It was a tense scene on Sunday when 4,500 passengers and crew aboard the Norwegian Cruise Lines ship “Breakaway” found themselves stuck.
According to the New York Daily News, the Breakaway had some steering problems as it came in to dock on the Hudson River and could not maneuver. Apparently a side thruster had malfunctioned.
The ship had been out on a Caribbean cruise for the past week, and passengers were within sight of home, and eager to disembark. But they were going to have to wait quite a long time before they could touch land again.
A tug boat was dispatched to bring the ship into port, but the maneuver took hours. The passengers watched and waited, but not quietly. Fights broke out on deck.
Passenger capacity aboard the ship is 3,969, while the crew is 1,651. The ship boasts Broadway-style shows, a Second City comedy team, and the usual assortment of fitness centers, hot tubs, and buffets.
But passengers were done with the ships amenities and just wanted to get off.
“It got a little chaotic,” said passenger Ashley Hernandez. “It was really unorganized. There were people fighting when we got off the ship.”
The Breakaway began sailing in May of 2013, and is the largest cruise ship to port in New York. The steering issue was seen as a minor problem, and was fixed by the time the next departure rolled around the next day.
Norwegian issued a brief official statement about the incident:
“The ship was slightly delayed because of strong currents in the Hudson River. We thank our guests for their patience and understanding.”
And the Norwegian Breakaway is finally moving! pic.twitter.com/INZcqbg7Cz
— Berta Castaner (@BertaNews12) May 4, 2014
Image via Wikimedia Commons
