A lot happened in the cruise industry recently.

Crashes – A Viking riverboat was approaching a bridge “underpass” arch in Budapest. It was night and the weather drizzly. As it sailed on, a much smaller tour boat – the Hableany (“Mermaid”) – seemed to crowd the Sigyn from the right to cut in front and go under the bridge first.

Heavier ships have the  right of way.

The Sigyn hit it and the smaller ship rolled over and sunk instantly. 33 Korean pax went into the water. 7 survived. So far, 19 bodies have been recovered. The water is swift, cold and murky. Recovery teams are looking up to 50 miles downstream.

This one will be in litigation for a long time.

The MSC Opera ship rammed into a dock and wedged itself between a local river tour craft. No one was hurt seriously.  Watch the video.

Crowds – In response to the Venice crash, the cry to stop the giant cruise ships from lumbering down the canal and dropping thousands of tourists have re-surfaced. Programs to negotiate with the cruise lines have been stifled by the regular (and common) turnover of the elected governments.

Cuba – Cruise ships can no longer visit this communist country. The US has reinstated a ban on Americans visiting in response to the country’s support of the Venezuelan regime.