MIAMI -- Royal
Caribbean Internationals Grandeur of the Seas was sailing again
last week after hitting a dock in Costa Maya, Mexico, and tearing a
42-foot-long hole in its hull.
A spokesman for
parent company RCCL said the Grandeur will not have to enter
drydock for further repairs: The fix was made at the dock in Costa
Maya.
A spokesman for
Puerto Costa Maya said there was no damage to the pier, and the
port continues to receive its regular schedule of ships. The
accident occurred when the ship was preparing to dock in Costa Maya
in 15-knot winds and a three-knot current, which the line said
contributed to the incident.
The crash created a
football-shaped puncture in the Grandeurs hull on the starboard
side, forward, about five feet above the water line.
The ship was two
days late returning to its New Orleans homeport, and Royal
Caribbean made arrangements to fly some passengers from Costa Maya
on charter planes. The ship began its scheduled April 23 cruise on
April 25; passengers on that voyage were given a $300 per-cabin
onboard credit.
The incident in
Costa Maya is the second time in just over six months that a Royal
Caribbean ships hull has been damaged. In November, the Enchantment
of the Seas hull was punctured after a barge hit the ship during a
port call in Key West, Fla.
To contact
reporter Rebecca Tobin, send e-mail to [email protected].