Early this morning the Norwegian Escape was able to break free from the sandbar it was stuck on as the tide came in and tugboats helped it out.
The cruise ship ran aground Monday evening while leaving Puerto Plato, Dominican Republic. Officials say that its grounding was most likely a cause of shallow waters and strong winds.
On social media, guests aboard the ship reported that they heard a thud, and that the ship was leaning on its port side. The captain informed them that the bow of the ship was entrenched in the sand.
Norwegian Cruise line released a statement about the incident saying that all the guests and crew were safe, and that operations and activities onboard the ship would still continue as scheduled.
The Norwegian Escape left Port Canaveral on Saturday for a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean, with Puerto Plata as its first destination. Its next scheduled port of call was St. Thomas, followed by Tortola and Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay. It would then return to Florida on March 19.
The ship has gone back to port in the Dominican Republic where it will be investigated. As of now it is unknown how the itinerary will be affected.
