AIDAperla Stays in Le Havre After Winds Snap Moorings
About five hundred passengers returning from shore excursions waited aboard buses after gangways fell into the harbor and tugs worked to secure the vessel.
AIDA Cruises’ AIDAperla remained in Le Havre for inspection after strong winds tore the ship from its moorings and pushed its stern into the berth on Tuesday, Sept. 8. No injuries were reported, but the incident disrupted passenger traffic and forced changes to the ship’s seven-night itinerary from Hamburg.
Passenger vessel movements at the French port were temporarily suspended while crews recovered gangways that fell into the harbor. About 500 AIDAperla passengers returning from shore excursions were unable to reboard and waited aboard buses while tugs secured the vessel.
The 125,572-gross-ton AIDAperla entered service in 2017 and measures 300 meters long. AIDA Cruises is a Carnival Corporation brand. The ship carries 3,286 passengers at double occupancy and more than 4,300 at maximum capacity, with a crew of about 900. The number of passengers aboard the affected sailing was not available.
Wind pushed ship away from pier
AIDAperla docked in Le Havre on Tuesday morning, with passengers departing on excursions to Paris and other destinations. French authorities had warned of strong winds associated with a passing weather front, and gusts at the port reached as high as 68 mph.
At about 4 p.m. local time, the wind pushed the ship away from the pier and its mooring lines snapped. The vessel drifted across the harbor before its stern contacted a concrete quay wall. Video recorded from TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3 showed AIDAperla moving backward toward the berth.
Several tugs responded, and the ship was back alongside and secured by about 6:30 p.m. TUI Cruises also brought in additional tugs to keep Mein Schiff 3 secure during the high winds.
AIDA said its priority was the safety of passengers and crew. Authorities began inspecting AIDAperla and the affected berth, with the extent of any hull damage still under review Wednesday evening.
Zeebrugge and Rotterdam calls canceled
The original seven-night circuit from Hamburg included Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre and Southampton. Ostsee-Zeitung reported that passengers were advised the Zeebrugge and Rotterdam calls had been canceled following the incident.
AIDAperla was cleared to sail directly to Hamburg. Passengers were told they could continue going ashore in France until Thursday afternoon, with the ship expected to depart Le Havre on Thursday evening.
