The NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line's ship Norwegian Sun came in contact with a small iceberg because of thick fog during her voyage to Alaska. As a result, the liner was forced to skip a port of call and proceed to Juneau AK to assess the damage.
The passenger liner was scheduled to arrive in Skagway AK, one of the northernmost ports on the 9-night itinerary from Seattle (Washington USA), at 8 am local time on Saturday, June 26.
However, from 4 pm local time, it was stated that the cruise ship was still much south of Skagway, south of Juneau, turning towards Juneau is ~100 mi southeast of Skagway.
Ports of call during the voyage included Sitka, Baranof Island (June 23), Icy Strait Point, Hoonah (June 24), Hubbard Glacier (June 25), Skagway (June 26/canceled), Juneau (June 27), Ketchikan, Revillagigedo Island (June 28), Victoria BC, Vancouver Island, BC Canada (June 29). The ship was scheduled to arrive back in Seattle, Washington on Thursday, June 30.
According to an NCL statement, on June 25, while transiting toward Hubbard Glacier, Norwegian Sun had been engulfed in dense fog, limiting visibility and causing the vessel to make contact with a growler.
"The ship remains fully operational and is currently en route to Juneau, Alaska for evaluation.
“Additional information will be provided as appropriate.”
There is still no official assessment of the damage to the Norwegian Sun but she continued her journey to Juneau, although at a slower speed than usual.
Passengers onboard reported a strong fog on Friday, which would cause a slowdown of the vessel as a security measure.
NCL Sun may have hit the local ice in a way that damaged the ship's hull or a propeller. Small, low-lying icebergs (growlers) are relatively common in the area. Passengers reported trembling/rattling sounds that might have been related to the ice crash.
The damage will probably require inspection before the vessel can resume normal speed.
For more Norwegian Sun incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.