A Norwegian Cruise Line ship that hit a smalliceberg last monthwill return to service this week, the cruise line said Monday.
The vessel"made contact with ice" whileonits way to Hubbard Glacier in Alaska on June 25, resultingin multiple trip cancellations, though there were no injuries, aspokesperson for the cruise line told USA TODAY by email Monday. The shipwill sail again Thursday.
The incident may raise questions about what exactly occurs after a ship hits an iceberg. But RossKlein, acruise industry expert and a professorat Memorial University of Newfoundland, told USA TODAY that it "really depends on where the iceberg hits the ship and what kind of damage it may have done."
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What happens after a cruise ship hits an iceberg?
Norwegianmade several itinerary changes for the Sun after it hit the iceberg.
"The ship sailed to Juneau, Alaska for further assessment, where it was decided that the current voyage would be shortened, and the cruise scheduled to embark on June 30, 2022, would be canceled, so that the necessary repairs can be made," theNorwegian spokespersonsaid. The cruise line also canceled a voyage that was set to embarkJuly 5.
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and are communicating with all impacted guests directly," the spokesperson added.
Klein said those kinds ofitinerary changes are to be expected when there is damage to a ship. He said that if the ice damages the ship's propulsion system, that "creates a larger problemthan a dent in the side."
Klein added that the speed a ship is going plays a role in what kind of damage it sustains. When a ship has been damaged, he said, the U.S. Coast Guard must also inspect and clear it.
Where are cruise ships repaired?
After a ship hits an iceberg, Klein said, where the cruise line takes it for repairs depends in part on where it is sailing.
Victoria, British Columbia, for instance,has a shipyard dry dock frequently used by cruise lines, he said: "They're located (in) different places, and part of it depends on whether there's space available, but then the other part is related to its proximity to where the ship is."
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How often do cruise ships hit icebergs?
While shipsmightregularly makecontact with ice, it's unusualfor it to be an issue. Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry expert known as The Cruise Guy,told USA TODAY last month that the incident was "extraordinarily rare," as cruise ships are extremely careful to avoid icebergs.
Chiron said it's common for ice to fall from glaciers and float in the water,but that it is unusual for a cruise line to change its itinerary after making contact with those pieces.
"Sometimes, they bump them, and you know, no big deal," Chironsaid.
Klein echoed that.
"I think it's not uncommon for ships to interact with ice," he said. "What's unusual is for the ship to actually bephysically damaged by the ice."
But, he said, given the infrequency of these events,passengers looking to take a cruise should not worry.
FAQs
Unlike titanic, modern liners are welded together not riveted. But the hull would still buckle impacting an iceberg that hard and presuming she hits and the bow takes a large impact, she will sink. Could any modern ships survive an iceberg hit like the one Titanic suffered? Probably not.
How can an iceberg damage a ship? ›
As the iceberg scraped along sections of the Titanic's hull, the rivets were sheared off, which opened up riveted seams. Also, because of the tremendous forces created on impact with the iceberg, the rivet heads in the areas of contact were simply popped off, which caused more seams to open up.
How do modern cruise ships deal with icebergs? ›
Cruise ships rely on radar technology and satellite monitoring to avoid collisions with icebergs.
Can ships hit icebergs now? ›
But even if in the future its used in an area in which there could be ice, it's still incredibly rare for a cruise ship today to strike an iceberg. It's not impossible though.
What ship is bigger than Titanic? ›
Icon of the Seas, the the world's biggest cruise ship – five times the size of Titanic – sets sail | The Independent.
Why don t ships hit icebergs anymore? ›
Thanks to radar technology, better education for mariners and iceberg monitoring systems, ship collisions with icebergs are generally avoidable, but the results can still be disastrous when they occur. "These things are very rare. It's one of those risks that are low frequency but high impact.
How many dogs survived the Titanic? ›
More than 1500 people died in the disaster, but they weren't the only casualties. The ship carried at least twelve dogs, only three of which survived.
Can cruise ships see icebergs? ›
Radar: Cruise ships are equipped with radar systems that emit radio waves and then detect the reflections off objects, including icebergs. Radar can help detect icebergs even in low visibility conditions, such as fog or darkness.
Is the iceberg that sank the Titanic still around? ›
The average lifespan of an iceberg in the North Atlantic is typically two to three years from calving to melting. This means the iceberg that sank the Titanic "likely broke off from Greenland in 1910 or 1911, and was gone forever by the end of 1912 or sometime in 1913."
What ship is 5x the size of the Titanic? ›
In fact, the Icon of the Seas is a staggering five times the size of Titanic. Built by Royal Caribbean, the Icon is 365 metres long, weighs 250,800 tonnes, and can comfortably host 5,610 passengers served by 2,350 crew.
The ill-fated Titanic was 882 feet in length vss 1198 feet of Icon of the Seas. The Titanic also weighed less - 46,328 GT vs 240,800 GT gross tonnage of the Icon. The Titanic had also space for 2,435 people while in the Icon of the Seas, there's space for 7000+ travellers.
Do icebergs sink ships? ›
Icebergs had struck ships as long as there had been ships to strike, but the one that felled the largest passenger liner ever built was nearly gone. After three years adrift, the icy mass likely had one week to live, two at most.
Can a ship sink like Titanic? ›
According to the US Coast Guard, the Canadian Ice Service, and several experts in modern ship design and safety protocols, the tragedy of the RMS Titanic “isn't impossible, but is incredibly unlikely for any vessel with a radio and a trained captain.”
Do ships still sink? ›
If fire breaks out, the vessel will become a giant pressure cooker. Although our MS Seascape is a hypothetical ship, its situation is far from uncommon. In 2021, 54 large vessels either sank, ran aground or went up in flames and these behemoths are more likely to cause catastrophe when things go wrong.
Which ship sank after the Titanic? ›
SS Californian on the morning after Titanic sank. Sunk by German U-boats, 9 November 1915, 61 miles (98 km) southwest of Cape Matapan, Greece. 13 knots (service speed.) 12 knots (speed estimated in sea trials.)
Would the Titanic survive if it hit the iceberg? ›
The colossal cruise liner had been built with bulkheads in its bow in the event of a collision. If the ship had hit the iceberg head-on therefore, it's predicted that only the first three or four watertight compartments would have been flooded, a less severe alternative to what actually happened.
What would happen if a cruise ship was hit by a tsunami? ›
Experts agree that a cruise ship sailing out over a body of water is not likely to feel any impacts from a tsunami's waves. “Generally, if you're in deep ocean, there's no way that you can perceive a tsunami from a ship,” Heaton said.
Has a ship hit an iceberg since the Titanic? ›
In 2007, a small cruise ship near Antarctica called the MS Explorer was hit by an unseen iceberg. After the chunk gashed the starboard side, passengers rushed to lifeboats and were rescued several hours later by another nearby cruise ship.
