On Monday afternoon, the Norwegian Escape cruise ship ran aground while departing its port of call in the Dominican Republic. The vessel has so far been unable to get free even with the help of two tug boats.
There is a follow-up to this post, with the ship now safely docked back at Taino Bay while damage is being assessed. Read the update here.
Norwegian Escape Stuck in the Dominican Republic
On Monday, the Norwegian Escape ran aground while departing the Port of Taino Bay in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic. The vessel has been stuck for at least two hours and has not been able to get free.
Two local tug boats have been involved in trying to free the ship unsuccessfully. Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed that all passengers and crew are safe and it’s working on a solution for a safe departure.
A spokesperson from Norwegian Cruise Line said, “During the afternoon of March 14, 2022, Norwegian Escape made contact with the channel bed as it was departing Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.“
“All guests and crew are safe, and there are no reports of damages to the ship. Operations on board have not been impacted, and all services and activities continue as scheduled. We are currently working on a solution to free the ship and ready her for a safe departure.”
Read Also: Things to Know About the Norwegian Escape Cruise Ship
According to an announcement made onboard, there will be an attempt to free the vessel at high tide on Tuesday morning. All services onboard are working as normal and there is no change to the activity scheduled confirmed NCL.
The vessel was visiting Puerto Plata as part of a seven-night Caribbean cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida. The ship is scheduled to visit St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands on March 15, but that call could now be at risk of cancellation due to being run aground. Other ports include Tortola on March 16 and Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island of Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
Norwegian Escape is a large cruise ship with 164,600 gross tons and a guest capacity of over 4,200 at double occupancy, along with 1,730 international crew members.
