Cruise Ship Leaves Family Behind in Catania Amid High Winds

Catania, Sicily – Jamie Cisco and her daughter, Grace, faced a shocking moment on May 30 when they saw their cruise ship, the Norwegian Epic, sailing away from the port without them. The pair had just returned from the beach, where strong winds had made it difficult to set up their blankets.

“Grace was like, ‘Why is our ship leaving?’” Cisco recounted. “I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ We were told we had till 5:30 to re-enter the ship to leave again.” High winds had caused a guest to fall from the gangway into the water and left others stranded on shore.

As they arrived back at the port, they learned through a Facebook group that the port authority ordered the vessel to move out due to dangerous conditions. According to Cisco, Norwegian Cruise Line had not communicated directly with passengers still on land, adding to their confusion.

“There was no water (and) very little shade,” Cisco noted. After pulling a muscle while walking around Catania, she and Grace had to search for medication, worsening their situation.

They finally saw a cruise line employee at around 5:30 p.m., who instructed them to wait for two more hours before reboarding. By 7:15 p.m., the ship had returned, but passengers rushed to re-embark. Cisco described it as a “free-for-all.”

Once on board, the crew welcomed them back, and the captain apologized over the intercom. The delay forced the ship to cancel its next planned stop in Naples, a decision announced the following morning.

A letter sent to guests explained that strong gale-force winds had caused three bollards on the pier to break, prompting the Harbor Master to order the ship away from port until conditions improved. Guests were offered $100 in onboard credits and a 10% future cruise discount. However, Cisco, who had booked an independent $200 excursion in Naples, plans to file a claim with her travel insurance.

“We get home late on Thursday, so I imagine on Friday I’ll be spending a lot of time on the phone trying to get this sorted,” she said.

Though situations like these are rare, they do happen. Other cruises, like the Carnival Magic in Jamaica, have faced similar issues in recent years due to high winds. Experts advise travelers to contact their cruise line regarding expenses incurred during such delays and remind them to know their travel insurance policies.

“Thankfully, there’s lots of limoncello in Italy,” Cisco said, trying to stay positive despite the unfortunate events of the day.