Norwegian Epic Faces Mooring Failure in Catania: What You Need to Know

On May 30, 2025, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Norwegian Epic experienced a mooring failure while docked in Catania, Sicily. The incident occurred shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time when the ship’s mooring lines snapped due to excessive pressure, leading the vessel to drift away from the pier.

Eyewitnesses reported that the mooring fixtures were dislodged, some striking the hull of the ship. During this chaos, a female passenger fell from the gangway into the water, prompting her husband to jump in after her. Both were quickly rescued by emergency responders and taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Earlier that day, the Italian Meteorological Service had issued a moderate wind warning, with gusts reported up to 57 mph (92 km/h), which likely contributed to the mooring failure.

Following the incident, Norwegian Epic navigated away from the dock into the harbor. Passengers who had disembarked were instructed to return to the city for further updates. Reboarding was delayed until the weather conditions improved, with passengers allowed to return to the ship around 7:15 p.m., roughly six hours after the initial incident.

Norwegian Cruise Line ensured that crew members were on hand to assist guests during the disruption, emphasizing their commitment to passenger and crew safety.

Norwegian Epic is currently on a 10-night Mediterranean voyage that began on May 24th, with stops in Greece, Malta, and Italy.

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