(CMR) A 164,000-ton cruise ship ran aground in the Dominican Republic on Monday. The Norwegian Escape, a 2015-built mega-ship that can accommodate over 4,000 passengers, hit the seabed as it pulled away from Puerto Plata, damaging the ship's hull, CNN Travel reported.
The rest of the cruise was canceled, with passengers evacuated at Puerto Plata, from where they were expected to be repatriated. Travelers will receive a full refund on the aborted cruise and credit for the same amount to put towards a future voyage.
Puerto Plata was the first stop in the seven-day cruise, which had set out from Orlando on March 12. The incident was reportedly caused by strong winds and left passengers stranded overnight. The ship was refloated and returned to port at high tide on Tuesday morning, where they spent two days waiting to hear what would happen next as the ship was inspected.
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