On it’s inaugural trip to Grand Bahama, the 93,300 ton MSC Poesia cruise ship ran aground on the reef while navigating the Port Lucaya Harbour around 6:50am Saturday morning. There were 1,500 crew and 4,500 guests on board the MSC Poesia.
According to boat captain, the MSC Poesia ran aground in 14ft of water during low tide and it took four tugboats to stabilise and free the ship. The ship should not be docked in less than a 30ft depth. Although claims were made that the vessel did not have a depth finder, the ship reportedly did have the advanced equipment necessary to measure water depth.
While no one was injured it left many with questions about safety and security and could put a dent in the cruise industry in Freeport. Concerns were also voiced for the damage done to the reef system.
H. Forbes Charter Services was contacted to provide a means of transport for the guests before the ship arrived. President Hadley Forbes says that the mishap was unfortunate, especially when efforts are being made to get the ailing nation’s economy back on solid ground. This incident is a big setback for the cruise industry in Freeport. He noted that there is usually a pilot of the country on board a ship to guide it into port. He doesn’t know what happened this time, as something went terribly wrong.
