Guests onboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Euribia have reported an overboard situation near Flam, Norway, in the very early hours of Thursday, June 6, 2024. The ship is currently finishing a 7-night Northern Europe sailing roundtrip from Kiel, Germany, that departed on Saturday, June 1.
The overboard alarm was sounded at approximately 2:15 a.m. Guests were awakened by the alert, and a few minutes later, the ship’s captain made an announcement about the situation and notified passengers that the ship was stopping for rescue operations.
At the time, the 184,011-gross-ton, Meraviglia-Plus-class ship was cruising in the picturesque Sognefjord en route to Flam, where the vessel was scheduled to spend the day on Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The incident happened approximately 3 miles east of Lavik, 53 miles west-northwest of Flam. The Sognefjord is the largest, deepest fjord in Norway. Cruise ship tracking data shows the large vessel turning around in the channel during the overboard incident.
Local coast guard authorities were notified and at least one rescue helicopter was dispatched to aid in the search. The cruise ship also launched a rescue boat to search the nearby waters. Video (courtesy of Lora Morrow) has shown someone being pulled from the water in the early morning hours, but it is unclear whether that may be the individual who had gone overboard or a member of the rescue team.
Follow-up announcements confirmed that the individual had been rescued and taken to a local hospital. Their condition is unknown. For the sake of their privacy, as well as that of their traveling companions and family members, their identity has not been revealed.
No further details have been released, and it is not known whether or not alcohol, a domestic disturbance, or other factors contributed to this incident.
MSC Euribia was able to resume her journey and there was no significant disruption to her schedule. The ship is still on track to return to Kiel as planned on Saturday, June 8.
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The ship is currently offering a season of Northern Europe itineraries departing from either Kiel or Copenhagen, depending on travelers’ preferences and sailing date.
In addition to Flam, ports of call include Hellesylt, Geiranger, Molde, Maloy, and Alesund, Norway, with the exact stops varying based on departure date.
Second Recent Overboard
This is not the only overboard situation from MSC Euribia this year. In mid-March, a male passenger was reported missing and overboard from the ship as the vessel was sailing from Southampton to Hamburg. During that situation, an apparent lack of communication was frustrating to family members.
It can be difficult for a cruise line to properly communicate with understandably distraught families and friends while safeguarding privacy and simultaneously working with authorities.
It is customary for overboard incidents to be thoroughly investigated, but when incidents may happen in international waters, jurisdictional issues can be complicated.
MSC Euribia is the newest ship in MSC Cruises’ standard fleet (Explora 1 is just slightly younger as the first of the parent company’s luxury ships). The ship can host approximately 3,000 travelers, and has an international crew of roughly 1,700 to ensure the ship’s safe operation and excellent service.
Other MSC Cruises ships have had overboard incidents in the past few months, including a crew member from MSC Seascape in November 2023 and a male guest from MSC Preziosa in December 2023.
This may seem like such tragic incidents occur frequently, but it is important to remember that many thousands of guests sail on hundreds of cruise ships around the world every day, enjoying amazing destinations and beautiful ports of call.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with the family and friends of the individual in this incident, as well as the crew of MSC Euribia as they work to provide happier moments for everyone aboard the ship on every sailing.
