On Monday, Norwegian Escape, which ran aground in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic, was finally freed. The cruise ship is now back docked at Taino Bay while any damage is assessed.
Damage to Norwegian Escape is Being Assessed
On Monday, the Norwegian Escape cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line ran aground while departing Taino Bay in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Two tug boats were involved in helping the large Breakaway-plus class vessel free.
At the time that the vessel ran aground, the cruise line said, “We are currently working on a solution to free the ship and ready her for a safe departure.” There was also an announcement made onboard to passengers that there would be an attempt to shift the vessel on Tuesday morning at high tide.
At approximately 12:45 AM on Tuesday, the Norwegian Escape was eventually freed from the channel bed in Puerto Plata. Currently, the ship is back docked at Taino Bay, and guests have been allowed off the enjoy time ashore. During this time in port, Norwegian Cruise Line is assessing the damage made to the ship.
“After hours of work the cruise ship was finally unblocked, however it is necessary to inspect in Port to ensure that the structure of the vessel is in excellent condition to successfully continue its maritime route and reach its next destination,” said the executive director of the Port Authority, Jean Luis Rodríguez.
According to local authorities, the high winds at the time pushed the vessel closer to shore, resulting in the ship running aground. The Navy of the Republic, Civil Defense, Ministry of Tourism, and local operators were all involved in helping the Norwegian Escape get free.
With Norwegian Escape taking up the pier at Taino Bay, sister ship Norwegian Encore docked at Amber Cove on Tuesday at 7:15 AM, as confirmed by the port authority.
Norwegian Escape is currently on a seven-night Caribbean cruise that departed Port Canaveral in Florida on March 12. The scheduled call to Puerto plate on March 14 was the first call during the voyage, and now the ship is spending a second day there due to the grounding.
Read Also: Things to Know About the Norwegian Escape Cruise Ship
The vessel was scheduled to visit St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands on March 15. There are also scheduled calls to Tortola on march 16 and Great Stirrup Cay on March 18 before returning home on March 19.
Norwegian Escape is among the largest in the fleet at 164,600 gross tons and has a guest capacity of over 4,200 at double occupancy.
