Norwegian Cruise ship hits iceberg in Alaska; rest of trip canceled: reports

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship on the way to an Alaskan glacier hit an iceberg over the weekend and is now being turned around due to damage, according to reports.

The ship, called 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 was engulfed by dense fog, limiting visibility and resulting in the ship making contact with a growler,” a Norwegian Cruise spokesperson told Cruise Hive, a blog dedicated to cruise news.

“The ship remains fully operational and is currently on its way to Juneau, Alaska for assessment,” the spokesperson said Sunday.

On Monday, the Juneau Empire reported the ship sustained damage after divers inspected it and 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.

He reportedly said “there is high confidence” the ship will make it safely back to Seattle.

An email to the Norwegian public relations was not returned Monday night.

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 Thursday. She said her family was told they’d be reimbursed.