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Editor: Rod Sullivan
Profession: Maritime Attorney

Category: Cruise Ship Injuries and Accidents

Norwegian Cruise Line's vessel the Norwegian Crown ran aground off the coast of Bermuda yesterday on the short trip between St. George and Hamilton. It took three tugs and a high tide before it could be extricated from the reef.

It was 0830 when the vessel ran aground. The next high tide was scheduled for 1840. It wasn't until 1900 last night, 10 1/2 hours later, that it was freed. Crowds of spectators gathered on the beach at Spanish Point to watch the effort to free the ship. A look at photos of its waterline shows that it was hard aground, with the bow tilted upward and the stern depressed downward.

The ship had 1150 passengers and 500 crew aboard and was apparently under pilotage at the time of the grounding.

At this point, it will take an underwater survey with a dive team to see if the vessel can continue its voyage. If it has suffered substantial hull damage, it may be necessary for the ship to proceed straight to a shipyard and drydock for hull repairs. Coral reefs can be very hard on steel hulls, and only audiogaging will tell if the steel has been worn to the point where it needs to be replaced.