msc cruise ship crash

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Enormous MSC Cruise Ship Crashes Into Crowded Venice Port, Injuring at Least Five

Videos of the incident offer a firsthand look at the 13-deck vessel barreling into the tourist-filled dock.

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A commercial cruise ship suffered a catastrophic engine failure off the coast of Venice, Italy on Sunday, leaving it uncontrollable as it headed toward a nearby dock. With no effective way of steering the vessel, it resultantly crashed into the harbor—a hotspot for tourists—injuring five people, according to the Associated Press.

The news has made headlines worldwide with videos of the incident also being posted online, showing the situation from a firsthand perspective:

Operated by MSC, the Opera cruise ship was built to hold more than 2,675 passengers and, in this instance, it was carrying travelers back to Venice after visiting Kotor, Montenegro as well as the Greek cities of Mykonos, Santorini, and Corfu. Two nearby tugboats worked to guide the ship away from the dock after the captain immediately reported the engine failure but failed.

As can be heard in the videos, those aboard the ship and on shore were left wondering aloud what might come of the shipwreck. 

While there are obvious and immediate effects that come with a crash of this magnitude, Italian activists are using the episode to make a political point. Recently, there's been a swing of protest regarding Venice's acceptance of cruise ships that, due to their size , block narrow waterways and obstruct tourist views. This was not lost on Twitter after Sunday's happenings as Italy's environment minister Sergio Costa posted:

"What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time. Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now ... and are nearing a solution."

A politician with the Italian Left party, Nicola Fratoianni, even went as far as to call cruise ships "steel monsters" which "risk carnage" in the seaside town.

An MSC spokesperson explained to NPR   that the cruise ship is now being moored at the Marittima terminal and has begun passenger operations.

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MSC Grandiosa cruise ship crashes into pier in Sicily

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MSC Cruises’ brand new Grandiosa ship crashed into a pier as it attempted to dock in Palermo, Sicily, around 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning. No injuries have been reported in relation to the accident.

On Dec. 30, the 1,085-foot ocean liner collided with a port as it moved to dock on the Italian island, Maritime Bulletin reports. The cruise ship’s portside stern, above the waterline, sustained damaged in the crash.

MSC Cruises’ brand new Grandiosa ship crashed into a pier as it attempted to dock in Palermo, Sicily, around 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 30. (MSC Cruises Fan Club Unofficial)

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As seen in video footage that has since surfaced on YouTube, the corner of the pier’s wall crumbed upon impact with the Grandiosa as well.

“No!” a witness could be heard exclaiming in the background.

It remains unclear at this time whether or not the crash breached the ship’s hull, The Sun reports, though the Grandiosa continued to dock without issue. The crash reportedly occurred amid strong winds.

According to the outlet, a spokesperson for the cruise line has since confirmed that the ship’s current itinerary remains unchanged.

The 1,085-foot ocean liner collided with a port as it moved to dock on the Italian island. (MSC Cruises Fan Club Unofficial)

“MSC Grandiosa experienced a light allision in the port of Palermo. Due to reasons we are still investigating, the ship deviated while maneuvering along the quayside and lightly grazed the end of the quay with its aft part,” a rep for MSC Cruises told the Sun on Monday. "While this may have been noticed by some passengers or bystanders, there was never any risk for guests or crew on board, and there was no impact for the environment.”

The statement continued: "As a result of this graze, we conducted some minor repair works — which have already been completed by the early afternoon. While the ship is ready to sail, we may leave Palermo with a slight delay. The itinerary remains unchanged.

"MSC Cruises emphasizes that MSC Grandiosa is fully reliable and safe to sail. Our guests’ and crew members’ safety will always be our number one priority.”

A spokesperson for the cruise line was not immediately available to offer further comment.

"Due to reasons we are still investigating, the ship deviated while maneuvering along the quayside and lightly grazed the end of the quay with its aft part,” a rep for MSC Cruises has said. (Getty Images)

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Grandiosa only entered service on Oct. 31 and ventured on its maiden voyage last month. In terms of capacity, the massive vessel is said to be the second-largest ship in the world.

A listing page describes the liner as MSC’s “most innovative ship to-date,” with space to accommodate up to 6,297 passengers and 1,700 crew members, per Cruise Critic . The Grandiosa also boasts 11 restaurants, 21 bars and Cirque du Soleil at Sea performances among its attractions.

The Grandiosa’s ports and calls include Barcelona, Spain; Marseille, France; Genoa and Rome, Italy; Palermo; and Valetta, Malta.

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Back in July, the MSC Cruises’ Opera ship crashed into a dock in Venice , also in Italy, leaving several people injured. And only two weeks ago, two Carnival Cruise Line ships collided at port in Cozumel, Mexico , with multiple people reporting minor injuries.

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Massive Cruise Ship Crashes Into Port In Venice, Injuring At Least 5

Shannon Van Sant

The MSC Opera cruise ship rammed into a dock and a tourist riverboat on a busy canal in Venice, Italy. An investigation is underway into the cause of the crash. Luca Bruno/AP hide caption

The MSC Opera cruise ship rammed into a dock and a tourist riverboat on a busy canal in Venice, Italy. An investigation is underway into the cause of the crash.

A cruise ship crashed into a tourist boat and then into a dock in Venice, Italy, on Sunday after an engine failure.

Video posted to social media showed passengers escaping from the tourist boat and running down the dock as the cruise ship rapidly approached.

Video posted to social media showed tourists fleeing a cruise ship as it crashed into a tourist boat and dock in Venice, Italy.

The 13-deck MSC Opera rammed into the dock with its horns blaring, injuring five tourists, according to The Associated Press . Two tugboats tried to guide the cruise ship but were unable to prevent it from crashing.

Alyssa Goldfarb, public relations director for MSC Cruises, the ship's owner, told NPR:

"Earlier this morning, at around 8:30 a.m. CET, MSC Opera — while maneuvering toward Venice's VTP cruise terminals for mooring — experienced a technical issue. Albeit the ship was accompanied by two tugs, she grazed the dock at San Basilio. This also caused a collision with a river boat that was moored there. "The investigations to understand the exact causes of the events are currently in progress. Regarding these, the company is working closely with the local maritime and other authorities. "The ship has in the meantime received authorization to move to be moored at the Marittima terminal, as planned. She is now moored there and has begun passenger operations."

"When we saw the ship bearing down on us, everyone began shouting and running," said a sailor who was on the tourist boat, according to AFP . "I didn't know what to do. I got away quickly, jumping to get on shore."

"The MSC ship had an engine failure, which was immediately reported by the captain," said Davide Calderan, the head of one of the tugboats accompanying the cruise ship, according to AFP and Italian media.

"The engine was blocked, but with its thrust on, because the speed was increasing," he continued.

The MSC Opera can carry more than 2,675 passengers, and according to its sailing schedule, the ship left Venice on May 26 and traveled to Kotor, Montenegro, and to Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu in Greece before returning on Sunday to Venice.

Sunday's collision adds to growing criticism of cruise ships in Venice, where the large vessels crowd waterways, block views and create waves that risk damage to the city's buildings and infrastructure.

"What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time," Italy's environment minister Sergio Costa tweeted. "Cruise ships must not sail down the Giudecca. We have been working on moving them for months now ... and are nearing a solution."

Quello che è successo nel porto di #Venezia è la conferma di quello che diciamo da tempo: le #GrandiNavi non devono passare dalla Giudecca. Per questo da mesi insieme ai ministri @DaniloToninelli e @BonisoliAlberto stiamo lavorando per spostarle e siamo vicini alla soluzione — Sergio Costa (@SergioCosta_Gen) June 2, 2019

Nicola Fratoianni, a politician with the Italian Left party, tweeted that Italy's allowance of massive cruise ships contrasted with its efforts to stop rescue boats carrying migrants.

"It is truly curious that a country that tries to stop ships that have saved people at sea from entering its ports allows giant steel monsters to risk carnage in Venice," he said.

Curioso quel Paese che blocca navi che salvano vite e permette a grandi navi di attraversare #Venezia ... Situazione intollerabile. Interrogazione in Parlamento, e subito blocco passaggio navi da crociera dal canale della Giudecca #NoGrandiNaviVenezia https://t.co/eff5oAC3hj — nicola fratoianni (@NFratoianni) June 2, 2019

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Cruise Ship Rams Into Tourist Boat and Dock in Venice, Injuring at Least 4

By Elisabetta Povoledo

• June 2, 2019

ROME — A colossal cruise liner plowed into a smaller tour ship and a wharf on a canal in Venice on Sunday morning, injuring four people and reigniting arguments about the dangers of allowing the huge vessels to pass through the fragile lagoon city .

Footage of the crash showed the cruise liner, the approximately 900-foot-long MSC Opera , blaring its horn as it hit the wharf and crashed into the tour ship, the River Countess, which was docked at the San Basilio Terminal on the Giudecca Canal, where passengers often disembark from smaller vessels.

The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. Videos taken from the dock showed the ship heading straight for the wharf, unable to stop, while people on the quay ran away in panic. Four people from the cruise ship were treated for light injuries, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The MSC Opera was approaching the cruise ship terminal in Venice to dock when it had a “technical problem,” the ship’s operator, MSC, said in a statement. The company said that the ship had been accompanied by two tugboats when it hit the wharf and the smaller boat at San Basilio.

Investigations were underway to “understand the exact dynamic of the facts,” the statement said, adding that the company was cooperating fully with the local authorities.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro of Venice said the accident confirmed that “it’s no longer thinkable that big ships can pass through the Giudecca Canal. We’ve been saying it for eight years,” ANSA reported. According to the agency, Mr. Brugnaro said he had spoken to the Italian infrastructure minister, adding, “Now we must urgently make sure that ships no longer pass in front of St. Mark’s.”

Venice is a popular destination for cruise ships, which sail past St. Mark’s Square and down the Giudecca Canal to dock at the cruise ship terminal. But for years, residents have raised concerns about the effects that the massive ships have had on the frail city, citing the damage caused by pollution, erosion on underwater foundations and potential crashes.

In 2017, a committee of local, provincial and national officials announced a plan to divert cruise ships along a roundabout route through an existing canal that would skirt the city altogether.

But the proposal was not put in place, with critics saying that the potential impact on the lagoon had not been sufficiently analyzed. Many say that the large ships should steer clear of the area altogether, and dock instead at cities like Trieste, farther round the coast.

The Italian coalition government, which came to power in elections a year ago, has asked for further cost-benefit studies to weigh other options.

Pino Musolino, the president of the Port of Venice, said in a statement that it was urgent to move “as quickly as possible to finally give a solution to the question of large ships in Venice, removing cruise ship traffic from the Basin of St. Mark and the Giudecca Canal.”

Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli said in a post on Twitter on Sunday that the crash “showed that big ships must no longer pass through the Giudecca.”

“After many years of inertia, we are finally close to a definitive solution to protect both the laguna and tourism,” he added.

Giuseppe Tattara, a member of a Venetian citizens’ committee that has vociferously opposed the cruise ships, said that the collision on Sunday proved that “accidents can always happen, even with modern ships, despite the assurances of companies that say that there are no risks.”

Mr. Tattara said that had the MSC Opera crashed about 100 yards before the wharf, “the ship would have hit the older boardwalk along the canal, which “would have disintegrated.”

“The only solution is that cruise ships remain out of the lagoon,” he added.

Follow Elisabetta Povoledo on Twitter: @EPovoledo .

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MSC Will Pay River Cruise Line $2.7 Million After 2019 Collision

Doug Parker

• October 18, 2021

A ruling handed down by the High Court of England will make MSC Cruises pay river cruise operator Uniworld $2.7 million after a 2019 collision in Venice.

The accident garnered worldwide media attention when footage surfaced on social media of an MSC cruise ship crashing into a river cruise ship in Venice.

The verdict, handed down by Justice Andrew Baker, puts MSC on the line for the initial costs related to the accident and a potential $8.7 million in additional lost revenue and related fees.

On June 2, 2019, the MSC Opera lost control while preparing to dock in Venice, causing the vessel to crash into Uniworld’s River Countess while moored at the San Basilio Pier in the Giudecca Canal. Two tugboats tried to intercept the ship but it was too late.

A report by the navy later put blame on the Opera’s navigation officers, saying that it could have been prevented by stopping the engines after the vessel suffered steering failure. MSC’s captain and officers were fined for the accident.

No one was seriously hurt during the accident but a few of the 28 guests onboard the River Countess suffered minor injuries. The accident happened on a turn day for the ship and most guests had already disembarked. The Opera sustained scratches but no hull damage.

MSC has accepted responsibility for the incident and had already agreed to pay for the ship repairs and any monies connected to the vessel being out of service.

After the crash, Uniworld was forced to take the vessel out of service for a drydock in Trieste, Italy for repairs, causing the company to lose revenue from 14 scheduled sailings. It returned to service in September 2019.

Though this accident was a technical malfunction, it fueled the decade-long fire of banning massive cruise ships from Venice.

The Italian Council of Ministers issued a decree earlier this year banning cruise ships larger than 25,000 gross registered tons from sailing through San Marco Basin, the San Marco Canal, and the Giudecca Canal. Uniworld CEO Ellen Brettride said, “It took an incident of this nature to bring about change.”

First entering service in 2004, the MSC Opera is 65,500 gross registered tons.

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Out-of-control cruise ship crashes into boat, wharf at Venice

Stunning video has emerged of the moment an out-of-control, enormous cruise ship smashes into a wharf, injuring two Aussies.

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Tourists have been filmed running along a wharf seconds before an out-of-control cruise ship crashed into it.

Four female tourists — an American, a New Zealander and two Australians between the ages of 67 and 72 — were injured falling or trying to run away when the cruise ship rammed into tourist boat the River Countess in Venice’s Giudecca Canal, medical authorities told the Associated Press.

One of the Australians on board the out-of-control ship described the surreal moment he realised the massive vessel wasn’t turning.

He told the Today show this morning he was sat on his balcony eating breakfast when he saw “people running everywhere” as the ship careered into the wharf.

“We noticed it was heading straight for that pier,” he said. “The closer it got, the more we started to freak out.

One of the Australians on board the out-of-control cruise ship that barrelled into a Venice pier tells us about the terrifying ordeal and reveals passengers have received no explanation as to why it happened. #9Today pic.twitter.com/KVEe6MYHIp — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) June 2, 2019

“Not much we could do. We had the best seat in the house for it.”

The footage, from the San Basilio cruise terminal in Venice, was captured about 8.30am Sunday local time, Italian media reported.

It showed the MSC Opera’s air horn sounding as it careened into the wharf, collecting a local tourist boat in the process.

The MSC Opera scraped along the dockside, its engine blaring, before knocking into the Michelangelo tourist boat.

MSC Cruises, an international cruise ship line with its headquarters in Geneva, says its ship, the MSC Opera, experienced a mechanical problem Sunday as it was docking at a passenger terminal in Venice.

The company says it is co-operating with authorities to figure out what happened.

The MSC Opera is a 66,000 tonne ship with a capacity of 2700 passengers.

English tourist Duncan Ogle-Skan was filming from his accommodation as the ship crashed into the dock. His footage shows hundreds of passengers watching the ship crash from several decks.

‘HOW THE HELL DOES THAT HAPPEN?’

Mr Ogle-Skan told news.com.au he was packing to leave after a visit to the popular Italian city when the chaos began.

“The ship caught the eye of my friend Hannah as it was much closer to the apartment than the other cruise ships,” he said.

#BREAKING : Tourists flee as cruise liner smashes into dock in Venice pic.twitter.com/DSIjHckYxk — Russian Market (@russian_market) June 2, 2019

This occurred at 09:00 this morning in Venice, another reason if it was needed why Cruise ships should be up close in Venice... #Venezia #Venice #nograndinavi pic.twitter.com/VyBQwZ7gT1 — Iain Reid (@beanotownphoto) June 2, 2019

Wow, this just happened outside our apartment!! pic.twitter.com/OfSOdCU2Br — Duncan Ogle-Skan (@duncanogleskan) June 2, 2019

Video by Adrian Lauretti https://t.co/fQVQGWz1h8 pic.twitter.com/CQifKsB3lp — andreafrison.com (@fritzprod) June 2, 2019

“I grabbed my phone because it was obviously going to hit the quay. I couldn’t believe people weren’t running sooner.”

He told news.com.au the air horn was sounding for “about a minute we think”.

“It looked like it was going to hit before it did, but seemed to straighten a little and caught the dock and boat a bit further down,” he said.

He said he could see people running from the ship’s path gathering outside his apartment.

Loud scraping noises can be heard in Mr Ogle-Skan’s video as the ship comes into contact with the dock. At the end of one video, his friend can be heard asking: “How the hell does that happen?!”

Speculation about the cause of the crash suggests it may have happened after a cable used to link cruise ships to the tug boats that pull them into the city’s canals broke, the Corriere della Sera Daily said.

“The two tugboats tried to stop the giant and then a tow cable broke, cut by the collision with the river boat,” Davide Calderan, president of a tugboat association in Venice, told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Calderan said the cruise ship’s engine was locked when the captain called for help.

Elisabetta Pasqualin was watering plants on her terrace when she heard warning sirens and stepped out to see the crash.

“There was this huge ship in a diagonal position in the Giudecca Canal, with a tugboat near which seemed like it couldn’t do anything,” Ms Pasqualin said.

She described the ship “advancing slowly but inevitably towards the dock.”

“The bow of the ship crashed hard into the bank with its massive weight crushing a big piece of it. Sirens were wailing loudly; it was a very dramatic scene,” she said.

When the cruise ship rammed the river boat, she said the smaller vessel looked like it was “made of plastic or paper” rather than steel.

The Opera was then unable to stop because of the strong currents pulling it towards the dock, it said.

The MSC Opera was built in 2004. It can carry more than 2675 passengers in 1071 cabins. According to its sailing schedule, it left Venice on May 26 and travelled to Kotor, Montenegro, and Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu in Greece before returning Sunday to Venice.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva.

The crash comes seven years after the Costa Concordia cruise liner hit a reef and sank off the Italian island Giglio, killing 32 people .

An investigation found the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, left the ship prematurely. He was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 16 years.

CALLS TO BAN CRUISE SHIPS

Following the collision, calls for banning cruise ships in Venice, long a source of contention in the overextended tourist city, were renewed.

For many, the crash served as a wake-up call. Opponents say cruise ships are out-of-scale for Venice, cause pollution, endanger the lagoon’s ecosystem and a danger.

“Obviously, we’ve seen today that our worst fears have come true,” said Jane Da Mosto, an environmental scientist and executive director of We Are Here Venice. Her group backs efforts to ban cruise ships from Venice.

“There were 111 people on the river cruise boat that the big ship crashed into. They could have all died,” she said. She said the cruise ship could have ploughed through the concrete embankment and “hit houses, monuments and crowds of people.”

“The port authority, the government ministers, the other institutions have often tried to ridicule the resistance movement against the cruise ships, saying that an accident like this could never occur,” she added. “The government shouldn’t be so weak in giving in to the pressure of the lobby groups, like the cruise ship companies.”

The collision came four days after a river cruise ship collided with a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists in Hungary’s capital, killing seven and leaving 21 others missing.

Not everyone in Venice is opposed to the cruise ships. Ms Pasqualin, the woman who witnessed the collision, counted herself among those prior to Sunday’s crash.

“I’ve always been positive about the ships, but I have to admit I’ve started to change my mind now, because this was a tragic, terrible and dramatic scene,” she said.

Italian officials said the collision underscored the need to ban cruise ships from using the busy Giudecca Canal, but they stopped short of calling for a ban on cruise ships.

“Today’s accident in the port of Venice proves that cruise ships shouldn’t be allowed to pass down the Giudecca anymore,” said Danilo Toninelli, Italy’s transport minister. “After many years of inertia, we are finally close to a solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism.”

— with AP, AFP

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Watch CBS News

Venice cruise ship crash sparks panic, protests

June 3, 2019 / 7:45 AM EDT / CBS News

A collision on a busy canal in Venice is sparking new calls for banning cruise ships in the area. On Sunday the MSC Opera cruise liner lost control – the massive ship unable to stop. On the dock, people fled as the towering, 13-deck-high vessel, its horn blaring, grinded into a much smaller river boat and a crowded pier . Five people were hurt, reports Seth Doane.

The cruise liner, which holds more than 2,600 people, had reported engine troubles as they came into port Sunday morning, and the tug boats trying to guide it in safely were not strong enough.

"Just to see this thing going out of control was almost literally unbelievable," said eyewitness Simon Skinner.

While tourism is vital here, this incident has re-ignited the controversy over these ships, which activists say are simply too big for this fragile city. Many Venetians are saying "enough is enough," and that the accident was a "wake-up call."    

Protests were sparked immediately among those who are fed up with the cruise liners, which dwarf this city, and argue they endanger the fragile lagoon and change the city's character.

"It worries me because it's something that could've happened so many other times, and could happen again today, " said Jane Da Mosto, an environmental scientist who heads We Are Here Venice , which wants to ban cruise ships.

"These cruise ships bring a huge, huge number of people concentrated into the city, and they've acted like kind of the icebreaker for the destruction of Venice through mass tourism," Da Mosto said. 

The picturesque canals of this former maritime republic draw throngs of tourists. The cruise ships, which sail through the lagoon and the Giudecca Canal to dock nearby,  exemplify the mass tourism crushing this city, as they brings two million visitors a year.

The street artist identified as Banksy recently added his flourish to the protest, setting up his own display as Venice hosts the art world's famed Biennale exhibition .

Following Sunday morning's crash, Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro said, "Once again it is shown that big ships cannot cross the Giudecca Canal."

Following Sunday's accident, Italy's transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, said the government is "close" to a solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism.

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Cruise ship crashes into tourist boat in Venice, injuring five people

Ship strikes dock and tourist river boat on busy canal in Italian city

The mayor of Venice has said cruise ships must change their routes after a huge holiday vessel crashed into a wharf and tourist boat, injuring five people.

Luigi Brugnaro said it was no longer conceivable that cruise ships could pass through the busy Giudecca canal and called for a new route to open immediately.

A video of the crash – which happened on Sunday morning after the 13-deck MSC Opera experienced an engine failure – shows people on land fleeing as the ship scrapes along the dockside, siren blaring, before ploughing into the River Countess tourist boat.

#BREAKING : Tourists flee as cruise liner smashes into dock in Venice pic.twitter.com/DSIjHckYxk — Russian Market (@russian_market) June 2, 2019

Footage show people rushing to disembark from the moored riverboat over a short gangplank, and at least two people left caught on the walkway as the vessel was dislodged from the pier.

Elisabetta Pasqualin was watering plants on her terrace when she heard warning sirens and stepped out to see the crash.

“There was this huge ship in a diagonal position in the Giudecca Canal, with a tugboat near which seemed like it couldn’t do anything,” she said.

She described the ship “advancing slowly but inevitably towards the dock.” She said “the bow of the ship crashed hard into the bank with its massive weight crushing a big piece of it. Sirens were wailing loudly; it was a very dramatic scene.”

When the cruise ship rammed the riverboat, she said the smaller vessel looked like it was “made of plastic or paper” rather than steel.

Local officials said five women aboard the riverboat were injured. They said one was released immediately from a hospital, while four others were advised to remain under medical care for a few days.

Earlier, medical authorities said four of the women – an American, a New Zealander and two Australians between the ages of 67 and 72 – were injured falling or trying to run away when the cruise ship rammed into the River Countess.

Venice’s port authority said it was working to resolve the accident and free up the blocked canal. “But from tomorrow we need to move, all together and as quickly as possible, to resolve the cruise ship traffic problem,” said Pino Musolino of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority.

That cruise ships are allowed to pass through the Giudecca canal, a major thoroughfare that leads towards St Mark’s Square, before disgorging thousands of people in the popular tourist destination, has been a point of contention for years.

In June 2017, the No Grandi Navi (no large ships) activist group held an unofficial referendum in which Venetians voted in favour of ousting the ships from the city’s lagoon.

“We have four people bruised and one wounded … it could have been much worse,” Brugnaro tweeted . “It is no longer conceivable that big ships cross the Giudecca canal. We ask for the immediate opening of the Vittorio Emanuele [canal].”

A plan to divert large cruise ships away from St Mark’s basin and the Giudecca canal and towards the Vittorio Emanuele canal was drawn up by local authorities four years ago. “And in that time there has been no response [from the national government],” said Paola Mar, Venice tourism chief. “Our message is clear: enough, now.”

Danilo Toninelli, who became transport minister a year ago, said the government was finally close to a solution. “Today’s accident at the port of Venice shows that big ships should no longer pass through the Giudecca,” he tweeted . “After so many years of inertia, we are finally close to a definitive solution to protect both the lagoon and tourism.”

Environmentalists have long claimed that waves caused by the cruise ships have eroded the underwater supports of buildings and polluted the waters.

Sergio Costa, the environment minister, said the government was close to finding a solution. “What happened in the port of Venice is confirmation of what we have been saying for some time,” he said.

It is unclear whether the solution would mean cruise ships of all sizes being banned from the canal.

In November 2017 , Italy’s previous administration announced a plan for ships weighing more than 96,000 tonnes to instead enter the lagoon via the Malamocco canal to reach the mainland area of Marghera, where a passenger terminal would be built. Meanwhile, medium-sized vessels would go past Marghera and take the longer route through the Vittorio Emanuele canal before reaching the Marittima terminal, where cruise liners currently dock.

But if and when final government approval comes, work on the new route, which requires the dredging of canals and construction of a new port, would take an estimated four years. And while diverting the ships would better preserve the historic centre, the move will do little to address concerns about pollution.

MSC Cruises, founded in Italy in 1960, is a global line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva.

The Opera, built 15 years ago, experienced a power failure in 2011 in the Baltic, forcing 2,000 people to disembark in Stockholm rather than continuing their voyage from Southampton to St Petersburg.

Venice attracts an estimated 30 million visitors a year.

Associated Press contributed to this report

More on this story

Venice mayor says he is brave like Marco Polo in charging day-trippers €5

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Venice to trial €5 ticketing system for day visitors from 2024

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Seagulls force Venice’s Marco Polo airport to close briefly

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Incident Video: MSC Cruise Ship Crashes Into Pier in Venice

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MSC Opera cruise ship is seen after a crash in San Basilio dock in Venice, Italy June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri

A large cruise ship allided with pier and smaller passenger vessel in Venice, Italy on Sunday, injuring four people, local officials said.

MSC Cruises said the 2,679-passenger Opera was approaching a terminal on the Giudecca canal when it struck the dock and a nearby ferry due to a technical problem.

Pino Musolino, chairman of the northern Adriatic Sea port authority, said four people had suffered minor injuries in the crash, as reported by Reuters. Emergency workers said the cruise ship appeared to have lost control after a steel cable that tied it to a tugboat snapped, the Reuters report said.

Photos show damage to the ship and concrete pier.

The accident was caught on video from multiple angles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI2rcJ9erus

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MSC Cruises says a passenger jumped from one of its ships while sailing from Europe to South America

• A 40-year-old man went overboard from an MSC Cruises ship on Wednesday.
• The company told Business Insider that the man intentionally jumped from the ship.
• Another cruise passenger fell from an MSC ship in November.

A 40-year-old man went overboard from an MSC Cruises ship on Wednesday, marking the second time since November that someone has fallen from one of the cruise liner's ships.

MSC Cruises confirmed to Business Insider on Saturday that the man went overboard, saying that their search and investigation "confirmed that the passenger intentionally jumped overboard." Upon the ship's arrival in Brazil's Port of Recife, the company said authorities investigated the incident but determined there were "no suspicious circumstances and there was no case to be pursued."

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Brazil's Federal Police did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The MSC Armonia was making a transatlantic voyage between Spain and Brazil when the man jumped, according to the cruise line. The man was reported missing at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, industry publication Cruise Hive reported . Per the outlet, the ship's security reviewed surveillance footage and found that the man went overboard at about 5 a.m.

The passenger, who was traveling with his partner, has not been identified, Cruise Hive reported.

Last month, a 30-year-old MSC crew member fell from a ship near Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard announced that they called off the search on November 16 .

Just two days before the MSC crew member disappeared, a 28-year-old Carnival cruise passenger fell from a ship near New Orleans. While the company said that the passenger, Tyler Barnett of Houma, Louisiana, jumped from the ship, his family said he slipped — and that they only learned of his disappearance from family members, not from Carnival itself.

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MSC’s Dock Crash: Third Similar Incident in 14 Months

Chances are good that you’ve seen the footage of the MSC Opera hitting a pier in Venice. (If not, you can see it below). Did the news sound strangely familiar to you? If so, you’re not alone.

While the footage is dramatic and it made headlines around the world, another similar incident also occurred a little more than a year ago when MSC Armonia struck a pier in Roatan, Honduras. Plus, MSC had a previous run-in in Buenos Aires dock only a few months ago.

What’s going on with these three incidents – all from the same cruise line – that seem similar to one another? Is it just a coincidence or could there be some bigger issue under the surface?

Here are the details of each crash…

MSC Opera | June 2019 | Venice, Italy

This most recent accident occurred as two tugboats guided the MSC Opera into Venice. The tugboats tried, but were unable to prevent MSC Opera from ramming into the moored riverboat. As reported by CBS News , Davide Calderan, president of a tugboat association in Venice said “The two tugboats tried to stop the giant and then a tow cable broke, cut by the collision with the river boat.”

The impact dislodged the riverboat from the pier, leaving at least two passengers caught on the walkway as they tried to disembark the small vessel. Five people were injured in the incident in the Giudecca Canal. Venice authorities are investigating the ship’s commander and pilot, as well as employees of the dock and the tugboat association, according to reports.

Following the accident, MSC stated that Opera “experienced a technical issue” and that “investigations to understand the exact causes of the events are currently in progress.”

MSC Orchestra | February 2019 | Buenos Aires, Argentina

Before the MSC Opera, there was another collision involving docked ships. This time the MSC Orchestra hit the MSC Poesia as the Poesia was docked in Buenos Aires. According to a statement given to Express.co.uk :

“On 20 February 2019 at 22:11:00 local time, MSC Orchestra undocked to leave the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Due to reasons we are still investigating, the ship deviated from its course while maneuvering out of the port and lightly grazed the forward part of MSC Poesia, which was docked alongside.

“While this may have been noticed by some passengers, there was never any risk for guests or crew on board, and there was no impact for the environment.”

Following the accident, although minor, the Orchestra had to adjust its itinerary on the rest of the cruise.

MSC Armonia | April 2018 | Roatan, Honduras

MSC Armonia crashed into the dock, then ran aground on the beach at Port Coxen Hole on the island of Roatán, Honduras just over one year ago. No one received any injuries in the incident, and the ship sustained only minor damage.

Fox News reported that “Crew members attempted to slow the ship upon realizing it was traveling too fast into port, according to NPR, reportedly by throwing two anchors overboard just before the ship hit the dock . . . while the anchors may have been deployed too late to slow the vessel’s entry into port.”

At the time, MSC released a statement that “While maneuvering alongside, for reasons that are currently still being duly investigated, the ship deviated from her course and grazed the end of the pier.”

Following the accident, some ships had to be re-routed after the dock was damaged in Roatan.

Is Something Wrong?

Given the similarity of these three accidents involving MSC vessels, it begs the question if this is more than coincidence. There’s no doubt that maneuvering large vessels like these in crowded ports is difficult. And to be fair, other cruise lines have incidents as well. Still, having three such mishaps in such a short time frame is unusual.

Is there a mechanical issue shared between these (and perhaps other) MSC ships that’s to blame for the issues? Or perhaps there is a need for more or better training of the cruise line’s navigation crew or port pilots?

No matter the reason, no passenger – or cruise line – wants to see any more incidents like these going forward.

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This seems to be a problem with a propulsion AZIPOD system. Mechanical issue.

Our tour company was present when the MSC Armonia hit the dock and reef in Port of Roatan. The vessel was coming in too hot, finally dropping multiple anchors and damaging our reef even further. I could understand if this was a one time incident, however MSC’s negligence on multiple occasions is a disaster waiting to happen.

I was on one of the ships whose itinerary had to be changed due to the Roatán crash. Ironically, two days later, we ended up docked next to Armonia in Cozumel, MX.

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MSC Seaside accidents and incidents

Cabins 2066

Length (LOA) 323 m / 1060 ft

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CruiseMapper's MSC Seaside cruise ship accidents, incidents and law news reports relate to a 5336-passenger vessel owned by MSC Cruises . Our MSC Seaside accidents page contains reports made by using official data from renown online news media sources, US Coast Guard and Wikipedia.

Here are also reported latest updates on cruise law news related to ashore and shipboard crimes still investigated by the police. Among those could be arrests, filed lawsuits against the shipowner / cruise line company, charges and fines, grievances, settled / withdrawn legal actions, lost cases, virus outbreaks , etc.

• power/propulsion - 2022 (during a Transatlantic crossing from South America to Europe)
• deaths - crew overboard (2018)
• injuries/crimes - drug bust (2018), theft (2018-email)
• drug busts - 2022 (54 + 12 kg of cocaine)
• medevacs - 2022 (crew)
• other - 2019 (FCCA PAMAC Cruise Summit)

You can add more details on reported here accident or submit new / your own MSC Seaside ship incident ("Cruise Minus" report) via CruiseMapper's contact form .