do cruise ships crash

How Often do Cruise Ships Sink?

Whether you’ve seen the Titanic, heard about Costa Concordia, or are thinking of booking a cruise, one of the most common questions new cruisers ask to assess their safety is how often cruise ships sink.

To give you a quick insight into how often cruise ships sink, we list below the vessels that have sunk and then go over each in more detail so you get a full understanding of the situation and the likelihood of a cruise ship ever sinking again.

How Many Cruise Ships Have Sunk?

16 cruise ships have sunk since 1912, which was the year the Titanic sank.

The first 6 sinkings up to 1956 were technically all ocean liners rather than cruise ships, but many people think of them as the same because they both can carry thousands of passengers.

See the post was the Titanic a cruise ship for a look at the key differences, some of which made ocean liners more likely to sink than a modern-day cruise ship.

Of the 16 cruise ship sinkings, one was a Chinese River cruise ship, and another was an Estonian cruiseferry, so not technically a cruise ship, but still similar in many ways with the capacity for carrying hundreds of passengers.

Of the ocean-going cruise ships, not all sunk while out at sea. In some instances, they didn’t even have passengers onboard.

Depending on what angle you are asking the question, the below table of cruise ship sinkings should help you find your answer.

Cruise Ship Sinkings Since the Titianic (1912 )

The table below details 16 cruise ships of various cruise vessel types that have sunk since the Titanic in 1912.

We have included vessel type, as arguably it said some of the vessels weren’t technically cruise ships, but we think most people think of the Titanic as a cruise ship, so we have included it and other similar ocean liners.

Considering there are more cruise ships than ever on the seas today, it’s clear that not many cruise ships have sunk in recent times.

How Many Cruise Ships Sink a Year?

With 16 cruise ship sinkings from 1912 to 2022, we can determine that a cruise ship sinks every 6 years 10 months.  

On average, that works out as a lot less than 1 cruise ship a year.  Just 0.15% of a cruise ship, to be precise.

The answer to this question will vary depending on your chosen timeframe, vessel type, and the reason for sinking.

For example, do you want to include ocean liners and a cruiseferry and do you want to include cruise ships that were empty and on the way to being scrapped?

When Was the Last Time a Cruise Ship Sunk?

The last time an ocean-going cruise ship sank was in 2012, when the Costa Concordia hit a reef off the coast of Italy.  Thirty-two people died in the incident.  4200 were rescued.

The sinking of the Costa Concordia is probably the most familiar cruise ship people think of when they ask this question.  Although the cruise ship only partially sank, it did not become completely submerged beneath the surface of the water.

Since 2012 there have been no other recorded sinkings of ocean-going cruise ships.   

Although the almost empty moored Orient Queen cruise ship sank in 2020 when it was damaged in a huge explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, it capsized that same night.  Two crew members died.

How Often Do Cruise Ships Sink?

Thankfully the answer is very rarely, but there have been a few notable instances where cruise ships have met with accidents leading to sinking.

From the table, we can see that in 110 years, 16 cruise ships have sunk.  This means, on average, 1 cruise ship sinks every 6.8 years.

However, in more modern times, since 2000, only 4 cruise ships have sunk while out at sea, an average of once every 5.5 years.

It does depend on what type of cruise ship you are considering and the situation in which it sank, at sea or empty at the port, destroyed in an explosion (Orient Queen) or awaiting to be scrapped anyway (Belofin-1 ).

Thankfully, when you think of the number of cruise ships launched into the water and currently sailing oceans, rivers, and great lakes all over the world cases like these are rare. Cruise ships have become much safer over the years and much less likely to ever sink.

As you can see, it’s very rare for a cruise ship to sink, but it does happen on occasion. In most cases, the cause is weather-related or due to hitting an obstacle like a reef or iceberg. However, there’s always the chance of a rogue wave event, which has been suspected of sinking other ship types, but thankfully not a cruise ship.

So now that we’ve answered the question of how often cruise ships sink, let’s take a more in-depth look at each of the four major instances where this unfortunate event has happened.

Well-Known Cruise Ships That Sunk

Here’s a look at some of the most famous (or infamous) cases of cruise ships sinking.

The Titanic is, without a doubt, the most famous cruise ship to ever sink. The vessel hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912 and went down, taking over 1,500 passengers and crew with it, partly because it did not have enough lifeboats for all passengers.

At the time, the Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship ever built. It was meant to be an unsinkable vessel, but of course, we all know now that no ship is truly unsinkable.

The sinking of the Titanic is a tragic story that has been told time and time again. It’s one of the most famous maritime disasters in history and has been the subject of numerous books, movies, and TV shows.

4 years later in 1916, the Titanic sister ship, the HMHS Britannic , which had been turned into a hospital ship, was famously sunk by a German mine.

Some people might question, was the Titanic a Cruise Ship ?  Technically it was an ocean liner, but because it carried thousands of passengers and is thought to be a cruise ship by many, we have included it.

Costa Concordia

In the past, many ships that sank 100 or so years ago were ocean liners and nothing like the mega-cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers at a time.

The Costa Concordia was a much more recent example of a cruise ship sinking of the large modern-day design many of us know and love.

The vessel hit a reef off the coast of Italy in 2012 and capsized, killing 32 people.

The Costa Concordia was carrying 4,229 passengers and crew at the time of the incident. Thankfully, most people were able to evacuate the ship before it sank.

The captain of the Costa Concordia was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison. One year of that sentence was for leaving the ship early instead of being the last to leave as per one of the duties of a highly-paid cruise captain salary .

In 1994, the MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea after hitting a storm, killing 852 people.

The MS Estonia was a cruise ferry carrying 989 passengers and crew at the time of the incident. It was traveling from Tallinn, Estonia to Stockholm, Sweden, when it hit a storm and started taking on water.

The MS Estonia quickly sank, and only 137 people were able to be rescued from the frigid waters. It is considered one of the deadliest maritime disasters of the 20th century.

Dongfang zhi Xing  ( Oriental Star or Eastern Star )

The Dongfang Zhi Xing (translated as Oriental Star or Eastern Star ) was a Chinese river cruise ship that capsized in 2015 during a heavy storm. 442 people were killed in the incident.

The Dongfang zhi Xing was carrying 454 passengers and crew at the time of the accident. Only 12 people were able to be rescued from the ship.

The cause of the capsizing was determined to be a severe storm that caused the ship to lose stability and tip over .

Other Cruise Ships That Sank

Prior to 1991, only ocean liners, like the Titanic and cruiseferries had sunk.

Since the year 1991, there have been 8 cruise ship sinkings, or partial sinkings (not including the cruiseferry MS Estonia)

Excluding Costa Concordia and Dongfang zhi xing, which we covered above, there have been 6 other cruise ship sinkings.

MTS Oceanos (1991)

The Oceanos was a French-built Greek-owned cruise ship that sank off the coast of South Africa in 1991. The vessel started taking on water after a series of leaks in the hull.

The ship had a capacity of 550 passengers and 250 crew.

All passengers and crew were successfully evacuated from the ship before it completely sunk. No one was killed or injured in the incident.

However, the captain and some crew members were later arrested and convicted of negligence for fleeing the ship while passengers were still on board.

Sun Vista (SS Galileo Galilei) (1999)

The SS Sun Vista was a cruise ship that caught fire and sank in 1999. The fire started in the vessel’s engine room while it was sailing from Malaysia to Singapore.

All 1,090 passengers and crew were evacuated from the ship before it sank. No one was killed but some people were injured in the incident and needed hospitalization.

Sun Vista was the name at the time of the sinking.  The ship was originally built as the ocean liner SS Galileo Galilei and later converted to a cruise ship.

Passengers reportedly sang music from the Titanic movie to keep their spirits up.  ( Source ).

MS Sea Diamond (2007)

The MS Sea Diamond was a Finnish cruise ship that sank off the coast of Santorini, Greece, in 2007. The vessel hit a volcanic reef and started taking on water.

The cruise ship had a capacity of 1537 passengers, with 1,195, mostly American and Canadian onboard at the time of the incident.

All passengers and crew were evacuated from the ship before it completely sunk. 2 people were killed in the incident.

This short video captures the cruise ship sinking in its final moments.

SS SeaBreeze (2000)

The SeaBreeze cruise ship sank off the coast of North Carolina in December 2000.   This was allegedly due to a boiler breaking off and damaging the ship and the engine room flooding.

Coast guard rescuers at the time did not expect the ship to sink and thought it could be towed to shore by tug boats, but the captain demanded everyone be extracted from the ship as soon as possible.

Subsequently, the ship sank in  Panamanian waters, which was potentially convenient as any investigation would have expected to have been much less stringent than those carried out by American investigators had it sunk in very nearby American waters.

There was much suspicion around the sinking because the scrap value of the ship was estimated to be around $5 to $6 million, which was much less than its insurance payout value of $20 million.

The cruise ship had a capacity of 840 passengers and 400 crew. 

At the time of the incident, there were 34 people all onboard who were all extracted to safety.

Belofin-1 (SS Monterey ) (2000)

The Belofin-1 had recently been sold for scrap and was meant to be being towed to India, but went via Mexico from Ukraine in 2000 when it sank near just over 90km from Cape Town, South Africa.

The vessel started taking on water and listing, so the tug boats cut here free and allowed how to sink.

The ship was previously known as the SS Monterey and had a capacity for 701 passengers and 360 crew.

MV Explorer (2007)

The MV Explorer was a small Liberian cruise ship and the first of its kind to sail the  Antarctic waters.

The ship had departed from Argentina, attempting to follow the route of 19th-century explorer Ernest Shackleton through the Drake Passage,a route well known for its rough seas.

The vessel sank in early November 2007 after hitting an iceberg which made a gash in the hull, allowing water to enter.

The ship had a capacity for a total of 104 passengers and 54 crew.

On the day of the incident 154 passengers, guides and crew were successfully evacuated from the ship before it sunk.

There were no fatalities or injuries as a result of the incident.

The video news report below shows photos of the listing ship and passengers being rescued.

Orient Queen (2020)

The Orient Queen was a Spanish cruise ship that was berthed in Beirut, Lebanon, at the time of a huge explosion of a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port.

The ship suffered severe damage and capsized that night before partially sinking.

It was quite small by modern standards, with a capacity of 370 guests.

Two crew members were killed.

How Many Carnival Cruise Ships Have Sunk?

Carnival is one world’s largest cruise lines, but since it has existed, only one of its vessels has ever sunk, the Costa Concordia in 2012.

Although Costa is an Italian cruise ship company, it is owned by Carnival Corporation.

From its fleet of Carnival brand cruise ships, none have ever sunk or capsized.

There have been less serious incidents, such as in 2010, the Carnival Splendor had to be towed to port after an engine room fire disabled the vessel.

A more recent and well-known incident was that of a fire on Carnival Triumph, since renamed Carnival Sunshine. The ship was left stranded and without power after the generator caught fire.

Infamously the incident led to the ship being referred to as “the poop cruise” because raw sewage backed up onto the passenger decks and passengers had to use plastic bags as a makeshift solution.  It’s no wonder they renamed it.

Why Don’t Cruise Ships Tip Over or Sink?

There are many reasons why a cruise ship sinking is such a rare event, and that’s because of how they are designed.

Although many modern-day cruise ships look top-heavy, with relatively small proportions of the ship underwater , it’s no surprise people wonder if a cruise ship can tip over .

They are designed to have a low center of gravity, with most of the weight at the bottom of the ship . A wide, stable hull and other stabilizing factors, such as ballast tanks, stabilizing fins, and bilge keels, keeps a ship upright in even the roughest of sea conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cruise ships have sunk in the last 5 years.

In the last 5 years since 2017, only one cruise ship has sunk, the Orient Queen, which was damaged in a port explosion in Lebanon.

How Many Royal Caribbean Ships Have Sunk?

There have been no recorded instances of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship sinking.

Has a Disney Cruise Ship Ever Sunk?

No Disney cruise ships have ever sunk or capsized.

Conclusion: What Can We Learn From These Incidents?

While it’s certainly tragic when a cruise ship sinks, it’s important to remember that these incidents are rare.

The Titanic is the most famous example of a cruise ship sinking, but it happened over 100 years ago.

The Costa Concordia, MS Estonia, and Dongfang zhi Xing are more recent examples, but they are still relatively rare.

When you compare the number of cruise ship passengers to the number of incidents, it’s clear that cruising is a safe way to travel.

Of course, no one wants to be on a ship that sinks, so it’s important to do your research before booking a cruise.  If you are concerned, check the ship’s safety record and ensure it meets all required safety standards.

Cruising is a great way to see the world and is generally very safe.

Related Posts

What is the Draft of a Cruise Ship? (and Why Does it Matter?)

How Many Doors on a Cruise Ship? (Yes, I Counted)

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

140 passengers evacuated from stranded Danube River cruise amid historic flooding

~140 passengers were evacuated from an unidentified river cruise ship on the Danube River in Southern Germany earlier this week. Concurrently...

Norovirus outbreak reported on Celebrity Summit ship's Alaskan cruise

Celebrity Cruises reported a norovirus outbreak aboard the Millennium-class vessel Celebrity Summit during her 7-night Alaskan voyage from Vancouver...

P&O Cruises UK denies link between Hepatitis A cases and Ventura ship

A UK-based cruise company has stated that recent cases of Hepatitis A among passengers are not connected to its ship. Travelers who recently sailed...

Passenger overboard from Icon of the Seas: rescue effort launched 300 miles from Miami

A passenger went overboard from the world's largest cruise ship - Royal Caribbean/RCI's Icon of the Seas, just a day after the ship departed from...

Carnival Radiance rescues 25 stranded individuals off Mexican coast

Carnival Radiance successfully responded to a USCG/Coast Guard distress call, rescuing 25 individuals stranded on a small boat off the Pacific coast...

P&O UK's ship Ventura undergoes deep cleaning in Southampton following Norovirus outbreak

P&O Cruises UK's ship Ventura is undergoing an extensive sanitation process at Southampton UK after an outbreak of norovirus affected passengers...

Food poisoning incident delays Royal Caribbean's ship Allure of the Seas

A food poisoning incident aboard RCI-Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas has affected passengers and caused a delay in the ship's itinerary...

29-yo Sun Princess cruise ship's crew medevaced/airlifted in Crete

A 29-year-old staff member in the retail department aboard Princess Cruises' latest ship, Sun Princess, was medically evacuated in Greece due to an...

P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure brings home Rotary volunteers from Vanuatu

P&O Australia has come to the aid of a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers who were stranded in Vanuatu due to the sudden collapse of Air...

Newborn baby found dead on Silver Whisper ship, the mother/crew member faces murder charges

A female Filipino crew has been arrested by the Grosseto prosecutor's office on charges of murder after allegedly letting her newborn die on a cruise...

4 passengers arrested for alleged rape aboard MSC Seaside

Italian authorities have detained four young passengers on charges of allegedly raping an Italian woman aboard the MSC Seaside while the ship was...

Cruise ship collision on Danube River (Hungary) results in 2 dead and 5 missing

2 individuals were killed and 5 others remain missing following a collision between a small motorboat and a cruise ship on the Danube River, north of...

Norovirus outbreak on P&O UK's ship Ventura prompts isolation measures

Following a Norovirus outbreak on the P&O Cruises UK's vessel Ventura, several passengers are currently isolating. The liner departed from...

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise ship fails CDC inspection with numerous violations

The cruise ship Margaritaville at Sea Paradise didn't pass the USPH inspection conducted by CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The...

Family blames P&O Australia's cruise ship casino policies for a fatal passenger overboard incident

A passenger on the P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure, Shane Dixon, 45, tragically fell overboard on May 6th, just after 4 AM as the ship...

2 Carnival Cruise ships collide in Cozumel, Mexico; at least 6 people injured

Two Carnival Cruise ships collided at the port of Cozumel, Mexico, on Friday morning, causing damage to at least one of the ships and at least six reported injuries, according to the company.

"Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside," a spokesperson for the company wrote in an emailed statement. "We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship."

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics

Initially, there was only one reported minor injury of a Carnival Glory guest that occurred when a group was being evacuated from the dining room of one ship's decks 3 and 4. But the cruise line said that since its preliminary evaluation, six guests with minor injuries "have presented themselves to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation."

Makenna Morris, 21, from Salt Lake City, Utah, said that she was on the fourth deck of the Carnival Legend taking pictures when she noticed the Carnival Glory moving toward her ship. She said that as the Carnival Glory approached, she could hear passengers screaming as they prepared for the impact.

"I started hearing people yelling and screaming on the Royal Caribbean," Morris told NBC News. "That’s when I heard sounds of cracking and glass breaking.”

Morris also recalled hearing what sounded like scraping as the Carnival Glory made impact with the Carnival Legend.

“They ran into us and I was like 'holy crap'," Morris said. “The whole dining hall caved in and shattered.”

I hope everyone is ok on the Carnival Glory after it crashed into the Carnival Legend. @CarnivalCruise #MayYouAllBeSafe #Travel #cruise #FridayThoughts https://t.co/60eZJm8gGG — Journey with Josh 🩺 (@JheadRN) December 20, 2019

Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise line and the largest one globally, according to the trade publication Cruise Market Watch.

Eight ships from various cruise lines were scheduled to dock at the Port of Cozumel on Friday. The Carnival Glory, which left its home port in New Orleans on Sunday, was scheduled to dock in the port at 10 a.m Friday, while the Carnival Legend was scheduled to dock at 8 a.m.

The ships' passengers have been advised to spend their day ashore in Cozumel.

Gwen Aviles is a trending news and culture reporter for NBC News. 

'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.”

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Cruise Line Incident Reports

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010 prescribes security and safety requirements for most cruise ships that embark and disembark in the United States. The Act mandates that reports of criminal activity be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2010
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2011
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun  2011
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul -  30 Sep 2011
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2011
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2012
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2012
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul  - 30 Sep 2012
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2012
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2013
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2013
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2013
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2013
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2014
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2014
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 July - 30 Sep 2014
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2014
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - Mar 31 2015
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2015
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2015
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2015
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2016
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2016
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2016
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2016
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2017
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2017
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2017
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2017
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2018
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2018
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2018
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2018
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2019
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2019
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2019
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2019
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2020
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2020
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2020
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2020
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2021
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2021
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2021
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2021
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2022
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2022
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2022
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2022
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2023
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Apr - 30 Jun 2023
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jul - 30 Sep 2023
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2023
• Cruise Line Incident Report - 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2024

• Skip to main content

• Elevator & Escalator Accidents
• Aviation Accidents
• Car Accidents
• Trucking Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Boating Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Slip & Fall
• Serious Injuries
• California Wildfire Attorneys
• COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance
• About Our Firm
• Testimonials
• News and Resources
• National Partners
• Sponsorships & Charities
• Se Habla Español

Penney and Associates hits a substantial $14,000,000 (14 million dollar) case in Riverside County for their client, a fast food restaurant cook.

Are Cruise Ships Safe? Assessing Accident & Disease Risk

November 12, 2021 / Boating Accidents

Cruise ships are an extremely popular form of travel and entertainment. In 2019, the global cruise industry welcomed aboard more than 29 million passengers . 

But are cruise ships safe? A look at available statistics suggests that, in general, cruise ships are statistically safe. 

Available statistics show that 448 ‘major’ cruise ship accidents have been reported since 2005.

There is no single governmental organization which investigates and documents accidents on cruise ships in the way that the FAA does with plane crashes. As a result, it is difficult to find authoritative data on the incidence of accidents aboard cruise ships. However, data gathered and compiled by cruisejunkie.com shows that, since 2005, a total of 448 ‘major’ cruise ships accidents have occurred. In this context, a major accident includes a cruise ship which sank, ran aground, caught fire, or collided with an object. 

Two recent incidents highlight these risks. 

• In 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground and sank off the Italian coast . Shortly after leaving port, the vessel struck a reef. The impact sheared through the ship’s hull. The tear allowed seawater to seep into the ship and caused the engines to shut off. The ship eventually listed to the starboard side and began sinking in shallow water on its side. This incident resulted in 32 deaths. 
• In 2013, the Carnival Triumph engine room caught fire midway through its voyage. This occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. The engine fire caused major damage to the ship, and it began floating without power. The loss of power resulted in unsanitary conditions for everyone aboard, as the function of toilets and showers stopped working. The passengers and crew were finally rescued after 3 days.

While the above examples are just two of the more than 400 major cruise ship accidents in the past 15 years, both give sense as to the scale of a disaster at sea. But the reality is, 448 major accidents is a small number of accidents compared to the total number of cruises that set sail each year. Based on available statistics, sinking or similar disaster is unlikely to occur while on a cruise ship. 

Between 2000 and 2019, a reported 623 cruise ship passengers and crew died.

Researchers who studied passenger and crew member deaths aboard cruise ships found that a total of 623 people were reported to have died on cruises that took place between 2000 and 2019. Of the 623 fatalities, 557 were passengers and 66 were crew members. Eighty-seven percent of the deaths occurred while the ship was at sea, while the other thirteen percent occurred while the ship was docked.

The table below shows the top three causes of death:

Cardiac-related deaths may be the result of underlying health conditions, especially given that the majority of cruise-goers are 50-79 years old . It is very clear that caution must be taken to prevent falls overboard, both by ships and their passengers. Slips, trips, and falls are the most common types of accident for cruise passengers and crew. Both alcohol consumption and passengers climbing atop deck railings contribute to this risk of falling. 

To give additional perspective, there are 323 cruise ships in the world operated by more than 20 companies. The total passenger capacity of these ships is more than 540,000. The total number of passengers and crew fatalities pales in comparison to the number of people who board a cruise ship each year. 

In this way, hitching a ride on a cruise ship is similar to boarding a commercial airplane. Deaths aboard a cruise ship are rare and the chance of one occurring is small. But the fact remains that accidents resulting in injury or death can and do happen. It is important to be cautious and follow the rules while on a cruise ship. 

The COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder for cruise-goers that diseases pose a particularly high risk on cruise ships.

The spread of disease aboard a cruise ship is not a new phenomenon. The CDC says they treat hundreds of cruise passengers for gastrointestinal diseases each year. In 2019, more than 500 passengers and crew aboard a single cruise ship were infected with gastrointestinal disease. This single outbreak resulted in more infected cruise passengers than the entire 2018 calendar year. 

The potential for disease outbreak aboard a cruise ship became more evident as thousands of passengers contracted COVID-19 while traveling on cruises in early 2020. Over 700 passengers and crew aboard Diamond Princess fell ill with coronavirus in February 2020. Dozens of other cruise ships reported COVID-19 outbreaks around the same time.  The close quarters on cruise ships, as well as travelers from different geographic regions commingling, facilitate the spread of disease on a cruise. Cruise ships that experienced COVID-19 outbreaks were forced to dock, and passengers and crew forced to stay onboard to quarantine. 

The spread of disease aboard a cruise ship is not a new safety concern, but is now much more obvious. Of course, it is very difficult to predict an outbreak. If you are itching to set sail, follow local health guidelines before you board, follow the ship’s health guidelines, and be sure to wash your hands and take other precautions to help maintain a germ-free environment. 

Taking a cruise can be a fun, memorable experience. While it is good to remain cautious aboard any type of commercial transportation, in general, cruise ships are statistically safe. 

* This blog is not meant to dispense legal advice and is not a comprehensive review of the facts, the law, this topic or cases related to the topic. For a full review of our disclaimer and policies, please click here .

What Are 10 Common Accidents in the Summer?

Cruise Line Lawsuit: Family Says Deceased Grandfather Treated Callously

How To Prepare A Boating Accident Claim: The Do’s And Don’ts

The Penney & Associates® firm has offices in Sacramento, Roseville, Santa Clara, Chico, Rocklin and Irvine with satellite offices in Fairfield, Sunnyvale, San Francisco, San Diego and Southern California.

About Our Firm Locations * Disclaimer Entrepreneur

CASES COVERED

Elevator & Escalator Accidents Aviation Accidents Car Accidents Trucking Accidents Dog Bites Motorcycle Accidents Wrongful Death Serious Injuries Boating Accidents Bicycle Accidents Slip & Fall

Carnival cruise assessing damage to 2 ships after collision

Six people sustained minor injuries after the collision, the cruise line said.

Six people sustained minor injuries after two Carnival Cruise Line ships collided Friday at a port in Cozumel, Mexico , according to the company.

Those injured presented themselves to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation following the incident, a statement from the cruise line read.

A Carnival Glory ship was attempting to dock in the morning when it hit a Carnival Legend ship, according to a statement from the cruise line.

"We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel," the statement added.

Megan Skora was in her room aboard a nearby cruise ship when she heard the crash.

"I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing what I did," Skora told ABC News, noting it was the "first time I've ever been scared on a cruise line."

Related Topics

• My View My View
• Following Following
• Saved Saved

Baltimore Port: What impact will bridge collapse have on shipping?

• Medium Text

PORT FEATURES

Current status of cargo ships inside port, cruise ships, london metal exchange warehouses, bunker fuel.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Josephine Mason, Nick Carey, Helen Reid, Jonathan Saul, Nigel Hunt, Marwa Rashad, Scott DiSavino, Shariq Khan and Eric Onstad; Compiled by Josephine Mason and Nina Chestney; Editing by Nick Macfie and Nick Zieminski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

China police chief, US homeland security head discuss law enforcement cooperation

China's Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong held a video call with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday, with both agreeing to maintain communication on counter-narcotics and law enforcement cooperation, according to Chinese state media.

Enormous MSC Cruise Ship Crashes Into Crowded Venice Port, Injuring at Least Five

Videos of the incident offer a firsthand look at the 13-deck vessel barreling into the tourist-filled dock.

calebjacobs0611

calebjwords

A commercial cruise ship suffered a catastrophic engine failure off the coast of Venice, Italy on Sunday, leaving it uncontrollable as it headed toward a nearby dock. With no effective way of steering the vessel, it resultantly crashed into the harbor—a hotspot for tourists—injuring five people, according to the Associated Press.

The news has made headlines worldwide with videos of the incident also being posted online, showing the situation from a firsthand perspective:

Operated by MSC, the Opera cruise ship was built to hold more than 2,675 passengers and, in this instance, it was carrying travelers back to Venice after visiting Kotor, Montenegro as well as the Greek cities of Mykonos, Santorini, and Corfu. Two nearby tugboats worked to guide the ship away from the dock after the captain immediately reported the engine failure but failed.

As can be heard in the videos, those aboard the ship and on shore were left wondering aloud what might come of the shipwreck. 

While there are obvious and immediate effects that come with a crash of this magnitude, Italian activists are using the episode to make a political point. Recently, there's been a swing of protest regarding Venice's acceptance of cruise ships that, due to their size , block narrow waterways and obstruct tourist views. This was not lost on Twitter after Sunday's happenings as Italy's environment minister Sergio Costa posted:

"What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time. Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now ... and are nearing a solution."

A politician with the Italian Left party, Nicola Fratoianni, even went as far as to call cruise ships "steel monsters" which "risk carnage" in the seaside town.

An MSC spokesperson explained to NPR   that the cruise ship is now being moored at the Marittima terminal and has begun passenger operations.

As cargo shipments boom, ship strikes imperil whales in California and worldwide

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

The 100-foot-long whale dived and circled in the murky, dark waters of the Santa Barbara Channel, looking for a cloud of krill to scoop and catch inside her 20-foot-long jaws.

As the blue whale began to resurface, whale scientist Brandon Southall was in a boat nearby, and he could feel his throat go dry. The whale was coming up right beneath a 200,000-ton transoceanic cargo ship, named the Maladarko, that was heading east from Hong Kong to its destination in Long Beach Harbor.

For the record:

3:03 p.m. Aug. 19, 2021 A previous version of this article misstated the number of whales struck by ocean vessels between 2016 and 2020, according to a NOAA database of whale deaths. At least 112 showed injuries consistent with ship strikes, not 1,001.

3:03 p.m. Aug. 19, 2021

“We were plotting the two paths,” said Southall, a researcher at UC Santa Cruz and the president of an Aptos-based marine biology research firm. “It was a straight collision course.”

Climate & Environment

Something is killing gray whales. Is it a sign of oceans in peril?

Aug. 5, 2021

With the increase of cargo and cruise boat traffic the last several decades, ships have become one of the deadliest threats whales face in open oceans and coastal waters. Ship strikes are not thought to be a predominant cause of the West Coast die-off of gray whales since 2019, but they are a factor, and an increasing concern.

Between 2016 and 2020, at least 112 beached or dead whales were identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as having “injuries consistent with ship strikes,” according to an informal NOAA database of whale deaths.

Earlier this year, horrific photos of two fin whales pinned to the hull of an Australian naval ship gained worldwide attention. The vessel had been conducting exercises in the waters near San Diego. The two bodies — one 65 feet long, the other just 25 feet — were draped over the hull.

“Anywhere you have major shipping routes and whales in the same place, you are going to see collisions,” said Russell Leaper, an expert with the International Whaling Commission. “Unfortunately, that’s the situation in many places.”

While gray whales and humpbacks make up 70% of the reported strikes in the government’s database, it’s the endangered and threatened populations — such as North Atlantic right whales and the gargantuan Pacific blues — that concern scientists the most. For those whales, each death comes with a risk of population or species extinction.

Southall and colleagues, including John Calambokidis at Cascadia Research Collective, examined behavioral differences in whales during day and night.

They discovered that whales tend to hang out closer to the surface at night and for longer periods of time. This was especially true for blue whales, making them particularly vulnerable.

Scientists are unsure if the whales are resting during the night or feeding on food sources that move closer to the surface during nighttime hours — when krill-eating seabirds and other marine animals are sidelined. But these behaviors add to the complexities of avoiding collisions through mitigation measures — such as keeping an eye out for whales while on a moving vessel.

“Having a lookout isn’t going to help,” said Southall, president of Southall Environmental Associates.

How we delved into the odyssey of whale deaths, even as a pandemic raged

Tracking whales in 2020 was anything but easy. We had to pivot and find new ways to tell the story of a mass die-off along the Pacific coast.

What can make a difference, experts agree, is slowing down boat traffic — allowing whales not only the chance to flee, but possibly reducing the potential injury — and altering shipping lanes when whales are present.

Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, mandatory speed restrictions during certain seasons have helped reduce right whale mortality. Conservation groups are asking the government to extend the regulations to boats smaller than 65 feet, as well as to expand the areas and times for these maximum speed limits.

Others are hoping to create protocols and communications systems that will allow boat captains, mariners and harbor masters to voluntarily reduce speeds and alter routes where whales are present — in real time.

Elliott Hazen, a researcher with NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Monterey, has developed an app that works like Google Maps — except instead of navigating cars and harried drivers around Los Angeles, it helps boats avoid concentrations of whales.

Using data collected from satellites on ocean temperature, food distribution and currents, WhaleWatch can predict “whale hot spots” and warn vessels approaching such critical areas — giving boat captains a tool and an extra incentive to slow down, and possibly alter their route.

“It’s predictive,” said Hazen. “Here’s where you are most likely to have concentration of whales.”

Gray whales: What to know about our West Coast leviathans and their uncertain future

Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any mammal and have proved themselves adaptable. But can they adjust to rapidly changing oceans?

Voluntary limits can only go so far. All researchers interviewed for this story said mandatory speed restrictions and route alterations are the best way to reduce whale mortality.

“One of the difficulties is that these cargo vessels, they have a small window of time to unload cargo,” Hazen added. “If slow speeds are not mandatory, there may be little incentive for them to slow down.”

Slower speeds also reduce the amount of fuel needed — making a voyage cheaper — and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. “Slow speeds are a win for all,” said Leaper.

In the case of the leviathan observed in the Santa Barbara Channel, Southall and his colleagues had previously attached temporary trackers, via suction cup, to the female blue whale. The monitors were part of a study they were conducting in 2014 on the behavioral responses of whales to military sonar.

After their experiment was over, they waited around for the trackers to drop off.

“They’re expensive devices,” said Southall, noting their $20,000 price tag and the need to retrieve them.

The Times podcast: The mystery of the disappearing gray whales

Gray whales have been dying in record numbers. No one knows exactly why, but there are some clues.

They kept a safe distance from this whale, whom they had known since 1987. She had been involved in capsizing a 23-foot private vessel off the coast of Shelter Island near San Diego in 2014.

Suddenly, as they waited, they saw her shoot from the depths straight toward the cargo vessel’s trajectory.

“We watched, with our hands over our mouths, thinking, ‘Oh, my God, are we gonna see a strike? Or a pool of blood?’” Southall said.

But then she stopped, mid-swim, and rolled to her side, just a few meters below the hull — presumably to eyeball the behemoth cruising over her.

For the next three minutes, she remained suspended below, only resurfacing after the cargo ship passed.

More to Read

Dead baby sea lions showing up along California coastal islands. Researchers aren’t sure why

May 23, 2024

Cruise ship sails into New York City port with 44-foot dead whale across its bow

May 9, 2024

How humanity’s ear-splitting racket deafens whales and other marine animals

May 5, 2024

World & Nation

Killer whales are killer whales, right? It might be a lot more complicated than that

March 29, 2024

Starvation has decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast. Can the giants ever recover?

March 27, 2024

The gray whale die-off on West Coast is over, NOAA declares

March 19, 2024

Decaying gray whale washes up on Orange County beach

Feb. 8, 2024

Orcas are flocking to Southern California waters. One bloody, awe-inspiring spectacle shows why

Dec. 27, 2023

California seal pups were turning up headless. Experts finally confirmed the culprit

Dec. 25, 2023

Susanne Rust is an award-winning investigative reporter specializing in environmental issues. She is based in the Bay Area.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Hare-raising rescue: CHP saves massive rabbit from a Santa Cruz highway

June 6, 2024

Despite the spread of bird flu, lawmakers in some states are pushing to legalize raw milk

June 4, 2024

Shark bites swimmer in torso in attack causing significant injuries; Del Mar beach shut down

June 2, 2024

Man fatally shoots bear cub near Lake Tahoe, angering residents

May 31, 2024

• South Sound News
• North Sound News
• 7-Day Forecast
• Hour by Hour
• School Closings
• Pet Walk Forecast
• Weather 24/7 Stream
• Live Stream
• KIRO 24/7 News
• Weather 24/7
• KIRO 7 Live Studio (Opens in new window)
• The $pend $mart Stream
• Law & Crime
• Curiosity NOW
• KIRO 7 Investigates
• Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Mariners
• Seattle Kraken
• Seattle Sounders
• Seattle Storm
• College Sports
• High School Football
• On Home Ice
• KIRO 7 Live Studio
• Discover Northwest
• Healthier Together
• Woodland Park Zoo (Opens in new window)
• Your Voices
• KIRO 7 CARES
• Washington Grown
• Back to School
• Seattle Pride 2023
• Share Your Pics!
• Steals and Deals
• Jesse Jones
• KIRO 7 Apps
• Newsletter Sign-ups (Opens in new window)
• KIRO 7 News Team
• Submit a news tip
• KIRO 7 TV Schedule
• Advertise With Us
• Closed Captioning
• KIRO 7 FCC EEO Report (Opens in new window)
• KIRO 7 Public File (Opens in new window)
• Visitor Agreement
• Privacy Policy
• Telemundo Seattle (Opens in new window)
• Jobs at KIRO 7 (Opens in new window)
• Disneyland Flyaway

Strong winds force cruise ship to anchor in Elliott Bay

SEATTLE — If you see Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas anchored out in Elliott Bay, don’t fret – it’s waiting for a tugboat.

The cruise ship requested the United States Coast Guard to anchor at the Bay because of the high winds earlier this morning.

The blustery weather prevented it from anchoring in its usual berth at Terminal 90/91 in Interbay.

USCG public affairs officer Steve Strohmaier tells KIRO 7 that a tugboat is on its on its way to help guide the ship into the terminal.

But it’s unknown when the tug will arrive.

There is also a second cruise ship anchored in Elliott Bay.

The Roald Amundsen is anchored near the bigger cruise ship.  But it’s supposed to be there, says Strohmaier.

©2024 Cox Media Group

Garfield High School student shot, police investigating

One person dead after small plane crashes on top of building in Auburn

Port Angeles woman’s disappearance tied to fiancé, toddler

Amanda Knox releases statement after recent reconviction of slander in Italy

1 dead after small plane crashes on top of building in Washington

latest in US News

ICE agents on site of NYC building taken over by rowdy migrant...

NY AG James asked to intervene in family feud over 'grabstract...

Video of Dems, media rejecting Post's Hunter Biden laptop story...

Lunden Roberts tells Piers Morgan that Joe Biden still hasn't...

Two more suspects charged in Jontay Porter game rigging scheme...

Biden says he won't pardon Hunter if first son is convicted of...

Teen recounts horrifying shark attack at Texas beach: 'I started...

Ex-lover busted in 2005 cold case murder of young mom through...

Why royal caribbean does not have to share details of passenger who died on world’s largest cruise ship.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

The public may never know the full details surrounding the death of a passenger who reportedly jumped from the world’s largest cruise ship earlier this month.

Under maritime law, Royal Caribbean is not obligated to release the findings of its investigation into the death of the passenger on the Icon of the Seas.

The law allows the company, and other cruise lines — to downplay details that might cast them in a negative light, said Florida-based lawyer Keith Brais, whose firm specializes in injuries and incidents at sea.

“They wouldn’t even need to report on how much alcohol might have been involved if it makes them look bad,” he told The Post.

Royal Caribbean has not commented on the specific details of the incident and has only expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased.

The US Coast Guard in Miami said it assisted with the search, but it is not involved in the investigation into the passenger’s death.

Deaths on cruise ships are rare — but unique circumstances of a floating city in international waters — the Icon of the Seas can carry up to 7,000 people — means that they are not handled like deaths on land.

What happens to someone who dies on a cruise ship?

When an unidentified man jumped from Royal Caribbean’s new 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas on the first day of a seven-day voyage on Sunday, a rescue boat from the ship found him and brought him back aboard.

Passengers were initially told that the man was in the intensive care unit, but the Coast Guard confirmed to The Post that he died.

The Icon of the Seas proceeded on its voyage around the Gulf of Mexico after the incident.

It’s not clear where the man’s body is now, but it was likely taken to the ship’s morgue until it can be transferred to authorities on land, Brais said.

The ship has stopped in Honduras and Mexico, and is set for one more port of call in the Bahamas before it returns to Miami on Saturday.

Who investigates deaths at sea?

While the US Coast Guard assisted Royal Caribbean in the search and rescue of the man who fell overboard, officials said it was the cruise line’s rescue boat that ultimately found and transported the body, and it would be up to the company to investigate the case.

Brais said Royal Caribbean is not required to release its findings to the public, adding that it is rare for a company to publish anything that could make them seem liable for the death.

“As a result, the cruise line is likely to find that the passenger’s death resulted from ‘natural causes,’ even if the totality of the circumstances at hand suggests otherwise,” according to his law firm.

Braise noted that in his decades of experience in the industry and law, alcohol is involved in the majority of cases.

Royal Caribbean did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Does the family have any recourse about the investigation?

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety act, which was passed in 2010, mandates that cruises not only follow strict regulations to ensure passengers are safe, but to also track crimes aboard their ships.

In regards to Sunday’s incident, Brais said the man’s family should look at whether Royal had the proper barriers in place to keep people from falling overboard and if they had Man-Overboard cameras installed that alerted them to the incident.

Even if Royal Caribbean was found to be negligent in the man’s death, the compensation could be limited to just covering funeral expenses under the Death of the High Seas Act, Brais added.

How common are deaths on cruise ships?

It can be difficult to determine how many deaths have occurred on cruise ships as it’s up to the companies to report such incidents.

According to the Department of Transportation’s Cruise Line Incident reports, there have only been four deaths aboard major cruise lines between January 2020 to March 2024.

Despite these numbers, Brais said it’s not rare for such man overboard stories to make headlines once every three weeks.

According to cruise expert Dr. Ross Klein, who maintains a master list of media reports of incidents where passengers have gone overboard, there have been at least 410 people who have fallen off cruises or ferries in the last 24 years.

Icon of the Seas death is the second so far this year aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. In April, a drunk 20-year-old passenger reportedly jumped to his death from the Liberty of the Seas following a dispute with his father.

Share this article:

Advertisement

Matador Original Series

Eight passengers stranded after breaking the number one rule of cruise travel.

E xperienced cruisers probably know lots of tips and tricks for traveling on cruise ships: make your dining reservations early, do laundry on board instead of overpacking , and don’t fill your days at sea with back-to-back activities.

But even first-time cruisers know one major rule that applies to all cruise lines, all cruises, and all ships, no matter where in the world you are: don’t miss the boat.

Unfortunately for eight travelers on an African cruise stopped in São Tomé and Príncipe, an island just to the east of Equatorial Guinea, they found out the hard way what happens when you break that rule. When they were late returning to their ship after a day on land, it did what it warned would happen — they were left behind by the cruise.

Eight passengers on the Norwegian Dawn were left stranded in Säo Tome, roughly 300 miles off the coast of mainland Africa, when they failed to return to port in time for the ship’s departure. Photo: mbrand85 /Shutterstock

The group of travelers had booked a daytime excursions through an independent company, rather than booking one directly through their ship, the Norwegian Dawn. While independent tours can be a great way to save money and have a more unique adventure, they come with one major downside, which is that ships won’t wait for passengers who are late. If you book an excursion through your cruise company, the ship is guaranteed to wait for you — but no such offer is made if you book an independent tour.

In various interviews with media outlets, the group recounted that they claimed they told their guide they were running late, causing the guide to call the ship to inform it that passengers would miss the “return to ship” time. By the time the guests finally returned to the port, the ship had finished boarding, though it was still anchored in the harbor. Harbor employees called the ship, and when they got no response, decided to ferry the passengers to the Norwegian Dawn. But the captain did not let them on board, the Daily Mail reports. Per various media sources, the ship did give the passengers their passports, which they had not taken with them.

Two Americans in the group told reporters that they thought the ship should have made an exception, seemingly implying that the following day at sea without a stop meant that it could leave late without consequence. “The captain could have made an easy decision to turn one of the tender boats back, pick us up, safely load us and then go on the way,” passenger Jay Campbell said. “They had no port to call for the next day, they were simply going to be at sea.”

Photo: Norwegian Cruise Lines

Per Norwegian Cruises’ online documents , it’s the guest’s responsibility to be back to the ship on time. “In all ports of call, it is also the guest’s responsibility to be back onboard the ship no later than one (1) hour prior to the ship’s scheduled departure time. Please be aware that shipboard time may differ from the port of call and it is the guest’s responsibility to follow the shipboard time. In the event a guest misses the ship, it will be the guest’s responsibility to pay all expenses incurred to rejoin the ship,” reads the company’s “Frequent Asked Questions” page.

The travelers are now having to do just that, with the American couple claiming they’ve spent more than $6,000 to cover the group’s time on the island and travel to rejoin the ship in Gambia or Senegal, depending on logistics. Per People Magazine , four of the travelers are older individuals, and one has an unspecified heart condition.

Matador Network recently asked a cruise line exec what happens if passengers miss their ships , and the answer is pretty straightforward across all lines and sailings: they have to pay their way to the next port.

Why ships can’t wait on late passengers

The Norwegian Dawn carries more than 2,000 guests and 1,000 passengers, all of whom need to be accounted for before the ship can leave a port. Photo: Dennis MacDonald /Shutterstock

I sailed on the Norwegian Dawn in February 2024, and while it had its ups and downs , the ship does make it very, very clear that it will leave without you if you’re late. It holds about 2,000 people, each of whom has to be accounted before prior to the ship’s departure — which is why the “ return to ship ” time at various ports is often an hour or two earlier than the actual departure time . That gives the crew and captain time to ready for departure. Large cruises like the Norwegian Dawn have to stick to a strict schedule, and can’t easily make changes.

I know this not because I’m a frequent cruiser — in fact, the Dawn was my first big cruise — but because Norwegian Cruise Lines informs you of this non-stop. The evening before you arrive, there’s a ship-wide announcement with arrival and departure times for the next day. The information is repeated — repeatedly — the morning you arrive in a port. The return to ship time is printed on the daily newsletter handed out in each room, on the free Norwegian phone app, and on all the various message boards around the ship. There’s usually a buffer time built into this window to accommodate guests who are only a few minutes late.

All cruise companies have fixed times by which passengers must return to the ship at each port. Photo: byvalet /Shutterstock

It’s also a fact listed on Norwegian’s excursion’s page. It’s one of the main reasons many cruisers exclusively book official cruise excursions, because they’re the only way to guarantee the ship will wait for you if you’re late. (Third-party and independent activity operators are also unlikely to refund you if the ship makes a last-minute change and skips a port of call).

While I support booking excursions with local operators, it comes with the known risk that you’ll be left behind by the cruise ship if you’re late. That’s exactly what happened in this case, exactly as Norwegian’s website said would happen. While it’s unfortunate and understandably stressful for the travelers, it’s hardly the cruise line’s fault, and I know I’d be a little annoyed if I had made it back in time, only to have the whole ship delayed for a small group people who made a poor decision.

By the way: guests getting left behind at a port is very, very rare — hence why this one occasion is making global headlines.

How to avoid getting left behind by cruise ships

Independent excursions offer plenty of benefits — but come with the downside that the ship won’t wait if you’re late. Photo: Suzie Dundas

The easiest way for travelers to make sure they don’t get left behind at a port is to book an official excursion through the cruise line. However, official excursions are often more expensive, and a much smaller amount of the cost goes directly to local communities. Without knowing what company or excursions the stranded passengers booked, it’s impossible to know if they followed the rules below. But the following guidelines can help ensure you don’t end up waiving your ship goodbye from land.

• Book with a company that does offer a return to ship guarantee : Third-party companies can’t make the ship wait for you, but they can handle all the logistics if you do miss it. ShoreExcursioner.com will pay up to $500 in travel fees if an excursion booked through them causes you to miss your ship, and ToursByLocals will pay for your accommodations and transportation to the next port if you miss your ship. According to their website, it’s only happened twice — ever.
• Read the online reviews : Plenty of independent operators are reputable and responsible, which means they’re very unlikely to play fast and loose with your return time. The best way to determine if an operator seems reputable is to look at online reviews. Feedback from actual past guests can help you gauge how established and professional the company or tour guide is.
• Talk to your operator in advance: Reputable operators will be familiar with hosting cruise guests and understand the ins and outs of cruise ship scheduling. If you’re worried about, message your operator in advance. Ask them if they’ve ever has issues with being back on time, whether they’ve served guests on your cruise before, and how much of a buffer they build in for traffic and other potential delays.

More like this

Trending now, saudi arabia launches a new, alcohol-free cruise line, cruise lines are taking infantilizing measures to keep us healthy because we are so bad at basic hygiene, this cruise ship suite has the best panoramic views of the ocean, how many drinks you'll need to have per day to make a cruise drinks package worth it, according to a travel agent, the world's biggest naked cruise returns in 2025, discover matador, adventure travel, train travel, national parks, beaches and islands, ski and snow.

We use cookies for analytics tracking and advertising from our partners.

For more information read our privacy policy .

Matador's Newsletter

Subscribe for exclusive city guides, travel videos, trip giveaways and more!

You've been signed up!

Follow us on social media.

Watch CBS News

Carnival, Royal Caribbean cruise ships embark from Baltimore in latest sign of recovery after Key Bridge collapse

By Mike Hellgren

Updated on: May 27, 2024 / 8:05 PM EDT / CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE -- On the cusp of nine weeks since the Key Bridge collapse, the Carnival Pride embarked from Baltimore Sunday on a 14-day journey to Greenland.

 The day before, Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas left Baltimore for Bermuda—exciting for Colonel Estee Pinchasin of the Unified Command.

"Did you guys notice the cruise ship?" she asked reporters with a smile while on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tour of the recovery efforts on Friday. 

Thomas Sitzler and his friends were onboard the Vision of the Seas to celebrate his partner's 60th birthday. It was important that they leave from Baltimore. 

"Our fingers were crossed the entire time. We knew if we couldn't do this now, there would be another opportunity with Royal Caribbean to do this," Sitzler told WJZ. "The whole plan was to cruise out of Baltimore into and out of the [Chesapeake] Bay because all of these people grew up in the area, and they wanted to see all the sites from the water, so it's super cool we're going to go out this way."

Jonathan Daniels, the Executive Director of the Maryland Port Administration, said the economic impact is more than one million dollars for each ship. He noted more than 440,000 people cruised out of Baltimore last year—the second highest number since 2012–and promised more growth ahead. 

"We hate to see any business leave for any period of time, but certainly thank the flexibility that was out there for the industry,"  Daniels said and referenced the temporary rerouting of cruises to Norfolk, Virginia. 

Signs outside the Cruise Maryland terminal  welcomed back cruisers while tropical music played inside the terminal which served as the Unified Command's headquarters less than a week earlier.

After the Dali was successfully re-floated and removed from the collapse site last Monday, Unified Command packed up and left the cruise terminal, but they still continue working and providing updates on the recovery process. 

"We are here to celebrate the fortitude and the work that was done during the last two months to bring cruising back so quickly," Daniels said. 

After the Dali was removed , the main 50-foot-deep channel could accommodate these larger cruise vessels, but for now, there's only one-way traffic—with the opening of the full 700-foot width pushed back from the end of May until June 8th to 10th. 

"We're very proud of the hard work that our team put in to get to 400 feet across, 50 feet down, which allows any vessel that used to come to Baltimore to come in now," Pinchasin said. 

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren came to WJZ in the spring of 2004. Solid reporting credentials and a reputation for breaking important news stories have characterized Mike's work. Mike holds a B.S. degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and grew up partly in both Chicago and Louisiana.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Final major steel truss from Key Bridge collapse blocking full federal channel removed

Organizations step up to assist communities impacted by Key Bridge collapse

What will a new Key Bridge look like in 2028? Maryland is accepting proposals

U.S. Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard ships to dock in Baltimore for Fleet Week festivities

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin warns Russia could provide long-range weapons to attack West - and issues new nuclear threat

Vladimir Putin has warned he could supply weapons to other nations to strike Western countries in a meeting with international journalists. The Russian president also reaffirmed the country's position on using nuclear weapons. Follow live updates below.

Thursday 6 June 2024 16:51, UK

• Putin warns Russia could provide long-range weapons to attack West
• Lavrov: French military instructors in Ukraine would be 'legitimate target'
• Ivor Bennett:  Why is Lavrov in Africa?
• Ukraine peace summit 'opens door to limited talks with Russia'
• Big picture:  Everything you need to know about the war right now
• Your questions answered: Are there any signs of an underground resistance in Russia?

That's it for our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for today.

You can scroll through the blog below to catch up on the day's developments.

By Nicole Johnston, Asia correspondent in Beijing

Putin's St Petersburg summit comes right out of the same playbook as China's President Xi Jinping.

So how do you get a read on China's geo-political thinking? One way is by wading through the dry and detailed pronouncements of its president, that's where the nuggets are.

In 2022, Xi said: "The world today is undergoing major changes, unseen in a century.

"The most important characteristic of the world is chaos and the trend is likely to continue."

In the world according to Xi, the time is right to reorder global governance with China at its pinnacle, where it belongs. His view is that the US anchored world order is breaking down.

Many countries in the global south are on board with China, chaffing at the dominance of the US led international system and ready to countenance a shake-up.

Russia is in lock step with China. 

Both countries need each other. Though Russia needs China more, for trade and diplomatic cover.

In this great power rivalry, the China-Russian axis could draw in other regional disrupters like Iran and North Korea.

If that happens it will be a formidable alliance based on hostility towards the US, sympathy for Russia, a deep fear of subversion and in the case of China, a relentless goal to unify with Taiwan.

Ukraine's main hydropower company says it has initiated proceedings to secure damages for Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam and power station a year ago today.

State-run Ukrhydroenergo said it estimates the damage to be around €2.5bn (£2.12bn).

The explosion of the dam on 6 June 2023 - which sent huge amounts of water across swathes of southern Ukraine and left thousands of people without drinking water - was met with global outcry and accusations of a war crime.

"The company's actions aim to compensate for the losses caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant," Ukrhydroenergo said in a statement. 

"The company believes that initiating international arbitration process is the most promising way to compensate for the losses." 

The firm said Vladimir Putin, his government and other authorised bodies had been informed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska have arrived in Normandy for an event to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

French President Emmanuel Macron greeted the Ukrainian leader with a hug as he arrived, and the president was applauded as he went to take his place inside the event.

Several other political figures including UK defence minister Grant Shapps embraced Mr Zelenskyy as they greeted him.

Earlier, the Ukrainian president said he was "honoured" to participate in the anniversary event and said he would also take part in "important events and meetings aimed at strengthening our country".

"This event and day serve as a reminder of the courage and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of freedom and democracy," he said.

"Allies defended Europe's freedom then, and Ukrainians do so now. Unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today."

Earlier today we reported claims by Russian officials that Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery and fuel depot in Russian border regions.

Rostov regional governor Vasily Golubev said an overnight drone attack struck the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, causing a fire to erupt. 

Meanwhile the governor for Belgorod, a Russian border region which has come under frequent Ukrainian fire during the war, said a drone hit an oil depot and caused an explosion.

No casualties were reported in either attack.

The trial of a US soldier accused of stealing is under way in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok.

Staff Sergeant Gordon Black flew to the city to see his girlfriend last month but was arrested after she accused him of stealing from her, US and Russian officials said.

The 34-year-old, who was on leave at the time, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.

The US army said the soldier had not been given official clearance to travel to Russia's far east.

According to Russian news agency RIA, Sgt Black will give evidence during the trial and respond to the allegations against him.

He has been cooperating with authorities, the report said.

Following today's court session, Sgt Black's girlfriend, Alexandra Vashchuk, told reporters "it was a simple domestic dispute" during which the soldier "became aggressive and attacked" her.

"He then stole money from my wallet and I didn't give him permission to do it," she said.

Joe Biden has just addressed the crowds at the US national D-Day commemoration in Normandy, alongside French president Emmanuel Macron.

The US president began with a retelling of the devastation and evil unleashed on the world by Hitler and told the stories of some veterans in the audience.

"Every one of them knew the probability of dying was real, but they did it anyway," he said.

Mr Biden prayed that America never forgets the importance of alliances, noting NATO as the "greatest military alliance in the history of the world".

"Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago, and it is not the answer today," he said.

"We know the dark forces that these heroes fought against 80 years ago, they never fade." 

He added: "The struggle between dictatorship and freedom is unending. Here in Europe we see one stark example. Ukraine has been invaded by a tyrant bent on domination."

Mr Biden continued: "Make no mistake, the autocrats of the world are watching closely.

"To surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable. Were we to do that, it means we would be forgetting what happened here on these hallowed beaches.

"History tells us that freedom is not free: If you want to know the price of freedom, come here to Normandy and look."

Russia has detained a French national on suspicion of collecting information on Russian military activity, investigators have said.

The man had visited the country repeatedly over several years, Russia's Investigative Committee said.

He's also said to have held meetings with Russian citizens.

The man has not been named.

The outcome of the US election this November is unlikely to have any impact on Washington's policy towards Russia, Vladimir Putin has said.

In comments cited by the Russian embassy in the UK, the Russian president said the Kremlin does "not think there will be any serious changes".

"You know perfectly well that the current developments in the US are political infighting; they are burning themselves out, their state and their political system," he said.

Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump are their parties' presumptive nominees for the looming election.

Several polls are putting Trump ahead of Mr Biden, despite his recent criminal conviction.

Earlier this year, Mr Putin said he would prefer to see Mr Biden re-elected to the White House as he is "more experienced". 

But he has also enjoyed a previous good relationship with Trump, who has often praised his leadership. 

Hungary will attend a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland next week despite Budapest strengthening its ties with Moscow.

Foreign minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed at an economic forum in St Petersburg that his country would be represented at the summit on 15 June.

The summit is aimed at building support among dozens of countries for a 10-point peace proposal from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which includes Russian troops fully withdrawing from Ukrainian territory.

Russia has not been invited, and has branded it a waste of time.

Hungary, an EU and NATO member, has often pushed back against sending Western aid to Ukraine and has been critical of sanctions on Russia.

Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral ties during a meeting in October.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free