Sometimes an unexpected emergency can develop after a cruise ship seems to be safely docked in port. That was the case in Alaska just days ago and now a probe is underway to find out what happened and why.
The US Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the dangerous situation that emerged at the Port of Juneau on June 16, 2025, when a docked cruise ship’s mooring lines snapped during a powerful rain squall, sending it drifting toward other ships.
The alarming incident began with the National Weather Service issuing a severe thunderstorm warning for Juneau, where Celebrity Cruises’ 130,818-gross-ton Celebrity Edge was docked in the port’s Gastineau Channel.
The storm brought strong winds and heavy rain to the harbor area, and apparently caused the ship’s lines to snap. Videos posted on social media show the violence of the squall and Celebrity Edge drifting away from the dock.
Other ships berthed at Juneau that day included Holland America Line’s Eurodam and Koningsdam, Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Luminosa.
It was the 2,800-guest Carnival Luminosa that was docked closest to the drifting ship, and videos show that vessel attempting to move out of Celebrity Edge’s way.
It did so successfully and no other ships were impacted. No one was injured and Celebrity Edge was eventually returned to her berth.
Later that night, US Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska posted an appeal on Facebook, asking anyone with video of the event to send it to Coast Guard officials.
Many people obliged, and the Coast Guard says it now has sufficient video to help with the investigation.
“We’re grateful for everybody who has submitted videos to us, and we are especially grateful that this did not end up being anything bigger than it was, with no injuries and no significant damage,” Lt. Matt Naylor, public affairs officer for the Coast Guard sector, told local media.
The Coast Guard added that it would issue another request if more video is needed by investigators. There was no stated timeline for the completion of the probe.
Celebrity Edge is sailing a 7-night “Alaska Dawes Glacier” cruise roundtrip from Seattle. The 3,000-guest ship departed Seattle on June 13, 2025 and had already called at Ketchikan and Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm before arriving in Juneau.
The ship called as scheduled at Skagway on June 17, 2025 and will visit Victoria, British Columbia, on June 19, 2025 before concluding on June 20, 2025.
Celebrity Edge will continue with her Alaska deployment through mid-September and then reposition to Sydney, Australia for winter sailings in the South Pacific.
Windy Weather Causes Problems For Other Ships, Too
The Celebrity Cruises’ ship’s unfortunate experience wasn’t the only scary, weather-driven event in Alaska this season. On May 30, 2025, Holland American Line’s Westerdam experienced a similar problem due to high winds.
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In that case, the ship was docked in Ketchikan when her mooring lines snapped, causing the gangway to collapse. Fortunately, no one was on the gangway at the time, and there were no injuries. The port was experiencing wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour.
It isn’t just Alaska where high winds have been problematic lately. On May 31, 2025, MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape broke free from her mooring lines while calling at MSC Ocean Cay, the line’s private island in the Bahamas.
The ship’s gangway toppled into the water, but no one was injured.
