Caught on video: Cruise ship cancels remainder of Alaskan voyage after striking iceberg

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Passengers on an Alaskan cruise had a harrowing experience last weekend, as their vessel struck a small iceberg in an incident caught on video.

No one was reported injured when the Norwegian Sun struck the aquatic hazard on Saturday (June 25), but the Norwegian Cruise Line ship canceled the rest of its scheduled itinerary to assess damage in Juneau on Monday before returning passengers to its home port of Seattle.

The industry website CruiseHive.com reported that the ship’s captain notified passengers by letter that the remainder of the scheduled cruise was being canceled and the vessel would return at reduced speed to Seattle, where it is expected to arrive Thursday morning.

The report said divers inspected the ship in Juneau, but that Norwegian has not disclosed the extent of any damage found to the ship’s hull. The cruise line told the website that passengers will receive full refunds for the truncated trip, as well as a future cruise credit as compensation.

Norwegian issued a public statement that said, “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. The ship sailed to Juneau, Alaska for further assessment, where it was decided that the current voyage would be shortened.

“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 disembark in Seattle as originally planned. We are communicating with all impacted guests directly.”

According to the National Ocean Service, growlers are smaller fragments of ice roughly the size of a truck or grand piano. They usually extend no more than 3 feet above the water.

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