NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD ISSUES REPORT ON THE APRIL 2005 NORWEGIAN DAWN WAVE INCIDENT
Report concurs with earlier finding in May 2005 by the Bahamas Maritime Authority
MIAMI - December 23, 2005 - The National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") has released its report on the large wave that struck Norwegian Cruise Line's ("NCL") Norwegian Dawn on April 16, 2005. After experiencing extremely rough weather, the ship was hit by an unpredictable, large wave near South Carolina on its return trip to New York from Miami during a Bahamas/Florida cruise.
The NTSB's report regarding this incident is at: http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2005/MAB0503.htm.
The NTSB determined that NCL acted appropriately during the severe weather and tried to accommodate and comfort its passengers. The report notes that: "Rather than attempting to maintain the scheduled arrival time in New York, the master decided to lower the ship's speed and change its heading for the passengers' comfort." Moreover, "the hotel staff tried to accommodate the passengers' needs and make them comfortable."
NCL's officers and crew are trained to handle situations at sea like the one that faced Norwegian Dawn and the NTSB praised the crew for having "properly prepared the vessel for heavy weather" and noted that NCL kept its passengers apprised of the developments by continually providing "advisory announcements to the passengers."
"We are pleased with the report from the NTSB and that it further clarifies the Bahamas Maritime Authority's (BMA) report that the company, the Captain of Norwegian Dawn and his officers and crew acted appropriately in this rare large wave incident," said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL Corporation.
The NTSB report notes that the winds and seas experienced by the ship became "heavier-than-expected" and recognized the unpredictability of the incident by concluding that "the probable cause of the damage to Norwegian Dawn and of the injuries suffered by its passengers was waves breaking over the bow during the ship's unavoidable encounter with severe weather and heavy seas."
Similarly, after a thorough investigation immediately following the incident, the BMA previously issued its findings and found that the action of Norwegian Dawn's Captain was "prudent and appropriate throughout." In addition, the BMA determined that "there is no evidence that any real or perceived urgency to arrive at New York earlier was a factor in the handling of the ship or that Norwegian Cruise Line did anything but support the captain's on-scene decisions."
Please contact NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 327-7030; visit NCL's website at www.ncl.com or on AOL at keyword: NCL; or to download high-resolution photography, visit www.ncl.com/hires.
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