Key Aspects:
- An 83-year-old American woman was killed and her 84-year-old husband critically injured when a reversing excursion bus struck them at the Port of Livorno.
- The couple had just returned from a shore excursion and were walking back toward their cruise ship when the accident occurred.
- Italian authorities are investigating to determine how the collision happened.
Livorno, Italy, is one of Italy’s most popular cruise ports. A jumping off point for reaching Florence, Tuscan villages, and Pisa’s leaning tower, passengers often board shuttle buses to whisk them off to see sites in one of Italy’s most beautiful regions.
But one recent call turned tragic when a reversing shuttle bus struck a couple of American passengers, killing the woman and critically injuring her husband.
According to Italian reports, the victims, aged 83 and 84, had just disembarked after a city excursion and were returning to their cruise ship when the accident occurred.
Authorities say the shuttle bus was maneuvering in the port area on August 12, 2025, when it backed into the couple, likely within the driver’s blind spot.
Witnesses reported, “He had not noticed their presence until he heard a noise and the screams.”
Both passengers were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but sadly, the woman died shortly after arrival. Her husband remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The identities of the couple have not been released, although one source suggests the couple were guests aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria.
According to ship trackers, the 2,061-guest ship was in Livorno on August 12 during a 21-night Adriatic and Western Mediterranean voyage that had departed from Trieste, Italy, on July 28, 2025.
Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents
The ship had explored Croatia, Malta, France, Sardinia, and numerous ports in Italy before the accident occurred and ended its journey in Barcelona earlier this morning, August 18.
MSC Cruises’ MSC Seaside has made Livorno a homeport for its 7-night Mediterranean cruises, but was in Barcelona on the day the incident occurred.
Local police are said to be conducting interviews, reviewing surveillance footage, and gathering evidence in a continuing investigation.
Rising Traffic and Growing Risks
The Port of Livorno is one of Italy’s largest ports. In 2024, it welcomed more than 860,000 cruise passengers – a 23.2 percent increase over 2023.
Besides being a main port of call, its location as a homeport has quintupled its homeport traffic to nearly 54,000.
Forecasts for 2025 suggest continued strong performance, with Livorno expected to see a 25.4 percent increase in cruise passengers and more than a 30 percent rise in ship calls.
Although the port is busy, accidents – especially those involving cruise passengers – are extremely rare.
Still, accidents do happen. Barcelona also had its own dangerous bus crash in March 2025. Fifty-three people were injured when a cruise passenger bus and a bus carrying students collided near the Sagrada Familia.
A similar incident occurred in 2024’s late summer Alaska season when a cruise bus overturned while carrying 24 passengers. Twelve passengers were hurt; none of them fatally.
The unidentified Livorno bus driver, described as an experienced operator, reportedly appeared shaken, having just assisted the woman with her walker before the accident in the busy pedestrian zone took place.
Cruise Hive extends its deepest condolences to the victims’ family.
