Carnival Triumph blown from moorings at repair yard

APRIL 4, 2012 — More problems for the the Carnival Triumph. The 101,509 GT, 893 ft cruise ship yesterday broke its moorings at BAE Ship Repair, Mobile, AL, as it was hit by winds reportedly gusting at up to 66 m.p.h. Those same winds blew a guard shack containing two BAE employees into the Mobile River. One was rescued. One is still missing.

The cruise ship has been at the BAE shipyard since February 14, undergoing repairs subsequent to the engine room fire that led to its losing power on its last cruise and being towed back to the U.S.

Though the Carnival Triumph is now secure at the Mobile Cruise Terminal, before it could be brought under control, local media report, it slammed into the side of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge Wheeler, which is under repair at Signal Ship Repair.

According to Carnival Cruise Line, all of the approximately 600 crew and 200 contractors who were onboard the cruise ship at the time of the incident are safe and accounted for. There are no reports of injuries.

The collision caused visible damage to the Triumph’s right stern. Carnival says that assessment to the Triumph is ongoing, but that “initial indications suggest the damage is limited.”