cruise ships collide

2 Carnival Cruise ships collide in Cozumel, Mexico; at least 6 people injured

Two Carnival Cruise ships collided at the port of Cozumel, Mexico, on Friday morning, causing damage to at least one of the ships and at least six reported injuries, according to the company.

"Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside," a spokesperson for the company wrote in an emailed statement. "We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship."

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Initially, there was only one reported minor injury of a Carnival Glory guest that occurred when a group was being evacuated from the dining room of one ship's decks 3 and 4. But the cruise line said that since its preliminary evaluation, six guests with minor injuries "have presented themselves to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation."

Makenna Morris, 21, from Salt Lake City, Utah, said that she was on the fourth deck of the Carnival Legend taking pictures when she noticed the Carnival Glory moving toward her ship. She said that as the Carnival Glory approached, she could hear passengers screaming as they prepared for the impact.

"I started hearing people yelling and screaming on the Royal Caribbean," Morris told NBC News. "That’s when I heard sounds of cracking and glass breaking.”

Morris also recalled hearing what sounded like scraping as the Carnival Glory made impact with the Carnival Legend.

“They ran into us and I was like 'holy crap'," Morris said. “The whole dining hall caved in and shattered.”

I hope everyone is ok on the Carnival Glory after it crashed into the Carnival Legend. @CarnivalCruise #MayYouAllBeSafe #Travel #cruise #FridayThoughts https://t.co/60eZJm8gGG — Journey with Josh 🩺 (@JheadRN) December 20, 2019

Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise line and the largest one globally, according to the trade publication Cruise Market Watch.

Eight ships from various cruise lines were scheduled to dock at the Port of Cozumel on Friday. The Carnival Glory, which left its home port in New Orleans on Sunday, was scheduled to dock in the port at 10 a.m Friday, while the Carnival Legend was scheduled to dock at 8 a.m.

The ships' passengers have been advised to spend their day ashore in Cozumel.

Gwen Aviles is a trending news and culture reporter for NBC News. 

Carnival cruise assessing damage to 2 ships after collision

Six people sustained minor injuries after the collision, the cruise line said.

Six people sustained minor injuries after two Carnival Cruise Line ships collided Friday at a port in Cozumel, Mexico , according to the company.

Those injured presented themselves to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation following the incident, a statement from the cruise line read.

A Carnival Glory ship was attempting to dock in the morning when it hit a Carnival Legend ship, according to a statement from the cruise line.

"We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel," the statement added.

Megan Skora was in her room aboard a nearby cruise ship when she heard the crash.

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"I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing what I did," Skora told ABC News, noting it was the "first time I've ever been scared on a cruise line."

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Coast Guard authorizes PortMiami to reopen to marine traffic after vessel collision

The U.S. Coast Guard has given PortMiami approval to reopen to marine traffic after it was shut down Sunday, following a collision between two vessels that killed one person.

The Coast Guard received a call that a yacht had collided with a ferry vessel Pelican II around 4 to 5 a.m., according to spokesperson Ryan Estrada. By the time Coast Guard personnel arrived, the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue had rescued one person and recovered one body, he said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was investigating and working to remove the yacht, which sank, Estrada said. “The Pelican II reported no damage, and we set up a security perimeter around Government Cut, essentially closing down the Port of Miami,” he said.

The Coast Guard authorized the port to reopen to all vessel traffic by around 2:30 p.m. "Crews have successfully recovered the sunken vessel & removed the obstruction in the North channel," the Coast Guard tweeted .

Your cruise was canceled: Now what?

The closure impacted cruise passengers on board Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration ship, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Escape, and MSC Seascape , PortMiami said on Twitter . “For more information, Carnival passengers can sign up for text alerts by texting CCL3 to CRUISE (278473); MSC (833) 578-6488 and NCL (866) 234-7350),” the port said.

Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli said the incident would impact guests’ debarkation and “the embarkation of the next voyages.” 

“We have been in direct contact with our guests and will continue to provide them updates as we learn more information from port officials,” he said in an emailed statement. Norwegian and MSC did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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'Oh my God, look at that ship!': massive cruise liners collide off Mexico

By Lizbeth Diaz

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Two Carnival Corp cruise ships collided on Friday in the port of Mexico's Caribbean resort of Cozumel, the luxury cruise operator said, crushing the stern of a 952-foot-long (290-meter) vessel and leaving passengers stunned at the loud impact.

One person was lightly injured while evacuating a dining room on the massive ship named Carnival Glory, according to Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator. A passenger said the incident occurred during rough sea conditions.

"Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside," the company said in a statement. "We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship."

Carnival added that the ship itineraries were not affected.

Civil protection authorities in Cozumel said the incident took place at around 8:30 a.m. (1430 GMT) and that officials were investigating.

Passenger Jordan Moseley said he was eating breakfast on the docked Carnival Legend, a 963-foot-long (294-meter) ship that can hold more than 2,000 passengers, when he felt the crash.

"All of a sudden we felt the ship rock to one side and then back into place," Moseley told Reuters. "A few minutes later, the cruise director announced that the Carnival Glory had crashed into our ship while docking due to the high winds and rough ocean conditions in Cozumel."

A video taken from an upper deck of Carnival Glory, which can carry nearly 3,000 passengers, shows pieces of the ship tumble onto the deck of the oncoming vessel, with some splashing into the churning water.

"Oh my God, look at that ship!" an onlooker can he heard saying in the video posted on social media.

Other images of the battered vessel show a railing along the Carnival Glory stern bent downwards at a roughly 45-degree angle, revealing a twisted and mangled ship interior.

Christopher Macijeski, who was on a third cruise ship nearby, said there was a loud boom from the impact.

"Could see it coming before it happened," he said.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Oleksandr Ieltsov and Mariana Sandoval; Additional reporting and writing by Daina Beth Solomon, Editing by Alistair Bell and Will Dunham)

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Jarring footage shows 2 Carnival cruise ships collide off coast of Mexico

Two Carnival cruise ships collided off the coast of Mexico Friday morning in a jarring incident that left at least one person injured.

The Carnival Glory and the Carnival Legend had an allision while near a port in Cozumel, the company confirmed in a statement.

"Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside," the cruise liner said. "We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel."

Photos of the vessels shared on Twitter reveal certain damage to the Carnival Glory.

Crazy from Carnival Glory - crashed into Carnival Legend as it attempted to dock in Cozumel pic.twitter.com/qJffndnHf6 — christian maxey (@cmaxeyy) December 20, 2019

Look at the damage done to the Carnival Glory after it ran into another ship pic.twitter.com/Gy52HngHr7 — Jay Tee (@JayTea1993) December 20, 2019

Carnival said the one known passenger to sustain "minor" injuries was hurt while evacuating the dining room on decks three and four of the Carnival Glory.

The Carnival Glory is 952 feet long and can hold 2,980 passengers at capacity, with 1,150 crew members on board, according to the company's website. The Carnival Legend is a mildly bigger ship at 963 feet long. It can hold 2,124 passengers at capacity, with 930 crew members on board.

Despite damage sustained in the collision, the Glory is currently continuing its scheduled 7-day Western Caribbean cruise, which is set to arrive back at its origin port in New Orleans, La., on Dec. 22, according to Cruise Mapper.

The Legend is continuing a similar 7-day Western Caribbean cruise and is set to arrive back in Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 22.

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Two Carnival cruise ships collide in Mexico's Caribbean port of Cozumel

Carnival Glory was docking when it collided with Legend, leaving six people injured and Glory’s stern crushed

Two cruise ships have collided in the port of Mexico’s Caribbean resort of Cozumel, damaging the 952-foot-long (290-meter) vessel and leaving passengers stunned at the loud impact.

Six people were lightly injured on the massive ship named Carnival Glory, according to Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise operator. A passenger said the incident occurred during rough sea conditions.

“Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside,” the company said in a statement. “We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship.”

Carnival added that the ship itineraries were not affected.

Civil protection authorities in Cozumel said the incident took place at around 8.30am local time and that officials were investigating.

Carnival Glory just crashed into Carnival Legend and almost crashed into Oasis of the Seas at the Cozumel cruise port. #FoxNews #RoyalCaribbean #CarnivalLegend #CarnivalGlory #OasisoftheSeas pic.twitter.com/5ITBCfz99L — Matthew Bruin (@BruinMatthew) December 20, 2019

Passenger Jordan Moseley said he was eating breakfast on the Carnival Legend, a 963-foot-long (294-meter) ship that can hold more than 2,000 passengers, when he felt the crash.

“All of a sudden we felt the ship rock to one side and then back into place,” Moseley told Reuters. “A few minutes later, the cruise director announced that the Carnival Glory had crashed into our ship while docking due to the high winds and rough ocean conditions in Cozumel.”

A video taken from an upper deck of Carnival Glory, which can carry nearly 3,000 passengers, showed pieces of the ship tumble onto the deck of the other vessel, with some splashing into the churning water.

#carnivalglory 10 year anniversary cruise just crashed. License and insurance please! #carnivalcrash #10yearanniversary #cozumel #oopsie pic.twitter.com/s2gNUHcWSR — Wendy Brewer (@WendyBrew5967) December 20, 2019

“Oh my God, look at that ship!” an onlooker can he heard saying in the video posted on social media.

Other images of the battered vessel show a railing along the Carnival Glory stern bent downwards at a roughly 45-degree angle, revealing a twisted and mangled ship interior.

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Carnival cruise ships collide at port in Mexico; six minor injuries reported

Carnival Cruise Line ships collide in Mexico

Two ships for Carnival Cruise collided at a port in Cozumel on Monday morning. The company confirmed that one passenger was injured during an evacuation.

Two Carnival Cruise Line ships collided at port in Cozumel, Mexico, Friday morning, with six minor injuries reported as of Friday afternoon.

Around 8:50 a.m., the Carnival Glory ocean liner  was steering to dock when it made contact with the Carnival Legend vessel, "which was already alongside," according to a statement from Carnival.

At least one person was initially reported to be injured in the collision, while evacuating the dining room on Decks 3 and 4, a spokesperson for the cruise line confirmed to Fox News. A total of six ultimately "presented themselves to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation" by 1:30 EST, per a Carnival spokesperson.

Neither of the ship’s itineraries will be impacted by the incident, the company said.

PRINCESS CRUISES WANTS TO BREAK RECORD FOR LARGEST VOW-RENEWAL CEREMONY, ENLISTS CELEBS TO OFFICIATE

“Carnival Glory had an allision with Carnival Legend this morning in Cozumel. Carnival Glory was in the process of docking when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already docked,” the representative said.

The cruise ships collided at a port in Cozumel on Monday morning. (Matthew Bruin/Reuters)

“We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel. "Since our initial assessment, six guests with minor injuries have presented themselves to the Carnival Glory medical center for evaluation,” the rep added.

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Now-viral videos and photos of the dramatic crash have since surfaced on social media, some of which show the damage to the Carnival Glory.

“We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel," Carnival said. (Jordan Moseley)

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The Carnival Glory is based in New Orleans, while the Carnival Legend frequently departs from Baltimore, Tampa, Fla., New York City, Barcelona, Spain, London, Rome and Venice, Italy.

This story is developing, check back for updates.

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Watch CBS News

Injuries Reported After 2 Carnival Cruise Ships Collide In Mexico

December 20, 2019 / 11:00 PM EST / CBS Miami

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Two Carnival cruise ships collided Friday morning at the port in Cozumel, Mexico causing extensive damage to one of the ships.

The collision took place between the Carnival Glory and the Carnival Legend.

Six people were hurt but their injuries are not serious, according to Carnival.

Carnival CEO Arnold Donald spoke exclusively to CNBC and portions of the interview are on CNBC.Com.

"There was probably a sudden squall of wind that pushed the ship. But occasionally ships will touch in port but of course, you try to avoid that. This is not serious--but any allision we take seriously —but there's no real major damage to the ships," he told CNBC's "Closing Bell" Friday.

A passenger on the Oasis of the Seas posted a video on Twitter of the incident in which you can see the Glory swiping the back portion of the Legend.

Carnival Glory just crashed into Carnival Legend and almost crashed into Oasis of the Seas at the Cozumel cruise port. #FoxNews #RoyalCaribbean #CarnivalLegend #CarnivalGlory #OasisoftheSeas pic.twitter.com/5ITBCfz99L — Matthew Bruin (@MatthewBruin) December 20, 2019

CBS News spoke to its travel editor who also believes Mother Nature is to blame.

"Suddenly a 30 knot squall showed up at the most critical time of that particular maneuver and there was no way for that captain to recover." CBS News' Travel Editor Peter Greenberg said. "You probably don't see the captain going in full reverse and still moving forward. It takes a while for any ship to stop."

A statement released by Miami-based Carnival reads, "Carnival Glory had an allision with Carnival Legend this morning in Cozumel. Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside. We are assessing the damage but there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship. We have advised guests from both ships to enjoy their day ashore in Cozumel."

An allision is a nautical term used to describe when a moving ship collides with a stationary object, such as another ship.

The statement also says, "There is one reported minor injury of a Carnival Glory guest that occurred when a group of guests were evacuated from the dining room on Decks 3 and 4."

Here is another Tweet showing the damage from the dock.

A Carnival passenger spoke to the CBS Tampa affiliate, WTSP, Friday.

"We noticed we were really close to them, and next thing you know we just felt this big bump that rocked the boat a little bit," Logan Humphrey said.

The cruise line says the incident does not impact either ships' itineraries.

The Legend departed from Tampa on December 15.

The Glory is based out of New Orleans.

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Two Carnival Cruise Ships Collide in Cozumel

Doug Parker

• December 20, 2019
• 8.0K shares

While attempting to dock, one Carnival Cruise Line ship backed into another of the line’s vessels in Cozumel’s Puerto Maya pier on Friday morning, injuring one guest. Carnival Glory was pulling in when it bumped into the docked Carnival Legend .

UPDATE: How Cozumel Accident Will Impact Carnival Glory

The cause of the accident is still under investigation but from videos and photos taken as the incident was unfolding, it appears the collision was caused by high winds.

Carnival Cruise Line told Cruise Radio, “ Carnival Glory had a allision with Carnival Legend this morning in Cozumel. Carnival Glory was maneuvering to dock when it made contact with Carnival Legend which was already alongside. We are assessing the damage to both ships.”

The statement went on to say, “There is one reported minor injury of a Carnival Glor y guest that occurred when a group of guests were evacuated from the dining room on Decks 3 and 4.”

There’s no word yet as to whether either ship will wind up seeing their itinerary altered as a result of the accident and the inspections it made necessary.

The Incident Was Caught On Video

A witness who saw the event unfold from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas told Cruise Radio that Carnival Legend was docked with the bow facing forward. Carnival Glory was backing in. The aft end of Carnival Glory made contact with the bow of Carnival Legend .

Glynis Knibb of the Royal Caribbean Periscopers group live-streamed the accident on the popular social media app.

It’s not terribly surprising that photos and video immediately surfaced. Many cruisers enjoy capturing the arrivals, departures and dockings of ships.

Carnival Legend and Carnival Glory are on seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa and New Orleans, respectively.

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State investigating amid reports cruise ship sailed too close to Kauai’s Na Pali Coast

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state Land Department is investigating after Kauai advocates say a cruise ship got too close to shore at the Na Pali Coast.

Kauai community advocates said the ship appeared to be in very shallow water.

According to Celebrity Edge’s website, the ship is on a 12-night cruise from Vancouver.

A vessel tracker showed the ship turning around off shore.

“It’s just plain wrong to be in that close to the shore. Period,” said resident Presley Wann.

“I find it very offensive, very upsetting because of the lack of protocol.”

One Na Pali tour manager says it’s the first time he’s seen an incident like this in 20 years.

The DLNR said it’s “aware of the situation and is investigating. We are also consulting our partners with the USCG and state DOT on this matter. We have nothing more to add at this time.”

This story will be updated.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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The Good Samaritan at sea

Adrift and lost in the Atlantic Ocean for nearly two days, American sailor Stuart Bee grabbed a second chance at life when Filipino sailors found and rescued him 86 miles from the shore of Port Cavernal in Florida. The 62-year old Bee was found hanging on to the bow of his ship, clinging to dear life and hoping for rescue.

A similar story of succor at sea also happened in October 2023 off the coast of the island of Helgoland in Germany. The luxury cruise ship Iona was diverted to assist in rescue operations after two cargo vessels collided, with one of the two vessels sinking in the North Sea. All 22 people on board the Polesie were rescued unharmed, while the seven-men crew of the other cargo ship Verity lost one, two were rescued and four were reported missing at the time of the tragedy.  

These stories bring us to a reiteration of Senate Bill 1388 or the Good Samaritan at Sea Law which I introduced in October of year 2022. The bill aims to establish the rules on the duty to render assistance in times of distress and emergencies at sea. Surrounded by water from all corners, our country is both vulnerable and strategically positioned to respond to accidents and emergencies within our maritime boundaries. Senate Bill 1388 aims to strengthen maritime safety and prevent loss or damage to people’s lives and properties while travelling at sea.

The Good Samaritan at Sea Law states that sea vessels which are capable of responding to calls by other ships in distress are obligated to proceed with speed to assist, but only without endangering the responding ship, its crew and passengers. The bill was likewise crafted to penalize those who unreasonably fail to render assistance to persons in distress at sea or those whose failure to respond further jeopardized lives and endangered properties. 

Philippine sea territories are greatly challenged now more than ever by “distress” of all kinds. Legislation, not only the Good Samaritan at Sea Law, should be in place to strengthen maritime safety and security. Apart from our moral obligation to help those in need anywhere and at all times, emerging challenges in our water boundaries should be addressed with laws that affirm our commitment and obligation to the international community to guarantee maritime safety and safeguard lives and properties.

Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship

A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a US couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.

Richard and Claudene Gordon of Salt Lake City, Utah, were on a Mediterranean cruise aboard Norwegian Viva with family and friends and looking forward to celebrating Richard’s 85th birthday later this week.

While the ship was docked in Motril, Spain, on Monday, the pair took an independent excursion by themselves to the historic city of Granada, not organized by the cruise line. On their return, their bus was delayed for an hour by a rain storm, Richard Gordon told CNN by phone.

“I am a very experienced traveler and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime,” Gordon said. “Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port. So we are not someone who abuses the system.”

The pair missed the ship’s all-aboard time of 5.30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6 p.m. Gordon said that at around 5.45 p.m. he spoke to a relative on board who raised the alarm that they were nearby and running late, but the relative was told by Norwegian Cruise Line staff that as the ship needed to sail on time, nothing could be done.

According to the Gordons, they arrived at the dock by taxi at 6.10 p.m., while the ship sailed away with Claudene’s medication, Richard’s eyeglasses and both their spare hearing aid batteries and phone chargers on board.

“Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4:00 p.m.,” Gordon told CNN. “Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled.”

“They looked around and they looked around and no one was there,” Marilee Barker, the couple’s Utah-based daughter, told CNN by phone. They got a taxi to the police station where “the policeman helped them call back to the dock. And they said, ‘there’s nothing we can do.’ ”

The couple says they received no further assistance from Norwegian Cruise Line at that point, from the ship or on land.

No medication, no hearing aid batteries

“Luckily my dad has traveled, but he’s still 85,” Barker said. As the Norwegian Viva wouldn’t be docking again until Tuesday on the island of Ibiza, “they took a bus up to Granada and found a cute, cheap little B&B.”

Meanwhile, Barker says she and her husband were up to 3 a.m. finding flights and a hotel, eventually getting them on a plane to Palma de Mallorca, where their ship would be docking at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday May 1.

Claudene Gordon texted her daughter late Tuesday afternoon Spanish time to say that Norwegian Cruise Line had made contact with them for the first time since the incident and had offered them a taxi from their Palma hotel in the morning to reunite them with their boat.

“We really received the royal treatment today,” Gordon told CNN after being reunited with the ship on Wednesday morning, two days they disembarked at Montril.

“They picked us up at the hotel in a beautiful black BMW limousine to take us to the ship. There we were met by the head of ship services who escorted us inside the ship to meet the general manager of the ship, then they escorted us to breakfast, then they escorted us to our cabin.

“We simply told them that we were abandoned at the dock with no one to meet us or tell us where to go, and they said they have already complained about the harbor master who was supposed to take care of things for them. But of course the ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn’t speak so well for them.”

Norwegian Cruise Line said it disputed the time of the couple’s arrival at the pier. “The two guests who went ashore independently arrived at the pier approximately an hour late and missed the all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6:00 p.m.,” a spokesperson said via email.

“A cruise ship follows a set itinerary with designated arrival and departure times. Itineraries are carefully coordinated and planned out well in advance of each voyage to ensure that all of our guests have the experience they are expecting,” they said. While there is a small window of time where late guests can be accommodated, they added, the Gordons arrived outside of this.

“After several attempts to contact these guests with the phone numbers provided, as well as trying to phone their emergency contact, we were unable to speak to them directly. However, we worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel.”

The spokesperson said that, prior to the hotel pickup on Wednesday morning, the cruise line had coordinated an airport pick-up for the Gordons at Palma de Mallorca the evening before but were still unable to contact the couple by phone.

In the similar incident last month, eight passengers were late getting back to their Norwegian Cruise Line ship on the African island nation of São Tomé on March 27. They then struggled for days to catch up with their ship as it made its way up the western coast of Africa.

In that case, Norwegian emphasized that the delayed guests were on a private tour that was not organized by the cruise line.

CNN’s Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

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Northern lights cruises: A guide to chasing the aurora borealis at sea

Witnessing the elusive northern lights flickering across the sky might cause you to gasp because it's actually that cool. The colorful ribbons of green look like something from outer space — and they are. Auroras appear when charged particles collide with Earth's atmosphere.

Seeing the ethereal display, also known as the aurora borealis, is a bucket-list experience for many travelers. Cruise ships can take you to destinations where your chances of catching Mother Nature's special light show are improved.

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Remember that seeing this phenomenon doesn't involve a cruise director flipping on a switch. Witnessing the northern lights requires clear and dark skies, late-night viewing hours, enough solar activity for the colors to appear and a big dose of luck. Keep that in mind before you invest all your cruise vacation hopes in this one experience.

Where can I see the northern lights on a cruise?

The lights are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere and especially in locations on the so-called auroral oval, a ring zone over the polar regions. In cruising terms, that means prime viewing is in northern Alaska (which is easily accessible on cruisetours), Norway, Iceland, Arctic Canada and parts of Greenland.

Just off the auroral ring is the rest of Alaska. If you are on a cruise in the Inside Passage before April 21 or after Aug. 21 and are willing to be awake in the middle of the night (the lights tend to appear in Alaska after midnight), there's a chance you'll see the aurora borealis.

Cruise lines operating in Alaska — including Holland America , Princess Cruises and UnCruise Adventures — have northern lights sign-up sheets so you don't have to stay up all night, every night, hoping to see the display. Put your name on the list, and you'll receive a wake-up call or knock on your cabin door if there's aurora action. Plan to put on your clothes or bathrobe quickly, as the lights might only appear for a few minutes. (They could also last considerably longer.)

Related: Peak solar activity is forecast for 2024: Here are the best places around the world to see the northern lights

If you're interested in where to see the northern lights outside Alaska, the Arctic city of Alta, Norway, calls itself "The City of Northern Lights."

Alta's credentials include the world's first permanent observatory for viewing the aurora borealis; it was built there in 1899. A whole industry has sprung up around the lights, including such extravagant shore excursions as an overnight in a tent with viewing windows at a Sami dog-sledding camp. Alta is also home to the Northern Lights Cathedral, an architectural landmark.

Tromso is another Norwegian destination known as a hub for aurora borealis viewing. In late January, there's a northern lights arts festival featuring top artists in various musical genres.

Cunard Line and Hurtigruten are among the lines that visit northern Norway in the fall. However, the peak viewing season is from November to March (see below). Viking also visits but in the winter.

Iceland, Greenland and Arctic Canada appear on many expedition ships' itineraries during northern lights season, mostly early in the season in August and September. Lines with ships there include Quark Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions and Lindblad Expeditions.

When can I see the northern lights on a cruise?

Because of the late-setting and early rising midnight sun, it's way too light during the summer to see the northern lights in the destinations mentioned, but solar activity does take place year-round.

If you have a goal of seeing the aurora borealis in any of the destinations discussed here, you're best off booking as far into the fall as you can find a cruise. Norway is the only prime northern lights destination with winter cruises.

The lights like to appear in the wee hours — particularly between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. — in Alaska. An advantage in Norway is that it's dark enough to see them for a longer period during fall and winter.

Do cruisetours in Alaska improve my chances of seeing the lights?

Cruisetours in Alaska can improve your odds of seeing the aurora because they get you to Fairbanks and other inland destinations in Alaska that tend to have more cloud-free skies than in the Inside Passage, where cruise ships sail.

While you might see the lights from Denali National Park and Preserve during the viewing season, venturing to Fairbanks and points farther north will increase your odds.

Fairbanks tourism folks like to brag that if you visit for at least three nights between Aug. 21 and April 21, your chances of seeing the aurora borealis are more than 90%. (That assumes you are out actively looking during the late evening hours.)

Since your cruisetour might not visit for three nights, consider booking extra hotel nights before or after your cruise. Other things to do in this laid-back city (human population: about 100,000; moose population: 16,000) include riverboat tours, gold panning and yoga with reindeer.

You can also see the lights in Canada's Yukon Territory, including in the gold rush town of Dawson City, which is visited on some Holland America cruisetours.

Related: What's the best way to view the northern lights? We tried to see them by air, land and sea

Should I go on a cruise just to see the northern lights?

Yes, but remember that the phenomenon is dependent on the weather (clear skies required) and hard to predict, despite scientists' best efforts.

Viking has wintertime cruises to Norway from London specifically designed to track the lights in the Norwegian Sea during the peak viewing season — throughout the cruise but especially above the Arctic Circle in Tromso and Alta (where the sailings stop overnight). It's dark in these locales in winter, increasing your chances.

Hurtigruten is so invested in its northern lights experiences that it has hired famed northern lights astronomer Tom Kerss as its "chief aurora chaser." He will serve as an onboard expert, offering talks and workshops for passengers.

The line is so sure you will see the lights on the October-through-March sailings of its year-round 11- and 12-day Norwegian Coastal Express itineraries that the company has a guarantee called the Northern Lights Promise. If the deck's officers don't announce to all on board that the northern lights are happening, you can get a six- or seven-day Norwegian Coastal cruise for free.

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