How Many Cruise Ships Have Sunk in Historical past?

Fashionable cruise ships are extremely secure. Not solely is it in the very best pursuits of the cruise strains themselves to spend money on safer and fewer sinkable ships, however worldwide security requirements demand that each one cruise ships adhere to strict design requirements. 

With that mentioned, tragedy does occur. In case you have ever questioned what number of cruise ships have sunk in historical past, we have now the solutions you might be on the lookout for. In the present day, we’re going to check out these uncommon but tragic occasions. We’ll cowl among the most well-known sinkings within the cruise trade’s historical past and clarify how frequent these occasions are within the fashionable period. 

In the event you’re able to find out about these tragic maritime occasions, let’s dive in.

How Many Cruise Ships Have Sunk All through Historical past?

Whereas sinkings of enormous vessels are uncommon, these occasions are much more rare when discussing cruise ships. Over the previous 100 years, there have solely ever been 24 full-size cruise ships which have sunk.

In a few of these instances, the sinking occurred whereas the ship was being towed for repairs or when the ship was on its strategy to a scrapping yard; many instances, the ship was working as a warship when the sinking occurred. 

Additionally it is price noting that almost all of those sinking occasions additionally befell earlier than 1940, exhibiting improved security options and the way improvements in ship design have diminished the probability of cruise ships sinking in fashionable instances. Right here, in chronological order, are the 24 cruise ships which have sunk in historical past:

1. April 1912: Titanic

Maybe essentially the most notorious cruise ship sinking befell on April 14, 1912, when the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg; it was utterly underwater in roughly two hours. Sadly, there weren’t sufficient lifeboats on the ship, and most passengers didn’t survive. The Titanic sinking resulted in over 1,500 deaths.

2. Could 1914: Empress of Eire

The Empress of Eire was carrying almost 1,500 passengers when it collided with the SS Storstad from Norway on account of fog that restricted visibility. In complete, 1,012 individuals had been killed. 

3. Could 1915: Lusitania

When the RMS Lusitania belonged to the Cunard Line, it was the world’s largest passenger ship. On Could 7, 1915, a U-boat hit the Lusitania with a torpedo close to the Eire coast. The ship went down rapidly, and the crew solely launched six lifeboats. Round 1,200 individuals died.

4. November 1916: Britannic

Britannic, the sister ship of the Titanic and one other ship known as the Olympic. She was purported to sail as a passenger ship, however World Warfare I began, and plans modified. She served as a hospital ship and was struck by a naval mine between the Makronisos and Kea Islands of Greece. Though she sank in solely 55 minutes, solely 30 individuals died as most of these on board obtained onto the lifeboats and escaped.

5. October 1927: Principessa Mafalda

In 1909, the Principessa Mafalda, an Italian cruise ship, sailed between Buenos Aires and Genoa. In 1927, a damaged propeller shaft broken the ship’s hull and sank the ship off the Brazilian coast, killing simply over 300 individuals.

6. June 1931: Saint-Philibert

On June 14, 1931, the Saint-Philibert sank off the French coast. The demise toll was almost 500; solely eight individuals survived. 

7. Could 1932: Georges Philippar

Georges Philippar was a French ocean liner that sank close to what’s now Yemen on her maiden voyage. They thought of delaying the launch on account of security issues, however these had been ignored to keep away from any delay penalties. In the end, {an electrical} fault brought about a hearth in a luxurious cabin. The ship sank, and 54 individuals misplaced their lives.

8. September 1934: SS Morro Citadel

On September 8. 1934, the SS Morro Citadel caught fireplace and ran aground whereas touring to New York Metropolis from Havana, Cuba. The night earlier than, the ship’s captain died all of the sudden, and Chief Officer William Warms took command. In all, 137 individuals died. Many individuals blamed the crew. They didn’t appear to know the best way to deal with the emergency; lifeboats may maintain 408 individuals, however the crew launched them with fewer individuals on board.

9. October 1940: Empress of Britain

The Empress of Britain was a steam turbine ocean linker that carried passengers between Canada and Europe between 1931 and 1939. She was the biggest, quickest, most luxurious ship touring this route throughout this time. On September 2, 1939, the UK declared conflict on the Nazi Empire in World Warfare II.

On November 25, the Empress of Britain was requisitioned to move troops. She made a number of transatlantic journeys carrying troops from Canada to England throughout her service. On October 26, 1940, the Empress of Britain was bombed, and on October 28, she was sunk by a German U-boat.

10. July 1956: Andrea Doria

Whereas on her strategy to New York Metropolis, the Stockholm passenger liner collided with Andrea Doria, and the ship instantly began to checklist and tackle water. Half of her lifeboats had been underwater, which may have led to a big lack of life, however the ship didn’t sink instantly.

It stayed afloat for over 11 hours. Due to the actions of the crew, improved communication expertise, and the fast response of close by ships, 1,660 crew and passengers had been rescued. Round 50 individuals died.

11. October 1961: Bianca C

The Germans first sank Bianca C in the course of the Second World Warfare. Staff raised her hull and refitted it as a cruise ship. On October 22, 1961, when docked close to the Grenada coast, an explosion occurred within the engine room. Fires broke out onboard, and the ship sank. Almost everybody made it off this ship. There was just one casualty.

12. September 1979: Angelina Lauro

Angelina Lauro first sailed in 1939. She was meant to be a ferry however was transformed to a hospital ship in the course of the conflict. When the conflict was over, the Angelina Lauro served as a passenger ship, cruising the world. She was offered in 1964 and refitted right into a cruise ship and took her maiden voyage on March 6, 1966.

In March of 1979, the Angelina Lauro caught fireplace whereas she was docked in St Thomas. The fireplace continued for days, weakening the hull. The ship crammed with water and sank on March thirtieth.

13. February 1986: MS Mikhail Lermentov

In 1972, the MS Mikhail Lermentov entered service as an ocean liner; a decade later, she grew to become a cruise ship. The ship departed Sydney on February 6, 1986, headed for a two-week New Zealand cruise.

The MS Mikhail Lermentov struck rocks close to Cape Jackson ten days into her journey. Many of the 743 passengers and crew on board escaped in a lifeboat. Paval Zagladimov, a crew engineer, was the one casualty.

14. August 1986: SS Admiral Nakhimov

In 1925, the SS Admiral Nakhimov sailed as a passenger liner known as the SS Berlin. It was then a hospital ship and a passenger ship. In August 1986, the ship was concerned in a collision in Tsemes Bay on the northern coast of the Black Sea. The ship sank rapidly, and 423 individuals died.

15. October 1988: MV Jupiter

Initially named the Moledet, this Greek cruise ship first sailed in 1961. On October 21, 1988, the MV Jupiter was hit by an Italian freighter off the coast of Greece whereas on a two-week Mediterranean research cruise, sinking shortly after. Counting the scholars, crew, and adults onboard, there have been about 600 individuals onboard. Two crew members, one trainer, and one scholar had been killed.

16. August 1991: MTS Oceanos

The MTS Oceanos, a Greek-registered ship, sank whereas touring from East London, South Africa, to Durban via tough seas. The storm obtained worse because the ship sailed on.

There have been additionally some points with the ship’s waste disposal system, and a significant air flow pipe was damaged. The pipe burst, and the ship crammed with seawater. The captain and the crew deserted the vessel. Fortunately, the entertainers on board took over the rescue efforts, and there have been no fatalities.

17. September 1994: MS Estonia

The sinking of the MS Estonia (additionally beforehand named as Viking Sally) was considered one of historical past’s worst maritime disasters. The ship was crusing via the Baltic Sea when passengers and crew heard a bang adopted by related noises over the following couple of minutes.

Round 1:15 am, the bow visor on the entrance of the ship separated, the loading ramp opened, and the ship flooded. Folks of their cabins had a tough time reaching the boat deck; in all, 850 individuals died.

18. December 1994: MS Achille Lauro

In 1965, an ocean liner known as Willem Ruys was turned into a cruise ship and renamed MS Achille Lauro. The vessel skilled a number of incidents. In 1953, she collided with the Angelino Lauro, although neither ship suffered excessive harm.

In 1975, she struck a cargo ship, and in 1985, she was hijacked. A number of explosions and fires occurred onboard in 1965, 1972, and 1981, however the final fireplace, in 1994, could be the one to sink her. On November 30, a hearth occurred whereas the ship was en path to South Africa. The ship started to checklist, and a lot of the 979 individuals on board evacuated the following morning. Two individuals died, and the ship sank on December 2. 

19. Could 1999: Solar Vista

Solar Vista entered service in 1963 and sailed for a number of cruise strains because the SS Galileo Galilei till she sank on Could 20, 1999. She served because the Meridian, the primary ship for Celeb Cruises, and have become Solar Vista in 1997 when she sailed for Solar Cruises.

There was a hearth within the engine room, and the ship sank within the Strait of Malacca, the principle transport channel between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The entire individuals on board made it off safely.

20. October 2000: Britanis

The Britanis entered service in 1932 because the SS Monterey, an ocean liner. Ultimately, in 1971, the vessel sailed for Fantasy Cruises, however Chandris, who operated Fantasy Cruises, switched its focus to a different model and stopped Fantasy Cruises operations.

Seventeen years later, in 1988, the ship was offered and renamed. Plans modified, and he or she was offered for scrap. The ship started leaking when heading to the scrap yard. The ship was empty, so it was allowed to capsize off the South African coast close to Cape City.

21. December 2000: SeaBreeze

This ship set sail in 1958 for Costa Cruises as Federico C. She transferred to Premiere Cruises in 1983. Whereas crusing for them, she was renamed 3 times. In September 2000, Premier Cruises ceased operations, and the SeaBreeze was laid up.

Cruise Ventures III bought her, and whereas touring to Charleston, South Carolina, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, the boiler broke, inflicting vital harm. The ship sank close to the coast of Virginia. All 34 members of the crew had been saved.

22. November 2007: MV Explorer

The MV Explorer began life in 1969 because the MS Lindblad Explorer, a novel ship that sailed the Antarctic Ocean. She left for a 19-day cruise from Argentina on November 11, 2007, and crashed into an iceberg within the Bransfield Strait close to the Falkland Islands 12 days later.

The iceberg brought about vital harm to the ship’s hull, and water began filling it. All 153 individuals onboard had been in a position to escape in lifeboats, and so they had been rescued by the MS Nordnorge 5 hours later.

23. April 2007: MS Sea Diamond

The MS Sea Diamond first sailed because the Birka Princess for Birka Line cruises. She was renamed the Sea Diamond when she was purchased by Louis Cruises in 2006. In 2007, she ran aground close to Santorini and finally sank. Nearly all crew and passengers escaped safely, with two individuals unaccounted for.

24. January 2012: Costa Concordia

The Costa Concordia entered service in 2006. She departed for a week-long Mediterranean cruise on January 13, 2012, with about 3,229 individuals onboard. The captain veered off beam when en path to its first port, crusing near Giglio Island off the coast of Tuscany. It hit a big rock hours after it got down to sea.

The ship sustained extreme harm to its hull; it flooded and misplaced energy, and the rudder was positioned so the ship couldn’t be steered. Everybody on board needed to be evacuated, and 32 individuals died.

Incessantly Requested Questions (FAQs)

How many individuals have died on account of a cruise ship sinking? 

Within the final 100 years, simply shy of two,000 individuals have misplaced their lives on account of a cruise ship sinking. Whereas tragic, it’s price noting that many of those losses occurred earlier than the Nineteen Forties. 

When discussing maritime disasters involving a passenger vessel, it is just pure that the thoughts is instantly drawn to the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Whereas it’s true that 1,517 lives had been misplaced as a direct results of the sinking, additionally it is price clarifying that the Titanic was not technically a cruise ship. As a substitute, it was a mail-carrying ocean liner. 

When discussing what number of cruise ships have sunk, this distinction is definitely fairly vital. Cruise ships are designed particularly for leisure and exploration, so that they return passengers to the unique departure level; ocean liners, just like the RMS Titanic, had been designed primarily as a mode of transportation.

They carried passengers from one facet of the ocean to the opposite in the identical approach that fashionable transatlantic flights carry passengers from North America to Europe and vice versa.

Put merely, when you take away ocean liner, cargo ship, ferry, and different forms of vessel accidents from the equation, the variety of cruise ships which have sunk emerges as a comparatively small quantity. 

How typically do cruise ships sink? 

Wanting on the previous 100 years, roughly one cruise ship has sunk each 5 years. Whereas this will sound alarming, most of those occurred within the first half of the earlier century. With that mentioned, there have been some extremely publicized cruise ship sinkings just lately. 

A part of why these occasions develop into such charming worldwide information tales has lots to do with their rare nature. Once you have a look simply on the final 50 years, there have been a complete of 15 cruise ships which have sunk. Of those, 5 sinkings occurred when the cruise ships had been carrying no passengers. 

Since 2000, solely 4 cruise ships have sunk whereas at sea. These occasions, just like the sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2012, all the time make worldwide information and are very a lot within the public eye. Even informal observers shall be conversant in these occasions, a testomony to their rarity. 

When was the latest cruise ship sinking? 

The latest time {that a} cruise ship sank was in August of 2020, when the Orient Queen was severely broken in the course of the Beirut explosion. On the time, the ship was moored within the Port of Beirut and was not carrying any passengers.

Though two crew members had been killed on account of the explosion, issues may have been a lot worse if the ship was totally loaded with passengers and crew. The explosion brought about the ship to capsize and finally sink. Whereas the lack of the cruise ship was undoubtedly newsworthy, its sinking was utterly on account of unexpected and unavoidable circumstances.

Learn Additionally: What Does SS Stand for on Ships?

Being caught up in an explosion unrelated to the ship itself was extra only a case of being within the incorrect place on the incorrect time than a results of any fault within the ship’s design or the crew’s decision-making. This explains why the Mar Traces cruise line is concerned in a prolonged lawsuit that brought about the lethal explosion with the warehouse homeowners.

Remaining Phrases 

Whereas cruise ship accidents that end in sinking have occurred, they’re extremely uncommon, particularly when contemplating the variety of cruise ships that set sail every year with out incident.

By learning the errors from the previous, security regulators and ship designers have been in a position to develop more and more secure ships that hold their passengers and crew secure and dry, even within the roughest waters.