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River Cruise Ship Hits Amsterdam Bridge After Failing to Lower Wheelhouse

river cruise ship
A-Rosa Sena seen with the bridge in the raised position (A-Rosa)

Published Mar 26, 2026 1:53 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The officer piloting a large river cruise ship from Amsterdam and into the Rhine River canal sustained minor injuries as the vessel struck a well-known road bridge spanning the canal. The Dutch authorities were reporting that the ship sustained significant damage and would be unable to continue to sail.

Built in 2022, the river cruise ship A-Rosa Sena is registered in Switzerland and operated by a German tour company. The ship, which is 135 meters (443 feet) in length, offers luxury river cruises for up to 280 passengers. It has five decks, and at the front of deck 5 is a hydraulically retractable, glass-enclosed wheelhouse. It is a typical feature on European river cruise ships to deal with low clearances.

The ship had departed Amsterdam on March 25 and, at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time, was approaching the Amsterdamsebrug bridge, a well-known structure that has been in operation since 1957. Media reports are that the bridge has a clearance of at least 9.5 meters (31 feet).

It is unclear exactly what happened, but the wheelhouse was still in the raised position, and it struck the underside of the span of the bridge and was crushed. One passenger told the Dutch media the helmsman “wasn’t paying attention.”

The cruise ship continued forward, bending over a radar mast at the stern before it hit the side wall of the canal. Passengers reported feeling a “thump” as the vessel came to a stop.

 

 

The local police and an ambulance responded. The helmsman was being treated by the ambulance for minor injuries. None of the passengers were injured. Rescue workers said their task was slowed because many passengers had already gone to sleep.

Passengers were awakened and told to pack their belongings. By 8:00 a.m., media reported the last of the passengers had been disembarked and they were being bused to Cologne, Germany.

The cruise ship had been scheduled to proceed to Utrecht. It was due to reach Cologne on Sunday, where the passengers would be disembarking before a new cruise to Hamburg. 

Police temporarily closed the bridge after reports that a piece of steel had fallen during the allision with the cruise ship. The bridge was inspected and reopened to traffic around 3:00 a.m., but as of Thursday morning, the canal remained partially closed. The reports were that the cruise ship was going to be towed back into Amsterdam.