Carnival Cruise Ship Makes Sudden Maneuver and Injures 60 Passengers

An incident aboard the Carnival Cruise ship Ecstasy left 60 passengers and one crewmember injured. The cruise ship accident took place on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, off the coast of Mexico.

According to reports, the Ecstasy was carrying approximately 2,340 passengers and 900 crew members when it made a sharp turn in order to avoid a submerged buoy, which had gone undetected on the ship’s radar. Crewmembers did not have time to warn the cruisers before the turn was made and many people were tossed about the ship.  It was reported that this sudden turn resulted in the ship listing to the port side.

Many unsecured items aboard the cruise ship suffered damage, not to mention the passengers who were hurt.

The accident occurred off Mexico’s Yucatan coast, as the Ecstasy was in route to its home port in Galveston, Texas. It arrived there the next morning.

One passenger stated that the boat rocked to one side and tilted for several minutes. Another passenger reported that her husband, who was in bed, rolled onto the floor from the sharp turn.

This Carnival cruise ship accident is definitely not the first for this cruise line.  In July 1998, the Ecstasy caught fire as it left the Port of Miami. It was later repaired and returned to service.

Cruise ship accidents can be serious. Our thoughts go out to all of the victims involved and we wish them a speedy recovery.