Yacht Crashes Into Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas While Docked in Nassau

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Guests aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas had an unexpected encounter on Wednesday, 11th December 2024, when a yacht collided with the massive cruise ship while it was docked at Nassau Cruise Port in the Bahamas.

Allure of the Seas Yacht Crash
Yacht crash image credit:  Dayanni Devi Bhagwandin

According to witnesses, the smaller vessel lost power and drifted into the ship’s port side (left side) stern at a slow speed.

Passengers on board the 6,780-guest Allure of the Seas reported hearing and seeing the incident, though many said they didn’t feel a thing due to the ship’s immense size.

“This boat apparently lost power, or something, and drifted into the back of our ship,” one passenger shared online. Others echoed this sentiment, noting that the impact was so minor that many guests on board didn’t even notice it had happened.

One passenger posted on Facebook, “Didn’t feel a thing,” while another added, “We didn’t either and my son was standing up surfing,” referencing the ship’s surf simulator attraction.

While the Allure of the Seas appears to have escaped the incident unscathed, the same cannot be said for the yacht. Passengers shared videos of the allision online, showing that the yacht’s mast was broken and the top portion of the vessel had visible damage.

“A yacht just slammed into the Allure of the Seas while in port at Nassau. Don’t know if the Allure was damaged. The yacht’s mast was broken,” a current passenger shared on social media.

As of now, Royal Caribbean has not released an official statement regarding the incident, nor have they commented on any potential damage to the Oasis-class ship.

It is also unclear who was on board the yacht or whether any injuries were sustained. The identities of those on the yacht have not been disclosed.

Given the sheer size of the Allure of the Seas – 225,282 gross tons and 1,180 feet long – any damage to the cruise ship would be minimal compared to the much smaller yacht, which would likely have measured between 20 to 45 feet.

In maritime terms, this type of incident is classified as an allision rather than a collision. A collision occurs when two moving vessels strike each other, while an allision is when a moving vessel strikes a stationary one.

Fortunately, the incident has had minimal impact on the cruise schedule. Guests reported a short delay in the ship’s departure from Nassau, which was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. but was delayed by less than an hour.

“Our departure was delayed almost an hour due to this incident,” one passenger noted on Reddit.

The short delay was likely caused by the need to assess any possible damage to the ship, document the incident, and communicate with the owners of the yacht. Cruise ships are required to conduct safety and operational checks before departure if an incident occurs while docked.

Despite the delay, the ship is now back at sea, sailing at a speed of 16 knots per hour, and is on track to complete its 4-night Caribbean sailing as scheduled.

The ship departed from PortMiami on December 9, 2024, and has already made a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination. Nassau was the second and final port of call for the voyage, which is set to end in Miami on December 13, 2024.

Given the short delay and lack of significant damage, the cruise line is unlikely to offer any compensation to guests, as such minor delays are considered standard in the cruise industry.

While allisions are rare, they do happen from time to time, especially in busy port areas like Nassau and Cozumel. The size and manoeuvrability of smaller vessels, as well as the limited space in crowded harbours, increase the chances of such events.

In 2022, Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas experienced a similar incident when it was struck by a cargo ship while docked in Freeport, Bahamas. The impact lodged the smaller ship into the side of the Voyager-class vessel, but fortunately, the Mariner sustained only minimal damage, and there were no injuries reported.

Another well-known allision occurred on December 20, 2019, when two Carnival cruise ships — Carnival Glory and Carnival Legend — collided while both were docked in Cozumel, Mexico.

During this incident, Carnival Glory struck Carnival Legend and narrowly missed Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, another Oasis-class ship similar to Allure of the Seas. The collision caused extensive damage to Carnival Glory’s stern and some damage to Carnival Legend’s bow.

These incidents highlight the risks that come with operating in busy cruise ports where multiple vessels are moving in and out of berths.

For now, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas has resumed its voyage with no significant disruption, and the passengers on board will likely enjoy the rest of their Caribbean adventure as planned.

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