Carnival Spirit collided with a small piece of ice sailing through the Tracy Arm Fjord, home to the twin Sawyer Glaciers, while on a 7-night cruise in Alaska. The Spirit Class ship struck the ice on September 5, and, fortunately, the impact caused minimal damage.
The crew sprung into action, conducting a thorough inspection to assess for any potential damage and ensure the safety of all passengers. The piece of ice, smaller than a growler or large iceberg, hit the starboard side of the 2,610-passenger ship. After the ship's crew and a smaller vessel completed their inspection, they were cleared to resume sailing and continued to Skagway.
“Carnival Spirit made contact with an errant piece of drifting ice on Thursday afternoon while sailing in Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska. An assessment determined no damage to the ship’s hull and the vessel continued on its week-long Alaska cruise, with its next visit on Friday in Skagway," Carnival Cruise Line told Cruise Hive.
According to Cruise Mapper, the 88,500 gross registered ton vessel arrived in Juneau on September 7. Afterward, Carnival Spirit will head to Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia, before returning to Seattle.
From there, she'll make one final weeklong Alaska cruise before being repositioned to Mobile, Alabama, for the winter, offering 6- and 8-night voyages to The Bahamas and Western Caribbean. She's scheduled to return to Alaska in April 2025.
Read more: 14 lessons learned after I tried my first Alaska cruise
Passengers flocked to social media to document the incident
"From April Futrell 'Good evening James! We are on the carnival spirit and hit an iceberg just outside of Sitka and Tracy arm fjord! [Here are] some pictures! We are safe and after assessing for damage we are back on track headed to Skagway!'" shared James Spann, an AMS Certified Meteorologist, on X.
Not surprisingly, many TikTok users stitched music from the Titanic to their videos. Though fictional, the 1997 movie recounts the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg en route to North America (Do you think Jack could have fit on the debris that kept Rose alive?).
"All I could think was... yet we just hit that. Que Celine 🤣," wrote Ash 📚🥀 on a TikTok posted by Dave (@pairofjokers.18).
By using popular and recognizable tunes from the movie, guests highlight the drama of the collision. Thankfully, Carnival Spirit's collision wasn't fatal to the ship's hull.
"Today, I learned a lesson," said passenger Randy Martin Hurtado in a video shared on Facebook, "When you're on an Alaskan cruise, you don't make fun of the movie Titanic and crack jokes about icebergs. We hit an iceberg...I'm going to keep my jokes to myself in the future."
While not ideal, the incident was a small bump in what remained a memorable Alaskan cruise for the passengers onboard. @brittanytheoneonly had a positive attitude in her 9-second video, sharing that everything was fine and they were returning to "Alaska shenanigans."
Read more: 27 First time Alaska cruise tips
A Norwegian cruise ship hit an iceberg in 2022
In June 2022, Norwegian Sun hit an iceberg while navigating to Hubbard Glacier, North America's largest tidewater glacier. The damages were more severe than those on Carnival Spirit, with the 78,309 gross registered ton ship having to return to Seattle for repairs.
According to ABC News 7, passengers reported the impact was so hard it caused some to fall over, and a family from Nevada said the collision sounded like a loud door being slammed.
Norwegian Sun was taken out of service for a few weeks to complete repairs, resulting in cruise cancelations. She resumed operations in mid-July. The 23-year-old vessel still cruises in Alaska and will conclude her 2024 season in October, sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii in preparation for a stint in the South Pacific.
Read more: I went on Norwegian Cruise Line's oldest class of ship
Incidents like these are rare. Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry expert known as The Cruise Guy, told USA Today that, though it's common for ice to fall from glaciers, cruise lines don't typically alter itineraries after making contact with the pieces.
"Sometimes, they bump them, and you know, no big deal," he said.
Carnival Spirit and Norwegian Sun's incidents shouldn't deter you from booking an Alaska cruise. The vast majority of voyages navigate the icy waters smoothly and safely. Known for its breathtaking scenery, unique wildlife viewings, fresh seafood, charming coastal towns, and history, Alaska cruises offer an unparalleled travel experience.
Read more: 7 reasons to book an Alaska cruise instead of a Caribbean cruise
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
