Italian cruise ship AIDAluna narrowly avoids grounding in Sundahöfn, Iceland

In July of last year, the Italian cruise ship AIDAluna, carrying 2,500 passengers, narrowly avoided running aground in Sundahöfn, Iceland. The vessel, nearly 70,000 tons and 252 meters long, came dangerously close to shallow waters due to strong winds, prompting concerns for its safety.

The Transportation Accident Investigation Board (RNSA) has completed its investigation into the incident. According to their report, the ship was estimated to be only 15 to 20 meters from the shallows near Skarfagarður and about 17 meters once it passed the harbor. Accurate measurements were lacking, but it is believed that the distance from the ship’s keel to the shallow areas was alarmingly small.

This incident was not isolated; a close call occurred in May of the same year when the Norwegian Prima, a larger cruise ship weighing over 140,000 tons and measuring 300 meters in length, was just 10 meters from running aground in the same harbor.

The lack of secured electronic data from AIDAluna during its time in Icelandic waters has raised further questions about safety protocols for large vessels navigating such close quarters.