What Cruise Ship Ran Aground Recently?

By Michael Ferguson

On January 13th, 2021, the cruise ship MSC Opera ran aground near the Giudecca canal in Venice, Italy. The vessel was on its way to the port of Venice when it struck a quay wall and then a smaller tourist boat. According to reports, the incident occurred due to a mechanical failure of the vessel’s steering system.

At the time of the accident, there were 1,773 passengers and crew onboard. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries among them though some people were treated for minor shock and bruises. The incident caused serious damage to both vessels involved in the accident as well as several other boats that were in the vicinity.

MSC Opera is a 107,600-ton cruise ship owned by MSC Cruises, one of Europe’s largest cruise companies. It has been in service since 2004 and is capable of carrying up to 2,680 passengers and 1,052 crew members. The vessel was on its way to Venice when it ran aground near Giudecca canal at around 8:30 am local time on January 13th.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation but according to initial reports it appears that a mechanical failure may have caused the vessel’s steering system to malfunction which resulted in it striking a quay wall and then a smaller tourist boat moored nearby.

The incident has been widely condemned by environmental groups who are concerned about its potential impact on Venice’s fragile ecosystem and have called for stricter regulations on large vessels using the Giudecca canal for navigation purposes.

MSC Cruises issued a statement expressing their regret over what happened and saying that they are cooperating with authorities in investigating this unfortunate incident and will take all necessary measures to ensure that such an accident does not happen again in future.

In conclusion, the cruise ship MSC Opera ran aground recently near Giudecca Canal in Venice due to what appears to be a mechanical failure of its steering system. The incident has raised concerns about safety regulations which are currently applicable for large vessels navigating through Venice’s waters and has been widely condemned by environmental groups who worry about its potential impact on the city’s fragile ecosystem.