Carnival Jubilee will need some touch-up paint along the bow after an incident in Galveston over the weekend.
The newest ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet was still docked in port when a small sailboat reportedly collided with the 183,521 gross ton ship.
While there is still no word as to how this happened, people near the dock witnessed the entire ordeal in disbelief as the collision unfolded.
An eyewitness to the collision stated, “He went straight into it,” when asked, “How do you hit that?” referring to the size of the massive ship docked in port and it’s bright blue hull.
As the sailboat moved away from the cruise ship’s bow, a crowd cheered in the background, even after an onlooker remarked that the mast of the small boat was scratching the paint on Carnival Jubilee.
Pictures and video of the incident show a pilot boat coming along to help the sailboat move out from under the bow of the cruise ship.
One commenter on the Facebook post revealed a possible reason for the collision:
“I believe that the strong current, the inexperience of the sailboat captain, and, safe bet, alcohol had a great deal to do with this collision,” the comment stated.
While the weather appeared to be relatively calm and there is no evidence of alcohol being involved, the commenter also warned of possible trouble for the pilot boat that helped the sailboat in its predicament.
“It should be noted that the captain of the Texas went far beyond his duty when he put a line on the sailboat. When any vessel takes another in tow, for any reason, the captain of that vessel immediately becomes liable for any damages that occur subsequently. That poor guy will probably end up in court as a thanks for his doing the right thing,” the comment went on to say, also adding they they were glad no one was hurt.
Close-up images from the incident reveal a minor scratch on the ship’s hull, caused by the sailboat’s scraping. This appeared to be the only damage and should not impact the current sailing.
The 5,228 double-capacity Carnival Jubilee is currently sailing toward Honduras and is on schedule to arrive in Roatan on March 4. The ship will arrive back in Galveston on March 8.
