Video: Strong Winds Tear Aida Cruise Ship from its Moorings in France

The German cruise ship AIDAperla (125,572 gross tons) broke free of its moorings in the Port of Le Havre, France, on Tuesday and made contact with the berth. The ship is currently being held in the port as an inspection is ongoing to determine the extent of the damage, while reports said passenger shipping in Le Havre is also restricted until the port can recover the cruise ship’s gangways from the harbor.

The cruise ship, which is operated by the German-focused brand of Carnival Corporation, was operating a 7-day circuit from Hamburg with stops in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, and Southampton. It had docked Tuesday morning, September 8, in Le Havre, and passengers were on various tours to Paris and other destinations.

French authorities had warned of a potential for strong winds as a weather front moved through the area. Media reports say that the port experienced winds of up to 68 mph.

Around 4:00 p.m. local time, the 300-meter (984-foot) cruise ship was pushed away from the pier, and its lines snapped. Reports said two gangways were lost or hanging down on the side of the ship as it drifted through the harbor. Several tugs responded, and by 6:30 p.m., the cruise ship had been secured to the dock.

Incident with the Cruise Ship “AIDAperla” in Le Harve. “The Aida had been torn loose from the pier by sudden, strong gusts of wind; it was still moored only at the stern. It then turned sideways toward port, and when the wind shifted, it was driven backward into the quay wall and… pic.twitter.com/VXNccfsx5L
— Accident Moment (@AccidentMoment) September 9, 2026

Videos are appearing online from passengers on the Mein Schiff 3 cruise ship, which was also in Le Havre. It shows the Aida ship drifting backward before its stern made contact with a concrete wall. Media stories are reporting a small gash in the hull of AIDAPerla.

No passengers were injured, but they were unable to reboard the cruise ship. Approximately 500 passengers remained on their buses while waiting for the ship to be resecured. AIDAPerla has a double occupancy of over 3,300 passengers and a maximum capacity of 4,333 passengers, although it was unclear how many were aboard the current cruise.

The German media outlet Ostsee-Zeitung is reporting that passengers were advised that the port calls in Zeebrugge and Rotterdam were canceled. The ship remains in Le Havre as of Wednesday evening, with media reports that passengers have been told they can continue to go ashore in France until Thursday afternoon. The ship is expected to get back underway Thursday evening and then will proceed directly to Hamburg.

AIDA issued a statement saying its concern was the safety of the passengers and crew aboard the ship. TUI Cruises, operator of Mein Schiff 3, told the German media that it had also brought in extra tugs to ensure the safety of its cruise ship in Le Havre.