Cruise ships have had a rough stretch over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling trips and passengers still testing positive once voyages eventually returned.
With the number of COVID cases declining, and mandates being lifted around the world, cruise lines are back in action. Although, they sometimes still run into unexpected issues.
A Norwegian cruise ship ran aground while it was trying to depart a port in the Dominican Republic on Monday, leaving thousands of passengers stuck on board for a few hours before it was freed.
The Norwegian Escape ship was trying to leave the port of Puerto Plata, but hit the seabed as it was trying to leave, according to CNN. It's next stop was scheduled to be St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to Bloomberg.
The cruise line said that the ship had "minor damage" to the hull, per Florida Today.
It departed from Orlando on a seven-day cruise, and Puerto Plata was the first stop. The ship was carrying 3,223 guests and 1,618 crew members, according to local media outlet elCaribe. It was built in 2015 and is one of Norwegian Cruise Line's biggest ships at 1,069 feet.
Norwegian Cruise Line released a statement after the incident, and said that the next trip scheduled for March 19 will be cancelled so they can repair the Escape.
"During the afternoon of March 14, 2022, Norwegian Escape made contact with the channel bed as it was departing Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. In the early morning on March 15, the ship was refloated and returned to the dock at Puerto Plata, where she is currently located," the statement said.
"While there is minor damage to the ship's hull, all guests and crew are safe. The current cruise will be shortened, and the cruise scheduled to embark on March 19 will be canceled so that the necessary repairs can be made."
Norwegian was also working to get passengers flights back to Orlando. They added that people on the ship will get a full refund after the incident and receive a 100% credit for a future cruise through March 25, 2023.
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