New cruise ship crashes into port in Sicily

The 331-metre-long MSC Grandiosa has been in service since the end of October

A cruise ship just a few months old crashed into a port as it was docking in Sicily.

Cruise ship MSC Grandiosa made contact with the port in Palermo on the Italian island while it was docking in heavy winds.

The incident happened around 8.30am yesterday.

The ship was damaged on its portside stern, reports Maritime Bulletin.

Images from the incident shared on Facebook show some damage to the liner above her waterline, as well as damage to the dock in Palermo.

Footage shot by passengers shows the ship retreating from the port following the collision. It later docked without any further problems.

Passenger Ronny Cop, who is currently onboard the ship, told The Independent: “We are currently on Grandiosa. This incident happened at Palermo yesterday and there was nothing that the Captain could do to prevent this incident.

“The sudden gust of wind was the cause of this incident. He took all measures to prevent a bigger incident.”

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said: "Earlier this morning, around 09:30am CET, MSC Grandiosa experienced a light allision in the port of Palermo. Due to reasons we are still investigating, the ship deviated while manoeuvring along the quayside and lightly grazed the end of the quay with its aft part.

"While this may have been noticed by some passengers or bystanders, there was never any risk for guests or crew onboard, and there was no impact for the environment.

"As a result of this graze we conducted some minor repair works – which have already been completed by the early afternoon. While the ship is ready to sail, we may leave Palermo with a slight delay. The itinerary remains unchanged.

"MSC Cruises emphasises that MSC Grandiosa is fully reliable and safe to sail. Our Guests’ and crew members’ safety will always be our number one priority."

MSC Grandiosa is currently in the waters off Valletta, the capital of Malta.

The 331-metre-long MSC Grandiosa, one of the largest in the MSC fleet, has only been in service since the end of October.

She has 11 restaurants and 20 bars, and can accommodate more than 6,300 passengers alongside 1,700 crew members.

Itineraries on the MSC Grandiosa focus on the Western Mediterranean, with stops in ports such as Barcelona, Marseille and Palermo.

Earlier this month, two cruise ships crashed into each other in Mexico.

The Carnival Glory collided with the Carnival Legend by Cozumel port on 20 December.

Video shows the moment the liners hit each other, with visible damage being done to the stern of the Glory. According to Carnival, both ships are still seaworthy and there was only one “minor” injury reported.