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Introduction
AIDAperla broke away from its berth at Le Havre, France, on September 8, 2026 after strong winds affected the port. The vessel’s stern contacted the quay wall and both passenger gangways were pulled away from the ship and fell into the water.
No injuries were reported aboard the ship or on the quay. Tugboats assisted in securing the vessel, while inspections followed and a scheduled call at Zeebrugge was cancelled.
Mooring Failure and Quay Contact
The event occurred at about 4 pm as an unexpected storm front brought strong wind gusts to Le Havre. Several forward mooring lines were reported to have broken or come loose, allowing AIDAperla to move away from the berth.
Weather records cited in the report indicated gusts of about 35 mph. The ship’s stern then contacted the quay wall. AIDA Cruises confirmed that contact occurred, although the available information does not quantify damage to the vessel or port structure.
Gangways and Passengers Ashore
Both passenger gangways were pulled away during the incident and fell into the water. About 500 passengers who were on shore excursions were temporarily unable to return to the ship while it was secured.
The source does not report anyone falling into the water or being injured when the gangways came away. It also does not state how long reboarding was delayed or whether replacement gangways were required.
Port Response
Tugboats were sent to assist AIDAperla and guide it back to the berth. Port authorities later confirmed that the ship was secure and that passengers could reboard.
Mein Schiff 3 was berthed nearby and also received tug assistance during the difficult weather. Its departure was delayed by about two hours, but the source does not report that ship making contact or sustaining damage.
Inspection and Itinerary
AIDAperla remained in Le Havre while technicians, port authorities and classification-society representatives carried out inspections. The ship’s September 9 call at Zeebrugge was cancelled as a result of the disruption.
The ship had departed Hamburg on September 5 for a seven-night itinerary. The report listed Rotterdam on September 10 and Hamburg on September 12 as subsequent scheduled ports, but it does not confirm the final outcome of the inspections or the full onward itinerary.
Information Not Reported
The cause of the mooring-line failure, repair requirements, extent of quay damage and cost of the incident were not reported. No passenger, crew or shoreside injury, death, pollution, flooding or evacuation was reported.
- Ship: AIDAperla
- Incident date: September 8, 2026
- Location: Le Havre, France
- Incident type: Broken moorings and quay contact
- Passengers temporarily unable to reboard: About 500
- Reported deaths: None
- Reported injuries: None
Operational Outcome
AIDAperla was returned to its berth with tug assistance and later inspected. The Zeebrugge call was cancelled, while the reported incident remains a weather-related mooring failure and allision with no reported injuries or deaths.