‘Brace yourselves!’ Dramatic moment cruise ship crashed into a dock and suffered damage to its hull as it was battered by strong winds at an Alaskan port
–The 965ft Celebrity Infinity was mooring in Ketchikan when it hit the pier
–Celebrity Cruises, which owns the ship, blamed inclement weather
–No one on board was injured but the ship was forced to stay overnight
This is the dramatic moment a cruise ship packed with sightseeing tourists crashed into a dock in Alaska, causing as much as $3 million (£2 million) in damage.
The 965ft Celebrity Infinity was mooring in the city of Ketchikan, on the Inside Passage on the state’s southeastern coast, when it scraped along the dock and knocked a barrier into the water.
Miami-based Celebrity Cruises, which owns and operates the ship, blamed inclement weather and said no one on board was injured. The ship was forced to remain at port overnight while it was repaired.
https://youtu.be/0wCUort-74w
Footage shows the Celebrity Infinity crashing into a dock and scraping along a barrier in Ketchikan, Alaska
Celebrity Cruises said the ship sustained ‘minor scraping damage’ to its hull above the waterline
Witnesses remarked that the ship was ‘coming in high’ before it slammed into the pier and toppled a barrier
Celebrity Infinity, which has a capacity for 2,170 passengers, was docking in Ketchikan yesterday afternoon as part of a seven-night cruise between Vancouver and the Hubbard Glacier.
A Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman told MailOnline Travel the damage to the ship’s exterior was minor and repairs began last night.
She said: ‘While docking in Ketchikan, Alaska, the Celebrity Infinity struck the pier due to inclement weather.
‘Initial assessment shows minor scraping damage to the ship’s hull above the waterline. Our crew is in the process of completing repairs to the ship.
‘No injuries were reported on board the ship or on the pier.’
Celebrity Infinity, which has a capacity for 2,170 passengers, underwent repairs after the mishap
The cruise ship was on a seven-night cruise between Vancouver and the Hubbard Glacier
In the video, people on board a much smaller vessel nearby note that the cruise ship ‘is coming in high’, as passengers watch from their balconies.
A woman asks: ‘Why are all those people running?’
Moments later, a man says ‘Brace yourselves’ and a woman shouts ‘Oh s***’ as the cruise ship slams into the pier.
City officials estimated the damage at between $2 million and $3 million, the Alaska Dispatch News reported.
Steve Corporon, director of Ketchikan’s ports and harbors, told the newspaper that longshoremen, port security personnel and Celebrity employees moved out of the way before impact when they realised the ship’s approach wasn’t correct.
He said it will take one to two months to repair the dock.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Shawn Eggert told the newspaper that no pollution spilled into the water, and strong wind gusts were reported at the time.
According to an online itinerary the ship was scheduled to leave Ketchikan, called the Salmon Capital of the World, last night.
It didn’t leave the Alaskan city until early this morning, but is still scheduled to return to Vancouver on Sunday, a Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman said.
Celebrity Infinity, a Millennium class ship, launched in 2001 and underwent an $8 million refit in 2007.
It features a two-story dining room, two-story theater, and a restaurant with original fixtures from the SS United States, a luxury passenger ship that set a transatlantic speed record and was in service from 1952 to 1969.
