The cruise ship MSC Grandiosa operated by MSC Cruises had a small accident this morning, 30 December 2019, as the vessel was docking in the port of Palermo, Italy.

The accident of the new MSC Cruises flagship happen during the docking maneuvers in the port when the ship hit the quay of the Vittorio Veneto pier with the stern. The damage seems to be above the waterline with no structural damage, however, the ship will have to be inspected and see if the Azipods are damaged from the impact.

No guests or crew members sustained injuries from the collision as well as no major damage to the MSC Grandiosa hull at the time. Assessment by the authorities are still ongoing.

According to the first reports, strong gusts of wind in the Palermo region could be the cause of the accident.

Here is a video recorded from the pier of the actual accident

A cruise passenger sailing on MSC Grandiosa has shared the following video showing the damage to the pier.

MSC Cruises released a statement saying “MSC Grandiosa experienced a light allision in the port of Palermo. Due to reasons we are still investigating, the ship deviated while maneuvering along the quayside and lightly grazed the end of the quay with its aft part,” a rep for MSC Cruises told the Sun on Monday. "While this may have been noticed by some passengers or bystanders, there was never any risk for guests or crew on board, and there was no impact for the environment. As a result of this graze, we conducted some minor repair works — which have already been completed by the early afternoon. While the ship is ready to sail, we may leave Palermo with a slight delay. The itinerary remains unchanged.”

MSC Grandiosa is currently sailing on a 7 Night New Year's Mediterranean cruise. The ship departed yesterday from  Civitavecchia with first stop in Palermo.