Hawaii state officials are conducting an investigation into two cruise ships that reportedly sailed too close to Kauai's protected Na Pali Coastline, as confirmed by a statement from the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) on Tuesday, May 7th.
The HTA expressed awareness of the situation after images of the vessels circulated on social media, prompting concerned locals (kamaaina) to report the incident to authorities.
In its statement, the HTA emphasized the importance of cruise companies complying with all state and local regulations while visiting Hawaii.
Neither the DLNR nor the HTA disclosed the names of the cruise lines involved in the incident, although social media posts identified one of the ships as Celebrity Edge (Celebrity Cruises).
A spokesperson for Celebrity's parent company RCG/Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement:
“We have robust policies in place to maintain compliance with local regulations around the world.
"We will continue to assess our policies and take necessary steps to ensure we continue to operate in the most responsible manner possible."
The Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), responsible for governing the state's coastal waters, has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.