[Brief] A video is making the rounds on social media and drawing wide attention as a large yacht named Aurora made contact with the docked cruise ship Allure of the Seas. One of the largest cruise ships in the world, the Royal Caribbean ship was on a short cruise to the Bahamas and was tied to the dock when the incident occurred.
Passengers rushed to the rail as a luxury vessel was maneuvering in Nassau harbor in the Bahamas. The vessel can be seen underway coming closer and closer to the cruise ship. It is unclear what was happening with the yacht as it was angled directly toward the cruise ship and at least one crewmember can be seen walking on deck before the contact.
There is a loud thud as the yacht makes contact with the hull of the 225,282 gross ton vessel. Allure of the Seas is over 1,187 feet long and has 18 decks making it a very visible ship. Full it would be carrying as many as 6,800 passengers and over 2,000 in crew.
After the initial contact, the yacht can be seen scraping alongside the cruise ship. The next contact comes as the yacht’s mast hits the protruding lifeboats. As the yacht moves past, the top of the mast and one of the radar domes are seen hanging down. A passenger is heard calling to the crew on the yacht ”Are you ok?”
The captain of the cruise ship made an announcement which for many passengers was the first they knew of the incident. They were warned there could be a delay in departing Nassau as the cruise ship needed to conduct an inspection.
The ship was able to depart Nassau and is spending a day at sea today. Allure of the Seas is due back in Miami on Friday, December 13.
