto its side. Of the 4,200 aboard, 32 died and 64 were injured, according to the Associated Press . The half-submerged ship is still being removed.

[ PHOTOS: Costa Concordia Disaster: One Year Later ]

Seabourn Spirits:  In 2005, while 100 miles off the coast of Somalia, pirates in speedboats attacked the small cruise ship. The pirates fired on it with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before the captain changed course and got away. None of the ship's 300 passengers were hurt, and the ship made it to the Seychelles where the rocket damage was repaired.

Celebrity Mercury:  More than 400 of the 2,600 passengers and crew onboard the Mercury were stricken ill in 2010 in what the Centers for Disease control deemed a norovirus outbreak . The virus caused widespread vomiting and other gastrointestinal ills on the ship, which left from Charleston, S.C.

Norwegian Dawn:  At least 62 cabins were flooded when a 70-foot wave smashed into the Dawn, in 2005. About 300 of the ship's passengers disembarked early, in Charleston, after the storm had passed.

S.S. Eastland:  In 1915, just three years after the Titanic sank, the S.S. Eastland passenger tour ship rolled over while in port in downtown Chicago. More than 840 of its 2,500 passengers died in the accident.

RMS Titanic:  The original cruise ship disaster, the "unsinkable ship" struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage in 1912 and sank into the icy water, killing more than 1,500 of its 2,200 passengers and crew.

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• 10 Of The Worst Cruise Disasters

• On April 14, 1912, the Titanic sank 400 miles from Newfoundland, plunging 2,200 travelers into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean.
• With 3,800 passengers, the Star Princess was going to Montego Bay when the flames started.
• Back in 2006, a young man on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas disappeared.

Cruise ships are like floating hotels, with comfortable cabins to sleep in, restaurants with different cuisine, nightclubs, entertainment, swimming pools, and even rock-climbing walls. They are so popular that some people choose only to travel this way. Like all vacations, they are subject to accidents and other disasters that can change peoples’ lives. Looking back, here are ten of the worst cruise disasters that have ever happened.

10. Freedom of the Seas

One of the most recent cruise ship disasters happened in July of 2019 when a one-year-old girl died after falling from a Royal Caribbean ship docked in Puerto Rico. Her grandfather had put her on a ledge by a window but did not realize the window was open at the time.

9. Mariner of the Seas

Back in 2006, a young man on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas disappeared. An investigation revealed that he fell overboard. It turned out that he was extremely intoxicated, and after his friends left him, he went to the railing to throw up and slid off. The ship’s surveillance cameras were not being monitored at the time.

8. Seabourn Spirits

The movie Captain Phillips with Tom Hanks is based on pirate hijackings in Somalia , which is what almost happened to Seabourn Spirits luxury cruise liner in 2005. Two armed boats fired machine guns and grenades at the ship, but it was able to outrun them and then change its course.

7. Celebrity Mercury

A different virus attacked this cruise ship three times in 2010: The norovirus. It first struck on February 15, infecting 411 passengers. Eleven days later 182 more passengers got ill with vomiting and diarrhea, and a few weeks later in early March passengers became sick once again.

6. Explorer of the Seas

This Royal Caribbean ship’s passengers fell victim to a widespread stomach virus, which affected 700 crew members and passengers. The crew had to set up temporary infirmaries to care for the ill.

5. Star Princess

A fire caused this 2006 cruise ship disaster. The Star Princess was traveling to Montego Bay with 3,800 passengers on board when the flames started. The fire killed one person and destroyed 100 cabins and three decks.

4. Carnival Triumph

A fire led to a power outage on this cruise ship in 2013. Soon after, the 4,000 passengers and crew members found themselves without food and water for four days while the boat drifted. Compounding matters was the fact that the toilets stopped working. People ending up relieving themselves in bags, which gave rise to the cruise’s nickname: “Poop Cruise.”

3. The Pacific Sun

This vessel was traveling 400 miles outside of New Zealand in 2008 when it was hit by 50 mph winds and 25-foot waves. Although the 671 crew members and 1,732 passengers were tossed around and frightened, there was no loss of lives.

2. The S.S. Eastland

In 1915, this cruise ship met disaster before it even sailed. It was set to transport 2,500 Western Electric employees to a company picnic. While at its Chicago port, the ship tipped over, killing 844 people. Twenty-two families perished when the cruise ship sank.

1. The Titanic

Everyone has seen the movie. On April 14, 1912, the Titanic sank 400 miles from Newfoundland, plunging 2,200 travelers into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean. Only 700 out of the 2,200 passengers survived the disaster.

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'We all suffer from PTSD': 10 years after the Costa Concordia cruise disaster, memories remain

GIGLIO, Italy — Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for the passengers on board and the residents who welcomed them ashore, the memories of that harrowing, freezing night remain vividly etched into their minds.

The dinner plates that flew off the tables when the rocks first gashed the hull. The blackout after the ship's engine room flooded and its generators failed. The final mad scramble to evacuate the listing liner and then the extraordinary generosity of Giglio islanders who offered shoes, sweatshirts and shelter until the sun rose and passengers were ferried to the mainland.

Italy on Thursday is marking the 10th anniversary of the Concordia disaster with a daylong commemoration that will end with a candlelit vigil near the moment the ship hit the reef: 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2012. The events will honor the 32 people who died that night, the 4,200 survivors, but also the residents of Giglio, who took in passengers and crew and then lived with the Concordia's wrecked carcass off their shore for another two years until it was righted and hauled away for scrap.

► CDC travel guidance: CDC warns 'avoid cruise travel' after more than 5,000 COVID cases in two weeks amid omicron

“For us islanders, when we remember some event, we always refer to whether it was before or after the Concordia,” said Matteo Coppa, who was 23 and fishing on the jetty when the darkened Concordia listed toward shore and then collapsed onto its side in the water.

“I imagine it like a nail stuck to the wall that marks that date, as a before and after,” he said, recounting how he joined the rescue effort that night, helping pull ashore the dazed, injured and freezing passengers from lifeboats.

The sad anniversary comes as the cruise industry, shut down in much of the world for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, is once again in the spotlight because of COVID-19 outbreaks that threaten passenger safety. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month  warned people across-the-board not to go on cruises, regardless of their vaccination status, because of the risks of infection.

► 'We found out while we were flying': Last-minute cruise cancellations leave travelers scrambling

► 'The Disney magic is gone' ... or is it?: Longtime fans weigh in on changes at Disney World

'We all suffer from PTSD'

For Concordia survivor Georgia Ananias, the COVID-19 infections are just the latest evidence that passenger safety still isn’t a top priority for the cruise ship industry. Passengers aboard the Concordia were largely left on their own to find life jackets and a functioning lifeboat after the captain steered the ship close too shore in a stunt. He then delayed an evacuation order until it was too late, with lifeboats unable to lower because the ship was listing too heavily.

“I always said this will not define me, but you have no choice," Ananias said in an interview from her home in Los Angeles, Calif. “We all suffer from PTSD. We had a lot of guilt that we survived and 32 other people died.”

Prosecutors blamed the delayed evacuation order and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued as passengers scrambled to get off the ship. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated.

Ananias and her family declined Costa’s initial $14,500 compensation offered to each passenger and sued Costa, a unit of U.S.-based Carnival Corp., to try to cover the cost of their medical bills and therapy for the post-traumatic stress they have suffered. But after eight years in the U.S. and then Italian court system, they lost their case.

“I think people need to be aware that when you go on a cruise, that if there is a problem, you will not have the justice that you may be used to in the country in which you are living,” said Ananias, who went onto become a top official in the International Cruise Victims association, an advocacy group that lobbies to improve safety aboard ships and increase transparency and accountability in the industry.

Costa didn’t respond to emails seeking comment on the anniversary.

► Royal Caribbean cancels sailings: Pushes back restart on several ships over COVID

'We did something incredible'

Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, stressed in a statement to The Associated Press that passenger and crew safety was the industry's top priority, and that cruising remains one of the safest vacation experiences available.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the victims of the Concordia tragedy and their families on this sad anniversary," CLIA said. It said it has worked over the past 10 years with the International Maritime Organization and the maritime industry to “drive a safety culture that is based on continuous improvement."

For Giglio Mayor Sergio Ortelli, the memories of that night run the gamut: the horror of seeing the capsized ship, the scramble to coordinate rescue services on shore, the recovery of the first bodies and then the pride that islanders rose to the occasion to tend to the survivors.

► Cruising during COVID-19: Cancellation, refund policies vary by cruise line

Ortelli was later on hand when, in September 2013, the 115,000-ton, 1,000-foot long cruise ship was righted vertical off its seabed graveyard in an extraordinary feat of engineering. But the night of the disaster, a Friday the 13th, remains seared in his memory.

“It was a night that, in addition to being a tragedy, had a beautiful side because the response of the people was a spontaneous gesture that was appreciated around the world,” Ortelli said.

It seemed the natural thing to do at the time. “But then we realized that on that night, in just a few hours, we did something incredible.”

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Crewman killed in accident on world's biggest cruise ship

One man dies and four others injured after lifeboat became detached from Harmony of the Seas while docked in Marseille

One person has died and four others have been injured, two of them critically, after a lifeboat fell from the world’s largest cruise liner while it was docked at Marseille.

The boat, with five crew members on board, reportedly detached from the fifth deck of the Harmony of the Seas during a training exercise and fell 10 metres (30ft) into the water.

The dead crewman was said to be a 42-year-old from the Philippines. French press reports said three of the injured were also Filipino and the fourth was Indian.

Julien Ruas, a deputy mayor of Marseille, said two of the injured men were in a critical condition in Marseille Nord hospital and the other two were being treated for “serious multiple injuries”.

French gendarmes have opened an inquiry into the cause of the accident and are examining why cables attaching the lifeboat to the liner suddenly broke.

The Harmony of the Seas is a 120,000-tonne liner operated by Royal Caribbean, based in Florida. It is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, and five times the volume of the Titanic. It has 16 decks and can carry nearly 6,400 passengers and 2,400 crew. It had sailed to Marseille from Palma, in Majorca.

Royal Caribbean said: “We regret the sad death of a crew member of the Harmony of the Seas that happened this morning during a rescue exercise in the port of Marseille. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and other members of our crew.”

STX France , the shipyard, where the Harmony of the Seas was built, has signed a “letter of intention” with Royal Caribbean to build three new ocean liners for around €2.5bn (£2.1bn).

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Rogue Wave Strikes Cruise Ship, Killing a Passenger and Injuring 4 Others

The passengers were hurt after a large, unpredictable wave hit the ship, which was traveling toward the Antarctic, Viking Cruises said.

By Amanda Holpuch

A passenger died and four others were injured after a large, unexpected wave hit a cruise ship traveling toward a popular launching point for expeditions to Antarctica, Viking Cruises said.

The ship, the Viking Polaris, was struck by a “rogue wave” on Tuesday at 10:40 p.m. local time while traveling toward Ushuaia, Argentina, which is on the southern tip of South America, Viking Cruises said in a statement .

Viking Cruises did not say how the passenger was killed or provide the passenger’s name. The four passengers who were injured were treated by onboard medical staff and had non-life-threatening injuries, Viking Cruises said.

A State Department official said that a U.S. citizen died and that the department was offering consular assistance to the person’s family.

Rogue waves are unpredictable, typically twice the size of surrounding waves and often come from a different direction than the surrounding wind and waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Scientists are still trying to figure out how and when these uncommon waves form.

Ann Mah, of Topeka, Kan., told the news station WIBW that she and her husband were on the ship when it was hit by the wave and that it was “just like your whole house got shook really hard.”

“I mean, it was just a thud,” Ms. Mah said.

The Viking Polaris was launched this year and was designed for travel to remote destinations such as the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship is 665 feet long and can carry 378 passengers and 256 crew members.

The ship sustained “limited damage” from the wave and arrived in Ushuaia the day after it was struck, Viking Cruises said.

The cruise company canceled the Viking Polaris’s next scheduled trip, a 13-day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula.

“We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities,” the company said.

Tourism to the Antarctic has steadily increased in the last 30 years, with 74,401 people traveling there in the 2019-20 season, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Roughly 6,700 people traveled there in the 1992-93 season, according to the association.

In recent years, some observers have warned that the increase in tourism may not be sustainable and that it could threaten visitor safety or disrupt the fragile environment, which is already straining under the effects of climate change.

It is the beginning of the Antarctic tourism season, which coincides with its summer, beginning in late October or early November and usually lasting until March.

The death on the Viking Cruises ship this week comes after the death of two other cruise ship passengers in the Antarctic last month. Two Quark Expeditions cruise ship passengers died after one of the ship’s heavy duty inflatable Zodiac boats overturned near shore, Seatrade Cruise News reported .

Amanda Holpuch is a general assignment reporter. More about Amanda Holpuch

A passenger went overboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, the largest operating cruise ship in the world at 18 decks tall and 230,000 tons

• A passenger went overboard the massive Wonder of the Seas cruise ship on Tuesday near Cuba.
• The Royal Caribbean ship is the largest passenger cruise ship currently in service.
• A Coast Guard official told Insider that Cuban authorities are leading the search efforts.

A passenger went overboard the largest cruise ship in the world on Tuesday, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed to Insider.

The Wonder of the Seas was off the coast of Cuba when the person went overboard, officials told Fox 35 . Passengers posting about the incident on Facebook said the call happened around 7:30 or 8 p.m. on Tuesday night. 

"On August 29, a guest sailing on Wonder of the Seas went overboard," a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told Insider. "The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities. "

The Royal Caribbean representative said the cruise line had been working with the US Coast Guard.

But a spokesperson with the South Florida branch of the US Coast Guard told Insider that the Cuban Border Guard is responsible for coordinating the search and rescue mission because the overboard incident happened in Cuban territorial seas. The Coast Guard official said the US agency is not currently involved in the case.

The 230,000-ton cruise ship was two days into its seven-day itinerary after it left Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday. The ship is currently south of Cuba, according to cruise tracking data.

The Wonder of the Seas had already diverted from its original itinerary to account for Hurricane Idalia, which is pummeling Florida with record-breaking storm surge this week, passengers said.

Related stories

Cruise industry blog Cruise Hive reported members of the ship's crew spent approximately three hours searching for the passenger before the ship moved on.

The Wonder of the Seas is the largest cruise ship currently sailing passenger voyages. The massive cruise ship measures 1,188 feet in length across 18 decks. The ship can accommodate nearly 7,000 passengers, as well as 2,300 crew members. Another Royal Caribbean ship,  the Icon of the Seas , is set to break the Wonder's record when it starts service in 2024.

Overboard incidents

This is at least the sixth person to go overboard a cruise ship in the past three months.

The previous incidents occurred on the cruise ships Carnival Magic , Carnival Elation , Spectrum of the Seas , Emerald Princess , and Mariner of the Seas. Only one of the passengers was successfully rescued.

While man-overboard incidents are rare, they are a leading cause of death for passengers on cruise ships, according to research conducted by Travis Heggie, a professor at Bowling Green State University who specializes in health and safety risks in the tourism industry.

On average, 19 people go overboard on cruise ships every year — of those, about four people are successfully rescued, a 2020 study commissioned by the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association found.

The low success rate of man-overboard rescue attempts has prompted debate on whether or not cruise ships should be required to install man-overboard detection systems that automatically alert crew members when a person goes overboard.

In a statement previously shared with Insider, CLIA emphasized that safety and security are a top priority for the industry. "All cruise lines use a variety of measures to maintain a safe environment on board cruise ships, including physical barriers around the periphery of external decks and balconies, video surveillance systems in public areas, and trained crew members who can respond quickly to an unsafe situation or emergency," the spokesperson said.

Watch: The world's largest cruise ship landed in Miami — here's what it's like on board

• Main content

2 crew members die on Holland America ship; fire breaks out on Carnival cruise

MIAMI — Two crew members died on board a Holland America cruise ship, and a fire broke out on a Carnival ship while both of the ships were in the Bahamas this weekend, officials said.

The two crew on the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam died Friday during an "accidental steam release" while it was calling at the private resort island Half Moon Cay, Holland America said in a statement on Sunday.

"There was an accidental steam release in an engineering space on board Nieuw Amsterdam, which sadly resulted in the death of two crew members," the cruise line said.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Dutch Safety Board were investigating the exact cause of the release, Holland America said.

A representative of the Bahama’s Coroner’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for information, such as the crew members’ identities and the cause and manner of death.

The cruise line said the conclusions of any investigation would be taken seriously. "Safety is always our top priority, and we are working to understand what, if anything, can be learned from this tragic accident," it said.

Passenger Laine Doss said she was on board when the captain announced the deaths on the vessel's P.A. system.

"We were celebrating the last day of the cruise," she said, when the mood changed "to something extremely somber."

The captain's voice broke, she said.

"He broke down crying," Doss said. "There was a moment of silence that the captain requested. And that entire scenario did affect the entire cruise. Things were canceled, joyous events were canceled, and we really just thought about mortality — the people who perished on the ship."

Crew members were being offered counseling, Holland America said.

Dutch government inspectors determined the vessel to be "fully operable," and this was "confirmed" by the U.S. Coast Guard, the cruise line said.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said she was looking into the statement and was unable to immediately confirm it.

The Nieuw Amsterdam returned Saturday to its home port of Fort Lauderdale, guests disembarked, and the vessel has embarked on a cruise with a stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Monday, Holland America said.

"All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event," the cruise line said. "We’ve been in contact with the families of both team members and are offering our support to them and to all of our crew at this difficult time."  

The ship set sail out of Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip.

Fire on the port-side exhaust funnel of another Florida-based cruise ship in the Bahamas, the Carnival Freedom, rocked some passengers Saturday and took the ship out of commission for repairs, the cruise line said.

No injuries were reported.

In a statement Sunday, Carnival Cruises acknowledged witness reports of a lightning strike or the sound of thunder before the fire erupted.

Passenger Heath Barnes said the ship was on a detoured path, destined for an unscheduled stop in Freeport, as a result of stormy weather and high winds when fire started.

"I was shocked," he said. "I mean, I looked out there and you're not supposed to see black smoke and fire shooting out of the tail end of the cruise."

The blaze was preceded by "the loudest thunder-lightning clap that I've ever heard in my life," Barnes said.

Ship personnel extinguished the fire, Carnival Cruises said.

The cruise line said a technical team determined the ship sustained enough damage that it will need repairs before it can be returned to scheduled cruises. The funnel was stabilized, passengers were expected to be returned to Port Canaveral, and the ship will set off to Freeport for repairs, it said.

"The damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," Carnival Cruises said.

Passengers scheduled for those late-March cruises are being offered full refunds and credit that can be used for a future cruise, it said.

It was the second funnel fire on the Carnival Freedom since 2022.

Marissa Parra is a national correspondent for NBC News based in Miami, Florida.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

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Facts + Statistics: Marine Accidents

In this facts + statistics, global shipping losses by number of vessels, 2013-2022 (1), global shipping losses by number of vessels by region, 2013-2022 (1).

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There were 38 large ships totally lost in 2022, a decline from 59 in 2021, according to latest data from Allianz. Safety & Shipping Review 2023 reports improvements in maritime safety have been significant over the past 10 years.

The region encompassing South China, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines had the largest number of shipping losses in 2022 with a total of 10. The region has ranked first in shipping losses over the past decade.

(1) Total losses, vessels over 100 gross tons.

Source: Allianz Commercial, Safety and Shipping Review 2023. Copyright © 2023.

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Nearly 30 Silversea Cruise passengers sickened by outbreak on board

28 passengers and one crew member fell ill with stomach bug on luxury silver nova cruise liner, the cdc reported.

5 things you didn’t know about traveling on cruise ships

Passengers expecting outstanding cuisine aboard a luxury Silversea cruise liner spent much of their vacation in the ship's bathrooms with a gastrointestinal virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday.

At least 28 passengers and one crew member among the Silver Nova's 633 passengers fell ill during their 16-day Easter-themed cruise that set sail in Callao, Peru, the agency said. 

They all reported the same primary symptom: diarrhea. 

DISNEY CRUISE LINE PASSENGER RESCUED BY US COAST GUARD AFTER EMERGENCY OFF PUERTO RICO

Of the 633 passengers aboard the Silversea's Silver Nova, 28 fell ill during a 16-day cruise from Peru this month, the CDC wrote in a press release. (Photo by Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The cause of the outbreak is still unknown, but the agency noted that noroviruses are typically caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. 

The Silver Nova, the cruise company's newest liner introduced in 2023, boasts butler service for each suite and a ratio of one crew member for every 1.3 guests. 

Workers aboard the ship aim to show guests "outstanding gastronomy," according to the Silversea website. At the end of last year, "Top Chef's" Nina Compton joined its staff, and offered personal cooking lessons to passengers. 

Sick passengers were quarantined in their rooms, the CDC said. Other passengers were notified, and crew members "increased cleaning and disinfection procedures."  

FLORIDA MAN BELIEVES SON IS ALIVE AFTER JUMPING OFF CRUISE SHIP: REPORT

The primary symptom reported by sick passengers was diarrhea, the CDC said. Crew members "increased cleaning and disinfection procedures" and quarantined sick passengers to quell the outbreak. (iStock)

"The health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit are our top priority," a spokesperson for Silversea Cruises told Fox News Digital. "To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines."

Prices for the voyage, which began on March 31 and ended on April 16, started at $11,700 for a double-occupancy room, according to CruiseMapper. 

SEARCH FOR MISSING SOUTH CAROLINA CRUISE PASSENGER COMPLICATED BY JUNGLE TERRAIN AS FAMILY DEMANDS US HELP

Prices for the voyage started at $11,700 for a double-occupancy room according to CruiseMapper. The Silver Nova, the newest introduction to the cruise company's fleet, boasts a luxury experience and "outstanding gastronomy." (Photo by Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The New York Post reported that the Silversea outbreak was the fourth this year, including one that saw 130 people struck with diarrhea and vomiting and another that saw 104 passengers fall ill on a Holland America liner. 

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The CDC reported 14 cruise ship outbreaks in 2023.

Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to [email protected] .

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Cruise passenger dies after shuttle bus crash

One woman has died and 10 others were injured after a shuttle bus crashed into the transportation area outside a Honolulu cruise terminal Friday, according to police.

The ship, Carnival Miracle, was on a 15-day journey, departing Long Beach, California, on April 6, according to Carnival Cruise Line. Nine of the people hit by the vehicle were cruise ship passengers.

"Sadly, one guest has died from her injuries. She was traveling with her husband, who was also injured and is expected to recover. Members of the Carnival Care Team are assisting the guests. Our thoughts are with the guests affected and their loved ones," Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement to ABC News.

A 57-year-old man was dropping off customers at pier 2 when a bystander told him that his vehicle was moving forward. He then jumped into the drivers seat, trying to stop the vehicle, but he accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brakes, colliding with two concrete barriers and eleven pedestrians, according to the Honolulu Police Department.

Five pedestrians were transported to the hospital -- one of whom was later pronounced dead and four others are in good condition. Six other pedestrians refused treatment on the scene, police said.

According to police, speed does not appear to be a contributing factor in the collision and it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.

The investigation is ongoing.

Is the Future of Cruising . . . Nuclear?

At the annual seatrade cruise global conference, industry leaders explored the pros and cons of nuclear-powered cruise ships as cruise lines aim for carbon neutrality by 2050..

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Nuclear power has already been used on ships such as ice breakers that operate in polar regions.

Aastels/Shutterstock

Could your next cruise be on a nuclear-powered ship? Perhaps, if you’re willing to wait a decade or more. Though the fuel tech may seem somewhat far-fetched, it shouldn’t be discounted just yet, according to several industry leaders who spoke during a panel discussion at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami earlier this month.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency that regulates global shipping, has set a target for the cruise sector to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 . Consequently, ship manufacturers are assessing their options for zero-emission fuels, and nuclear power is one of them.

It’s worth noting that nuclear-powered shipping has been around for decades, but its use has been limited primarily to naval vessels due to the cost and the public perception that nuclear propulsion isn’t foolproof. In the late 1950s, however, the U.S. government funded the construction of the NS Savannah , a nuclear-powered combination cargo-passenger ship.

Named for the first steam-powered ship to successfully cross the Atlantic, in 1819, the ship’s early history was marred by labor disputes and unfavorable press about minor shutdowns of the reactor due to routine operational upkeep. Early operators also found it difficult to run the ship for both passengers and cargo, and the passenger accommodations were shut down after only a few years to reduce labor costs. Additionally, the ship was more expensive to operate—for a variety of factors, many design-related rather than nuclear-related—than conventionally fueled ships. For economic reasons, the Savannah was deactivated in 1971 and has been moored as a museum ship in Baltimore, Maryland, since 2008.

Among the several important takeaways about nuclear-powered ships learned from the operation of the Savannah , the largest was safety concerns. The Savannah often required special permits to dock in foreign ports, and certification processes were lengthy. Even today, some countries, like New Zealand, have total bans on nuclear-powered ships in their territorial waters.

So, if it’s so difficult, why consider it? The emissions reductions are attractive, for one. Nuclear power produces no greenhouse gas emissions, so replacing a fossil fuel–burning ship with a nuclear-powered one effectively cancels that ship’s carbon output.

Nuclear power is relatively straightforward. A small amount of enriched uranium emits heat, which is used to drive a steam engine that can power a ship’s propulsion and onboard electricity. That small amount of uranium can power the ship for decades before it’s spent, freeing up space on the ship that would normally be used to carry conventional fuel.

Andrew McKeran, chief commercial officer at Lloyd’s Register, a U.K.-based maritime consulting firm, noted during the Seatrade panel that the industry’s perspectives on carbon emissions have been quick to evolve. “Fifteen years ago, we said we’d never see LNG [liquefied natural gas], and now we have it.” LNG is arguably a cleaner-burning alternative to the crude-oil–based fuels powering many current-generation cruise and cargo ships, although the verdict is still out as to whether LNG is ultimately cleaner and greener than traditional maritime fuel due to the energy-intensive production method for LNG.

The industry is also working on other cleaner technologies, like hydrogen-powered fuel cells (which essentially create cleaner energy using chemical reactions, but the technology is still in its infancy and hasn’t been scaled to produce large amounts of power), so any nuclear ambitions by shipbuilders or engine makers are merely in the paper stage at this point.

Tobi Menzies, director of business development at Core Power, a maritime energy company developing new nuclear technologies for use at sea, said the industry may not have to wait to build brand-new fully nuclear-powered ships.

“Where I see nuclear potentially fitting in [to the cruise industry] is a potential future retrofit. Cruise ships have relatively long lives, and they already undergo periodic refits to update passenger amenities. It could be possible to envision rebuilding the power source to be nuclear [during a regular refit],” Menzies said during the panel.

Rebuilds, he said, wouldn’t be as costly or take as long as converting the ships entirely to nuclear power. “Think of the vessel as having two parts—propulsion, and the rest of the ship. It would be possible to refit the ships with nuclear just to power [a ship’s] onboard electricity needs,” noted Menzies. This solution would significantly reduce carbon emissions without requiring the much more intensive work of completely changing the fuel system that drives the ship’s propulsion.

William Burke, chief maritime officer at Carnival Corporation—which in addition to Carnival operates several of the industry’s largest cruise brands, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard Line, and Seabourn—cautioned during the discussion that the cruise industry may not be the space for nuclear providers to innovate.

“I would say it’s not a reasonable power source for the cruise industry in the near- to mid-term—it’s reasonable for other shipping much sooner than cruise,” said Burke.

One reason cruise lines are hesitant to embrace nuclear power is that getting passengers to board a ship with a nuclear reactor on it will likely be a hard sell, following well-publicized nuclear accidents. The accidents have been rare, and nuclear power has been a safe source of electric power in many countries for decades, but fear of an accident, like a radiation leak or meltdown, persists. Menzies admitted that passenger perception is a major hurdle.

“We understand that public perceptions of nuclear fear are mixed,” he said, adding that there are “misplaced fears around legacy nuclear.” But, he said, a newer generation of guests might be less encumbered with prejudice about nuclear.

That’s in part because travelers are becoming more environmentally conscious, with sustainability efforts and green initiatives increasingly driving their booking decisions. Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report found that over three-quarters of survey respondents wanted to travel more sustainably. Menzies noted that European cruisers and younger cruise passengers in particular are concerned about their carbon footprints when they travel.

“The eco-conscious element of cruise is only going to grow,” Menzies said. Which could mean that the willingness of travelers to embrace more outside-the-box fuel technology such as nuclear will continue to grow as well.

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• Mediterranean - Black Sea Cruise Ports

Valencia (Spain)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Mediterranean - Black Sea

Local Time 2024-04-19 23:31

Port Valencia cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Valencia, Spain. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Valencia is a major Mediterranean port city in eastern Spain, located close to the mouth of Tura River. The city is the capital of the autonomous Valencian Community (Spain's 4th most populous autonomous - after Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid) and Spain's 3rd-largest city by population (around 1,6 million, metro around 2,5 million) - following Madrid and Barcelona .

Port Valencia (locode ESVLC) is currently ranked Europe's 5th-largest and Mediterranean's busiest containership port.

The city's best-known tourist attractions include two gates (from the 14th-century city walls), a Gothic cathedral (13th-15th centuries), Lonja de la Seda (14th-century silk exchange building), Castillo de Peniscola (14th-century castle), fine arts museum. The settlement was founded by the Greeks and later occupied by Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs.

Valencia is best-known for its involvement in every Spanish war during the 19th-20th centuries. During the Spanish Civil War (1938-39), the Republican forces fled to Valencia after Catalonia's fall.

Port Valencia

The seaport is Europe's 5th and Mediterranean's largest. The amount on annually handled cargo shipping volumes is around 55 million tons (cargoes) and over 4,2 million (TEU-containers). It annually handles 7500+ vessels. The annual number of handled passengers (ferry and cruise) is around 0,5 million. The port is also a major employer (with over 15,000 employees) and generates over half of the country's GDP.

Port's history dates back from 1483 AD, when King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516) granted permission for building a wooden bridge (named Pont de Fusta). Followed numerous construction projects, but mainly due to Turia River floodings the port remained unsuccessful. With the increase in shipping traffic over the years, in 1679 King Charles II of Spain (1661-1700) granted the port trading privileges with other kingdoms and states. In 1791, King Joseph I (1768-1844, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte) granted the port trading privileges with the Americas. Then Valencia became Spain's 6th maritime province.

In 2017, the port was visited by Silk Road International (SICO), one of China's most important non-governmental organizations promoting commercial, economic and cultural relations with other countries. SICO studied the possibility of opening its Mediterranean headquarters in the city.

Until November 2017, the port's total (direct) cargo shipping volume with China was 6,48 million tons (3,18% increase over 2016). The container ship cargo volume with China was 532,000 TEUs / containers (4,87% increase).

As of 2018, the seaport's traffic with China is 48%, making the country its main commercial partner. Port Valencian currently is linked with 80 Asian ports, the largest of which are Shanghai , Ningbo, Yantian, Qingdao , Xiamen , Tianjin , Hong Kong , Shekou-Shenzhen , Chiwan, Nansha-Guangzhou .

Valencia Port Authority (APV) manages a total of 3 seaports: Valencia, plus two satellite ports - Sagunto and Gandia. All are on the Mediterranean Sea (Spain's eastern coastline), along an 80 km / 50 mi stretch of the coast. The port has a total quay length 12 km ( 7,5 mi) and total storage area 1,2 km2 (0,5 mi2).

Port Sagunto has around 10% of valencia's total annual cargo shipping traffic capacity and specializes in LNG (liquefied natural gas), as well as iron and steel products. Over 3 million tons of LNG are shipped annually to supply the nearby regasification plant. Around 2/3 of the port's traffic is iron and steel products. The other 1/3 are fertilizers, construction materials, timber.

Port Gandia has around 1,5% of Valencia's total annual cargo shipping traffic and specializes in forestry products export and import (timber, reels, pulp and paper, furniture).

In 2018, Port Valencia surpassed Port Barcelona in terms of total handled vehicle units. Port's all car terminals (including those at Sagunto and Gandia) handled 818,225 vehicles (3,17% increase over 2017). Barcelona's volume was 809,158 (3,26% decrease). Spain's total vehicle shipping traffic was 3,395338 million units (-2,55% over 2017's 3,484212 units). Spain's other major vehicle ports (handled units in 2018) are Santander (488,144), Vigo (451,111), Pasajes (254,673) and Tarragona (194,958).

In 2020, the Spanish passenger shipping company BALEARIA launched an LNG-bunkering facility (liquefied natural gas) at Port Valencia. The new facility uses MTTS (Multi Truck to Ship) bunkering system that enables several gas trucks to simultaneously bunker (refuel) the berthed ferries . The equipment was manufactured by Kosan Crisplant (Denmark). The bunkering speed ranges between 80-120 m3 LNG per hour. The first LNG-fueled ship here was Hypatia de Alejandria with crossings between Valencia- Ibiza - Palma de Mallorca .

On July 2, 2020, BALEARIA submitted a tender bid (the only one) for a new passenger terminal construction and operation under concession. The new terminal is located at Muelle Perfecto Palacio de la Fuente Dock (fka Muelle Espigon Turia Norte Dock), in the area of a former shipyard (Union Naval de Valencia) sized ~100,000 m2 (~0,04 mi2). The concession rights for the new facility are for 35 years, extendable to max 50 years.

Muelle de Poniente and the Muelle Perfecto Palacio

• The new facility (Valencia Terminal Europa) will serve cruise ships, regularly scheduled ferries (linking daily to the Balearic Islands and Algeria) and RoRo ships (wheeled cargo and car carriers). The terminal will have 4 berths (minimum), at least one of which will have capacity to serve world's largest cruise liners (max LOA length 360 m / 1181 ft) and one berth for ships with max LOA length 250 m (820 ft).
• All berths will have shorepower supply capabilities . The cruise terminal will have capacity to handle two ships simultaneously (1x homeported, 1x transitting) and two cruiseferries (RoPax ships) .
• All the electrical energy used at the new facility will be produced at the terminal and of renewable origin (photovoltaic, wind, hydrogen, biofuel).

The new BALEARIA Terminal has estimated annual capacity ~370,000 passengers (the first 5 years / 2023-2028) and ~1 million passengers in the following years (projected annual growth ~2%). BALEARIA estimated that during the terminal's concession, the Port Authority will collect ~EUR 70 million (~USD 83M) from port taxes, tourists and goods.

In mid-November 2020, GPH-Global Ports Holding (via its partnership with Balearia Group) won a 35-year concession (2021 through 2056, plus an optional 15-year extension) for Valencia Cruise Port. By the contract, GPH operates and manages the port's cruise and ferry operations while BALEARIA will build two new passenger terminals as part of a EUR 31 million (~USD 37M) port infrastructure investments, including both terminals, ferry piers, outdoor car parking, retail shops, food-beverage facilities. BALEARIA's projects in Port Valencia are planned for completion in 2023-Q1. In 2019, the cruise port handled 203 ship calls and ~435,000 tourists.

Due to the COVID crisis, for FY2020 Port Valencia reported ~EUR 56 million (~USD 67M) in lost revenues estimated by not-handled passengers (EUR 145,5 pp). According to the report, the port's cruise business supports 637 local jobs. In FY2017 were handled 383,000 cruise ship tourists.

In the period 2008-2019, the port's business grew by 42% (from 52 million to 74M tonnes), CO2 emissions (per tonne managed) dropped by 30% (from 3,19 to 2,23 kg), with planned zero emissions in port by 2030.

In early-December 2021, were announced plans for Valenciaport to become Europe's first seaport using hydrogen technologies for reducing greenhouse gases/CO2 emissions.

• The H2PORTS project (budgeted EUR 4+ million / ~USD 4,5M) is a partnership between Valencia Port Authority and Fundacion Valenciaport. The project is funded by the FCH-JU program (Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking) which finances R&D (research and development) and Demonstration projects on this environment-friendly (decarburization) technology. By the project will be prepared prototypes to be used for testing the new fuel-cell technology.
• The H2PORTS initiative also involves Centro Nacional del Hidrogeno (research institute in Ciudad Real), as well as the companies MSC Terminal Valencia (port operator), Grupo Grimaldi (ferries), Hyster-Yale Group (lift trucks manufacturer), Distretto Atena Future Technology (Distretto Alta Tecnologia Energia Ambiente/Naples Italy), Ballard Power Systems Europe (Hobro Denmark-based hydrogen fuel cells producer), Enagas (Madrid Spain-based energy company).
• By the H2PORTS project, in 2022 Valenciaport installed a mobile station (for hydrogen supply) served by a Reach Stacker (energy-powered vehicle) and a 4x4 tractor (fitted with a fuel cell system).

In early-January 2022, the Port Authority announced a EUR 1,98 billion (~USD 2,25B) investment plan through 2025. The plan includes EUR 27,4M (~USD 31,1M) for a new passenger terminal, EUR 60+M for alternative energy projects (electrical substation, PV solar cell panels, wind power), as well as infrastructure projects (railway access, port deepening/dredging, etc).

By the October 2022-approved EUR 17+ million project, the Port installed 10773 rooftop solar panels (on Grimaldi Terminal's roof/surface area 27,700 m2 / 298,160 ft2) with annual capacity ~8380 MWh (~11% of the Port's electrical power consumption).

On November 10, 2022, APV approved the award to BALEARIA for the construction/operation of the new passenger terminal. BALEARIA's investment exceeds EUR 37M, while APV's is EUR 61,8M (to total ~EUR 99 million). The refurbishment works on the existing docks (at the old shipyard) included the adaptation of all cargo berths (at Espigon del Turia/Muelle Perfecto Palacio, Muelle Grada Quay and Muelle Fondo Quay).

Valencia cruise terminal

On March 4, 2020, PAV (Port Authority of Valencia) put out to tender the new passenger terminal (construction and operation) concession. The new cruise and ferry passenger terminal covers land area approx 100,000 m2 (~0,04 mi2) and is located between Muelle de Poniente Pier and Muelle Perfecto Palacio de la Fuente/fka Espigon del Turia North Pier. The area was previously occupied by a container terminal operated by Union Naval Valencia SA since the 1970s. The 35-year concession is extendable for max 50 years. The deadline for submitting the tender offers was April 17, 2020.

The new passenger terminal will serve cruise ships, regular passenger ferries (linking to the Balearic Islands and Algeria) and Ro-Ro vessels (transporting wheeled cargoes). The terminal is planned with at least 4 berths, including at least one with LOA length 360 m (1181 ft) and the shortest to be with min LOA length 250 m (820 ft). All berths will be fitted with shoreside power supply . The terminal must have capacity to handle (dock) simultaneously two cruise ships (one homeported, one transiting) plus two ferries.

As amenities, the new facility (Valencia Terminal Europa) will have entrance hall, waiting area, luggage storage, cruise ship check-in area, WiFI Internet, security control (X-ray and metal detection points, CCTV cameras), spaces for Customs clearance and police forces, public restrooms, boarding bridges, tourist office, crew lounge, PAV office, warehouses, VIP area, shopping area, vending machines, ATMs, car rental kiosks, prayer room, accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility, short-stay car parking (min 100 lots), bus parking (min 10 lots), taxi rank, kids playground, restaurant, rooftop solar powerplant (PV/photovoltaic system of electricity-generating panels).

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