Horror as Norwegian Cruise Line guest falls into water while ship breaks away from pier

By SOPHIE GABLE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: 19:03 BST, 3 June 2025 | Updated: 19:05 BST, 3 June 2025

A cruise trip descended into horror and chaos after the ship broke away from the pier, sending a guest plunging into the water. 

The incident occurred on May 30 while the Norwegian Epic cruise was docked at a port in Catania, Sicily. 

Video footage captured by passengers aboard the cruise revealed the ship bumping into the pier, creating a loud booming sound. 

Onlookers could be heard gasping in shock as the boat separated from the pier, with one witness directing others to ‘watch out.’ 

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed in a statement to USA Today that the passenger was attempting to leave the ship when it broke from the pier. 

‘On duty crew members were able to immediately assist the guest from the water and see that they were evaluated by the medical team,’ the statement continued. 

‘It was determined that they sustained minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for further examination and treatment.’

The statement added that crew members stopped disembarkation efforts and noted that the weather impacted the ship’s ability to safely dock. 

The Norwegian Epic separated from the pier in Catania, Italy, during strong winds, and a passenger fell into the water 

The Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement that a passenger sustained minor injuries from the fall and was transported to a local hospital 

Onlookers captured the moment the ship became untethered and hit the pier 

‘During this interruption, our crew were actively attending to our guests until they were able to re-embark the ship. As always the safety of our guests and crew is our top priority.’ 

DailyMail.com reached out to the cruise line for additional comment, but didn’t immediately hear back. 

The Norwegian Epic was embarking on a European trip with stops in Italy, Greece, Malta, and France. 

The ship departed from Civitavecchia, Rome, on May 24, making three stops in Greece and one in Malta before docking in Catania on May 30, according to Cruise Mapper. 

Despite the hiccup, the cruise’s path returned on its designated course and docked in Naples on May 31. 

Some passengers on the ship shared their experience during the disruption, with one writing on Facebook, ‘We were lucky the ship was able to come back and get us after what happened.’

‘We have never had this happen. We re-boarded 5 hours late. ZERO COMMUNICATION from NCL.’ 

‘WELLLLL… isn’t this special?! Our ship, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic, broke loose from its moorings on the dock in Catania, Italy just awhile ago, around 1:00pm Italy time,’ another shared in a Facebook post. 

The incident occurred on a European trip docking in various ports across Italy, Greece, Malta, and France

The wind speeds in Catania were high for the season and likely contributed the the accident 

‘People on the ramps getting back onto the ship fell into the water. All ropes snapped with loud bangs.’

‘Our ship is now out in the ocean and we are stuck between the entry building and the dock. We watched all of the lines holding the boat snap like twigs,’ the post continued.

Wind gusts in Catania were over 30 mph when the boat separated from the pier, Fox Weather reported. 

Wind speeds were strong for the spring season in Italy, with the average speed under 10 mph in May. 

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Horror as Norwegian Cruise Line guest falls into water while ship breaks away from pier

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