Cruise passenger falls into sea after ship breaks loose in high winds

Greek authorities said a cruise ship captain was arrested after a guest fell into the water when the ship broke from its moorings in windy weather.

The incident took place at the port of Corfu, a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, according to a July 1 news release from the Greek coast guard. The bulletin said the captain, a 56-year-old Italian citizen, was arrested on the evening of June 30.

He was operating the Norwegian Viva ship at the time, Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told USA TODAY in an email.

Officials did not share his name. Norwegian Cruise Line said the captain gave a statement to local authorities as part of standard protocol.

"He fully cooperated with the investigation, was released without restriction following his statement and immediately resumed his duties aboard the vessel to prepare for the ship's departure," the cruise line told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "The safety of our guests and crew remains our top priority, and the ship continued its voyage as planned with only minor adjustments to call times."

Authorities said that "due to the strong winds prevailing in the area, the cables holding the (cruise ship) broke, resulting in the passenger boarding ladder moving away from the pier and a female passenger falling into the sea," according to the translated release. The guest was 56 and a citizen of New Zealand.

Cruise ship crew and port workers rescued her from the water and she was taken to a local hospital with "minor injuries to her face and body," the release noted.

"The preliminary investigation remains ongoing by the Central Port Authority of Corfu and, upon its completion, the compiled case file will be officially submitted to the Prosecutor's Office of Corfu in accordance with standard legal procedures," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

This story was updated to add new information.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cruise passenger falls into sea after ship breaks loose in high winds

Reporting by Nathan Diller, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 11:54 AM.