'ShipRocked' Cruise Hits Pier In Jamaica During High Winds

According to Cruise Hive and posts in the Cruise Critic community, a number of guests on the ShipRocked rock cruise were temporarily left behind after the Carnival Magic ship impacted and significantly damaged the pier while docking in Ocho Rios, Jamaica earlier today (Tuesday, February 6).

Carnival Magic was not originally intended to visit Ocho Rios today, but ended up in port a day earlier than initially planned due to weather-related itinerary changes.

The incident reportedly occurred when strong winds drove the vessel into the dock, causing extensive damage to the concrete structure.

Because some guests were onshore enjoying Ocho Rios at the time, it was necessary for the ship to temporarily leave them behind and move away from the damaged dock.

The ship's master, Captain La Farina, alerted the guests to the situation, as crew members were called to muster stations to respond to the emergency.

"Earlier, due to strong winds, the ship made contact with the pier, impacting a small area of the vessel," the notification read. "These wind conditions are making it unsafe for us to remain docked. So, for safety reasons, it was necessary for us to sail out to sea.

"We are now in contact with our local partners and our Fleet Operations Center and are working through plans to get our guests who are ashore back on board as soon as possible," La Farina said.

Around 4:30 p.m. PST, Rock Ambassadors Media shared an update on social media indicating that "passengers have begun to board the ship at the new dock location. Passengers expected to wait hours to board as bands begin to play on the ship."

Carnival has since released the following statement to Cruise Hive: "Carnival Magic was involved in an incident while in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Tuesday morning, Feb. 6 when strong winds and swells caused the pier fender to collapse under pressure, and the ship made contact with the pier. The ship was alongside at 8:10 a.m. and the incident occurred at 11:00 a.m. There were no injuries, and all the ship’s services remained operational.

"The ship left the area for the safety of everyone on board and later docked at another nearby pier so that guests who went ashore Tuesday morning could rejoin the ship," the statement continued. "The guests who were ashore at the time were taken care of by the Carnival team and shore excursion partners. Given the weather conditions in the region, Carnival Magic will remain in Ocho Rios on Tuesday night. Its visit to Grand Cayman is cancelled for Wednesday."

Carnival Magic is due back in Miami on Saturday morning.

The sold-out ShipRocked cruise is a popular sailing organized by Ask4 Entertainment. The 2024 edition features headlining performances by I PREVAIL, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, BEARTOOTH, HIGHLY SUSPECT and BADFLOWER.