A Norwegian Cruise Line ship on the way to an Alaskan glacier hit an iceberg over the weekend and is being turned around due to damage.
The ship, the Norwegian Sun, smacked into the minor iceberg, also known as a growler, on Saturday and was rerouted to Juneau for inspection.
“On June 25, 2022 while transiting to Hubbard Glacier in Alaska, Norwegian Sun made contact with a growler,” a Norwegian Cruise spokesperson told The Post.
“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 will be cancelled, so that the necessary repairs can be made.”
On Monday, the Juneau Empire reported the ship sustained damage after divers inspected it and it had to return to Seattle for repairs, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn, a Coast Guard spokesperson.
Littlejohn said the ship called the Coast Guard to report the incident and told officials there were no injuries, according to Juneau Empire.
A Norwegian Cruise spokesperson confirmed to The Post that the ship was given clearance by the United States Coast Guard and other local maritime authorities to return to Seattle “at reduced speed.”
“All guests currently onboard will be broadcast in Seattle as originally planned,” the spokesperson said.
One passenger was with six of her relatives for a family vacation that was postponed three years due to the COVID pandemic.
Alicia Amador, of Phoenix, Arizona, told Juneau Empire she heard a “big noise” and then the ship moved as if it struck something. She estimated the iceberg was the “size of a semi-truck.”
“The whole boat came to a complete stop from the impact,” Amador told the Juneau Empire. “It was a scary experience.”
She told the newspaper that Norwegian told her Monday the rest of the trip was canceled and the ship would arrive in Seattle on Thursday. She said her family was told they’d be reimbursed.
