When Was the Last Time a Cruise Ship Sank?

By Anna Duncan

Cruise ships are a popular way for travelers to visit multiple destinations in one trip. But despite their popularity, there have been several instances of cruise liners sinking over the years, with some of the most famous being the Titanic and Costa Concordia. The last time a cruise ship sank was in 2012, when the Costa Concordia capsized off the coast of Italy.

The Costa Concordia was on a seven-day Mediterranean cruise when it ran aground near Giglio Island on January 13th, 2012. The captain allegedly abandoned ship before all passengers were evacuated, resulting in 32 deaths and more than 4,500 people being rescued by helicopter or lifeboat. The ship was eventually towed to Genoa for scrap in 2014.

The sinking of the Costa Concordia was not an isolated incident as other cruise liners have also sunk or been involved in accidents over the years. In 1994, a fire broke out aboard the MS Estonia as it sailed from Tallinn to Stockholm. The fire spread quickly and caused the ferry to sink within two hours, resulting in 852 deaths.

In 2005, another accident occurred when the MS al-Salam Boccaccio 98 caught fire. This ferry had been traveling from Saudi Arabia to Egypt when a fire started in its engine room and spread throughout the vessel. Fortunately, all 1,400 passengers and crew were rescued before it sunk.

In 2020, one of Carnival Cruise Line’s ships (the Grand Princess) was quarantined off San Francisco due to an outbreak of COVID-19 on board. Although this incident did not result in any fatalities or serious injuries, it did cause major disruption for passengers who had to remain on board for several days.

As seen from these incidents, cruising can be risky business and despite modern safety regulations there is still potential for accidents or disasters at sea. Fortunately though, there has not been a major maritime disaster since 2012 when the Costa Concordia sank off Italy’s coast.

In conclusion, when was the last time a cruise ship sank? The last time a cruise ship sunk was in 2012 when Costa Concordia capsized off Italy’s coast resulting in 32 deaths and more than 4500 people being rescued by helicopter or lifeboat. Although other cruises have been involved in incidents since then none were as serious as this one.