A Carnival cruise ship struck a pier in Jamaica, causing significant damage and leaving some passengers stranded on the island. The Carnival Magic was hosting ShipRocked 2024, a music festival at sea featuring “six terrifying nights of music & madness.”
The cruise line said that “strong winds and swells caused the pier fender to collapse under pressure,” forcing officials to close the pier for repairs.
The ship was forced to leave the pier, leaving thousands of passengers stranded near the dock amid heavy rain.
“We had a couple thousand people just out in a field in the pouring rain and no shelter, no food, no drinks. I think there was one toilet,” passenger Adam Middleton told WRBW.
After the weather cleared, crews began inspecting the damage on the ship. After about 12 hours, the Magic docked at another pier, and the passengers were finally able to reboard the ship.
“There were no injuries, and all the ship’s services remained operational,” Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “The ship left the area for the safety of everyone on board, later docked at another nearby pier, and guests who went ashore rejoined the ship.”
