Events by Ship:
Illness Outbreaks by Ship:
| Date |
Ship |
2013 |
Incident |
| March 16 | Norwegian Star | From a passenger: While disembarking the ship in New Orleans this morning my husband and I were alarmed to see a cabin door directly across from our stateroom covered top to bottom in crim e scene caution tape. It was being guarded by what looked like port authority officers. The crew would not tell us what happened. If you find out what could have transpired please post. | ?Mystery? |
| March 8 | Norwegian Jade | Cruise Law News reports a 25 year old Filipino crew member died when the cruise ship was in Katakolo, Greece. The incident occurred early this morning when cruise passengers were preparing to disembark. A mooring line snapped while the crew member was standing on a mooring deck platform (at the level of deck 7). The crew member was violently struck by the recoiling rope. He was knocked overboard and into the water at the port. According to the news account, divers took several hours to retrieve the dead man's body in the murky water. The crew member was not fitted with either a harness or a life vest and he was not wearing a hard hat. |
Crew member killed |
| March 5 | Norwegian Getaway | Cruise Industry News reports a fire leading to significant smoke formation broke out on the cruise ship newbuilding in the covered building dock II at the Meyer Werft shipyard, according to a prepared statement from the yard. At present the shipyard’s fire brigade and members of the Papenburg fire department are still in operation at the yard. The affected production areas and the shipyard’s visitors center were evacuated As of now there are no detailed indications as the reason for the fire. “In general we install large-size safety and detection systems on our ships as early as in the construction period. Hence we could react very quickly,” explained the yard’s safety manager, Markus Wähler. As it stands at present nobody was injured. In the current situation nothing can be said in regard to material damage. Completion of the newbuilding in 2014 is not at risk according to information currently available. | Fire |
| February 22 | Norwegian Epic | From a passenger: I was on board the ship last week, and they canceled the Bahamas port call because of what they said was a "scheduling error by the Port Authority of the Bahamas." There were already 6 ships in port and they could not accommodate the Epic as a result. A lot of upset passengers. They only refunded the $20 per person port tax. | Skipped port call |
| February 24 | Norwegian Dawn | Cruise Critic reports heavy fog has closed the Tampa cruise port and delayed the arrival of two cruise ships, Carnival Legend and Norwegian Dawn, this morning. The delay will impact debarkation of current cruise passengers and delay the embarkation for the subsequent cruise. Norwegian Dawn received the Coast Guard okay to head into port, according to a noon EST e-mail by Norwegian spokeswoman AnneMarie Matthews. The ship should arrive at the terminal at approximately 4 p.m. In a statement half an hour earlier, the line says that "we expect embarkation for today's cruise to begin between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m." Carnival Legend received the green light to "start the approach into the channel at 11 a.m. EST," says Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen in an e-mail. It will take several hours for the ship to reach the port. Embarkation will begin at 7PM and departure is anticipated at 11PM. | Delayed by fog |
| February 1 | Norwegian Epic | Cruise Critic reports the father of an 11-year-old autistic boy is seeking an explanation from Norwegian Cruise Line after Kid's Club crew failed to notice the boy had disappeared from the club on the last evening of the ship's Thanksgiving cruise (November 23, 2012) after Richard Zelden and his wife dropped off their three children at the ship's Recess Kid's Club before going to dinner. When they returned to their cabin two hours later, they discovered their oldest son, an 11-year-old autistic boy, in a cabin two doors down where the cabin steward watched over him. "We were taken aback as we knew he had been signed into the Kid's Club and did not have signing privileges to exit alone." The steward further explained he had been cleaning their cabin when the boy entered the room alone. Not sure what to do, he called his supervisor to report the child's arrival. He was told to take care of the boy until his parents returned. Zelden went to the Kids' Club to find out what had happened. While Zelden told Cruise Critic he would like to know how his son got out of the kid's facility and navigated his way from Deck 14 Forward to the cabin on Deck 11 Aft, he is primarily angry over the fear he and his wife felt because their child was not protected. "This is the safety of a child that's involved," he said. "We are grateful that he didn't go up to Deck 15 to the pool area." Two months later, Zelden still doesn't know how his son got out. He told Cruise Critic he wants a more thorough response than given by NCL. He also wasn't pleased with the $1,500 future cruise credit he was offered -- if he had signed a nondisclosure agreement. | Child "misplaced" |
| January 27 | Norwegian Gem | From a passenger at 2:30 PM: There was a major delay embarking today due to woman having heart attack on board today. Priority embarkation not recognized and customers still awaiting to get on. From a reader: I see in your incidents that someone who was getting on the Norwegian Gem on 1/27 reported that the reason for the delay in boarding was due to a person having a heart attack on board. I was on the 1//18 cruise. When we left Samana, DR during the night a woman had an appendicitis attack and we had to head back toward Puerto Rico to meet a Coast Guard helicopter to pick her up. That delayed our arrival in NYC by 3 hours. We had dinner with the head of safety in a Dinner with the officers. It was the first time he had been part of a rescue at sea and was telling us all about it. | Late departure |
| Date |
Ship |
2012 |
Incident |
| October 2 | Norwegian Star | The Royal Gazette reports a recovering drug addict who stole a copy of a famous oil painting from a cruise ship was fined $500 in Magistrates’ Court. Kevin Hudgeons, 43, of Kentucky, yesterday admitted stealing an official copy of a Rembrandt painting valued at $13,114.06 while a passenger on the Norwegian Star. Prosecutor Larissa Burgess said security staff on board the vessel saw Hudgeons as he attempted to leave the ship with a large painting at 7.25am on September 28. When confronted, Hudgeons said: “I’m going to mail it home.” He gave various explanations as to how he’d ended up with the painting, telling staff he’d bought it at auction, painted it himself and won it in a raffle. The ship’s video footage showed Hudgeons removing the painting and carrying it towards his quarters on the ship. When interviewed by police, Hudgeons said he was under the impression that he won the painting during an on-board raffle. Defence lawyer Oonagh Vaucrosson told the court that his client had spent the weekend in custody, missed work and was now forced to find alternative travel arrangements to return to the United States. She said she’d been informed by Hudgeons’ wife that he was on medication to treat opiate withdrawals and had been acting oddly. Ms Vaucrosson added that the painting was roughly the size of a door. For Hudgeons to carry it so freely without trying to hide it only backed his claim that he genuinely thought he had won the painting, she said. | Caught stealing |
| Setember 14 | Norwegian Star | Bermuda News reports the cruise ship is now on its way back to the USA after breaking away its moorings due to gale force winds just past 2pm today. With a local tug standing by, the ship undocked for departure from Bermuda at 6:45pm local time and is now proceeding down channel. The ship was docked next to the Explorer of the Seas in Dockyard, and the two ships collided when the Star broke its moorings as gale force winds hammered the island this afternoon. Marine & Ports boats were tasked to attend the scene to provide assistance, and the vessel was all secure at approximately 2:45pm. Minister of Transport Walter Roban said: “Shortly after 2:00pm the Norwegian Star that was berthed portside at Heritage Wharf in Dockyard with its bow facing east had two mooring headlines broken as a severe squall with thunderstorm moved through the Dockyard area. This resulted in the vessel coming away from the berth and its bow swinging into the Great Sound. Fortunately Marine & Ports personnel based in Dockyard witnessed this incident as it began to unfold and were able to very quickly deploy the Government line boat “Inspector” and the tugboats Powerful & Faithful that arrived at the Norwegian Star to assist in short time." At 2:04 pm the Norwegian Star called Bermuda Radio and requested immediate tug boat assistance and reported it had broken mooring lines. The Commissioner’s Point weather reporting station showed 45 knots of wind. The vessel was all secure at approximately 2:45 pm. The stern of Norwegian Star did make contact with the stern of the Explorer of the Seas that was berthed at King’s Wharf and the damage is considered to be minimal. See here for pics of the damage. | Breaks free from mooring, collision |
| September 12 | Norwegian Star | The Bermuda Sun reports Steven Friedberg, 62, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court today to possession of cannabis on September 12 in Sandy’s. He was a passenger aboard the Norwegian Star. Earlier this morning, Prosecutor Takiyah Burgess told the court customs officers searched the ship with a canine alerting them to Friedberg’s cabin. In the safe, officers found rolling papers, three homemade cigarettes and three partially smoked cigarettes. The defendant was arrested later that day and admitted the drugs belonged to him. Friedberg was fined $800 to be paid immediately, however he missed the ship's return to the US. | Drug bust |
| July 8 | Norwegian Star | The New York Times reports a long-decommissioned submarine faced the wake on Sunday from the ship as it was trying to dock at a nearby Hudson River pier. The wake rocked the submarine, the Growler, which has been one of the exhibits at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, at West 46th Street, since 1989. According to a spokeswoman for the museum, a gangway leading to the Growler was damaged when the cruise ship, the Norwegian Star, fired up its thrusters. The spokeswoman did not provide further details, and the Growler was open to visitors on Sunday. The retired aircraft carrier Intrepid, the centerpiece of the museum, was not affected. “In the process of maneuvering to its docking position, the ship experienced strong current conditions,” the Norwegian Star’s owners, Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement. “To keep the ship in its correct docking approach under these conditions, propulsion and thrusters were utilized which created a wake in the surrounding waters.” A spokesman for the Coast Guard said that what happened was normal for the New York waterfront. | Damage from wake to moored ship |
| June 22 | Norwegian Pearl | The US Coast Guard reports the ship experienced "material failure." | Material failure |
| May 15 | Norwegian Dawn | Bermuda News reports a 30-year-old American cruise passenger, Trevis Gembarowski, pleaded guilty to two charges involving the possession of 7.16 grams of Cannabis and 0.88 grams of Ecstasy. A Bermuda Customs canine in a ‘sniffer dog’ team had alerted to illegal drugs in cabin 8597. The cabin, unoccupied at the time, was entered and searched and white powder and wrapped plant material was found in a duffel bag and a case. Later that day, on his return to the ship, Mr Gembarowski was approached by Customs and Police. Mr Gembarowski admitted that the items belonged to him. He was then taken off the ship to Somerset Police Station. This morning, Gembarowski told Senior Magistrate Archie Warner that the drugs were: “For my personal use to party while I was on the cruise.” He also told the Magistrate: “The ship leaves tonight. I hope I can raise enough money to pay a fine and that I don’t have to miss the ship.” He was fined Gembarowski $800 on the charge of possessing the cannabis and another $800 for possessing the Ecstasy powder. Both fines must be paid forthwith. | Drug bust |
| May 7 | Norwegian Star | Tampa Bay Online reports a former assistant cruise director has agreed to plead guilty to a federal child pornography charge after he had sex with and exchanged explicit photos with a 16-year-old passenger (see March 6 below). Senad Djedovic, 29, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, faces up to ten years in federal prison after he pleads guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, according to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court on Monday (he did not plead guilty to sexual assault of a minor). Djedovic met the Minnesota girl during a seven-day cruise she was on with her parents betwee Jan. 29 and Feb. 5. The pair had a sexual encounter in a staircase, according to a federal complaint affidavit. He knew the girl was 16 when the two had sex, according to his plea agreement. Djedovic told investigators he gave the girl his work email address because his girlfriend had access to his personal email, the complaint states. He "admitted to exchanging a lot of emails with" the girl in the ensuing weeks. The emails started the day the girl and her parents left the ship. In one email, according to the complaint, he wrote, "I wish you said yes way earlier than the last day because we would have way more fun. I miss you big time…you little young girl." The two also sent each other "naughty" photos of themselves, the complaint states. The FBI recovered at least 13 graphic photographs of the girl from Djedovic's work computer, according to the complaint. Agents also recovered other sexually explicit pictures that appeared to depict other minor teens. Djedovic came to the attention of authorities after he showed several crew members pictures of the girl, telling them she was 16 years old, according to the complaint. According to his plea agreement, he started working for Norwegian Cruise Lines in 2006 and served aboard approximately seven vessels in the fleet. From a reader: I read this page often and I literally gasped out loud when I saw this name come up. Senad was one of my Cabin Mates on the NCL Jewel back in 2007! We always thought something was up and he was a very odd guy. He'd always brag about having stolen X amount of pairs of underwear from girls, taking them into closets and into rooms on the ships where cameras couldn't see and fool around with them. He would often peek his head under my bunk's curtain in the mornings and say "wakey wakey hand off snakey." It also seemed like he'd try to catch me in an inappropriate manner quite often. I have to say nothing truly rose a red flag big enough to make any of us say anything to NCL management but i was extremely suprised by this yet not, at the same time. He was always creepy and saying gross things. t | Guilty plea - sex with minor |
| April 28 | Norwegian Star | The Huffinton Post reports the ship while trying to dock Friday morning lost control and grazed the side of the Intrepid, officials and witnesses said. "This morning at approximately 8:30 a.m., a Norwegian Cruise ship grazed Pier 86, the home of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, as it was turning to pull into Pier 88," an Intrepid staffer confirmed. "The Museum is inspecting the pier for damage but it appears minimal at this time." The ship — which was on its first trip to New York this season — was struggling to dock Friday morning because of heavy winds and choppy waters, Norwegian Cruise Line officials said in an email. WItnesses said the massive ship tried to reverse course in order to dock, but was unsuccessful. "He tried four times, up and back, up and back, four times," said Drago Ivanko, an elevator porter on Pier 88, referring to the ship operator. "It was windy, low tide. When there's low tide, the river started going a little faster." John Chiaradio, 49, who was on the cruise with his wife, Sheli, said he could feel the impact. "He hit about mid-ship on the starboard side," said Chiaradio, of Bristol, Conn. "It was loud. It sounded like sticks breaking. Big sticks." There were no injuries reported. | Collision |
| March 14 | Norwegian Dawn | Global News reports a Canadian tourist from Quebec has died after a snorkeling outing from a cruise ship visiting Dominica. The 61-year-old woman was with friends when she apparently started struggling in the water and then collapsed back on shore. CPR was administered on the scene but she was declared dead Tuesday after arriving at Princess Margaret Hospital. | Pax death ashore |
| March 6 | Norwegian Star | Tampa Bay Times reports a 29-year-old Croatian assistant cruise director was arrested Sunday at the Port of Tampa after tfor allegedly having sexual contact with a 16-year-old female passenger on a cruise and later saving sexually explicit photographs of her on his computer.The man met the 16-year-old victim on a trip that departed Tampa on Jan. 29 and returned Feb. 5, according to an FBI affidavit. The Minnesota resident was traveling with her parents. The ship's internal security team obtained a signed statement in which the crew member admitted to having sexual contact with the victim on a staircase on the ship, right after the cruise stopped at Costa Maya, Mexico. AFter the cruise, he and the victim had email corrspondence. Investigators say he stored about 20 photos of the victim from multiple emails that appear to have been sent from Minnesota while he was at sea. She wore clothes in some but was naked in most. In return, he sent the victim graphic photos of himself and a video of him masturbating in front of her photo. In an interview with FBI agents last week, the victim confirmed the sexual encounter on the ship and admitted to sending photos of herself. She introduced the man to her parents at the beginning of the cruise, the affidavit said, and her father specifically told him that his daughter was 16. A search of the man's hard drive found what appeared to be videos of minors engaging in sexual activity downloaded from the Internet. He has worked for Norwegian Cruise Lines since 2006. | Sexual assault of minor |
| February 20 | Norwegian Jewel | From a passenger: The ship sped back to NYC on February 18th 2012 and arrived at NYC at 3:00AM due to a medical emergency causing the ship services (casino and duty free shop included) to close early at approximately 12:30AM when I came out of the Quest show late Friday night I got on the elevator and a guy pushing that woman got on heading to the medical unit. She is probably in her mid 20's and in good shape but she was way short of breath and in a lot of pain around her heart area. Not good for a young person. I heard thru the grapevine that she was a little better by the time they took her off the ship. Don't know for sure. I hope so. | Arrival early because of medical emergency |
| February 16 | Norwegian Cruise Line | Pacific Business News reports that Norwegian Cruise Line (America) agreed to pay $526,602 in back wages to 2,059 employees in Hawaii after a federal labor investigation found that the company had violated minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions for employees on the Pride of America. The investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor ’s Wage and Hour Division, which covered the period between July 2009 and November 2011, found that NCL paid its employees straight time for its mandatory weekly emergency drills, even if they had worked more than 40 hours in the week. The investigation also found that because NCL took large meal and lodging credits that some employees were paid less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and that the cruise line failed to record and pay the housekeeping staff for cleaning the cabins between cruises. The cpompany has agreed to bring its pay practices into compliance with the law, the Labor Department said. The company has more than 900 employees on the U.S.-flagged Pride of America at any given time. | Illegal labour practices |
| January 27 | Norwegian Spirit | A passenger reports: The ship missed Roatan yesterday, Thursday Jan 26, 2012 due to choppy seas and high wind preventing the tenders from operating. | Missed port call |
| Date |
Ship |
2011 |
Incident |
| December 24 | Norwegian Sun | From a Passenger: Saw medic carry a man off the private island, Great Stirup Cay, with CPR in progress yesterday. Being an EMT myself I assume he did not make it. I am not aware if it was a heart attack or a drowning. Nothing was mentioned about it on the ship. | Medical emergency on private island |
| December 18 | Norwegian Gem | From a passenger: The cruise ship missed it's port of Great Stirrup Cay on Dec. 14, 2011 due to choppy seas that would not allow tendering. |
Missed port call |
| November 4 | Norwegian Sun | The Jamaica Observer reports the Trelawny police were up to press time last night unable to give the identity of a cruise passenger who died after allegedly jumping from the top deck of the cruise ship Norwegian Sun shortly after it pulled out of the Falmouth shipping pier late Wednesday. Head of the Falmouth Police Division Superintendent Andrew Lewis said he was informed that the cruise passenger was taken from the water by crew members of the vessel, which had turned around after an alarm was raised that the passenger had jumped. The police reported that the incident occurred 25 minutes after the vessel left the Falmouth cruise shipping pier about 6:00 pm, but Superintendent Lewis was unable to establish the circumstances which "led to the man falling in the water". Last night Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett expressed regret over the incident but said he was satisfied that the circumstances has nothing to do the destination. | Person overboard |
| October 28 | Norwegian Dawn | The Boston Globe reports the deaths of two people aboard a cruise ship that docked this morning at Boston’s Black Falcon Terminal were unrelated and not the result of foul play, authorities have concluded. “The decedents were among separate parties and their deaths were not related to one another,” the Suffolk district attorney’s office said in a statement. “In the absence of criminal charges, no further details will be released.” A 67-year-old woman from Tiverton, R.I., died early yesterday afternoon after “succumbing to a chronic illness,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement. Authorities are investigating how a 23-year-old man from Littleton, N.H., died yesterday evening. The vessel was returning to Boston after a seven-day trip to Bermuda. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to both families during this difficult time,” the company said. Passengers disembarking the gigantic Norwegian Dawn cruise ship this morning at the terminal said they hadn’t heard about the deaths. | Two onboard deaths |
| October 18 | Norwegian Dawn | The Royal Gazette reports a 58-year-old man was fined $10,000 in Magistrates’ Court this morning after he admitted importing 23.45g of cannabis on October 16. Customs and ship security found the drugs in his cabin after a K9 unit indicated towards the room. He admitted bringing the drugs onto the ship, but told the court that he only used the drugs to combat the pain of arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome in his hand. He said the reason there was so much of the drug was that it was a two-week cruise and the cannabis was of poor quality. | Drug bust |
| October 17 | Norwegian Star | WTSP-TV News reports when Mark Coleman's parents set sail on a two-week vacation with Norwegian Cruise Line, he never thought they'd be stranded in Colombia. "I feel like they were playing hide and seek with my parents," he says. But while on the ship, his 79-year-old father became ill. On an online forum, other passengers say norovirus had come aboard and that the crew declared a code red. On Wednesday, he was dropped off at a clinic during their stop in Cartagena, Colombia. Even though their son was listed as their emergency contact, the first time he heard about any of this was two days later when his mother called him. "I couldn't locate her, she couldn't tell me exactly where she was at that time," Coleman recalls. Records show they bought trip protection, but they say it was never used. The parents maxed out their credit cards paying for medical treatment and airfare. "I still haven't heard a word from NCL in regards to their well-being," Coleman says. That's when he got the State Department involved. The agency located his parents and worked with the clinic to ensure they were flown back to Tampa. They arrived on Sunday evening. "I don't want anything from anybody. I just feel that NCL should have been above board," Coleman says. Calls to Norwegian Cruise Line have not been returned. | ?Duty of care? |
| October 10 | Norwegian Gem | The Royal Gazette reports hundreds of irate cruise ship passengers bound for Dockyard were left stranded at Hamilton’s ferry terminal this afternoon. Boston visitor Jim Clark was one of many rescued by the tender Bermudian around 5pm after more than an hour’s wait. He said: “We were told they had a delay with the ferries. I’ve been here since 3.30pm waiting to go back to Dockyard. The ferry guys told us two boats had broken down. It’s just been ridiculous.” Ferry terminal staff were unable to comment on what caused the delays. Bermudian, which rushed over from Dockyard after bringing tourists in from St George’s, has a top capacity of 750. A crowd of around 300 queued along the waterfront to meet it. “I think the buses have been bad, too,” said a woman visiting on the Norwegian Gem. She described the buses as “overly crowded, with cranky drivers”. Darren Keane, also visiting from Boston, said he had seen visitors earlier today taking taxis out of St George’s because of a lack of transport. “Bermuda’s a nice place, but it doesn’t seem to be able to hold the volume,” Mr Keane said, adding that not many St George’s bus connections seemed to be available from the West End. As the end of the queue drew near, some voiced fears they would be left behind, but crew members called for any extras to come aboard. | Transportation problems onshore |
| October 6 | Norwegian Gem | Bermuda News reports a 62-year-old retired physician and American visitor pleaded guilty this morning [Oct.6] to possessing 8 grams of cannabis on 5th October 2011. The DPP Prosecutor told Magistrate Juan Wolffe that on Wednesday morning, Bermuda Customs visited the cruise ship. The attention of their canine unit was drawn to Cabin 9127 on board the cruise-ship. At the time, the cabin was unoccupied, and a Customs search turned up plant material in a plastic bag in the cabin safe; along with a pipe for use in smoking that material. Four hours later, at 2:00pm that day, the passenger appeared, admitted that the cabin was his, and that the items found in the safe belonged to him. He was arrested on suspicion of having an illegal drug in his possession; was taken to Somerset Police Station; and the plant material was taken away for analysis. Lawyer and duty counsel Mr Kamal Worrell said that the retired physician had purchased a herbal mixture in an open transaction in a shop operating legally in Colorado. Counsel said that he had purchased the mixture accepting and believing it to be a herbal mixture that was intended and successful at helping persons get over a nicotine addiction. Magistrate Juan Wolffe convicted Mr Reisen and then fined the cruise visitor $2,000 on the possession of drugs charge and ordered that the fine must be paid forthwith. | Drug bust |
| October 3 | Norwegian Dawn | The Royal Gazette reports a 45 year old man was in Plea Court today after being caught with cannabis in his cruise ship cabin. He pleaded guilty to possessing 8g of cannabis on October 2 on-board the ship. The court heard that on that day, customs officers were searching the ship with a K9 unit when the dog indicated towards the passenger's room. The passenger, who was in the area, told officers: “I know what you are looking for.” He then let the officers into the cabin and brought them to the cabin safe, where officers found the drugs. He was fined $2,000 and warned not to bring drugs back to the Island if he chooses to return. | Drug bust |
| September 27 | Norwegian Star | The Victoria Times Colonist reports four passengers from a cruise ship moored at Ogden Point were injured when a gust of wind shifted a 13-metre gangway. Three of the injured were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The fourth person was treated on board the vessel. Winds were gusting to 85 km/h at the time, said Curtis Grad of the Victoria Harbour Authority. FROM a passenger: The injured people in Victoria all returned to the ship and completed the cruise – the winds were so bad when i went ashore that it was two steps backwards and one step forward. There was quite a bit of discussion from the Americans on board when they heard that the woman with the broken arm was only charged $700.00 for all of her treatments There was also an incident at the terminal in Los Angeles where two people stumbled on the escalator – they appear to be shaken but okay. The incident you reported was one of at least five medical evacuation on this cruise – there was a boat evacuation just outside of the Port of Manzanillo – we weren`t scheduled to stop there – just got to within sight of the port where we were met with the medical boat. Another couple left the at Huatulco – this happened just before the ship departed. At Panama`s Miraflores lock we were stopped a long time – there a gentlemen who had a stroke was taken off the ship and into awaiting ambulance. At Key West – another ambulance was waiting for us to dock and took another person away. We also ended the cruise under a Code Red – it appears that the Noro came ashore in Puntarenas and spread throughout the ship – we were incident free up to that port. The night sailing from Victoria to Astoria – which was subsequently cancelled was the worst night I have had in over 150 nights on a cruise ship. | Pax injured on gangway |
| September 27 | Westerdam Holland America Line and Norwegian Pearl |
The Daily Astorian reports the arrival of both ships in Astoria Monday was canceled because of bad weather and a high-wind warning posted by the National Weather Service. Today’s arrival of the Norwegian Star, another Norwegian Cruise Lines ship and the last cruise ship of the season, has also been canceled. | Skipped port call |
| September 26 | Norwegian Pearl | The ship skipped its port call in Victoria on Saturday (Sept 24th) because of weather conditions. | Skipped port call |
| September 22 | Norwegian Gem | The Royal Gazette reports an American tourist was fined $1,000 today after cannabis was found in his cruise ship cabin. He pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to one count of possessing cannabis. The court heard that yesterday, Customs officers were carrying out a search of the ship when they entered the passenger’s cabin and a K9 unit indicated towards a red suitcase. Inside the suitcase, officers found a plastic bag containing cigarette materials and six grams of cannabis. The passenger was arrested when he returned to the cabin. Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined the tourist $1,000, ordering that the entire amount must be paid today. | Drug arrest |
| August 12 | Norwegian Jade | The Bermuda Sun reports two New York women were fined $1,000 each after the admitted bringing cannabis into the island on a cruise ship. Lisa Donitz, 54 and Carolyn Hampton, 50, were charged with possession of eight grams of cannabis on August 10 in Sandy’s. The court heard both women came to Bermuda on board the Norwegian Jade cruise ship and were sharing a room. At 12:28pm that day, officers were making checks on various cabins and had reason to search the defendants cabin. During the search, Donitz and Hampton were not there. Customs officers found a plastic bag containing plantlike material and two small film containers with plantlike material. When the defendants arrived at the cabin, they were both arrested after admitting the drugs belonged to them. | Drug bust |
| July 15 | Norwegian Pearl | Travel Weekly reports Bill Cosby will perform two complimentary comedy shows on July 24, while the ship overnights in Seattle to undergo repairs to its propeller. The ship will depart July 25 on an Alaska cruise. Because of the delayed departure, the ship will bypass its call in Juneau. Guests also will be compensated with a $150 onboard credit per stateroom, as well as a future cruise credit of 10% of the cruise fare paid per guest. In addition to Cosby’s performances on Sunday night, guests will receive complimentary house wine with dinner, and 50% off on specialty restaurants' cover charges. | Delayed departure |
| July 5 | Norwegian Gem | From a passenger: My wife and I were on the Norweigan Gem out of NYC to Bermuda on June 19th - 26th. On our first day in Bermuda, within the first 2 hours and within an hour of each other, 2 people fell off the pier and into the water in between the pier and ship. The first one happened while we were entering the main dining room for breakfast. We heard someone come on the ship PA system and announce "code oscar, port side." I ran to the deck and saw crew members running around outside on the pier. I went to breakfast and during the breakfast the captain came on the PA system and said a passenger had fallen in the water and was OK. After breakfast we were headed to disembark from the ship, when I saw several crew members running on the 6th floor port side deck. I went outside and saw someone in the water. Several crew members were running around and within seconds they came over the PA and announced "code oscar, port side mid ship." | Pax falls from pier |
| June 21 | Norwegian Sun | Maritime Law Blog reports a suit has been filed against NCL on behalf of a passenger who asserts she was raped and sexually assaulted in a public bathroom aboard the Norwegian Sun cruise ship. On April 11, 2011, the passenger (whose name is kept confidential due to the extreme nature of this lawsuit) was participating in an NCL organized "pub crawl" whereby crewmembers took her and other guests throughout the cruise ship stopping briefly to drink at various bars. The complaint alleges the bartenders aboard the ship encouraged passengers to drink above their limits. At one stop the passenger refused the drink offered, but the bartender insisted she drink, returned the beverage to her and stated "no wastee, no wastee." After the event, the passenger went to a public bathroom. While in a stall, she heard her name called. The next thing she knew, the door to the stall busted open, a man spun her around and raped her. The complaint filed in Miami, Florida Federal Court alleges NCL created an unreasonably dangerous condition by feeding the passenger high amounts of alcohol to the point where she became a target for a sexual predator and was unable to defend herself. The complaint also alleges NCL breached its duty to the passenger by not escorting her to her cabin after the event or otherwise protect her while in a vulnerable condition. | Sexual assault |
| June 20 | Norwegian Spirit | USA Today reports a passenger sailing out of New Orleans late Sunday was rescued after plunging from the vessel into the water. In a brief statement sent to USA TODAY, Norwegian Cruise Line says the incident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. local time as the 2,018-passenger Norwegian Spirit was traveling down the Mississippi River toward the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel had just begun a seven-night voyage to the Western Caribbean three hours earlier. "The ship immediately deployed its rescue boat; the guest was recovered and returned safely back to the ship," the line says. Norwegian Cruise Line didn't say how the unidentified male passenger went overboard but indicated that he was injured in the plunge. "The medical team onboard attended to his injuries and arrangements were made to disembark the guest for further treatment," the statement says. | Overboard - rescued alive |
| June 17 | Norwegian Dawn | Bermuda Sun reports a cruise passenger has been jailed for 30 months for bringing nearly $100,000 worth of cannabis resin into Bermuda. U.S. Citizen Carnell Jones brought the drugs onto the island in five hollowed out fibre glass hangers, which he hid in his luggage. Jones travelled to Bermuda with his friend Latrice Bell from Boston. The pair had previously met an unknown man at a hotel in Boston who handed them the hangers and told them to carry them to Bermuda. Jones and Bell arrived in Dockyard on June 12. Jones then received a phone call from another associate and organised to meet the man in the Botanical Gardens where the drugs were exchanged. The 39-year-old was paid $7,000 for completing the sale. He then went to Western Union and tried to transfer the cash to his wife. However staff became suspicious due to the amount of cash he wanted to transfer and so asked him for proof that it was a legitimate income. He was unable to provide such documentation and so took the cash back to the cruise ship and stashed it in the safe. Customs officers then raided their cabin on June 13 and found the cash and the broken hangers which contained drug residue. In interview Jones admitted bringing the drugs into Bermuda and passing them on to another man in the Botanical Gardens. He said he had done it to pay off a drug debt his brother had racked up in Bermuda. His brother is currently in prison on the island. | Drug bust |
| February 24 | Norwegian Star | Citing the shooting of two men in a hotel parking lot, NCL announced it is dropping calls at Mazatlan through the remainder of its season, which ends with the April 30 sailing. Instead, the ship will make two visits at Cabo San Lucas. | Dropped port call - change itinerary |
| February 5 | Norwegian Sun | WFTV reports no bomb was found on the ship after several hours of security sweeps and searches. Law enforcement from the Coast Guard, Port Canaveral police, and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office spent most of the day Saturday investigating a bomb threat at Port Canaveral. About 1,800 passengers were on board the cruise ship when the call came in before nine Saturday morning. An anonymous person called an employee on the ship and said there was a bomb on the 11th deck. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office bomb squad, the FBI and Coast Guard crews quickly evacuated passengers. Travelers trying to start their vacation got caught in the middle of the chaos. "All we know is they received a bomb treat and they're having to search the whole ship before anyone could get on," said Gloria Carins who just arrived at the port with her husband to board the ship. The bomb squad searched the ship for two hours but never found a bomb. Passengers were eventually allowed to board the ship around 2 p.m. | Bomb scare |
| February 3 | Norwegian Sun | Cruise Critic reports some two months after their troubled seven-night cruise came to an end, a number of passengers continue to voice displeasure with NCL's response to the matter. During the December 4 voyage, problems with the starboard propulsion motor limited the ship's top speed; the reduced propulsion meant that Sun could no longer reach St. Thomas and St. Maarten as originally planned. Instead, the ship visited Samana, in the Dominican Republic, and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private resort island. For some, the port swap was a less than blockbuster deal. "We paid a lot of money to visit St. Maarten and St. Thomas, but we never made it there," wrote the Rev. Bill Shoneman in an e-mail last week to Cruise Critic. "On top of that, the captain and some senior managers were unapologetic and extremely unprofessional. We were told at one point to 'stop complaining,'" he said. "This change in itinerary really upset a lot of the passengers that had been planning on doing their Christmas shopping at St. Thomas," wrote G8R62 in her Cruise Critic member review. The crux of many passengers' issue with Samana was its lack of infrastructure compared with the major tourist areas St. Thomas and St. Maarten. After the initial announcement, passengers showed their disapproval by amassing in the atrium and theater, where they tried to plead their case. Pictures of the meetings have been posted on the Web, including a selection taken by passenger Bob Hind. Hind noted that passengers were frustrated at the captain's lack of responsiveness. NCL declined to comment on the meetings. To assuage the ire, NCL told Cruise Critic via a press release that it offered a $100-per-cabin onboard credit, wine with dinner one night, rum punch one afternoon, free photos from the onboard gallery, free use of the Great Stirrup Cay's Hippo Slide (one of the world's largest inflatable water slides; regularly $5 per ride, $20 for unlimited) and a credit, equal to 30 percent of the cruise fare paid, to be used on a future cruise. Port taxes and fees for the missed ports were also refunded. The compensation wasn't nearly enough for some Sun passengers, however. "Our hope is that NCL will take this more seriously and issue a refund check to us," said Roger and Georgia Pilgrim via e-mail. "Norwegian Cruise Line has shown nothing but a total lack of caring that we did not get what we paid for . . . .getting to St. Thomas and St. Maarten." Others mentioned not knowing about the perks until it was too late to use them. "With the exception of the photos, they didn't do a great job of letting the passengers know about them ahead of time," posted IsetVB on the message boards. "It was like they were tossing these things one at a time and waiting for a reaction to each." Once back onshore, one passenger was so frustrated by the experience that he/she created a Web site, mybadcruise.com, with the goal of "ensuring that NCL is held accountable to those people for its inaction and inability to uphold its end of travel contract." Mybadcruise is also proposing a refund, but it's unclear if the request is for full or partial recompense. In addition to showcasing 10 complaints from cruisers, the site suggests boycotting NCL, calls for an investigation by Congress and asks impacted cruisers to lodge a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, the government organization tasked with protecting consumers. The hope is that if enough complaints are submitted, the FTC will take notice and investigate. | Propulsion problems / Itinerary change |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2010 |
Incident |
| 1.11.10 | Norwegian Spirit | When I boarded the ship on Oct 23 in Boston for a 5 day repo to New Orleans we were advised that the previous cruise had a 3% outbreak of a gastro related illness and the the ship was doing everything to try and get the bug eliminated. We are now more than half way through the cruise and it is still operating on CDC rules - no self service etc. Staff have been doing a great job of serving us and for the most part the cruisers seem to be accepting the tighter controls. The captain continues to assure us that they are getting the problem under control but I doubt we will see any relief on the cruise. | ?Illness? |
| 25.10.10 | Norwegian Star | On October 22nd (last week) my mother and I were on the Great Stirrup Cay island getting ready to parasail. Our boat headed out when the drivers spotted smoke from another parasail boat and went to investigate. It took us a while to get to the other boat but when we were close we could see it was empty and going in a circle at a high speed. We fished a young girl from our cruise out of the water a few yards away from the circling boat. She was upset and probably in shock repeating she couldn’t find him and he couldn’t swim. Our drivers immediately started trying to stop the boat at some point getting too close and ramming it with our boat hurting the 3rd passenger riding with us. The other boat was still circling even after the collision so they tried throwing ropes at the motor to lock it up without success. At no time did they initiate any type of rescue effort for the driver of the other boat even though the young girl kept asking them to look. At some point during the trip they started shouting at her that he’s dead over and over. They gave up after about an hour and a half and raced us home where several times we almost bounced out of the boat. The girl was not wearing any type of life jacket and had no regard for her safety so my mother and I were holding her down in the boat trying to keep her from jumping overboard while trying to protect ourselves from being thrown from the boat. It was a painful ride back to the shore and once there we found that the accident had not been reported. During the ride we asked her what happened and she said she had just finished parasailing and one of the drivers offered to take her out on a personal tour. It was the two of them when the boat turned too sharp and both of them fell out of the boat. She said he tried to get back in the boat but that looked impossible from the speed the boat was circling. NCL’s medical doctor was very unprofessional and refused to treat the young girl saying she was fine even though she had just lived through a tragic accident. They once again tried to get the doctor to treat her and he replied in an ugly tone that he had already looked at her. There was another parasail boat closer to the accident and should have seen what happened but never rushed over to help even when our boat was attempting to stop the other boat from circling. The NCL staff immediately distanced themselves from the parasail company telling us they were independent. The entire feeling from the accident is that no one was upset that a man died. No one was in a hurry to recover his body only to recover the boat. I would like to find out if it was ever officially reported and did they start a recovery process after the cruise boat left but no one on board would talk to us about the incident. | Crew death |
| 26.10.10 | Norwegian Cruise Line | USA Today reports the cruise line has agreed to pay $100,000 to nine cruisers with disabilities who allegedly were discriminated against on one of its ships. The U.S. Justice Department, which announced the settlement on Monday, had sued the line on behalf of the cruisers, five of whom are deaf and four of whom use wheelchairs. The Justice Department says in a statement that the five deaf cruisers did not receive interpreters and other auxiliary aids, or a closed caption TV, while on voyages around Hawaii on a Norwegian ship, and "thus were unable to enjoy the activities on board the ship or the shore excursions because they could not understand what was going on and communicate effectively." The agency says the four cruisers who use wheelchairs did not get accessible buses between the airport, ship and hotel, and on shore excursions; had to wait hours for an accessible bus at times; were unable to go on shore excursions because of the lack of an accessible bus; were charged extra for accessible transportation; and/or were not allowed to get on and off the bus during a shore excursion even though the bus was accessible. The Justice Department sued Norwegian under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Justice Department says that in addition to the cash payment to the nine cruisers, a proposed consent decree with Norwegian includes specific requirements that the line must follow. | Lawsuit |
| 26.10.10 | Norwegian Sun | The New York Post reports the four ships were delayed on arrival in St. Thomas on Tuesday because some harbor employees did not show up for work. The ships circled outside Charlotte Amalie harbor for as long as two and a half hours while the cruise lines and officials worked out a temporary solution. Missing from duty were crews manning boats used by harbor pilots to guide ships safely to port. Under the temporary agreement, the pilots were taken aboard the cruise ships to do their job instead of using their vessels. Shops and restaurants along Charlotte Amalie's waterfront said the delay cut into their business. "It hurt us quite a bit. There's no people. It definitely hurt our lunch business," said Dean Flowback, a chef at the Shipwreck Tavern. Flowback said on a busy cruise ship day his kitchen typically sells 300 lunches. On Tuesday, he said, they sold less than 100 meals. Subsequent reports indicate the employees not showing up for work was part of a "sick out" -- the day was the first five-ship day of the 2010-11 cruise season in St. Thomas. | Delayed docking |
| 15.9.10 | Norwegian Pearl | The ship was cited for two violations of Alaska Wastewater Quality Standards in September. On September 15 the ship's effluent exceeded the allowable level of fecal coliform bacteria. For the month of September, the ship's monthly geometric mean exceeded the allowable level of fecal coliform bacteria. | Water pollution |
| 27.8.10 | Norwegian Dawn | The Bermuda Sun reports the ship had its stay in Bermuda cut short due to engine problems. The ship today left Bermuda about 11 hours early as extra time was needed for the ship’s return journey to NYC. The ship had to travel at a reduced speed due to technical difficulties with one of the ship’s engines. The ship was due to leave King’s Wharf, Dockyard, at 6:30am this morning instead of 5pm as originally scheduled and is due to arrive in New York at 9am on Saturday, an hour later than planned. Each stateroom received $50 on-board credit for the change of plan. |
Propulsion problems |
| 24.8.10 | Norwegian Dawn | The Royal Gazette reports a New Yorker caught with cannabis on a cruise ship was fined $1,500 in Magistrates' Court yesterday. The woman, a 44-year-old registered nurse, pleaded guilty to importing cannabis to the Island. Crown counsel Larissa Burgess said the woman arrived in Dockyard from New York last Wednesday. At around 10.22 a.m., Customs officers at the entrance to the ship saw Powers moving towards the exit. When she saw the officers she appeared to panic, turning around and walking away. Cruise ship security officers searched her room and found a hand-rolled cigarette, a grinder and a plastic bag containing plant material, later revealed to be 6.19 grams of cannabis. Questioned by the officers, she said: "The drugs are mine. I accept full responsibility for everything." Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner ordered the fine to be paid immediately. | Drug arrest |
| 15.8.10 | Norwegian Epic | Miami Herald reports a 21-year-old man hours into a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean with his family suffered an apparent severe allergic reaction to food and died onboard, forcing a return to the Port of Miami early Sunday. The death of the unidentified man -- ultimately of a heart attack -- cast a pall on the start of a seven-day Caribbean cruise. After having sailed out with its joyful passengers at about 4 p.m. Saturday, the cruise ship was back in port at 1 a.m. as the young man's body was taken off the ship. | Onboard death |
| 28.7.10 | Norwegian Dawn | AOL News reports a 37-year-old financial analyst from Maryland was yanked off the ship in Bermuda and charged with importing marijuana. He was nabbed with 7.66 grams of pot. He had traveled to Bermuda last week on a weeklong cruise from New York. The Royal Gazette quotes a prosecutor as saying other passengers had complained they smelled cannabis smoke coming from the cabin Koumoulis shared with his brother. Ship crew went in and found Koumoulis alone. They also found two Ziploc bags containing an "unknown substance" and three packages of cigarette papers. Police came onboard, and when questioned the man admitted the drugs were his, the Gazette says. Appearing this week in Magistrates' Court, he said he had made a "very, very stupid mistake." In addition to being held on the island nation (and missing the rest of his cruise), he was fined $1,500. | Drug arrest |
| 6.7.10 | Norwegian Star | The ship was cited for violating Alaska Wastewater Quality Standards in July. On July 6 the ship's effluent exceeded the allowable level of fecal coliform bacteria. | Water pollution |
| 29.6.10 | Norwegian Dawn | The Royal Gazette reports a 53-year-old man yesterday admitted sexually assaulting a teenage girl on the cruise ship while he was at dinner with his wife and son. He was fined $5,000 after he was accused of inappropriately touching the 18-year-old with his foot under a dinner table. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault when he appeared at Magistrates' Court, but insisted he was only resting his foot on the girl's knee and had no idea it was making her uncomfortable. According top crown counsel, the man met the victim and her family at Tobacco Bay on June 23 and after returning to the cruise ship, the families agreed to have dinner together. During the meal, his foot started to touch the victim's leg. "At that point, she thought it was an accident. When it happened again, she apologised. It happened again, and so she said she gave him a look. The defendant then slid down his chair, and began to feel her legs with his foot. She crossed her legs to discourage him, but he tried to use his feet to pry open her legs." The victim left the table during dessert and told Police that she returned to her room feeling violated and cried. The man was fine $5,000, the jundge saying: "It can't be put down to just an accidental rubbing of the foot. It was not just resting, it was deliberate and prolonged." | Sexual assault |
| 27.6.10 | Norwegian Jade | From a reader: On June 24, 2010, I was in port in Naples, Italy while travelling on the Celebrity Equinox. At a pizzeria, I met two separate couples who were passengers on the NCL Jade. Each told of a murder that had just occurred on their ship. One even spoke of a cabin on their floor being sealed off with crime scene tape. It was their understanding that a husband had murdered his wife and that he was taken into custody in Naples by Italian police. I have not been able to independently verify this information and out of pure curiosity wondered if you have any information? The couples also spoke of returning to Barcelona shortly after initial departure due to the death of a crew member. A female bartender had apparently died of a heart attack. Sounded like a pretty morbid cruise! Another reader writes: I believe my wife and I were one of the couples the preceding post is referencing. On the morning of Wednesday, June 23, 2010 were docked in Civitavecchia/Rome. Upon meeting for our shore excursion in the Stardust Theatre we were told of a delay in being "cleared" to proceed off the ship and that we would be notified when the "officials" would give this clearance. About one and a half hours later we were allowed to get off the ship and proceed with our day. We toured Rome with about thirty other cruise mates throughout the day. At the very end of our tour our guide asked us if we wanted to know why we were so late with the officials clearing us to get off the ship. Of course we were curious so we all said yes. She, a local guide from the Rome area, stated very admittedly that "a man had strangled his wife." We were like, whoa! She said we were only allowed off the ship after "the man confessed." She didn't want to get us any more details and said we could find our more info from the ship. Of course, none of the staff on the ship appeared to have a clue. Everything was hush hush. We were at a corner pizzeria in Naples on June 24th when we were talking with a group traveling on the Equinox. Another couple at the pizzeria from our ship spoke of the same incident and the crime scene tape. As a side note, I'm a police officer and noticed uniformed police and investigators (suits) from the Italian police at the ship when we returned from Rome as well as board the ship in morning when we docked in Naples. Yes, this all left a strange feeling on the ship for the duration of the cruise. I wish the staff of the ship, particularly the captain, would have set the record straight to those who were concerned. Commenting on the last part of the previous post about the heart attack victim on Sunday, June 20, 2010: we were only told a person was very sick and that we were turning around to head back to Barcelona, which was less than two hours from when we set sail to Monaco.And another writes: We too were delayed onboard in port for over 2 hours without a clear explanation from the cruise staff. Later that day we witnessed the removal of a body and the gut-wrenching scene as the children cried and screamed for their mother's body to be left alone. We heard a crew member say it was a pregnant woman who committed suicide. (This makes more sense, as the entire ship would have been held on-board until it was deemed suicide and not murder.) NCL definately handled it in a callous manner. People gossip and talk, and by providing no information NCL only served to create more rumours and speculation. | ??Muder onboard?? |
| 21.6.10 | Norwegian Epic | It has been reported that the ship's arrival into Southampton on Tuesday will be delayed more than seven hours due to a technical issue. The ship is now expected at 5:30 p.m. instead of at 10 a.m. A Norwegian Cruise Line said the problem is a minor technical issue with the propeller shaft. The problem should be repaired in Southampton. The ship was further delayed because the security card system broke down and passengers had to be signed in by hand.Guests on Norwegian Epic’s two-night inaugural cruise on Tuesday from Southampton are now expected to embark at approximately 8:30 p.m. | Propulsion problems |
| 26.5.10 | Norwegian Pearl | The ship was cited for violating Alaska Wastewater Quality Standards in May. On May 26 the ship's effluent exceeded the allowable level of fecal coliform bacteria. | Water pollution |
| 5.5.10 | Norwegian Epic | USA Today reports a fire broke out earlier this week on the 150,000-ton Norwegian Epic at STX France's shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, where the vessel is under construction. The fire broke out just after 11:00 p.m. Monday on the rear of Deck 4, causing damage mostly to the ship's wiring. A full investigation is currently in process to determine the cause and extent of damage, and that the ship's June 24th maiden cruise is still on track. | Fire |
| 14.2.10 | Norwegian Gem | The following was received from a reader -- there has been no independent confirmation about the accuracy of this report: My wife and I recently took a cruise aboard the Norwegian Gem, leaving New York on February 3, 2010, returning February 13, 2010. As we approached the New York harbor, I noticed we were being followed by two police boats and a police helicopter was circling overhead. We've been on many cruises out of New York as my wife doesn't fly and this is the first time we've had such an escort. The crew would only tell us that there was a slight delay. An announcement to the crew earlier mentioned a "code alpha". When we asked about it, we were told it was nothing. As we left the terminal, we asked our porter what was going on and he responded that there was a double suicide on our ship. I don't know if this is true or not, there was nothing in the news but the police presence was considerable, both offshore and on. A discussion on Cruise Critic gives additional insight into the story. | ?Suicide? |
| 27.1.10 | Norwegian Sky | Bahama Islands Info reports two cruise passengers were struck by a car at 10am Tuesday, January 26th, when the motorcycle they were on attempted to negotiate a U-turn on Queens Highway. The rider and passenger were knocked from the motorcycle, receiving injuries for which they were transported to the Accident and Emergency Section of the Rand Memorial Hospital. At 1:40pm, the female, age 64 years, succombed to her injuries and the male, age 63 years, was treated and detained. Investigations are being continued by officers at the Police Traffic Department. | Death ashore |
| 14.1.10 | Norwegian Gem | From a reader: Just got off the ship. Had broken azipod propusion system when we left new york.. ship was constantly listing and bouncing for five days until fixed in St. Thomas. | Propulsion problems |
| 7.1.10 | Norwegian Jade | A reader reports a man went overboard. Discussions with crew indicated he was wearing a life jacket. He was apparently rescued and then put off the ship in Turkey. I personally heard the operation bright star called out about 30 minutes before sunset, and saw the ship come to a stop. I then saw rescue boats in the water. It was announced by the cruise director at the show that night that the man was "rescued and re-united with his family". From another reader: I will confirm that there was a passenger overboard, off the coast of Egypt. The ship changed course to locate and rescue him, and lucky for him they were quick about it, as darkness was falling. We heard unofficially that he jumped with a life jacket, and officially that he was rescued alive. From the jumper: This is seriously from the man overboard that day. I'm writing to you cuz some of what was posted isn't correct. January 9th 2010 close to sunset shortly after awaking from a nap I jumped from the 11th floor with my life vest on. Reason for jumping..... well that's between me and my family. I was told the rescue took 30min. I was then deported off the ship in Egypt to another hospital. Only injuries i had where bruised legs and a cramped neck for a week. Thankful for being alive. Although i now owe ncl 5,565,000 for jumping not even including the 1,300.00 stay at the ic on ship. | Overboard
- Rescued alive |
| 5.1.10 | Norwegian Gem | From a reader: It has been reported that Norwegian Gem is experiencing propulsion trouble on her current cruise. This has caused at least one session of drifting without power and missing the call into San Juan. Currently there are no further details as to what the cause is or if it will impact future cruises. | Propulsion problems |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2009 |
Incident |
| 14.12.09 | Norwegian Gem | Florida Today reports a car crashed into a bus carrying 43 passengers and crew members on Merritt Island near Port Canaveral at 2:00 PM. A person in the car was killed and seven people on the bus were injured. Most were crewmembers, possibly headed to the mall or Walmart on Merritt Island for a shopping trip. All the crewmembers were Filipino nationals. | Car-bus accident ashore |
| 11.12.09 | Norwegian Dawn | The St. Lucia Star reports that police in St. Lucia are investigating a robbery of 14 cruise passengers. At about 11am Wednesday, 14 tourists who had gone to the waterfall, were in the process of boarding a Safari Jeep, in preparation to return to Castries, when four masked men who were reportedly armed with firearms and cutlasses, approached them. Reports are the visitors were allegedly robbed of their jewelry and cash; the tour guide was reportedly injured in the incident. | Robbery ashore |
| 29.11.09 | Norwegian Pearl | A poster at Cruise Critic says: We are nearing the end of our 1st sea day and we went down to Blue Lagoon for a light dinner. While sitting there with DW these two women sat down and were talking. All of a sudden they hollered out loudly "Dave" and this Dave character came flying up the stairs from the Crystal Centrum screaming and yelling expletives as these 2 ladies. The male slammed the one girls head against the window while punching the other woman in the face. He was screaming up a storm and pounding on these poor girls. Looking around for security or staff they were nowhere to be found. Myself and a few other patrons witnessed this attack. Obviously the guy was very drunk and kept screaming at them that he was going to come by later and finish them off. He was even menacing towards myself and my wife. When asked the staff basically acted like nothing happened. I spoke with security personnel who said they were looking into the matter. Can't even sit in peace onboard a cruise ship and have a dinner without some crazy idiot assaulting and battering passengers. This guy was not a crew member but just a passenger who needs to be tossed off the ship and arrested. Later on I overheard the ladies saying they didn't want to press charges. Hmm get your head bashed against a glass window and your face punched but they don't want to press charges. Called down to reception later after our dinner was basically ruined by this character and his unwarranted behavior and reception said that they weren't doing anything about it. So I guess now NCL thinks it's ok to be assaulted by other passenger's and witnessed by at least 6-10 other passengers including myself but they don't feel the need to locate this guy and put him off the ship. We will be in Samana in the Morning and hopefully they put this jerk off on a slow boat sit adrift in the open Atlantic. NOTE: It appears the discussion threat has been removed. The incident is now only mentioned as an aside at this URL. | 2 female passengers assaulted |
| 29.11.09 | Norwegian Dawn | NCL canceled today’s five-day Western Caribbean sailing from Miami after the ship experienced a power outage near San Juan on Friday night (see below). Passengers reported spending Friday night on deck because air conditioning did not function. After partial power was restored, Norwegian Dawn was able to reach San Juan on Saturday, where the ship remains. NCL chartered aircraft to return passengers to Miami during the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The company is still looking into the cause of the engine problem. On Sunday morning, it was not known when the ship will be able to return to Miami. NCL is refunding the full fare for passengers booked on today’s canceled voyage and giving a 50% future cruise credit. UPDATE: The ship has been repaired (December 1) and will be in Miami for its cruise December 4th. See here for some pics. | Canceled cruise |
| 27.11.09 | Norwegian Dawn | Associated Press reports the ship temporarily lost power off the coast of Puerto Rico. A Norwegian Cruise Line news release says the ship lost power at 9 a.m. Friday about 95 miles off the north coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The United States Coast Guard and local authorities were notified immediately. The cruise line reports that all guests on board were safe and secure. Power was restored later Friday, and the ship was back under way. It was expected to arrive in Miami as scheduled on Sunday. The ship departed Miami last Friday, making stops throughout the Caribbean. UPDATE: Jackson NJ Online reports passengers on board say the ship completely lost all power and Coast Guard ships and helicopters were dispatched to the scene. All activities on board the ship were cancelled Friday and the ship is headed to the port of San Juan in Puerto Rico, not Miami, this morning. Passengers were told they would have to make accommodations to return to Miami, but were offered a 70% discount and credits of 50% on future cruises. NCL also offered to pay for hotel accommodations and airfare. During the power outage, the more than 2,000 passengers on the ship had no access to running water, electricity air conditioning or toilet services in the hot Caribbean. The current temperature in San Juan is partly cloudy 85 degrees with 67% humidity. Guests have been asked to conserve water because the ship has limited capacity to produce new fresh water. | Engine failure |
| 11.11.09 | Norwegian Cruise Line | Received from a passenger: I recently took a NCL cruise. Unfortunately, I left my passport in California and was sailing out of Miami for a week long cruise to the Caribbean.
Since I was unable to board the ship sans passport, I sent my friend ahead and told her I would meet her in the first port (Ship sailed on Saturday, first port was Samana on Monday) I phoned my family to fed ex the passport to arrive on Monday. I phoned NCL "emergency airline" number and told what had happened and what my plans were. I asked them if they could assist me in getting to Samana. Upon looking up my booking number they said "We would be able to help you if you had purchased your entire package from NCL" but since you only booked the cruise portion through us we are unable to help you. (I had used frequent flyer miles to get to Florida to keep the cost of the trip at a minimum) I told them that I wasn't looking for them to fly me there, I was planning on paying for my airfare - I just needed guidance - what airline flew there, what times, how long would the flight take, where was the port in connection to the airport etc. The agent said he could not help me and suggested I contact the different carriers or use the internet. I was aghast but thought, OK maybe the "emergency airline" number wasn't who I should have called, I will call corporate office and see if they can help me with logistics. Same deal. The person that answered the phone was unable to help (granted it was Saturday) when I asked who I should speak to. They had suggested I call back on Monday....after explaining that by then it would be too late. I hung up frustrated. But, I didn't stop there. My next call was the the NCL excursion desk (thinking that since it is one of their ports and they do excursions on the island, they would know the layout) NOPE! I did my research and flew to Dominican Republic with American Airlines. I made the last tender by 1/2 hour. The port is on the opposite side of the island from the airport and it takes a $200 taxi ride that is about 2hrs to get there. Once aboard the ship, the following day I was met by customs to explain why I boarded in Samana. With me was one other person ( a gentleman from corporate offices of NCL) who had also boarded in Samana. After explaining the lack of support I got from the 3 numbers I dialed, he suggested I write a letter - and I did, but have not heard back. I wanted to share this story with the readers because one thinks, that they will be taken care of as guests should be - but in this case I was not. |
Customer dis-service |
| 6.11.09 | Norwegian Spirit | Associated Press reports a Danish tourist died Friday, two days after being shot by robbers who tried to steal his camera while he visited a cemetery. Police said two suspected gang members had been arrested. The cruise passenger died at a hospital in Guatemala City, where he was flown after being wounded in the port city of Santo Tomas de Castillo. He went with another tourist on a paid tour to a nearby town Wednesday. On the way back, they asked the driver to stop at the cemetery so they could take pictures. They were approached by two young men who tried to steal their cameras, and the passenger was shot in a scuffle. Police spokesman Donald Gonzalez said two men, thought to be gang members because of the tattoos on their faces, were arrested. | Pax murdered on shore |
| 4.11.09 | Norwegian Dawn | The Royal Gazette (Bermuda) reports on a trial in which a passenger was found with 32 packages of marijuana in his cabin, with the intent to import into Bermuda. According to testimony, the passenger arrived on June 17. Police noticed him acting suspiciously after he disembarked in Dockyard. He was going from phone booth to phone booth in an apparent attempt to contact someone. After he re-boarded the ship, they searched his cabin and found 32 packages of cannabis in his suitcase and under his bed. | Drug bust |
| 30.10.09 | Norwegian Spirit | The CDC reports 9 of 965 (0.93%) crew and 73 of 1991 (3.66%) passengers had reported ill with gastrointestinal illness on a 16 day cruise ending November 8 in New Orleans. | Illness |
| 28.10.09 | Norwegian Majesty | The Bermuda Sun reports a 72-year-old male passenger died of a suspected heart attack after a helmet-diving trip off the east end yesterday afternoon. He collapsed on board the boat after completing a helmet dive with Peppercorn Diving. Staff tried to revive the man, who was visiting with his wife, but to no avail. | Death after shore excursion |
| 24.10.09 | Norwegian Jewel | The Chronicle Herald reports an employee that visited Halifax on Friday was arrested after border agents allegedly found sexually explicit images of children on his cell phone. Menandro Lim Lanzar, 31, of the Philippines was arraigned in Halifax provincial court on a Customs Act charge of importing child pornography. Mr. Lanzar, quarter master on the Norwegian Jewel, was remanded to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth until Tuesday, when he returns to court. Blair MacDonald, a criminal investigator with the Canada Border Services Agency, said Mr. Lanzar was inspected as he was getting off the ship at Pier 22. UPDATE: The Chronicle Herald reports the crew member has been sentenced to 100 days in jail and will then be deported. | Child pornography arrest |
| 1.9.09 | Norwegian Pearl | The ship was cited for violating Alaska Wastewater Quality Standards in July. There were two violations. The ship's effluent on July 7 exceeded the allowable level of fecal coliform bacteria and on July 28 exceeded the allowable level of pH. | Environmental |
| 28.8.09 | Norwegian Sky | According to CBS-TV in Miami NCL has issued a statement that a passenger on the ship and his wife were walking on rocks by the shore on Great Stirrup Cay in a remote part of the island when he fell into the water yesterday. Following an extensive search, the man's body was recovered this morning. The ship's four-day Bahamas cruise departed Miami on August 24th and returned to Miami today. | Pax dies on private island |
| 18.4.09 | Norwegian Sky | The Miami Herald reports the Coast Guard is searching early Saturday for a 39-year-old man who went overboard the cruise ship Norwegian Sky around 3 a.m. about 60 miles north of the Nassau, Bahamas. The ship left Miami for a three-day cruise, and was headed to its first port of call, Nassau. The name of the passenger was not released. Fellow passengers saw him go overboard. Also assisting in the search were The Royal Bahamas Defense Force, the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas cruise ship crew, the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship crew and Disney cruise line smallboat crews. The search was called off at nightfall. | Passenger overboard |
| 25.3.09 | Norwegian Majesty | From a passenger: On March 20th at approximately 14:45 off the coast of Jacksonville, FL, following a boom or rumble like sound, large chunks of rusty iron matter jettisoned out from ship's funnel raining down on guests on aft sundecks 10 & 8. This was followed by a spray of an oily substance and black soot that showered the entire aft section. Passengers were literally coated with this residue permanently damaging clothing and personal belongings. Crew members who witnessed just pointed and laughed. Ship staff tried to smooth over by offering free laundry and free wine + compensation for damaged clothing through NCL Corporate. The ship and NCL themselves have yet to provide any detail as to cause and/or health implications to those affected. See photos here. | Sooty mess from smokestack |
| 24.3.09 | Norwegian Star | A man filed a lawsuit against NCL after being assaulted during a vacation cruise on the Norwegian Star in March 2008. He alleges that while traveling with his family, three men violently attacked him with beer bottles and punched and kicked him in the face. His parents asked NCL to identify the attackers and provide a copy of the tapes from the cruise ship's surveillance system which recorded the incident, but the request was denied. They hired a lawyer for the purpose of obtaining the names of the assailants so that the crime could be reported to the FBI, but NCL responded by blocking all e-mails from the lawyer. They have now filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Miami. See press release here. |
Lawsuit filed |
| 10.3.09 |
Norwegian Sun | From a reader: In
February, while on a cruise on the ship, I overheard two crew members
discussing the fact that another crew member had discovered $2,000
and returned it to it's rightful owner through the proper
channels. Apparently, the money was discovered in a pair of pants
belonging to a passenger who had sent them to the laundry to be
cleaned. Upon discovery, the laundry attendant promptly reported the
discovery to his superior and the money was returned to the owner. |
Good news story |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2008 |
Incident |
| 26.12.08 |
Norwegian Pearl | Searchers from the U.S. Coast Guard joined the hunt Friday for a cruise ship passenger reported missing after employees of the Norwegian Pearl failed to find her. The search was centered about 15 miles east of Cancun, off the northeastern Mexico coast. The husband of 36-year-old Jennifer Feitz told cruise ship personnel about 3:50 a.m. that he couldn't find her. When a thorough search didn't locate her, the Coast Guard got a call for help. "Initial reports indicate the guest may have gone overboard while the ship was at sea, east of Cancun," a spokeswoman for the Miami, Florida-based Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement. Given her mental health history, media are assuming the disappearance is a suicide. | Person Overboard |
| 4.12.08 |
Norwegian Jade | FROM A PASSENGER: Due to bad weather and winds up to 50
knots, the Jade skipped its port of Piraeus, Greece after the port
pilot refused to board in the rough seas. The passengers were
treated to a one hour 'happy hour' of free beer and select wine. Last
week, on November 29th, the ship called off its port call to Palma de
Mallorca due to bad weather. |
Missed port calls |
| 13.11.08 |
Norwegian Sun | The port call at Punta Arenas (Costa Rica) was cancelled after industrial fishing boats blocked entrance to the port in protest at shark finning regulations. | Cancellation of port call |
| 1.11.08 |
Norwegian Dream | From a passenger: At about 2:45 a.m. an electrical fire
broke out on deck three in an electrical locker of the ship. It was
en route to Boston on the final leg of her final cruise as the Norwegian
Dream. Code Bravo deck three 3019 was called over some parts of the
ship including some passenger cabins.The crew responded and succeeded
in extinguishing the fire.The captain explained the situation later in
the day during His regular report to the Passengers. |
Fire |
| 16.10.08 |
Norwegian Star | The company announced today that the cruise scheduled for
July 11, 2009 is canceled due to a full ship charter. |
Cancellation |
| 15.10.08 |
Norwegian Pearl |
Both ships skipped its port call at Roatan due to
riots/unrest. Over the last few months there has been a steady
escalation of civil unrest by inhabitants of Roatan due to major
increases in electricity charges. In the last week, at least two cruise
ships have diverted scheduled port visits as a direct result of the
civil unrest currently making travel potentially unsafe. The UK
Foreign Office has the unrest listed in their travel aware section.
The US dept of State has no mentions of the problems. However, as per
instruction from the UK Foreign Office, it is advisable to avoid all
large groups of people if visiting Roatan and do not be surprised if
you are diverted to another port, such as Progresso, if Roatan is on
your itinerary until the civil unrest ceases being a potential danger
towards visitors. |
Skipped port |
| 28.9.08 |
Norwegian Dawn | Fire broke out under a West Side pier (New York City),
startling passengers preparing to disembark. The ship was docked along
Manhattan's West Side when a fire erupted beneath Pier 88 on West 48th
Street and 12th Avenue shortly after 9 a.m. While some of the 2,300
passengers hurried off the ship, others stayed aboard until the drama
was over. The threat ended when divers swam under the pier and
extinguished the fire. Fire officials said the cause was probably
electrical insulation used to keep water pipes warm in the winter. |
Fire at pier |
| 25.9.08 |
Norwegian Pearl | The Juneau Empire reports the ship violated its wastewater discharge permit in May, June and July (2008), according to Alaska state regulators. Wastewater samples from the ship had higher-than-permitted pH. | Environmental |
| 15.9.08 |
Norwegian Dream | High winds caused the ship to skip its port call at Saint
John, New Brunswick. |
Skipped port call |
| 3.9.08 |
Norwegian Pearl | Further to the pod problem (thrust bearing failure)
mentioned on August 27, NCL has announced the October 26th cruise
aboard Pearl has been cancelled so the ship can enter dry dock for
repairs. All passengers booked on the sailing
will be fully refunded and a credit of 25% for a future cruise will be
given. September 7 & 14 cruises - will have slightly altered
itineraries. Victoria will be a 'touch & go' therefore passengers
will be unable to disembark. September 21 cruise - San Francisco and
Los Angeles are being dropped. Port calls at Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco
and Cartagena will be slightly altered to allow for a slower cruise
speed. Each passenger will receive $50 OBC. October 12 & 19 cruises
- Roatan times will be altered slightly to 11am til 7pm. The ship will
return to normal service November 2. |
Mechanical problems / Itinerary changes |
| 27.8.08 |
Norwegian Pearl | Cruising
Talk reports that the ship appears to have a pod problem meaning a slower
cruise speed and slight alterations to her planned itinerary. The stop
in Victoria is a touch & go (to stay legal for Jones Act purposes)
and the time spent in Ketchikan has been reduced. OBC of $50 per head
or a full refund choice has been issued by NCL as this problem was
picked up about a fortnight ago. The ship is not due to dry dock in the
immediate future, however should her performance deteriorate, she is
likely to go to a Bahama dry dock shortly after her repositioning to
Miami at the end of her Alaska season. |
Mechanical problems / Itinerary changes |
| 18.8.08 |
Norwegian Sky | Cruise Critic reports a dozen passengers were stranded at the Port of Miami when the
ship departed early on its four-night Bahamas
cruise due to Tropical Storm Fay. It was scheduled to depart at
5 PM, but due to the oncoming storm the ship was forced to change
it's departure time to 3 p.m.
The line
posted notices of the revised embarkation times on its Web site as
early as Sunday and called all of the passengers on its manifest (and
reached many of them, including some of the passengers who still
arrived too late to embark), according to a spokeswoman for the line.
NCL offered the stranded passengers full refunds of their cruise fares,
and paid for their cab rides from the port to wherever they wanted to
go (airport, hotel, etc.). The line arranged for a reduced rate for the
travelers at a Miami hotel and gave them the number of NCL's Total
Travel department, which could help arrange last-minute air travel back
home. Passengers were also given the option of meeting up with the ship
in a subsequent port (most likely Nassau on Wednesday), but no one took
this option. |
Missed
ship |
| 15.7.08 |
Norwegian Dream | The Royal Gazette reports a passenger was slashed with an axe in a robbery involving four men. The man suffered several cuts to the chin, head and chest in the attack, which happened around 9:30 PM after he stopped for a cigarette while out driving his rental scooter on the North Shore in the vicinity of Terceira's gas station, Roberts Avenue and Palmetto Road, Devonshire. The 46-year-old, from Massachusetts, said a black male approached him, aged 18-20, with a "long narrow 'droopy' face". After offering him a cigarette, the man left but returned a few minutes later with three other men. The man suffered several two inch lacerations about his head and abdomen. In addition, he also received a four to five inch laceration to the left side of his chin -- none were life-threatening. The robbers got away with a wallet containing cash and credit cards. | Onshore attack of passenger |
| 17.6.08 |
Norwegian Dream | The
Royal Gazette in Bermuda reports that a passenger was arrested and
fined $2500 after 6.7 grams of marijuana was found in the room's safe.
According to the article, the Seaport Enforcement team along with a
security guard and a sniffer dog went on board the ship docked at
number six shed in Hamilton looking for drugs. The sniffer dog alerted
the officers to a cabin and when they knocked on the door, there was no
response. The security guard opened the door and the officers went
inside to find the cabin unoccupied. The sniffer dog alerted the
officers to a grey safe. When they opened it, they found a small
plastic bag containing plant-like material. Later that day, the
officers met with the cabin's occupant who admitted the drugs belonged
to him. The
Royal Gazette reported the same day that a second passenger was
fined $3,000 for bringing cannabis and
cannabis resin into the Island. While the Seaport
Enforcement team along with a security guard and a sniffer dog went
aboard the ship looking for drugs the passenger opened his cabin door
and the
sniffer dog reacted. Officers identified themselves to the defendant
and asked him if he had any drugs. He said: "Yes, I have a little pot."
Officers
found a small black toiletries bag in the closet containing a Ziploc
bag with plant-like material, a brown substance and a homemade pipe.
The man
was arrested with 1.92 grams of cannabis and 0.10 grams of cannabis
resin. EDITORIAL
COMMENT: It
would be nice if the cruise industry was at least as vigilant in
dealing with sexual assaults perpetrated against passengers by crew
members and officers!!!! |
Passengers arrested for pot possession |
| 31.5.08 |
Norwegian Spirit |
The Daily
News reports on a couple who were on the ship in late April. A
woman says perverts turned her Bahamian cruise into a shipwreck,
opening her cabin door as she slept naked and grabbing her buttocks on
a dance floor. The article may be of interest to some. |
"Perverts ruined my cruise" |
| 25.5.08 |
Norwegian Spirit | While docking in NYC (Manhattan) the ship apparently took a
turn too wide and rammed into Pier 90 at 50th St.
and 12th Ave. No one on board was injured. The city Buildings
Department said the accident damaged beams supporting
upper-level parking lots. There is need for reinforcements to be built,
but there's apparently no danger of a collapse. |
Collision with pier |
| 24.5.08 |
Norwegian Dream | FROM A READER: the Norwegian Dream, for the past 2 weeks,
has not been able to call in St. Georges Bermuda. It had instead stayed
docked in Hamilton. The reason apparently was that high winds Didn't
allow her to enter the "town cut" or leave it latter in the week.
Norwegian Dream currently docks in Boston on Sunday and spends tuesday
thru Friday in St Georges. |
Itinerary change |
| 20.5.08 |
Norwegian Cruise Line | Norwegian Cruise Line was ordered by federal court judge in Florida to pay a $1 million fine and $13.75 million preliminary restitution to the victims of the deadly boiler explosion on the Norway May 25, 2003. All the dead suffered severe burns from the superheated steam and oil that burst from the ruptured boiler, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office ruled at the time. The company agreed to plead guilty earlier this month (see May 2) to a charge of gross negligence, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The company admitted it had "failed to insure that proper inspections, maintenance, and repairs of boiler components were carried out." | $14.75 Million judgment |
| 16.5.08 |
Norwegian Jade | As reported at Cruise Critic, the ship experienced an eight degree list while en route from Venice to Naples this past week. According to an official statement from the cruise line, Jade "experienced a temporary technical issue that affected the ship's steering.". The list only lasted for a few seconds, and was the result of a technical issue with an electrically powered compass. According to online reports, Jade's list emptied water from pools and toppled a buffet. | Eight degree list |
| 11.5.08 |
Norwegian Dawn | A 46 year old woman was reported to have fallen overboard
from the ship at about 7:50 PM on a cruise from New York City to
Bermuda. A search was called off because of bad weather. The cruise
line asserted that video tapes show she was apparently trying to climb
between balconies when she fell overboard near Atlantic City, NJ. Her
family believes foul play was likely involved, which has been disputed
by the cruise line. |
Person Overboard |
| 2.5.08 |
Norwegian Cruise Line | Norwegian Cruise Line agreed to plead guilty to a charge of
criminal negligence in connection with 2003 boiler explosion that
killed eight crewmen and injured another 20 (some seriously). A report issued by
the National Transportation Safety Board determined the explosion
was likely the result of deficient boiler operation, maintenance and
inspection. |
Guilty Plea |
| 18.3.08 |
Norwegian Spirit | A 44 year old woman fell 65 feet to her death during a zip line ride through the jungle on the Caribbean island of Roatan. She was riding along a steel wire hung between trees in the jungle when either a harness holding her broke or the line snapped -- she and another person (a worker) had both fallen. She was taken to a private clinic on the island, then transferred to a hospital in the mainland city of San Pedro Sula, where she died on Wednesday. The excursion was reportedly at Gumbalimba Park. | Fatal accident on shore
excursion |
| 17.1.08 |
Norwegian Pearl | Reported in the St. Lucia Star January 21: "Six cruise ship passengers, two Americans and four Canadians were on a forest trail above the Botanical Gardens [at Soufriere] when two masked men, one yielding a machËte and the other a gun, robbed them of their ID, jewelry, purses and wallets. The two tour guides were robbed of their monies and one of them, Katia Polius, attempted to call for help on her cell phone. The bandits noticed and landed her with several kicks. When the masked men left, it is reported that the female guide reassuringly escorted the guests to their taxi . . . then fainted." | Robbery on shore
excursion |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2007 |
Incident |
| 20.12.07 |
Norwegian Spirit | From a passenger: I'm supposed to leave on the NCL
Spirit on the 23rd -- the engine is still a problem and they are
cutting a
port (1 of 4), no refunds and customer service was very rude. Did not
let us know of problem until the 20th. I'm pretty ticked -- we could
have at least been notified ahead of time to get money back .. the port
that was cancelled was the reason why I signed up. Another
passenger, on the December 16 cruise, reports there was an illness
outbreak on the cruise (at least 15 people were quarantined in their
rooms) and there were problems with service and attitude. |
Engine problems |
| 15.12.07 |
Norwegian Spirit | From a passenger: There was a small fire in the engine room at around 8:45PM as the ship headed back to New Orleans. The ship was about 140 nautical miles south of New Orleans. The ship was adrift for about 15 minutes as all engines were shut down. The engine shut down caused severe cavitation and “code bravo to the engine room” was announced. Smoke was seen coming from below the smoke stack which smelled like burnt oil. The emergency signal was given but was reported to be a false alarm 1-2 minutes later at which time they announced that there was a small fire and it was under control. About 5 minutes later it was announced that the fire was completely out and we would arrive in New Orleans as scheduled. | Fire |
| 10.12.07 |
Norwegian Dream | The ship collided with a barge
being pulled by a tug in Uruguay's main port, sending several
cars and containers off the barge and shutting the port down. The ship
received damages above the water line which do not
appear serious. It will remain in port for repairs. Passengers on
the current cruise, a 14 day around the southern tip of South America,
will miss two ports miss three ports(Port
Stanley, Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia) of
call before repairs are complete; they're being offered alternate shore
excursions before leaving for Ushuaia. There were no injuries. The
harbour remained closed for more than 24 hours, trapping Celebrity
Cruises' Infinity in port and blocking Marco Polo out of port.
Passengers were offered a 50% refund of cruise fare paid in addition to
$150 per passenger ($300 per room) onboard credit. A group of
passengers are demanding greater compensation -- see Merco
Press for more info. See here for
photos. |
Collision |
| 30.11.07 |
Norwegian Majesty | Newspapers in South Florida report that a 26 year old man
was med evaced from the ship just outside Miami (on it was from Key
West to Charleston, SC) this morning. The man reportedly fell 50 feet
(from the eight floor to a deck below) on board the ship at about 4 AM
and was
treated onboard until onshore
medical services could be secured. Details about the fall and his
condition have not been reported, however there are reports that the
man was intoxicated when the accident happened. (A similar accident
occurred June 20 on the same ship ... see
below) |
Injury onboard |
| 18.11.07 |
Norwegian Majesty | NCL's website says the ship's arrival into Charleston been delayed by one day (arriving today instead of yesterday) and it will sail a revised six-day itinerary. They cite several factor for the delay. On her return to Charleston, the ship came to the aid of a person in a sailboat who needed immediate medical attention. The passenger is currently being treated on board the ship. Also on the return, high winds and heavy seas necessitated the ship to operate at a reduced speed. In addition, planned maintenance during the ship's stay in Bermuda included the overhaul of a cylinder head on one of the main engines. Unfortunately, after departure, a seal on the new unit developed a minor leak and required remedial work to correct it. Even if the engine had not had this issue, the ship would not be able to go any faster than the speed she is presently doing because of the heavy seas and strong wind conditions. To compensate guests for the missed cruise day, NCL will refund one-seventh of the cruise fare paid, issued as an on-board credit. In addition, they are extending a $50 per person on-board credit ($100 maximum per stateroom) as a gesture of goodwill. And they are offering guests the option to cancel their cruise in which case cancellation fees will be waived. | Delayed arrival / departure |
| 2.11.07 |
Norwegian Crown | A 42 year old passenger was reported in the Bermuda
Sun to have pleaded guilty to importing 2.64 grams of cannabis and
1.18 grams of metamphetamine while aboard the ship. Customs
officials boarded the ship after receiving a security report of burning
cannabis on one deck. They located the room, knocked, and
the passenger admitted to having drugs. He was fined $6000 by a
Bermuda court. |
Drug bust |
| 25.10.07 |
Norwegian Star | The following was posted by a passenger at Cruise
Critic (the ship is on an 8 day Mexican Riviera cruise to/from Los
Angeles): Well we were at the
pool, got some sun...beautiful day! Went back to our
state room to make some drinks and we were enjoying watching a huge
whale and lots of dolphins..... when all of the sudden the ship tilted! Not a little....ALOT We were listing over and our bar set up and everything in our room flew on the floor! Including the coffee maker! The ship was finally righted, you could hear passengers screaming. The captain came on and said everything was ok.....he seemed a bit out of breath. Today he made a formal announcment...something to affect human error...and promised it would not happen again...the waiters were saying they had never had it happen before....plates and food and drinks flying everywhere....visions of the Poseidon adventure and titanic flashed by me! everyone on board is talking about it. I guess some people were hurt. I don't know all the details....WOW! |
Severe List (Tilt) |
| 22.9.07 |
Norwegian Spirit | The ship's departure from New York City was delayed 3 hours
following a bomb threat called into 911 -- the call was determined to
be a hoax. The ship was departing on a one-night cruise to
nowhere,. |
Bomb Threat |
| 26.8.07 |
Norwegian Crown | The ship was due to return to New York City this afternoon, but a problem with the ship's starboard propeller shaft has caused reduced speed and will delay arrival almost 24 hours ... now arriving between 6 and 8AM on Monday morning. The next cruise is expected to embark one day late (at 4PM) on a revised itinerary. Passengers on the shortened cruise will be refunded one-seventh of their cruise fare plus receive a 10% future cruise credit on the cruise fare paid. UPDATE AUGUST 27: Necessary repairs will take longer than anticipated -- the ship will now depart on Tuesday afternoon. Passengers on the shortened cruise will be refunded one-half of their cruise fare plus receive a 20% future cruise credit on the cruise fare paid. NCL will also refund government taxes and fees of approximately $34 to the guest's on-board account. | Delayed arrival / departure |
| 6.7.07 |
Norwegian Cruise Line | A Jamaican cleaner was sentenced to 18 years in prison in
Bermuda for smuggling $300,00 worth of heroin and marijuana from NYC to
Bermuda. He was arrested October 6, 2006, along with his
girlfriend who was sentenced to five years. |
Drug sentence |
| 20.6.07 |
Norwegian Majesty | A 22-year-old American man died this morning after falling four decks on board while the cruise ship was berthed in St. George's, Bermuda. Police were called at 1.15AM. According to the Royal Gazette, “It appears that the passenger had returned to the ship with his cousin after they had a few drinks together at a nearby St. George's bar. Around 12:25AM the men were on the fifth deck of the ship intending to go to the disco on the seventh deck when the 22-year-old American man fell from the fifth deck to the first deck. Two nurses on board attended the scene and discovered the victim in an unresponsive state. They immediately gave him CPR and tended to a head wound sustained from the fall." The man was pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital at 3.11a.m. | Fall --- Death |
| 6.6.07 |
Norwegian Dawn | As reported here on March 30, the ship was in drydock in Boston this week and last to repair a thrust bearing the the Azipod propulsion system. According to reports by Boston TV station WHDH, fire broke out in South Boston on Dry Dock Avenue in the area where the ship was docked. "An acety-line tank apparently caught fire while workers were doing repairs. Firefighters had to be lowered to the ship's hull to reach the fire." Reports indicate that damage to the ship is minimal. | Fire |
| 18.5.07 |
Norwegian Majesty | The ship will arrive a day later than scheduled into Boston
on Monday, May 21, because of a tug strike and high winds that delayed
the ship's departure from Bermuda today. It is now scheduled to
depart 6 AM, May 19. Embarkation for the May 20 Bermuda sailing
will now begin on Monday, May 21 at 1 p.m. Guests on that sailing
will receive an on-board credit in the amount of one-seventh of the
cruise fare paid plus a 10 percent future cruise credit based on the
cruise fare paid. |
Delayed Arrival / Departure |
| 17.5.07 |
Norwegian Star | The ship was escorted into the
Prince Rupert harbour by the a Canadian
Coast Guard vessel following a small fire in the engine room. At 3:13
p.m., Prince
Rupert’s marine communications traffic services were notified that
there was an engine room fire on board. Causing no significant
damage, the fire was easily extinguished. The vessel was in U.S. waters
near an area called Butterworth Rocks when the problem occurred.
Once docked in Prince Rupert a marine safety inspector conducted a
preliminary investigation. It was determined that a
broken fuel line caused the accident. The unit was taken out of use and
the vessel was deemed safe to resume course to Seattle. UPDATE: Associated Press
subsequently reported that NCL says there was not a fire; they say a
component failure knocked out one of the four main diesel engines and
that the ship is safe. Regardless of "the truth of the matter,"
the ship is due back in Seattle May 19th one hour behind schedule. |
Engine Room Fire |
| 17.4.07 |
Norwegian Pearl | A 35-year-old man drowned while snorkeling off the west
coast of Barbados. He was a passenger on ship and was snorkeling
off a small boat with his wife and a few others. |
Pax drowns |
| 6.4.07 |
All |
The federal government is suing the company on behalf of six
Muslim me who were fired apparently because their ethnicity gave rise
to suspicions they were terrorist. The suit was filed in federal
court in Honolulu by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. |
Discrimination? |
| 6.4.07 |
Norwegian Majesty | A 13-year-old girl was evacuated after she fell five decks
down an interior stairwell. She received immediate medical care
onboard and was taken to hospital as precaution. She suffered mid
head trauma. |
Pax injury |
| 30.3.07 |
Norwegian Dawn | It was announced today that the ship will enter drydock on May 29 for repairs to a thrust bearing in the Azipod propulsion system. The May 26 and June 2 cruises were canceled. Passengers on the affected sailings will get a full refund and a 25% credit toward a future cruise. | Cancellations |
| 7-18.1.07 |
Norwegian Dawn | Passengers report: Departure
from NYC was 2 hours delayed -- one account says because it arrived
late from Great Stirrup Cay; another says because of a delay in fuel
bunkering. The stop at
Great Stirrup Cay was cancelled because of high winds. There was
apparently a tour bus accident in Roatan sending 11 crew members to
hospital. Departure from Belize City was delayed for an emergency
evacuation. Two passengers were arrested in Ocho Rios because it
was believed they had drugs in their bags, and a passenger with a
medical condition was offloaded immediately before departure. |
Delays / Drug arrest / Bus accident |
| 9.1.07 |
Norwegian Majesty | A 60-year-old woman died after getting into trouble while
swimming at Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. These case are not
normally reported, but this is the second reported swimming death in
Cayman in a couple of weeks (see Carnival
Valor, 28 December). It should remind people to be careful
when going for a swim, especially if it has been a while since the last
time you were in the ocean. |
Pax swimming death |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2006 |
Incident |
| 30.12.06 |
Norwegian Majesty |
The New Years' cruise scheduled to depart today has been
cancelled. The ship experienced engine problems on the Christmas
cruise and will remain in Charleston for repairs. The January 6
cruise is expected to depart as scheduled. Passengers on the
cancelled cruise will receive a full refund and a 50% future cruise
credit (based on fare paid). |
Cancellation |
| 27.12.06 |
Norwegian Star |
The
ship arrived 3-4 hours late in Acapulco because of engine
problems.
Repairs were made while in port (overnight) and the cruise continued as
scheduled. The cruise was on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise from
Los
Angeles. |
Engine problems |
| 21.11.06 |
Norwegian Dawn | The ship made an unscheduled port call at Norfolk because of
a technical problem with its propulsion system and poor weather off
North Carolina that blocked its route from New York to Florida. The
ship arrived at 6:45 PM today and is expected to leave tomorrow at 5:00
PM. Update on Tuesday: Departure
has been set back until
Wednesday at 5 PM at the earliest -- repairs are still being
undertaken. Given that the itinerary is "up in the air,"
passengers have been offered a full refund, plus 25% off a future
cruise based on what they paid on this cruise, plus a $100 per
stateroom onboard credit. They have also been offered a charter
bus for return to NYC Tuesday evening, for those wishing to go home. |
Unscheduled Stop - - Cancellation / Delay |
| 15.11.06 |
Norwegian Majesty | The ship arrived in St. George's (Bermuda) one day late
because of continuing engine problems. It is scheduled to leave
Bermuda five hours earlier than the stated itinerary in order to return
to Charleston on schedule. Plans to repair the faulty crankshaft
while the ship was in Bermuda were scrapped given that the equipment
will not arrive in time. |
Engine Problems / Itinerary change |
| 11.11.06 |
Norwegian Majesty | The ship was delayed leaving Bermuda this week (Thursday
evening) and is delayed leaving today on her next cruise from
Charleston. She has a snapped crankshaft. NCL threw its
Charleston-bound passengers a complimentary cocktail party and offered
$100 per stateroom in onboard credit and 15 percent off the price of a
future cruise. Those heading out to Bermuda will get $50 per stateroom
in cruise cash or a chance to rebook as a consolation for the extra
time at sea. Norwegian Cruise Lines' Majesty was expected as of
last night to steam into port at about 2 p.m., seven hours behind
schedule, and head back to Bermuda on three of its four engines at 9:30
p.m. |
Engine Problems / Delays |
| 29.10.06 |
Norwegian Spirit | A passenger disembarking today wrote describing an
infestation of bed bugs on this 10 day cruise beginning and ending in
NYC, 19 - 29 October. The full text of
the passenger's message can be accessed here. |
Bed Bugs |
| 28.10.06 |
Norwegian Spirit | From a passenger: At approximately 7pm, as i left my room on deck 4 and hit the elevator button, approx 6 crew members exited elevator with woman on stretcher with neck brace on. Word later from crew was that due to high seas (15-25 ft) tables and approx 10 people fell on deck 12 Italian restaurant causing multiple injuries. We experienced rough seas and gale force winds on oct 28 -- "what an experience". This was on the last leg of the 10 day cruise, sailing from Tortola (26 Oct) to New York (29 Oct). | High Seas / Injuries |
| 25.10.06 |
Norwegian Wind | The ship "lost an engine" and had to skip today's scheduled port cal at Nawiliwili (Kauai). The next day there was a total power blackout while off Lahaina (Maui) with no AC , lights , elevators , toilets , water ,etc. These were gradually restored over a 7 hour period . Public washrooms were locked and dining rooms closed (no hot coffee after 7:45 AM ) . At noon they had a cookout on the pool deck for both passengers and crew. Each passenger got a free drink and a $50 per cabin shipboard credit. See Cruise Critic. | Power failure / Missed port |
| 11.10.06 |
Norwegian Star | A
35 year old women went overboard shortly after the ship left Cabo San
Lucas. According to passengers, the ship turned around at about 7 30pm
(after leaving Cabo at about 5.30) and conducted a search for about 2
hours but to no avail. There are reports that her body washed up
onshore the following day, and some passengers report that she and her
partner had an argument in public before she went missing. The
ship
was late in its arrival to Los Angeles, where the FBI boarded for an
investigation. |
Person overboard |
| 19.9.06 |
Norwegian Sun | Alaska State Troopers are investigating a sexual assault case aboard the cruise ship as it traveled the waters of Southeast Alaska. Troopers received a report shortly after six Tuesday morning that a male crew member sexually assaulted a 25 year old female member of the crew. The charge involved is sexual assault in the first degree. | Sexual Assault (Crew on
Crew) |
| 7.6.06 |
Norwegian Crown | The ship ran aground while en route from St. Georges to
Hamilton, Bermuda. Passengers went ashore by tender. The
ship was refloated ten hours later and is expected to keep to its
original itinerary. |
Grounded |
| F19.2.06 |
Norwegian Jewel | From a crew member: One of the female crew jumped overboard and committed suicide ... she was 24 years old and pregnant, had found out her boyfriend who also worked on the ship had cheated on her. The whole thing is a huge "hush hush" thing on the ship, what crew were told, etc. and passengers have no clue" The crew member was upset by how NCL was covering the story up and felt it should be "exposed" to further educate passengers ... S/he says what's more troubling is that this is the second staff suicide on the Jewel within 6 months; the other crew person hung himself in the closet. | Crew member suicide |
| 12.2.06 |
Norwegian Dawn | As a result of a snowstorm the ship arrived late in NYC. It also left late, at approximately 2100 EST but had insufficient fuel -- apparently fuel could not be delivered while at the pier. The ship dropped anchor in the harbor and was met by a fuel barge at in the early morning hours. The delay caused uncertainty with the itinerary -- it appears the stop at Great Stirrup Cay was cancelled. | Delay -- Changed itinerary |
| 19.1.06 |
Norwegian Spirit | Both WABC and WCBS reported that passengers returning from
a southern Caribbean cruise complained about heavy seas and a series of
high waves -- some as high as 50 feet -- during the leg from Tortola to
New York. Several windows were smashed and 11 cabins were
flooded. Passengers had to be relocated and those in cabins most
effected were offered a free cruise in the future, if they want
it. Here is a
QuickTime video (9 MB, so slow to load) of the seas taken an hour
before waves broke through that cabin's window. |
Storm at Sea |
| 12-20.1.06 |
Norwegian Star | A passenger reports that scheduled stops at Acapulco and Zihuatanejo would be dropped because of engine problems. Instead, passengers called on Mazatlan and Manzanillo and given a CAN$50 onboard credit. It has been reported that the same happened to the cruise Nov.25th/05 and Dec.11/05. | Itinerary Change |
| 7-14.1.06 |
Norwegian Majesty | A passenger reports that she contracted Legionnaire's
Disease while on the ship. Details available
here. |
Legionnaire's Disease |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2005 |
Incident |
| 22.11.05 |
Norwegian Star | The itinerary for Mexican Riviera cruises have been revised
because of damage to the forward thrust bearings of the ship's azipod
propulsion system. The old itinerary included port calls to
Acapulco (13.5 hours), Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa (7 hours), Puerto Vallarta (8
hours), and Cabo San Lucas (8 hours). The revised itinerary
includes Manzanillo (8 hours), Puerto Vallarta (11 hours), Mazatlan (10
hours), and Cabo San Lucas (7 hours). These changes will continue
until the ship enters drydock March 8, 2006 -- cruises scheduled for
March 8 - April 1 are cancelled. Passengers affected by the
itinerary change will receive $50 per person($100 per cabin maximum)
onboard credit. |
Azipod problems ---- Itinerary change |
| 13.10.05 |
Norwegian Dream | The ship is expected to arrive 5 hours late from its
current cruise
because of mechanical problems. The Oct 15th cruise out of
Houston will depart late and Roatan and Cancun have been dropped as
ports. The only ports visited will be Cozumel and Belize. NCL is
offering $100pp (limit
2) credit per cabin and $100 pp for future cruise. There are
reports that the cruises beginning Oct 22 and 29 will replace Roatan
(Honduras) with Progresso (Mexico) and itinerary changes may continue
until repairs are made. |
Mechanical problems |
| 25.9 - 2.10.05 |
Norwegian Majesty | From September 26th thru October 1st, I was repeatedly “hit on” by my Cabin Steward. He left notes on the bed in my cabin, and lurked in the corridor at all hours of the day and night, seeming to be waiting for me. He even so much as asked me to have dinner with him… and also marry him! Although it seemed a bit overly flirtatious, I did not make a big deal of it, but…. On the final day of my cruise, October 2nd, the Cabin Steward assaulted me. He followed me into to my cabin, closing the door behind him. There was very little room and I tried to distance myself from him, but he grabbed me and began kissing me. I tried to push him away and said, “NO!”, but he had one arm firmly around my waist, while his other hand gripped the back of my head. He forced my mouth open with his tongue. Again, I yelled, “NO!”, causing him to loosen his grip, long enough for me to make my way out of the cabin. For more see here. | Sexual Assault |
| 30.8.05 |
Norwegian Jewel | There are reports the ship lost power as a result of problems with the port-side azipod on Monday while leaving St. Petersburg . The ship was assisted by Finnish tugs to reach the next port (Tallinn, Estonia), arriving 5 hours late; it is expected to depart 3 hours later than scheduled. On Tuesday morning the ship's Captain announced the azipod had been fixed. | Propulsion problems |
| 11.8.05 |
Norwegian Dream | Engine problems continue with the ship (see July 4) though
an additional "technical issue with one of the engines" caused the
current cruise to end 6 hours late (many pax missed flights, had to
stay overnight, and scramble for flights on Friday). Returning
passengers told of limping
into Seattle on a failed engine and of missing out "on major,
picturesque stops." The cruise beginning today as well will visit
four ports rather than six (missing SItka and Ketchikan). Of the
ship's four engines, two are
under repair and two are working -- the delay presumably was caused by
a
problem with one of the working engines. Passengers were assured
that the problem only affects speed and not safety. |
Propulsion problem -- Delays -- Missed ports |
| 31.7 - 7.8.05 |
Norwegian Star | Apparently because of propulsion problems this "Glacier Bay
Cruise" skipped Glacier Bay and substituted in its place a port call at
Sitka. Passengers were compensated with a $200 onboard
credit. As stated by one passenger, "we picked this cruise for
Glacier Bay; the cruise was more expensive BECAUSE of the cruise
through Glacier Bay; and the cruise is called a GLACIER BAY CRUISE in
advertising and agenda." |
Propulsion problem -- Missed port |
| 5.7.05 |
Norwegian Spirit | A passenger reports that the ship collided with the pier as
it docked at Juneau, breaking out windows in 3 or 4 rooms and making a
large dent in the side. Passengers in the room affected were
relocated to other accommodations because of the damage, and were given
both an onboard credit and a discount on a future cruise. |
Collision with dock |
| 4.7.05 |
Norwegian Dream | The June 30 - July 11 sailing has experienced engine
problems and as a result Sitka has been dropped from the
itinerary. Passengers were compensated with a $50 onboard
credit. Sitka has also been dropped from future itineraries
through August -- presumably until the engine problem is repaired. |
Engine problems Missed port |
| 2.7.05 |
Norwegian Dawn | The ship was re-routed after Great Stirrup Cay due to engine problems -- it is running on only one azipod prop. The port of Nassau was canceled so the cruise can end on-time in NYC. | Engine problems |
| 20-27.6.05 |
Norwegian Dream | Passengers were notified after leaving Seattle that because of engine problems they would be miss the port of Sitka and would receive a "conditional" non-refundable $50.00 per person shipboard credit that could not be used in the casino or for service charges. When questioned about the missed port, the Cruise Director reportedly replied to a guest in a a crowded auditorium... "you can either get over it or be sulky for the rest of the cruise." At the same time, the Captain insisted that College Fjord, a stop listed on the itinerary, was NOT an his itinerary and was instead a "surprise" stop to celebrate a crew members birthday. A poster at Cruise Critic further talks about being reprimanded by a junior waiter for ordering improperly, having hot coffee spilled on her, and finding a soiled diaper in the night table beside the bed. | Engine problems Missed port Service issues |
| 14.6.05 |
Norwegian Dawn | A lawsuit was
filed against NCL alleging the ship was put into harm's way when its
owners ordered it to race back to New York for a photo shoot with "The
Apprentice" (see April 15
below). The $100 million suit claims that NCL sent the
Norwegian Dawn into the path of a storm as it headed back from Florida
on
April 16. Some passengers were hurt. "They deliberately took those
passengers into a serious storm and put their lives at risk for
financial reasons," said lawyer Brett Rivkind. See story here. |
Lawsuit |
| 4.6.05 |
Norwegian Star | While docked in Victoria (British Columbia) local residents
near the port complained of a noxious odour pervading their homes
following release of a billow of black smoke from the ship's
smokestack. The cruise line didn't notify the port, so inquiries
were told it was being looked into. What was determined was that while fixing a diesel-powered electricity generator,
the engine had to be restarted several times. On two of those
restarts the engine emitted heavy black smoke which triggered the
ship's own onboard smoke emission alarms. In each of those two
occasions the smoke was emitted for less than 30 seconds. It was
the source of the noxious odour. |
Air Pollution |
| 22-29.5.05 |
Norwegian Star | From a passenger: On the disembarkation day (at Seattle), we saw the big baggage cage moving luggage from the pier to the ship drop some bags into the ocean. At least 8 bags fell right into the drink and were fished out of the ocean and from under the Edgewater Hotel. We never heard what compensation was made for these unlucky travelers. Then on the last night (the 28th) security rushed by us while we were walking the deck. An obviously intoxicated man was straddling the railing and threatening to "end it all." Security latched on and removed him. Apparently, he had been drinking and losing in the casino for some time that night. | Luggage overboard - - - - Attempted suicide |
11.5.05 |
Norwegian Majesty | As the ship moored at St. George's, Bermuda, it knocked into three yachts moored in Powder Hall anchorage and almost sucked one yacht under – as its passengers screamed for help on the radio. There were no known injuries, but the ship's propeller appears to have been damages. See Royal Gazette. | Collision with yachts |
| 8.5.05 |
Norwegian Dawn | Today’s one-night Mother’s Day cruise has been canceled due to adverse weather delaying the ship’s return from the Bahamas. The vessel is expected to arrive back in New York at 5 p.m. today. Passengers booked on the one-night May 8 cruise will receive a full refund and a 50% future cruise credit certificate. The May 9 cruise will operate on schedule. | Cancellation |
| 15.4.05 |
Norwegian Dawn | The ship was struck by a 70 foot wave en route from the Bahamas to New York. The wave knocked out windows in two passenger cabins and on the navigation bridge and damaged the ships hull -- the frame beneath the spare anchor was bent by the force of the anchor hitting the flat deck during the heavy seas. Four passengers were hurt, mainly by cuts from broken glass, and treated at the ship's infirmary. Two cabins were flooded and 60 others were damaged by water seeping from those where the windows broke out. The ship was diverted to Charleston, SC for repairs and continued to New York, arriving one day later than scheduled. Some 300 passengers chose to be flown home from Charleston rather than continuing on the ship. Those remaining onboard were given free drinks for the remainder of the cruise; all passengers received a 50% refund and a 50% discount on any future cruise. The following 7 day cruise was revised to 6 days. See: Marine Accident Report: Heavy-Weather Damage to Bahamas-Fag Passenger Vessel Norwegian Dawn, Atlantic Ocean, 120 Miles East of Charleston, South Carolina, April 16, 2005, NTSB Report Number: MAB-05-03 | Windows broken out Diverted for repairs |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2004 |
Incident |
| 25.10.04 |
Norwegian Majesty | Arrives in Boston one day late after going through a storm
on its return from Bermuda. The ship reportedly experienced 25 -
30 foot waves and horrendous winds and spent much of Saturday and
Sunday in poor conditions. Saturday
|
Damaged in Storm |
| 22.8.04 | Norwegian Sea | While en route from Houston to Cozumel, the ship rescued four men who had been clinging to a partially submerged fishing boat for 12 days. The four men -- all from Honduras -- had left Roatán for a fishing trip on Aug. 8, and their small outboard boat capsized two days later. For almost two weeks, the group drifted approximately 520 nautical miles through the Yucatán Strait, catching fish with the help of a t-shirt and drinking rainwater. | Rescue |
| 21.7.04 |
Norwegian
Crown & Norwegian Majesty |
The
Royal Gazette (Bermuda) reported that hundreds of
passengers
fell violently sick as their Bermuda-bound ships were pounded by 15
foot
waves during a fierce storm. All outdoor activities were
cancelled
and staff distributed seasickness drugs, green apples and salt
crackers.
Click here
to see the story. |
Stormy
seas |
| 1.5.04 |
Norwegian
Dream |
Earlier
this week, the Norwegian Dream cancelled its its
scheduled stop at Genoa, and it scheduled a stop at the port of
Gibraltar. Its next scheduled port of call was to have been Barcelona the following day, but the Spanish government decided to enforce a decades-old law that says a ship cannot dock at a Spanish port after it has called at Gibraltar. NCL substituted Sete, France for Barcelona. Other cruise lines are now canceling stops at Gibralter in order to avoid similar problems. |
Cancellation
of Port of Call |
| 30.4.04 |
Norwegian
Crown |
Fuel fumes
filled 50 cabins as a result of a
hole in a ventilation duct in
the air conditioning system, and there were reportedly power
outages. Passengers were promised full refunds by the Captain
onboard, but news reports indicate the company reneged. |
Power Outages Fumes |
| 8.4.04 |
Norwegian
Dream |
The
itinerary
for the 22 March cruise was changed as a result of a
broken crankshaft and need for the ship to operate on one
engine. Madeira and Genoa were cancelled as ports of
call and a stop at Gibraltar was added. NCL says the engine
problems will not effect the next three Mediterranean sailings.
There is no word when the repairs will be made. |
Engine
breakdown |
| 2.4.04 |
Norwegian
Star |
Because
of damage to the forward thrust bearing in the
ship's Azipod system, stops at Fanning Island have been cancelled for
cruises through April 25. The ship will then enter drydock one
week early. |
Cancellation
/ Propulsion Problems |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2003 |
Incident |
| 13.11.03 |
Norwegian Wind |
Passenger
report: Both ships (HAL's Veendam and N. Wind)were docked at
the
Cozumel pier stern to stern with approximately 20-30' between the 2
ships. A sudden brief storm with high wind
and rain came in around 7-7:30 and pushed the Veendam into the Wind.
The Wind seemed to have more damage than the Veendam. From
what we could see, the Veendam had damage to a window cleaning walkway.
The Wind had a nice size dent 15' wide in the stern at Deck 7/8
towards the port side. The floor on the deck was buckled where it
meets the stern. Also a section of pipe under deck 8 crimped.
Possibly related to the accident and to the crimped pipe, a
sprinkler line burst
in the aft stairwell around the same time. Departure from Cozumel
was delayed by only 15 minutes and as far as we know, there were no
injuries. |
Bump |
| 25.9.03 |
Norwegian
Crown |
Sustained
damage to the port side propeller when it came
into contact with a fishing net while sailing from Quebec City to
Boston. The ship will be delayed one day. |
Collision |
| 25.5.03 |
Norway |
Initially
next 3 cruises cancelled because of boiler
explosion. By early-June, cruises through September had been
cancelled. Subsequently announced that
all cruises were cancelled indefinitely. |
Cancellation |
| 25.5.03 |
Norway |
A
boiler room explosion killed eight crew members and
injured a dozen others. No passengers were injured. The
ship had arrived at the Port of Miami around 5 a.m. The fire began at
6:30; it was caused by a steam leak. |
Boiler Explosion |
| 3.5.03 |
Norwegian
Sun |
The
ship
is being investigated by the State of Washington for an illegal
discharge of 16,000 gallons (40 tons) of raw sewage into the
Strait of Juan de Fuca (just off Whidby Island, a popular vacation
resort). The strait is known to be habitat for Orca whales. |
Environmental |
| 28.4.03 |
Norwegian
Dream |
Passengers
notified at embarkation that cruise itinerary
will not include St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Talinn as planned. Due
to ice in the Gulf of Finland (a fact that is disputed) the ship
instead would stop at Amsterdam, Germany, and Norway. Passengers say
they should have been notified earlier about the change given that the
decision to change the itinerary was made before most passengers had
left home. Close to 1000 passengers (60%) have signed a petition
demanding appropriate compensation for in effect doing the same thing
as substituting a cruise to Mexico for a cruise to Alaska. |
Itinerary
Change |
| 13.3.03 |
Norwegian
Star |
An
injured crewman was airlifted to Oahu after falling from
a tender and injuring his legs on the propeller when the ship was
visiting the Fanning Islands (Republic of Kiribati). The ship was
diverted to Christmas Island. Subsequent ports of call cancelled
because of diversion. |
Crew
injury / Itinerary change |
| 6.2.03 |
Norwegian
Wind |
A
couple aboard the ship reported observing whole beer
bottles, whole wine bottles, beer and pop cans, corks, plastic plates,
plastic utensils, plastic cups and organic material all being tossed
into the ocean from the back of the ship. The ship was between
Hawaii and Fanning Island. The company insists it did nothing illegal.
The incident is
being investigated by the US Coast Guard and EPA. |
Environmental |
| 3.2.03 |
Norwegian
Star |
A
technical problem in one of the two Azipod transformers
has forced the ship to operate at a slower speed. The current
cruise will skip the stop at Fanning Island, but all Hawaiian islands
scheduled will be visited. It remains unstated how cabotage law
requirements ($200
fine per passenger for not including a foreign port) will be handled. |
Engine problems |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2002 |
Incident |
| 13.8.02 |
Norwegian Majesty |
Acting
on intelligence reports, police raided the
ship and seized 33 pounds of cocaine (valued at $4.5 million).
The ship was docked St. George's, Bermuda. |
Drug bust |
| Aug.02 |
Norway and "at least one other ship" |
Norwegian Cruise Line pled guilty to on numerous occasions from 1997 through April 2000 that it routinely circumvented the oily water separator, allowing oily bilge to be discharged directly into the sea. The company was given a lenient sentence because it reported its practices to the Department of Justice. FINE = $1.5 million ($1 million fine and $500,000 in court-ordered community service to fund environmental projects in South Florida) | Environmental |
| 28.7.02 |
Norway |
U.S. Customs agents were waiting on pier as the Norway arrived at Miami with an arrest warrant for a crew member on drug smuggling charges. He fled, hiding onboard, and was eventually apprehended. He had two kilos of heroin strapped to his body. Disembarkation delayed while drug dogs searched the ship. The incident caused a four-hour delay in the ship's departure. | Drug bust / Delayed departure |
| 21.7.02 |
Norway |
Wine
steward arrested for raping a passenger. Both
the woman and her husband were under the effect of some type of drug.
(Reported in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 26, 2002) |
Rape |
| 5.3.02 | Norway | Stewardess accidentally fell overboard and rescued after ten hours in the water. Port call at St. Maarten canceled. | Person overboard |
| dd/mm/yy |
Ship |
2001 and earlier |
Incident |
| Dec. 01 |
Norwegian Star |
From a passenger: Inaugural voyage in Hawaii -- aka why never to take an inaugural cruise. Food running out on way back from Fanning Island because the entire buffet was shut down and thrown out for not being to temperature before leaving Honolulu. Delayed departure to wait for passengers from international flights – several hours delay, causing shortened first port stop and cancelled tours. Fanning Island tendering situation was hideous – two to three hours in line to wait for return tenders and no shade. Most people were glad just to see land though, since all the way down to Fanning and most of the way back we were battling high seas and winds from Typhoon Fanxi (probably misspelled). Also hit by a rogue wave at 7am one morning on the Fanning leg, causing lots of things to fall from shelves. By the time we got out of the cabin we didn’t see any breakage, but we were awakened by champagne bottles flying from top shelves onto the floor. Estimated tilt about 30 degrees one way, then back 30 degrees the other and then it was as if nothing happened. No notification at all of what caused it. And I only found out about the Typhoon (soon to be supertyphoon) because I’d gone on the internet to surf. High seas also meant that the crew was sick – up to 1/3 of them couldn’t handle the storms so services were horribly interrupted. Billing was not done in time (I actually heard the person responsible for the billing being berated by the captain for going to sleep when the billing system wasn’t working with the idea that it’d get fixed later – and this was the night before the return to Honolulu). Worst cruise I’ve ever been on by far – what a honeymoon! | Cruise from hell |
| Sep. 01 |
Norway |
Collides with pier in New York
City, Grounded |
Collision |
| 27.5.01 |
Norway |
The Coast Guard yanked the
ship's permission to carry passengers out of a US port because the
ship's fire-safety system had sprung more than 100 leaks. |
Safety hazard - Cancellation |
| 21.5.01 | Norwegian Sky |
The autopilot failed and caused
the ship to make a jarring turn and then list, sending plates and
glasses crashing and injuring more than 70 people. The ship was
near the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. |
Severe List |
| 24.9.99 |
Norwegian Sky |
Ran aground on a sandbar near the confluence of the Sagenay and St. Lawrence rivers; was refloated at high tide. The ship will need to undergo repairs so the next two cruises were cancelled. See: Grounding Passenger Vessel "NORWEGIAN SKY" Off Île Rouge, St. Lawrence River, Quebec, 24 September 1999, Transportation Safety Board of Canada Report Number M99L0098 | Grounded |
| 24.8.99 |
Norwegian Dream |
Collides with the Ever Decent
(containership) in the British Channel and sustaining heavy
damage. Miraculously there was no loss of life or serious
injury. Several subsequent cruises were cancelled. |
Collision |
| 28.7.99 |
Norwegian Crown |
Passengers complained after a
switchboard problem caused a four hour (11AM - 3PM) loss of electricity
and water. The ship was at dock in Bermuda. |
Electricity loss |
| 28.5.99 |
Norway |
Suffers a fire in its
turbocharger room while entering Barcelona and is put out of commission
for 3 weeks. |
Fire |
| 12.6.99 |
Norwegian Wind |
Skipped two ports in the Alaska
cruise each of the last two weeks because of propulsion problems -- pax
given $100 onboard credit |
Propulsion problems |
| 19.4.99 |
Norwegian Majesty |
On its first voyage after refit,
passengers complained about "appalling conditions." Complaints
centred on diesel fumes, toilets backing up, and televisions and
telephones not working. |
Passenger complaints |
| 12.4.99 |
Norwegian Majesty |
As it was preparing to leave
port, a grease fire broke out in a pizzeria on an upper deck -- a
passenger (firefighter) put out the fire with an extinguisher but
was injured slightly. The cruise left without him. |
Fire |
| 14.1.99 |
Norwegian Dynasty |
The ship was forced into port
(San Diego) to repair a failed engine. The ship was sailing from
Honolulu to Puerto Vallarta. |
Engine problems - Detour |
| 19.12.97 |
Leeward |
Sailed over and damaged a 460 square yard swath of
the Great Mayan Reef near Cozumel. Fined $1 million by Mexican
government. |
Environmental |
| 28.9.97 |
Dreamward |
The ship lost power as a result
of an electrical explosion, which shortcircuited the engines and
steering capability of the ship. The ship was adrift about 30
miles out to sea for 20 hours before repairs were made and it continued
on to Halifax. |
Power loss |