The ‘Carnival Glory’ cruise ship.
Topline: A pair of Carnival cruise ships slammed into each other Friday in a port in Cozumel, Mexico, causing damage to one ship and injuring six people, and the entire incident was caught on video.
- A Carnival spokesperson told NBC News that one of the ships, Carnival Glory, was “maneuvering to dock when it made contact” with the other ship, Carnival Legend.
- Carnival also said it is assessing the damage, but “there are no issues that impact the seaworthiness of either ship.”
- The New York Times reported that six passengers sustained minor injuries.
- In nautical terms, the incident is described as an “allision”—the term for when a moving ship collides with a stationary object (or ship).
- Two Carnival Glory passengers told CNN that an onboard announcement said ocean currents and high winds were factors in the crash.
- The Carnival Glory can carry a maximum of 3,756 guests, while the Carnival Legend can accommodate up to 2,610.
Big number: An estimated 30 million travelers were expected to take to the sea in 2019, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) report.
Key background: Carnival is the world’s largest international cruise line, according to trade publication Cruise Market Watch. It brought in record revenue for 2019, at $20.8 billion, versus the $18.9 billion generated in 2018. More people have been cruising due to low unemployment and economic growth, along with more destination options, according to a March 7 industry forecast.
Tangent: Netflix’s Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj dedicated an August episode to the cruise industry, focusing on worker exploitation, safety issues and what happens when crimes are committed at sea.
