New York pier comes off worse after Carnival Horizon collision

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, as Carnival Horizon, the cruise line’s newest mega-ship, edged her way into dock at Pier 88 in New York Harbour, the 133,596-gross ton ship collided with Pier 90.

While the cause of the collision (technically called an allision) is not yet known, video shot by bystanders suggests that she had assistance from a tug at the bow during the incident.

While damage to Carnival Horizon was minimal, with just scratches at the foremost part of her bow, Pier 90 suffered moderate structural failure.

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The impact damaged two metal beams and a parking structure on the pier, according to the New York Fire Department and the New York City Department of Buildings.

A Carnival spokesperson told the media that passengers were able to disembark as normal, and that passengers boarding for a new cruise itinerary weren’t affected either.

Coast Guard Sector New York said that its investigators, marine inspectors and facilities team are investigating the extent of the damage and the cause of the casualty.

Carnival Horizon departed on time Tuesday evening for San Juan, the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos, the same 8-night Caribbean cruise itinerary from which she was returning when the incident occurred.

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It is the third incident to affect Carnival’s new ship since she entered service.

She suffered propulsion issues that affected her cruising speed and manoeuvring on August 13, and was forced to skip a port call at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.

During the same cruise, galley crewmember Ravi Singh Bisht, an Indian national, passed away. He had attended a galley party the night before and was found dead in his cabin in the morning while Horizon was in Grand Turk.

“He will be remembered as a hardworking and passionate team player who always had a positive attitude,” Capt. Gaetano Gigliotti said in a letter to the crew. “He was well-liked by all who knew him and he will be greatly missed.”

Despite the minor damage to Carnival Horizon’s bow following the incident, an underwater inspection was conducted before she sailed.

Carnival Horizon is the second Vista class ship and a third named Carnival Panorama will join the fleet in 2019.