SEATTLE — A Norwegian Cruise Line ship was forced to return to Seattle after it hit an iceberg during a voyage in Alaska.
On June 25, while transiting to Hubbard Glacier in Alaska, the ship Norwegian Sun "made contact" with an iceberg known as a growler - an iceberg less than 6.6 feet across with just a few feet that shows above water.
According to Norwegian Cruise Line, the ship sailed to Juneau, Alaska for further assessment. The decision was made to shorten the voyage and the cruise scheduled to embark on June 30 was canceled.
The United States Coast Guard and other maritime authorities cleared the ship to return to Seattle at reduced speed, according to Norwegian Cruise Line.
According to the cruise line, all guests onboard disembarked Thursday in Seattle as originally planned.
A Nevada family who onboard said the impact sounded like a loud door being slammed.
Benjamin Talbott was hanging out with family when his brother, Anthony Romo, noticed something in the water and told him to take out his phone. Talbott recorded as the cruise ship struck the big chunk of iceberg.
“Then all sudden, boom, the whole ship shakes. And I’m like, ‘Well, what’s going on?’ And then I had to start recording and I looked at the front of the ship and all I see is this iceberg just turning over and coming down. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, we hit an iceberg,’” he said.
Another passenger, Jaimie Brooke, said the iceberg stopped the whole ship, "'Who hits an iceberg on vacation?' Seriously."
"I'm from the Pacific Northwest originally so I'm like 'This is going to be bad.' and that's what it was," said Brooke. "But I have to say Norwegian was phenomenal."
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