As the cruise ship Emerald Princess was making final approach toward Nawiliwili Harbour off Kauai on February 10th, 2026, a routine harbour pilot transfer became an operational incident. In the prevailing sea conditions, which included elevated swells and shifting winds, a local pilot attempting to board the vessel from a pilot boat slipped from the rope ladder and entered the water some distance from the ship’s hull. A man overboard alert was immediately recorded on the vessel’s bridge, and the pilot boat crew manoeuvred to recover him from the sea within minutes. Observers of the event reported that he was returned safely to the pilot vessel and showed no signs of injury.
The Emerald Princess, a vessel of approximately 113 561 gross tons with passenger capacity exceeding 3 000, subsequently cancelled its scheduled visit to Kauai due to hazardous surf conditions in the area, as warned by advisories in effect for the region. After the change in plan, the ship continued its schedule toward Maui for its next planned port of call. Reports from passengers on board indicated that the ship experienced a list of several degrees at sea in the rough conditions before and during the attempted transfer.
In operations at port approaches, small pilot craft are required to maintain close proximity to larger ships while pilots make the transfer via rope ladder, a procedure known to be challenging in adverse sea states owing to relative motion between the two vessels. The incident and subsequent decision to omit the Kauai call reflect standard maritime practice in adjusting operations in response to dynamic weather and sea conditions.
For more Emerald Princess incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.