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Princess Cruises ship hits San Francisco pier while docking

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Officials are assessing damage after a cruise ship crashed into Pier 27 in San Francisco while docking Thursday morning.

The ship Ruby Princess “made unexpected contact” with the pier just after 6 a.m., a spokesperson for Princess Cruises said. No injuries were reported, and the cruise line said passengers and crew were not in danger during the incident.

News images showed damage to the side of the ship.

The Ruby Princess had just returned from a 10-day voyage to Alaska with 3,328 guests and 1,159 crew members. The ship departed San Francisco on June 26.

Princess Cruises said the departure time for the next trip to Alaska was uncertain, but passengers began boarding the ship at 11:30 a.m..

Officials said they would provide more details later.

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Vanessa Arredondo was a 2022-23 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She is a Chicana born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Arredondo is a proud product of community college and has interned in various digital newsrooms across California, including CalMatters and NBCLA. Before joining The Times, she was a Hearst fellow at the San Francisco Chronicle.

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Crashes and Disasters | ‘We were spinning pretty quick’: Ruby…

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Crashes and disasters, crashes and disasters | ‘we were spinning pretty quick’: ruby princess cruise ship crashes into san francisco pier.

A Princess Cruises ship crashed into a pier in San Francisco as it was preparing to dock after a 10-day Alaskan cruise, officials said.

The 113,561-ton Ruby Princess “made unexpected contact with the dock at Pier 27” at the port of San Francisco Thursday morning, Princess Cruises said in a statement obtained by CNN.

“There were no injuries and at no time were any guests or crew in danger,” the company said. “The ship is safely alongside and disembarkation is complete.”

Passenger Paul Zasso said he knew something seemed off as the ship approached the pier.

“I noticed we were spinning pretty quick, to be that close to the dock,” Zasso told CNN affiliate KGO . “I was mid-ship, portside, looked out the window, and we smacked into the dock.”

The US Coast Guard is now investigating the crash, Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel told CNN.

The ship, which can accommodate 3,080 guests and 1,200 crew , suffered damage to its left rear side. The dock was also damaged, Princess Cruises said.

While investigators assessed damage to both the ship and the pier, Princess Cruises said it was still planning to board passengers for another 10-day, roundtrip journey to Alaska. But it was not immediately clear when the Ruby Princess would be able to start its next voyage.

“I don’t swim that good. I just think they patch it up,” Simpson told KGO .

But he said he’s not worried.

“It’s a 10-day cruise, there’s plenty of time,” he told the affiliate. “We can make up time moving and things like that. So I don’t think it’s going to be an issue.”

The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Cruise ship Ruby Princess strikes dock on arrival at San Francisco pier

By Betty Yu

Updated on: July 6, 2023 / 7:34 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO -- Crews are assessing the damage to a Princess cruise ship in San Francisco after the ship struck the dock upon arrival Thursday morning.

Princess Cruises confirmed in a statement to KPIX that the Ruby Princess cruise ship "made unexpected contact with the dock at Pier 27."

UPDATE:   Ruby Princess set to depart San Francisco after repairing Pier 27 collision damage

The incident happened at 6:05 a.m. There were no injuries and Princess Cruises said no guests or crew were in danger. The ship eventually docked safely and passengers were able to disembark.

UPDATE: Ruby Princess remains docked in San Francisco after collision with pier 

There was no immediate word on what caused the collision.

The damage could be seen from Chopper 5, and on the ground, passengers embarking on the Ruby Princess' next 10-day trip to Alaska got an up-close look.

"I was certainly thinking about how the Titanic's been in the news lately and so all of a sudden, I didn't know anything about this until she told me, the next person in line, and I'm thinking there's a hole in the boat? it feels a little iffy," said Maryann Will.

But Will, a resident of Monterey, still got in line with about 3,300 other passengers to board the Ruby Princess. The process began at 11:30 am.

"I've come all this way and was planning for three years so here we are," she said. "We planned once and then the COVID..."

There were no injuries and Princess Cruises said no guests or crew were in any danger. An assessment of the damage to both the ship and the pier was underway.

"I just happened to see it on the news from my hotel room, I was waiting to check out," said Ann Portillo from Scottsdale, Arizona. "I'm sure they know what's best, I have been on many cruises and I don't see this as being a huge issue, it didn't look that bad."

The collision didn't dull the excitement for some passengers like Rence Dimalanta.

"It's my first cruise so I'm still excited about it," he said.

"I just hope it's safe because of what happened this morning, I'm sure they wouldn't let everybody get on the boat unless it was safe," said Debbie McIntosh.

"As long as the lifeboats work," Mike McIntosh said as he laughed.

The San Francisco Bar Pilots spokesperson said in a statement to KPIX 5:

"We can confirm a pilot was involved in an incident at Pier 27 this morning. We are cooperating with all necessary agencies in looking into this matter and cannot comment further."

"I guess I'm willing to accept that they wouldn't be getting all these people on a boat if they had concerns is my hope," added Will.

• Cruise Ship
• San Francisco

Betty Yu joined KPIX 5 in November 2013 as a general assignment reporter. She spent two years at WTVJ, the NBC-owned station in Miami, as a reporter before moving to San Francisco.

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Cruise ship that crashed into San Francisco pier expected to depart Sunday

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Thousands of passengers and crew remain aboard the Ruby Princess at Pier 27 as repair work continues

The thousands of passengers and crew aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship will have to hold tight at San Francisco’s Pier 27 another day.

The Princess Cruises ship struck the pier early Thursday morning, causing damage to both the port and the vessel and a now anticipated 3-day delay before setting sail for Alaska.

Teams from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Port State Control shop did an inspection of the ship Friday afternoon and located various areas of the hull that needed additional repairs, a spokesman said Saturday morning.

“After our teams went on board yesterday, they did identify all the compromises in the hull’s structure which needed to be fixed,” Lt. Junior Grade Benjamin Wathen said. “Through testing of the hull, we were able to give recommendations to the ship.”

Princess Cruises technical experts believe that the repairs to the damaged portion of the hull will take 24 hours to complete, according to the company. The new estimated time of departure for the ship is now slated for 4 p.m. on Sunday.

“Princess has considered all possible alternatives and has selected this itinerary to preserve as much of our guests' precious vacation time as possible,” the company said in a statement.

Passengers may stay aboard the Ruby Princess until 1 p.m. on Sunday to “better assist with alternative plans they may be making,” Princess Cruises said, adding that those who decide to cancel their trip will receive a full refund with an additional 50% future cruise credit and those who decide to continue with their cruise will also receive a 75% refund with a 75% cruise credit.

What was initially a 10-day cruise to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest has now been reduced to an expected 7-day cruise, the company said.

But before the ship can leave, the Coast Guard must deem the ship fit to sail.

“We’ll send a team back to the ship and make sure that everything was fixed properly,” Wathen said. “Once we deem it safe to sail at that point we will be able to let it sail. It’s hard to give a solid timeline with repairs, but with that being said, there is certainly progress being made.”

Aside from the ship, a San Francisco dock was also damaged by the collision.

Boris Delepine, the Port of San Francisco’s legislative affairs manager, said Friday crews are still determining the extent of the damage to the pier and required repairs.

“The port continues to assess the damage to Pier 27 and will work to make the necessary repairs for continuity of operations,” Delepine said. “With multiple berths throughout the Port of San Francisco, we stand ready to receive our scheduled cruise calls in the week ahead and do not expect cruise flow to be impacted.”

Joel Umanzor can be reached at [email protected]

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Princess Cruises ship that crashed into San Francisco pier cleared for departure

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Princess cruises ship carrying more than 3,000 guests makes ‘unexpected contact’ with san francisco dock: ‘spinning pretty quick’.

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A Princess Cruises ship carrying nearly 4,500 people smashed into a San Francisco pier Thursday while the crew was attempting to dock.

The Ruby Princess “made unexpected contact” with Pier 27 just after 6 a.m. while returning from a 10-day roundtrip cruise to Alaska, the cruise line said in a statement.

There were no reported injuries among the 3,328 guests and 1,159 crew members who were on board the ship.

“I noticed we were spinning pretty quick, to be that close to the dock, and I was mid-ship, portside, looked out the window and we smacked into the dock,” Sacramento resident and passenger Paul Zasso told ABC7 News.

Another passenger said the effects of the crash were minimal, but that “you could definitely feel it.

“It wasn’t like things falling off the shelves or anything like that, kind of like when you get the tugboats coming up against us. So yeah … it was different,” Jeremy Jordan said.

“It was so funny, because one of the dock guys, you can hear him yell out like ‘whoa’ and then you can kind of hear it just slowly going in.

“It’s ironic, because I think it was yesterday the captain was talking about how he goes into docks and how unpredictable the currents are. So yeah, it’s a challenge for them to be able to do that.”

A Princess Cruises spokesperson said the 18-deck liner was left with a dent in its port side rear, and photos show that large, black circular smudges were etched along its port side.

The pier appears to have borne the brunt of the crash — some of the metal spokes that help stabilize the orange buoys against the cruise’s side have been ripped from their stations.

The San Francisco Port could not immediately say how severe the damage along the pier was.

The extent of the boat’s damage has yet to be determined and could delay an upcoming Ruby Princess voyage to Alaska.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but at the time of the crash, the liner was under the partial control of a San Francisco Bar Pilot, a spokesperson for the organization confirmed.

The pilots are mariners who help large ships navigate the 11-mile stretch between the San Francisco Bay opening and their final destination at the pier.

A spokesperson for the San Francisco Bar Pilots said the organization is cooperating with the investigation, but could not comment beyond their involvement.

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River Danube cruise ship crashed after it was 'suddenly no longer able to maneuver,' 17 passengers injured

• A cruise ship crashed into a concrete wall along the River Danube in Austria on Friday.
• A police statement said, "the ship was suddenly no longer able to maneuver."
• 11 people were hospitalized and another 6 suffered less serious injuries.

A Bulgarian cruise ship carrying over 140 passengers crashed into a concrete wall along the River Danube in Austria.

The incident occurred late on March 29 in the northern Austrian town of Aschach an der Donau, local police said Saturday.

Eleven people were injured and taken to hospital as a result of the crash. Six others suffered less serious injuries that did not require hospital treatment.

The ship had set off from Passau, a German city on the Austrian border, but further down the river when leaving the lock chamber, "the ship was suddenly no longer able to maneuver," and its right bow and left aft crashed into the lock walls, the statement read.

The second-in-command of the ship, who had been at the helm during the crash, "pressed the emergency switch, whereupon the electronics started up again." He was then able to steer the ship out of the lock.

The ship was later docked at the quay wall and emergency services were notified.

Related stories

The exact cause of the temporary loss of steering is unclear. The ship was able to continue its journey toward Linz, Austria.

An Austrian police statement indicated the collision was linked to a failure of the ship's electronics.

After the ship crashed, " The second captain of the ship, who was operating the helm at the time, immediately pressed the emergency switch, whereupon the electronics started again and he was able to steer the ship out of the lock," the police statement said.

It added: "After checking the ship it turned out that the electronics worked again after the emergency switch was reset, which is why the ship could continue its journey."

Earlier this week, a container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing a section of the 1.6-mile-long structure and killing six construction workers.

Citing the container ship's recovered data recorder, officials said the power went out on the Dali for just one minute and three seconds as it approached the bridge, Sky News reported, but that was enough for the collision to become unavoidable.

In 2023, in the worst disaster on the Danube in more than half a century, a cruise boat hit and sank a smaller boat , killing 25 South Korean tourists and two crew. The captain was sentenced to five years in prison in Hungary for his role in the accident.

The River Danube is Europe's second-largest river in Europe. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. Cruise ships on the river attract huge numbers of tourists every year.

Watch: One of Europe's deadliest shipwrecks leaves hundreds missing

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2 crew members die on Holland America ship; fire breaks out on Carnival cruise

MIAMI — Two crew members died on board a Holland America cruise ship, and a fire broke out on a Carnival ship while both of the ships were in the Bahamas this weekend, officials said.

The two crew on the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam died Friday during an "accidental steam release" while it was calling at the private resort island Half Moon Cay, Holland America said in a statement on Sunday.

"There was an accidental steam release in an engineering space on board Nieuw Amsterdam, which sadly resulted in the death of two crew members," the cruise line said.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Dutch Safety Board were investigating the exact cause of the release, Holland America said.

A representative of the Bahama’s Coroner’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for information, such as the crew members’ identities and the cause and manner of death.

The cruise line said the conclusions of any investigation would be taken seriously. "Safety is always our top priority, and we are working to understand what, if anything, can be learned from this tragic accident," it said.

Passenger Laine Doss said she was on board when the captain announced the deaths on the vessel's P.A. system.

"We were celebrating the last day of the cruise," she said, when the mood changed "to something extremely somber."

The captain's voice broke, she said.

"He broke down crying," Doss said. "There was a moment of silence that the captain requested. And that entire scenario did affect the entire cruise. Things were canceled, joyous events were canceled, and we really just thought about mortality — the people who perished on the ship."

Crew members were being offered counseling, Holland America said.

Dutch government inspectors determined the vessel to be "fully operable," and this was "confirmed" by the U.S. Coast Guard, the cruise line said.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said she was looking into the statement and was unable to immediately confirm it.

The Nieuw Amsterdam returned Saturday to its home port of Fort Lauderdale, guests disembarked, and the vessel has embarked on a cruise with a stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Monday, Holland America said.

"All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event," the cruise line said. "We’ve been in contact with the families of both team members and are offering our support to them and to all of our crew at this difficult time."  

The ship set sail out of Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip.

Fire on the port-side exhaust funnel of another Florida-based cruise ship in the Bahamas, the Carnival Freedom, rocked some passengers Saturday and took the ship out of commission for repairs, the cruise line said.

No injuries were reported.

In a statement Sunday, Carnival Cruises acknowledged witness reports of a lightning strike or the sound of thunder before the fire erupted.

Passenger Heath Barnes said the ship was on a detoured path, destined for an unscheduled stop in Freeport, as a result of stormy weather and high winds when fire started.

"I was shocked," he said. "I mean, I looked out there and you're not supposed to see black smoke and fire shooting out of the tail end of the cruise."

The blaze was preceded by "the loudest thunder-lightning clap that I've ever heard in my life," Barnes said.

Ship personnel extinguished the fire, Carnival Cruises said.

The cruise line said a technical team determined the ship sustained enough damage that it will need repairs before it can be returned to scheduled cruises. The funnel was stabilized, passengers were expected to be returned to Port Canaveral, and the ship will set off to Freeport for repairs, it said.

"The damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," Carnival Cruises said.

Passengers scheduled for those late-March cruises are being offered full refunds and credit that can be used for a future cruise, it said.

It was the second funnel fire on the Carnival Freedom since 2022.

Marissa Parra is a national correspondent for NBC News based in Miami, Florida.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

Baltimore bridge collapse wasn't first major accident for giant container ship Dali

Propulsion failed on the cargo ship that struck the Francis Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday as it was leaving port, causing it to collapse into the frigid Patapsco River. Its crew warned Maryland officials of a possible collision because they had lost control.

“The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel” and a collision with the bridge “was possible,” according to an unclassified Department of Homeland Security report. “The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse.”

An official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed to USA TODAY that the DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is working with federal, state, and local officials “to understand the potential impacts of this morning’s collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

Clay Diamond, executive director, American Pilots’ Association, told USA TODAY power issues are not unusual on cargo ships, which are so large they cannot easily course correct.

“It’s likely that virtually every pilot in the country has experienced a power loss of some kind (but) it generally is momentary,” Diamond said. “This was a complete blackout of all the power on the ship, so that’s unusual. Of course this happened at the worst possible location.” 

The ship in Tuesday's crash, Dali, was involved in at least one prior accident when it collided with a shipping pier in Belgium.

That 2016 incident occurred as the Dali was leaving port in Antwerp and struck a loading pier made of stone, causing damage to the ship’s stern, according to VesselFinder.com, a site that tracks ships across the world. An investigation determined a mistake made by the ship’s master and pilot was to blame.

No one was injured in that crash, although the ship required repair and a full inspection before being returned to service. The pier – or berth – was also seriously damaged and had to be closed.

VesselFinder reports that the Dali was chartered by Maersk, the same company chartering it during the Baltimore harbor incident.

The 9-year-old container ship had passed previous inspections during its time at sea, but during one such inspection in June at the Port of San Antonio in Chile, officials discovered a deficiency with its "propulsion and auxiliary machinery (gauges, thermometers, etc)," according to the Tokyo MOU, an intergovernmental maritime authority in the Asia-Pacific region.

The report provided no other information about the deficiency except to note that it was not serious enough to remove the ship from service.

Follow here for live updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship strike; construction crew missing: Live Updates

Why did Dali crash into the Baltimore bridge?

Officials said Tuesday they’re investigating the collision, including whether systems on board lost electricity early Tuesday morning, which could be related to mechanical failure, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Accidents at sea, known as marine casualties, are not uncommon, the source told USA TODAY. However, “allisions,” in which a moving object strikes a stationary one with catastrophic results, are far less common. The investigation of the power loss aboard the Dali, a Singapore-flagged vessel, will be a high priority.

In a video posted to social media, lights on the Dali shut off, then turned back on, then shut off again before the ship struck a support pier on the bridge.

Numerous cargo and cruise ships have lost power over the years.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea requires all international vessels to have two independent sources of electricity, both of which should be able to maintain the ship's seaworthiness on their own, according to a safety study about power failures on ships , citing the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

The Dali's emergency generator was likely responsible for the lights coming back on after the initial blackout, Diamond said.

“There was still some steerage left when they initially lost power,” he said. “We’ve been told the ship never recovered propulsion. The emergency generator is a diesel itself – so if you light off the generator, that’s also going to put off a puff of exhaust.”

Under maritime law, all foreign flagged vessels must be piloted into state ports by a state licensed pilot so the Dali's pilot is licensed by Association of Maryland Pilots .

Diamond described the incident based on information from the Maryland agency that licensed the pilot aboard the ship. His organization represents that group and all other state piloting agencies in the US.

“The pilot was directing navigation of the ship as it happened,” he said. “He asked the captain to get the engines back online. They weren’t able to do that, so the pilot took all the action he could. He tried to steer, to keep the ship in the channel. He also dropped the ship’s anchor to slow the ship and guide the direction.

“Neither one was enough. The ship never did regain its engine power.”

How big is the Dali ship?

The Dali is a 984-foot container vessel built in 2015 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. With a cruising speed of about 22 knots – roughly 25 mph. It has traveled the world carrying goods from port to port.

The ship, constructed of high-strength steel, has one engine and one propeller, according to MarineTraffic.com.

The Dali arrived in Baltimore on Sunday from the Port of Norfolk in Virginia. Before that, it had been in New York and came through the Panama Canal.

It remains at the scene of the collapse as authorities investigate.

Who owns and operates the Dali?

It is owned by the Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte Ltd but managed by Synergy Marine Group, also based in Singapore. It was carrying Maersk customers’ cargo, according to a statement from the shipping company.

“We are deeply concerned by this incident and are closely monitoring the situation,” Maersk said in the statement. 

Synergy, which describes itself as a leading ship manager with more than 600 vessels under its guidance, issued a statement on its website acknowledging the incident and reporting no injuries among its crew and no pollution in the water. There were two pilots on board and 22 crew members in all, according to Synergy, all of them from India.

USA TODAY reached out to Synergy on Tuesday, but the company did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Contributing: Josh Susong

• International

March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

By Helen Regan , Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Rachel Ramirez , Elise Hammond , Aditi Sangal , Tori B. Powell , Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Kathleen Magramo , CNN

Ship lights flickered and veered off course shortly before Baltimore bridge hit, CNN analysis shows   

From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin in London

The Singaporean-flagged cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Tuesday altered course and veered toward a pillar shortly before impact, a CNN analysis of MarineTraffic ship-tracking data confirms.  

It’s unclear what caused the ship to crash into the bridge or why its lights were flickering. CNN has reached out to the National Transportation Safety Board to inquire about a possible power failure. 

The container ship DALI, which was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, begins to change course toward the bridge’s pillar at 1:26 a.m. local time, striking the bridge at 1:28 a.m. ET, according to MarineTraffic data and video from the scene. Video from 1:25 a.m. ET shows a plume of dark smoke billowing from the ship. DALI's lights flicker at least twice before the incident.  

In video, as it navigates down the Patapsco River, the ship’s lights can be seen going out at 1:24 a.m. ET, before turning back on, and then flickering off and on again between 1:26 a.m. ET and 1.27 a.m. ET, just before it hits the bridge.  

Maryland transportation secretary says contractors were working on bridge at time of collapse

From CNN's Antoinette Radford

Maryland State Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters there were workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time of its collapse.

"We know there were individuals on the bridge at the time of the collapse, working on the bridge, contractors for us," he said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Wiedefeld said the workers were "basically doing some concrete deck repair," but said they did not know how many vehicles were involved.

He added that the transport authority has set up a facility for family members of those who were believed to be on the bridge at the time of its collapse.

Baltimore fire chief: Sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace says authorities have detected vehicles submerged in the water.

“Our sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water,” said Wallace at a news conference on the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge. “I don't have a count of that yet.”

He said emergency services are using sonar, drones and infrared technology as a part of their search for people and vehicles who may have fallen from the Key Bridge into the Patapsco River.

No indication of "terrorism" or intent in Baltimore bridge collapse, police chief says

From CNN’s Andy Rose

Baltimore Police said there was no evidence that the ship collision that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was intentional.

“There is absolutely no indication that there's any terrorism, that this was done on purpose,” Chief Richard Worley said at a news conference.

The FBI  said  that it was joining the investigation into the cause of the collision.

Rescue crews have determined there are vehicles in the Patapsco River following the bridge collapse.

“Our sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water,” said Fire Chief James Wallace. “I don't have a count of that yet.”

Wallace said they are waiting to make sure that the ship is secure and stable before investigators board it.

“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said.

Cruises, cars and commodities: What to know about the Port of Baltimore

From CNN's Mark Thompson and Hanna Ziady

The collapse of the   Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River outside the Port of Baltimore threatens to disrupt shipping operations at a major US trade hub for autos, container traffic and commodities. Baltimore also has a cruise terminal.

Closer to the Midwest than any other port on the East Coast, Baltimore ranks first in the United States for autos and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year. It was also the leading port for farming and construction machinery, as well as imported sugar and gypsum. It was second in the country for exporting coal.

Overall, Baltimore ranks as the 9th biggest US port for international cargo, handling a record 52.3 million tons, valued at $80.8 billion in 2023.

“The immediate focus is the rescue operation, but there will clearly be a highly-complex recovery phase and investigation to follow and we don't know what impact this will have on operations at the Port of Baltimore," said Emily Stausbøll, market analyst at Norway-based shipping analytics company Xeneta.

“While Baltimore is not one of the largest US East Coast ports, it still imports and exports more than one million containers each year so there is the potential for this to cause significant disruption to supply chains," she added.

Baltimore's cruise terminal serves ships operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian. Cruises carrying more than 444,000 passengers departed from the port last year.

According to the Maryland state government, the port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in related services.

Rescue crews looking for at least seven people in Baltimore bridge collapse

From CNN��s Andy Rose

Rescue operations are underway near the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, as crews look for people who fell into the Patapsco River.

“We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point, and we will continue to be for some time,” Wallace added.

Baltimore Fire says two people have been rescued from the river – one who was uninjured, and another in hospitalized “very serious condition.”

“This is an unthinkable tragedy,” Mayor Brandon Scott said. “We have to first and foremost pray for all of those impacted.”

Ship that collided with Baltimore bridge was chartered by Danish shipping company Maersk 

From CNN's Alex Stambaugh in Hong Kong

The container ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday was chartered by Maersk and carrying their customers' cargo, the Danish shipping company told CNN.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," The company said in its statement.

The company, which has a full name of A.P. Moller - Maersk, said no company crew and personnel were onboard the vessel. It said the ship, DALI, is operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group. 

"We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed," the statement said. 

CNN is attempting to contact the owner and managers of the ship, including Synergy.

FBI Baltimore on the scene at the Key Bridge

FBI Baltimore personnel are on the scene at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, they have said in a post on X.

The agency said it was working "side by side with our local, state and federal partners."

Baltimore fire emergency chief says 2 people saved from water after Key Bridge collapse

The Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace says authorities rescued two people from the water this morning, one without injury and the other who has been transferred to hospital in a serious condition.

Authorities are continuing their search for upwards of seven people, Wallace says. But, he says that number could change as it is a "very large incident." Earlier on Tuesday, an official said as many as 20 people could be in the water.

Wallace added that the crew remains on board the ship, and are communicating with the US Coast Guard. He added that emergency services are looking into reports that there were workers on the bridge at the time of the incident.

Speaking at the press conference, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also described the incident as an “unthinkable tragedy,” and offered his prayers for all those affected, as well as his thanks to first responders.

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7 On Your Side

Would-be ruby princess cruiser offered less compensation than those who had already boarded.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- We begin with Liliana Amargo and her husband on their way to their long-awaited Alaska Cruise on the Ruby Princess: "As I was approaching the ship I saw your report on my news app and I said to Henry, 'Look at what Channel 7 News says happened to this ship.'"

Things were not looking good for their cruise vacation.

"So I got dock side. They weren't boarding because we were early," Amargo says. "I looked at the vessel, and I saw a big hole in the side of it. So I said to my husband, 'I'm not boarding that thing.'"

She called Princess and the customer service rep had good news.

"'So Princess told me you purchased the platinum insurance from us,' and I said, 'Yes, I did.' And she said, 'That gives you the right to cancel for any reason and get your future cruise credits, you get a hundred percent back,'" Amargo says.

EXCLUSIVE: Marine superintendent describes repairing hole on Ruby Princess cruise ship

Amargo was bummed she was missing her cruise but happy with the insurance... for a while.

"Then through Channel 7," she says, "I find out that the people that boarded the ship and were there for days using the amenities got offered a full refund plus half their fare, 50% of their fare, in credits as a goodwill."

She figured she would be offered the same deal, so she called Princess to find out.

"And she told me, 'No, absolutely not.' And I said, 'Oh, OK.' I said, 'Well, do you have an appeals process that I could apply to?' 'We don't have such a thing.' And I said, 'OK, do you have a manager or an executive I can talk to?' 'No, you're talking to the last person,'" Amargo says.

MORE: Ruby Princess leaves SF for Alaska 4 days after crash at Pier 27, nearly 600 passengers fewer

As it turns out there was someone else to talk to. Amargo told 7 On your Side that buying travel insurance and having a healthy skepticism of a boat with a hole in it cost her.

So 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney asked Amargo, "Had you got on the ship and not bought insurance, you would have got a full refund?"

"I would have gotten a cash refund for my fare," she says, "And this goodwill credit."

Princess backs that up, saying the couple had to board the ship to be eligible for the full cash refund and 50% credit. However, after 7 On Your Side reached out, Princess provided a goodwill future cruise credit of 50%, and we thank them for that.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

7OYS's consumer hotline is a free consumer mediation service for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. We assist individuals with consumer-related issues; we cannot assist on cases between businesses, or cases involving family law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant disputes, labor issues, or medical issues. Please review our FAQ here . As a part of our process in assisting you, it is necessary that we contact the company / agency you are writing about. If you do not wish us to contact them, please let us know right away, as it will affect our ability to work on your case. Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please allow 3-5 business days for a response.

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Princess Cruises ship carrying thousands crashes into San Francisco dock

A Princess Cruises ship carrying nearly 4,500 people smashed into a San Francisco pier Thursday while the crew was attempting to dock.

The Ruby Princess “made unexpected contact” with Pier 27 just after 6 a.m. while returning from a 10-day roundtrip cruise to Alaska, the cruise line said in a statement.

There were no reported injuries among the 3,328 guests and 1,159 crew members who were on board the ship.

“I noticed we were spinning pretty quick, to be that close to the dock, and I was mid-ship, portside, looked out the window and we smacked into the dock,” Sacramento resident and passenger Paul Zasso told ABC7 News.

Another passenger said the effects of the crash were minimal, but that “you could definitely feel it.

“It wasn’t like things falling off the shelves or anything like that, kind of like when you get the tugboats coming up against us. So yeah… it was different,” Jeremy Jordan said.

“It was so funny, because one of the dock guys, you can hear him yell out like ‘whoa’ and then you can kind of hear it just slowly going in.

“It’s ironic, because I think it was yesterday the captain was talking about how he goes into docks and how unpredictable the currents are. So yeah, it’s a challenge for them to be able to do that.”

A Princess Cruises spokesperson said the 18-deck liner was left with a dent in its port side rear, and photos show that large, black circular smudges were etched along its port side.

The pier appears to have sustained the brunt of the crash — some of the metal spokes that help stabilize the orange buoys against the cruise’s side have been ripped from their stations.

The San Francisco Port could not immediately say how severe the damage along the pier was.

The extent of the boat’s damage has yet to be determined and could delay an upcoming Ruby Princess voyage to Alaska.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but at the time of the crash, the liner was under the partial control of a San Francisco Bar Pilot, a spokesperson for the organization confirmed.

The pilots are mariners who help large ships navigate the 11-mile stretch between the San Francisco Bay opening and their final destination at the pier.

A spokesperson for the San Francisco Bar Pilots said the organization is cooperating with the investigation, but could not comment beyond their involvement.