A 96-foot yacht collided with Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas on Wednesday while the cruise ship was docked at the Nassau Cruise Port.
The incident occurred while the ship was on a four-day voyage from Fort Lauderdale to The Bahamas.
According to tracking data, the 225,282-gross-ton Allure of the Seas was hit on its port side when the pleasure craft My Aurora lost power on approach and drifted into the ship.
Witnesses aboard the cruise ship reported the yacht’s mast snapping during the collision.
The vessel loses power, causes collision
The smaller vessel struck a lifeboat on the Allure of the Seas before sustaining significant damage, including a broken mast and lost communication equipment.
A TikTok video captured the moment of impact. In the footage, a woman is heard saying, “…like he had lost control or something and just went ‘boom’…drove right into the ship.”
Another witness, who posted a clip to YouTube, described hearing a noise and feeling a “thud.” “It did feel like a wave…or a big wind, but we were docked, so that was really weird,” the guest said.
Other passengers claimed they were unaware of the incident, with one Facebook user commenting, “I didn’t feel the impact.”
Investigation underway, no immediate impact on cruise itinerary
Royal Caribbean has not released a statement on the incident.
Experts say such collisions can be common in busy cruise ports like Nassau, where heavy vessel traffic and maneuvering challenges heighten the risk of accidents.
Despite the collision, passengers on the Oasis-class cruise ship continued their voyage with minimal disruption.
Earlier this year, the Allure of the Seas faced other challenges, including a man overboard incident and a gastro health scare.
