Moment 1,000ft UK-bound cruise ship slams into seawall at French port after wind blew it from mooring

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 06:47 EDT, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 07:05 EDT, 10 September 2026 A 1,000ft UK-bound cruise ship slammed into a seawall at a French port on Tuesday.Footage shows the German-operated AIDAperla, which can carry more than 3,000 passengers, drifting through the harbour after strong winds blew it from its mooring in the port of Le Havre.It then crashed into the wall, sending waves across the water.BILD and German outlet TAG24 reported that thousands of passengers were on board the vessel at the time.No passengers were injured, but those who were ashore were unable to reboard the ship.Approximately 500 guests remained on their buses while waiting for the ship to be resecured. The ship was next due to stop in Southampton but is currently being held in port while inspections are carried out to determine the extent of the damage.The vessel was operating a seven-day circuit from Hamburg, with stops in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre and Southampton.It had docked in Le Havre on Tuesday morning, September 8, with passengers heading off on various tours to Paris and other destinations.French authorities had warned of strong winds as a weather front moved through the area, with local reports saying the port experienced gusts of up to 68mph.At around 4pm local time, the 984ft cruise ship was pushed away from the pier and its mooring lines snapped. A 1,000ft UK-bound cruise ship slammed into a seawall at a French port on Tuesday Footage shows the vessel, which had thousands of passengers on board, drifting across the harbour after strong winds blew it from its mooring in the port of Le Havre It then crashes into the wall, sending waves across the waterReports said two gangways, used for boarding the vessel, were either lost or left hanging from the side of the ship as it drifted through the harbor. Several tug boats rushed to help bring the vessel under control and by 6.30pm it had been secured to the dock.Videos posted online by passengers aboard a separate ship, which was also in Le Havre, show the detached vessel drifting backward before its stern made contact with a concrete wall.Local media reported a small gash in the hull.The huge vessel has a double occupancy of over 3,300 passengers and a maximum capacity of 4,333 passengers, although it was unclear exactly how many were aboard the current cruise.According to German media outlet Ostsee-Zeitung, passengers were advised that the port calls in Zeebrugge and Rotterdam had been cancelled. The ship remained in Le Havre as of Wednesday evening.Passengers have been told they can continue to go ashore in France until Thursday afternoon, according to reports. The ship is expected to get back underway Thursday evening and then will proceed directly to Hamburg.