A Norwegian Cruise Line guest fell into the water after the ship broke away from the pier during strong winds in Sicily.
The incident occurred on May 30 while the Norwegian Epic was docked in Catania. A guest was disembarking via the gangway when the vessel separated from the pier due to high winds, causing the individual to fall into the water, according to a cruise line spokesperson.
“On-duty crew members immediately assisted the guest and ensured they were evaluated by the onboard medical team,” the spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY. “The guest sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for further examination and treatment.”
The Norwegian Epic had departed Civitavecchia on May 24 for a 10-day Mediterranean itinerary with stops in Italy, Greece, Malta, and France, as listed on CruiseMapper. According to Tyler Roys, Senior Meteorologist at AccuWeather, the region experienced wind gusts of up to 45 mph from the east-northeast that afternoon. “Such gusts are more typical of the winter season, but can still occur during early summer,” Roys noted via email.
In response to the incident, the cruise line temporarily suspended all disembarkation and embarkation procedures until weather conditions improved and the ship was safely re-docked. “During this interruption, our crew actively attended to our guests until they were able to re-embark,” the spokesperson added. “As always, the safety of our guests and crew is our top priority.”
This incident raises important questions such as: What is the riskiest part of a cruise ship? and Why do people fall overboard on cruise ships? While overboard incidents are rare, factors like high winds, unstable gangways, or unexpected ship movement during boarding or disembarking can increase the risks.
This isn’t an isolated event in the cruise industry. In February 2024, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Magic struck a pier in Jamaica during windy weather. The previous month, high winds also caused MSC Sinfonia and Norwegian Prima to break from their moorings.
