Cruise ship Scarlet Lady drifts and touches three boats in Rhodes after mooring lines snap

Mooring lines snap in heavy swell

An emergency occurred in the central tourist port of Rhodes shortly after 20:15 on Wednesday, 30 September 2026. Intense wave action and strong swell inside the harbor basin exerted heavy tension on the mooring lines of the cruise ship Scarlet Lady, causing them to snap. Once untethered from the pier, the Bahamas-flagged vessel drifted toward the perimeter of the port area. During the uncontrolled drift, the large cruise ship made physical contact with three moored vessels berthed along the harbor edge. The contacted vessels included a catamaran and two smaller craft, one of which was identified as the local passenger-tourist boat King of Rhodes. Initial assessments conducted immediately after the incident established that no injuries occurred and no marine pollution was released into the harbor waters.

Captain maneuvers liner back to berth

The captain of Scarlet Lady reacted swiftly when the mooring ropes parted, taking immediate manual control of the vessel's propulsion and steering systems. Using onboard engine power and thrusters, the bridge crew guided the 277-metre ship away from the shallow harbor perimeter and repositioned it at its assigned berth. The Central Port Authority of Rhodes mobilized emergency response units to oversee the harbor basin and placed local tugboats on standby to assist if the ship lost steering control. The cruise liner completed the entire maneuver under its own power without requiring physical intervention from the tugs. Maritime officials confirmed that neither passengers nor crew members faced danger during the operation.

Weather adjustments and ship profile

Scarlet Lady had modified its sailing schedule prior to the mooring accident in order to avoid severe weather conditions across the Aegean Sea. The ship's original itinerary had planned for an arrival at Rhodes on Wednesday morning followed by a scheduled departure later on Wednesday afternoon. Due to deteriorating marine forecasts, the cruise liner arrived ahead of its revised timetable, docking early in the afternoon to take shelter inside the port basin. Scarlet Lady is operated by Virgin Voyages, measures approximately 277 metres in overall length, and has a carrying capacity of roughly 2,700 passengers alongside its maritime crew.

Sailing ban pending technical inspections

Following the re-berthing of the cruise liner, the Rhodes Port Authority issued a formal detention order prohibiting both Scarlet Lady and King of Rhodes from departing the port. The sailing prohibition remains in effect while marine surveyors and port safety inspectors conduct mandatory technical checks on the hulls and steering systems of the vessels. Preliminary inspections revealed no structural damage to the craft involved in the contact, and environmental patrols confirmed that no fuel spillage or oil contamination entered the sea. Both ships must remain stationary in Rhodes until maritime authorities complete all checks and issue official certification verifying that they are seaworthy to resume commercial operations.