A cruise ship captain is under investigation in Greece after a passenger fell into the sea when strong winds caused a vessel’s mooring lines to break at the Port of Corfu.
The incident happened on the evening of 30th June 2026 as passengers were returning to the ship following a day ashore. As severe winds swept across the port, the vessel shifted away from the quay after its mooring lines parted, causing the gangway to move out of position.
A 56-year-old woman from New Zealand lost her footing and fell into the water between the ship and the dock.
Crew members, assisted by port workers, immediately rescued the passenger before she was transported by ambulance to Corfu General Hospital. She was treated for minor facial and bodily injuries.
Greek authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the actions of the ship’s master.
Investigation Centres On Captain’s Decisions
Greek authorities initially stated that the vessel’s 56-year-old Italian captain, who was commanding a Bahamas-flagged cruise ship, had been arrested under Article 306 of the Greek Criminal Code, which relates to exposing others to danger.
The offence can apply where someone with responsibility for others is alleged to have placed them in a situation that endangered their safety, even if no harm was intentionally caused.
Officials are now examining whether appropriate safety precautions were in place as weather conditions deteriorated, including whether passenger boarding should have been suspended before the mooring lines failed.
Investigators are expected to review weather forecasts available before the incident, the ship’s procedures for operating in high winds, communications with port authorities and witness statements from crew members, port workers and passengers.
Despite the incident, the cruise ship was permitted to continue its scheduled voyage once emergency services had completed their response.
Greek authorities have not publicly identified the vessel involved. However, several industry reports and AIS tracking data suggested the ship was Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Viva.
Norwegian Cruise Line has since confirmed that one of its vessels was involved in the Corfu incident, but disputed reports that its captain had been arrested.
“We’ve been made aware of the false allegations made in several reportings on an incident that occurred with one of our vessels earlier this week. Due to strong winds, one of our ships separated from the pier while docked in Corfu, Greece. As per standard protocol with situations of this nature, the captain was requested to provide a statement to the local authorities.
“At no point was the captain under arrest or detained. Following the statement, he immediately returned to the vessel to prepare for the ship’s departure. The safety of our guest and crew remains our top priority, and the ship continued its voyage as planned with only minor adjustments to call t
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