Norwegian Breakaway Arrives Late After Crew Member Goes Overboard

Norwegian Breakaway’s return to Boston was delayed Sunday after a crew member went overboard east of Cape Cod during the final night of a seven-night Bermuda sailing. The U.S. Coast Guard later suspended the search, and the 145,655-gross-ton ship arrived at Boston several hours after its scheduled 8 a.m. docking.

The incident affected both disembarkation and the ship’s next turnaround at Flynn Cruiseport Boston, the terminal still widely known as Black Falcon. Norwegian Cruise Line did not release the crew member’s identity, and the circumstances of the fall were not publicly known.

Search centered off Wellfleet

The crew member went overboard about 12 miles east of Wellfleet, Massachusetts, according to the Coast Guard. The ship turned back toward the last known position. It deployed a rescue craft and life rings and used floodlights while the search was underway.

“A crew member was observed falling from the ship on a security camera,” the Coast Guard said. A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter arrived shortly after 1 a.m., with personnel from Coast Guard Station Provincetown also joining the response. A fixed-wing HC-144 later took over aerial search duties before the operation was suspended just after noon pending new information.

Norwegian Cruise Line said the vessel notified the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Center after confirming the incident. “The safety, security, and well-being of our crew is our highest priority,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said. “Our thoughts are with the crewmember’s family during this difficult time.”

Guests onboard reported a shipwide man-overboard alert shortly after midnight, with parts of Decks 7 and 8 closed while the crew responded. Internet access was opened onboard so passengers could adjust post-cruise travel plans during the delayed arrival into Boston.

Turnaround delayed in Boston

Norwegian Breakaway resumed its course after the overnight search and arrived in Boston late Sunday morning, instead of the originally scheduled 8 a.m. call.

Passengers booked on the next sailing were told terminal check-in would run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Early arrivals were permitted to drop off luggage but were told they could not remain inside the terminal until embarkation opened, allowing departing guests to clear customs, collect baggage and leave the port area first.

No itinerary adjustment had been announced for the following seven-night Bermuda cruise. The ship was expected to remain on schedule for King’s Wharf, where the itinerary called for an April 29 arrival, a stay through 3 p.m. on May 1 and a return to Boston on May 3.

The Breakaway incident followed another Norwegian Cruise Line crew-overboard case earlier in April, when a crew member from Norwegian Viva went overboard near Costa Maya, Mexico, and was not found after a search.