Norwegian Cruise Line reports that the cruise ship Norwegian Sun hit a small iceberg on Saturday while underway in foggy conditions near Hubbard Glacier in Alaska. The company characterized the berg as a growler, a type of very small iceberg that only rises a meter or less above the waterline and is often difficult to see from the bridge of a ship.
Following the collision, visits to Hubbard Glacier and Skagway, Alaska, were canceled and the ship sailed directly to nearby Juneau for an assessment of damage to the vessel.
While the extent of the damage is unclear, Coast Guard divers in Juneau inspected the ship’s hull and judged the ship to be seaworthy.
“The ship was given clearance by the United States Coast Guard and other local maritime authorities to return to Seattle at reduced speed,” Norwegian said Tuesday in a statement sent to TPG. “All guests currently onboard will disembark in Seattle as originally planned.” No one was injured during the incident, a spokesperson said.
Norwegian Cruise Line on Tuesday also canceled the next Alaska sailing of the 1,976-passenger Norwegian Sun, pending repairs to the ship.
The NORWEGIAN SUN cruise ship hit an iceberg near Hubbard Glacier on Saturday, June 25. The cruise ship docked in Juneau on Monday. pic.twitter.com/e2rTgY4K5g
— GOLDENPROPELLER.COM (@GOLDENPROPELLE1) June 28, 2022
Did the band play on?