(CNN) — While passengers felt safe returning to virus-laden waters, the cruise industry is facing a new challenge — in this case, literally, a 164,000-tonne ship that has run aground in the Dominican Republic.
The Norwegian Escape, a megaship built in 2015 with a capacity to carry more than 4,000 passengers, hit the seabed on Monday while departing Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, damaging the ship’s hull.
The rest of the cruise is currently canceled and passengers are being evacuated to Puerto Plata from where they will be repatriated over the next two days. Travelers will receive a full refund for the canceled cruise, as well as a credit for the same amount that can be spent on a future flight.
The next cruise, scheduled to depart on March 19, has also been cancelled.
Puerto Plata was the first stop on the seven-day cruise, which departed Orlando on March 12.
Passengers on board tweeted about grounding due to the wind. They became stranded during the night but were refloated and returned to port at high tide on Tuesday morning, where they spent two days waiting to hear what would happen next while the ship was inspected.
The NCL statement says:
“On the afternoon of March 14, 2022, the Norwegian Escape made contact with the bottom of the channel as it departed from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Early on the morning of March 15, the ship was refloated and returned to dock in Puerto Plata, where she is currently located.
“Although the ship’s hull has minor damage, all guests and crew are safe. The current cruise will be shortened and the cruise scheduled for March 19 will be canceled to allow necessary repairs to be made.”
Not that the passengers objected. One tweeted that “morale is high” among travelers “using most of our time left here”.
Top photo: Erica Santelises/AFP/Getty Images