Chaos As Ship Breaks Away From Moorings Sending Guests Into The Water

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Cruise passengers in the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy faced a dramatic turn of events on 30th May 2025, when Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic broke free from its moorings amid strong winds, sending parts of the dock flying and causing two guests to fall into the water.

Norwegian Epic crowds after mooring snapped
Image credit: Mara Markinson/Facebook

The incident unfolded shortly after 1pm local time, as guests were returning to the ship during a scheduled port call.

Eyewitnesses described loud cracks as the ship’s mooring lines gave way one by one, reportedly pulling concrete fixtures out of the pier and launching them towards the ship’s hull.

“All of a sudden, we heard this loud bang,

“One by one, the concrete nubs in the ground that hold the ropes were pulling out of the ground and went flying into the ship.”

Guest comments to local reporters

As the lines snapped, at least one female passenger fell from the gangway into the harbour. Her husband, in an effort to help, jumped in after her.

Emergency responders quickly retrieved both individuals from the water.

Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that both guests sustained minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for further treatment.

“On-duty crew members were able to immediately assist the guest from the water and see that they were evaluated by the medical team,” a spokesperson stated.

The Italian Meteorological Service had issued a moderate wind warning earlier in the day, with gusts reportedly reaching 57mph (92km/h).

While the full cause of the incident remains under investigation, early indications point to a combination of dock infrastructure failure and mechanical strain from the shifting ship.

The 155,873-gross-ton vessel, capable of accommodating over 4,000 passengers, drifted into the harbour before regaining control and returning to port.

Port authorities paused all reboarding activity until the winds calmed, prompting frustration among guests left stranded ashore.

Suggested read: Master Mariner Explains Why Cruise Ships Keep Breaking Free From The Dock

Delayed Return for Frustrated Passengers

Initially told they might be able to reboard by 4 or 5pm, passengers ultimately waited until 7:15pm to begin re-embarking, over six hours after the incident.

Video shared on a Norwegian Epic Facebook group post showed huge crowds waiting to board the ship.

“Everyone is stuck at the port, very little information from NCL,

“Some of us have been waiting here since noon. Very little water, older folks are hot, there is not enough water or seats.”

Norwegian Cruise Line later stated, “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.”

Despite the disruption, Norwegian Epic remains on schedule to visit Naples on 31st May, before continuing to Livorno and Cannes, with the voyage concluding in Civitavecchia (Rome) on 3rd June 2025.

Mooring line failures are not unheard of – earlier this year, Holland America’s Rotterdam also experienced broken lines during high swells, resulting in a missed port call.

The incident with Norwegian Epic, however, stands out due to the guest injuries and scale of disruption.

Authorities in Catania, alongside Norwegian Cruise Line, are continuing to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the near-disaster.

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