Norwegian-Prima

The 'Norwegian Prima' broke off its moorings on Jan 18, 2026, around 2 p.m. LT, amid at Cruise Terminal 5 at the west end of Port Canaveral Just before 2 p.m., sudden gusts were recorded as high as 48 mph, and even steady winds were noted as high as 30-35 mph. After the ship's mooring lines snapped, the cruise ship drifted from the pier into the harbour. The bridge crew intervened immediately. An emergency code was broadcast, and the ship was stopped from drifting further, assisted by two tugs. The 'Norwegian Prima' was then safely moved back to the pier and re-moored. The embarkation process and the ongoing logistics on the pier were interrupted, and passengers had to wait in the cruise terminal until the ship was safely back at its berth. This did not result in any major delays. All passengers for the upcoming one-week Caribbean cruise boarded the ship on time. Shortly after 6 p.m. the 'Norwegian Prima' departed for Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island in the Bahamas. The itinerary was a 7-night Caribbean voyage, with calls to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico before the ship returns to Port Canaveral on Jan 25. The relevant authorities investigated the incident together with the cruise line to identify any potential errors. Report with photos: https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-prima-drifts-from-dock-after-lines-snap-in-sudden-wind-burst/197640

On Oct 14, the 'Norwegian Prima', en route from Cadiz to Barcelona, sighted a precarious migrant boat 22 nautical miles south of Cabo de Gata, and notified the CCS of Salvamento Marítimo in Almería. The SAR boat 'Guardamar Polimnia' was tasked to assist and transferred them to the port Almería. Among the 10 boat people were two women and two minors. Report with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1845793660232728603

An accident report by the traffic accident investigation committee found out that the 'Norwegian Prima' with 4,600 passengers on board was only about 10 meters away from running aground off the island of Viðey on May 26, 2023, after it had gone off course in a storm and the captain had apparently underestimated the situation. The crew of the tug 'Magni' did everything in their power to prevent a major accident. According to the report, the ship had left the Sundahöfn cruise port in Reykjavík on the evening with the assistance of the tug 'Magni'. A strong wind was blowing from the southwest. The pilot recommended that the captain delayed the departure. The captain decided to stick to the schedule, despite the weather and against the pilot's recommendation. The ship had to be turned around before it could head out to sea. Shortly after the turn, strong gusts of 50 knots came in from the west. At the same time, the captain increased the speed. The ship drifted with the wind eastwards toward the shallows while the tug pulled against it at full speed. At the outer edge of the shipping channel, the 'Norwegian Prima' drifted over a buoy, and it was very lucky that a chain hanging from the buoy did not get entangled in the ship's propeller. It was already clear that the ship was way off course and was in great danger of running aground. The captain, who was sailing into Reykjavík harbor for the first time, tried to countersteer with the ship's propellers, but that wasn't enough. The report stated that only ten meters separated the ship from shoals that would have left less than half a meter of space for the keel. The tug had to be repaired after the incident, but the cruise ship remained undamaged. The report contains recommendations on how such incidents can be prevented. Among other things, there is a recommendation for the shipping company to evaluate all information to supplement its own risk assessment. It is also recommended that the Port of Faxaflói update its workflows to ensure good communication between tugs and pilots. This communication must be in English and understandable to everyone. The government is being asked to extend the powers of pilots so that they can refuse ships to leave under certain circumstances. Finally, the report proposes a risk assessment for all ports where passenger ships anchor. Full report with photos: https://www.rnsa.is/media/5200/hs-norwegian-prima-msi-report.pdf

The 'Norwegian Prima', which departed Galveston, Texas on Jan 26, 2024, turned around the following day in the Gulf of Mexico while the captain announced to the passengers that the crew had spotted a makeshift boat with five to nine people aboard. It appeared to be homemade of plywood and a makeshift sail with plastic bottles hung off the side likely to catch rainwater. The 'Norwegian Prima' sent over one of its tenders and retrieved the people who were brought aboard and given medical attention and food. The captain told the people had been at sea for six weeks since Dec 19, having run out of food and water. They were disembarked in the cruise ship’s first port the following afternoon in Costa Maya and transferred to a waiting ambulance to receive further medical attention on shore. Report with photo and video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/two-cruise-ship-rescues-after-happening-upon-people-adrift-in-small-boats