Cruise ships have become a popular form of vacation around the world, with millions of passengers taking to the seas each year. But while most trips go off without a hitch, there are times when a cruise ship crash can occur.
In recent years, there have been several notable cases of ship collisions, sinkings and other accidents that have caused death and injury to passengers and crew on board.
The most recent cruise ship crash was in 2019, when the Viking Sky ran into trouble in Norway’s Hustadvika Bay. The vessel suffered engine failure as a result of bad weather and rough seas and had to be towed to safety by tugboats.
Fortunately, no one was killed in the incident but more than 1,300 passengers were stranded onboard until they could be rescued by helicopter.
Another major cruise ship crash occurred in 2018 when the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy. The accident resulted in the deaths of 32 people and left hundreds more injured or stranded onboard until they were rescued by local authorities. The cause of this particular incident was human error; it took place after the captain diverted from its original course due to an unapproved “salute” maneuver.
Prior to these two incidents, there was also another notable cruise ship crash in 2002 involving the MS Explorer which collided with an iceberg off Antarctica resulting in its sinking within minutes; all 154 passengers and crew onboard were safely rescued.
Conclusion:
The last time a cruise ship crashed was 2019 when Viking Sky ran into trouble in Norway’s Hustadvika Bay due to engine failure caused by bad weather and rough seas. That same year, Costa Concordia crashed due to human error after its captain diverted from its original course due to an unapproved “salute” maneuver. Prior to these incidents, there was another major cruise ship crash involving MS Explorer which collided with an iceberg off Antarctica resulting in its sinking within minutes back in 2002.