During the early stages of embarkation for a 14-night cruise from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the ship Celebrity Equinox experienced a navigational incident when mooring lines failed under rising wind conditions, allowing the vessel to break free from its berth and drift from the pier.
Winds in the port area increased to ~40 mph/~65kph, placing additional strain on the lines securing the 121,878 GT-ton ship and contributing to their failure. The bow swung outwards, and in the resulting movement, the hull made contact both with the adjacent pier and a refuelling vessel alongside, leaving a noticeable scrape on Equinox’s port side.
Boarding operations were immediately halted as a gangway detached from the dock and fell into the water, necessitating the re-securing of the vessel and installation of a replacement gangway before passengers could complete embarkation.
Tugboats were deployed to bring Equinox back under control and align her alongside the berth. Safety checks were carried out on the hull before the vessel remained in port overnight to ensure seaworthiness and accommodate the adjustments required for the delayed departure. No injuries were reported among passengers, crew, or port personnel during the incident. After the necessary precautions were taken, the ship eventually departed the harbour the following morning.
The delay altered the schedule for the upcoming visit to Montevideo, Uruguay, with the port call shortened accordingly, but tracking data and passenger accounts indicate that the remainder of Equinox’s South America itinerary—including subsequent calls in Patagonia and around Cape Horn—was being maintained as planned after the incident.
Mooring line failures under high wind conditions, while uncommon, are a known risk in port operations, and in this instance the rapid response by port tugs and crew prevented more significant consequences.
For more Celebrity Equinox incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.