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2 Holland America crew members die during "incident" on cruise ship

March 23, 2024 / 1:20 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship died during an "incident" in the ship's engineering space, the cruise line said.

The unidentified crew members died Friday while the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam was at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Holland America said in a statement.

Authorities were notified and the cause of the accident is being investigated, the cruise line said. 

"The safety, security and welfare of all guests and crew are the company's absolute priority," the cruise line said. The company also noted reports that these crew members perished in a shipboard fire are not accurate.

The cruise line did not offer any further details about the crew members, nor which agency was handling the investigation. The ship set sail out of Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip. 

Crew members were being offered counseling.

"All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with our team members' families at this difficult time," the statement said. 

Crew member deaths are relatively rare. Researchers at Bowling Green State University found between 2000 and 2019, there were 623 reported deaths on cruise ships, and 89% of those deaths were passengers while 11% of those were crew members.

During the pandemic, four crew members were killed by non-coronavirus causes on  cruise ships with workers stranded onboard . 

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2 crew members die on Holland America ship; fire breaks out on Carnival cruise

MIAMI — Two crew members died on board a Holland America cruise ship, and a fire broke out on a Carnival ship while both of the ships were in the Bahamas this weekend, officials said.

The two crew on the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam died Friday during an "accidental steam release" while it was calling at the private resort island Half Moon Cay, Holland America said in a statement on Sunday.

"There was an accidental steam release in an engineering space on board Nieuw Amsterdam, which sadly resulted in the death of two crew members," the cruise line said.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Dutch Safety Board were investigating the exact cause of the release, Holland America said.

A representative of the Bahama’s Coroner’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for information, such as the crew members’ identities and the cause and manner of death.

The cruise line said the conclusions of any investigation would be taken seriously. "Safety is always our top priority, and we are working to understand what, if anything, can be learned from this tragic accident," it said.

Passenger Laine Doss said she was on board when the captain announced the deaths on the vessel's P.A. system.

"We were celebrating the last day of the cruise," she said, when the mood changed "to something extremely somber."

The captain's voice broke, she said.

"He broke down crying," Doss said. "There was a moment of silence that the captain requested. And that entire scenario did affect the entire cruise. Things were canceled, joyous events were canceled, and we really just thought about mortality — the people who perished on the ship."

Crew members were being offered counseling, Holland America said.

Dutch government inspectors determined the vessel to be "fully operable," and this was "confirmed" by the U.S. Coast Guard, the cruise line said.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said she was looking into the statement and was unable to immediately confirm it.

The Nieuw Amsterdam returned Saturday to its home port of Fort Lauderdale, guests disembarked, and the vessel has embarked on a cruise with a stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Monday, Holland America said.

"All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event," the cruise line said. "We’ve been in contact with the families of both team members and are offering our support to them and to all of our crew at this difficult time."  

The ship set sail out of Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip.

Fire on the port-side exhaust funnel of another Florida-based cruise ship in the Bahamas, the Carnival Freedom, rocked some passengers Saturday and took the ship out of commission for repairs, the cruise line said.

No injuries were reported.

In a statement Sunday, Carnival Cruises acknowledged witness reports of a lightning strike or the sound of thunder before the fire erupted.

Passenger Heath Barnes said the ship was on a detoured path, destined for an unscheduled stop in Freeport, as a result of stormy weather and high winds when fire started.

"I was shocked," he said. "I mean, I looked out there and you're not supposed to see black smoke and fire shooting out of the tail end of the cruise."

The blaze was preceded by "the loudest thunder-lightning clap that I've ever heard in my life," Barnes said.

Ship personnel extinguished the fire, Carnival Cruises said.

The cruise line said a technical team determined the ship sustained enough damage that it will need repairs before it can be returned to scheduled cruises. The funnel was stabilized, passengers were expected to be returned to Port Canaveral, and the ship will set off to Freeport for repairs, it said.

"The damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," Carnival Cruises said.

Passengers scheduled for those late-March cruises are being offered full refunds and credit that can be used for a future cruise, it said.

It was the second funnel fire on the Carnival Freedom since 2022.

Marissa Parra is a national correspondent for NBC News based in Miami, Florida.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

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Crew on Cruise Ships Want Better Internet

• May 23, 2021

Having an acceptable quality of WiFi onboard has long been a bugbear for passengers. After all, providing a successful internet experience for anything between 100 and several thousand guests is no mean feat. But what about crew members?

To find out, what the WiFi deal is like for them, Cruise Industry News spoke with crew aboard Norwegian Cruise Line, Viking Ocean Cruises, Silversea, Disney Cruise Line, AIDA and Marella.

Speaking on the grounds of anonymity, they shared what they pay for the internet (if anything) and what the speed is like.

Facebook Is Just ‘Book’

The majority of the crew members said that while the ship is sailing guestless, they have free WiFi.

“Since the start of the pandemic, WiFi has been free for all crew members. The last thing that I have heard was that when we restart operations with guests onboard, things will change to how it was before but with a slight change,“ said a crew member onboard a Disney ship.

He explained that pre-pandemic, crew had to pay $20 for 500 megabytes (MB) of data, with Whatsapp messages being free.

“It seems now that the price will stay the same (when guests embark), but we will get some free internet every month. But I don’t know the details still,” he added.

Crew members with Norwegian, Silversea and Marella also said that their WiFi was free until the arrival of guests.

“It’s very slow and most of the time doesn’t work. But it’s free,” said a crew member who is currently onboard a Silversea ship.

An employee with AIDA said that only social media use was free, and the speed of that was not good.

“Sometimes it is broken completely,” he added.

The Silversea crew member said that he wasn’t sure if the internet would remain free when the ship starts sailing commercially. Pre-coronavirus, crew got given 60 MB of free internet every day which, in his case, only lasted for about 30 minutes spent on social media. To buy an internet package, he said, the cost was between $8 for 150 MB and $40 for 1,000 MB.

“But, to be honest, it’s so slow and so expensive I barely buy it – very expensive. And you still don’t get fast internet,” he added, explaining that the internet speed is not even enough to load a Facebook page properly.

”Facebook is just the book because you can’t see the face. It takes ages to download,” the crew member said.

Out of the employees of all the cruise lines Cruise Industry News spoke with, only a crew member from Viking Ocean Cruises said that their internet was completely free.

“We do get the same (deal) as the passengers, meaning ‘everything’ (is included). However, the internet varies where you are. Also, video streaming may take some time. In the COVID situation, the company brought better packages, which allowed us to stream without problems,” he said. “I’m very happy with the speed. I’ve not had any problems with it. Only in quite remote sea areas. But that’s understandable.”

Like Selling Sand on Beach

Those crew members for whom WiFi was not already free said that they wished the internet was faster and cheaper.

A crew member with Disney said that the internet could be better but it’s “absolutely acceptable.” The crew member onboard a Norwegian ship said that the speed was good enough, but video calls tended to get static at certain times.

One employee was able to compare his current onboard WiFi speed with the experience onboard other cruise lines he worked for, saying that Cunard had “amazing packages” that gave 24/7 connectivity for a month for $28. 

On Crystal Cruises, he said, he didn’t need to pay for the internet at all.

“Just connect to the WiFi from the ship, and that’s it. Additionally, every iPhone could get all notifications and messages for free, but if you want to answer, then you have to connect!” the crew member said.

To keep the crew sane while sailing without shore leaves, parties and other activities, the crew member said that cruise lines needed to provide better internet deals.

“We must have free internet at least to stay in touch with family and for a little bit of entertainment. Hopefully, with this post-COVID time, all companies all over the world change the rules and give us free Wi-Fi because selling internet onboard is like selling sand on the beach,” he said.

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Crew of the giant Icon of the Seas cruise ship rescues 14 people adrift in the sea

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MIAMI (AP) — The crew of what is considered the world’s largest cruise ship rescued 14 people clinging to a small boat adrift on the ocean, authorities said.

Passengers aboard the Icon of the Seas captured video of the crew using a small vessel to ferry the group to the safety of the cruise ship on Sunday. The cruise had begun in Miami, and the ship was headed for Honduras when the rescue happened, passengers said.

The cruise ship encountered the small vessel “adrift and in need of assistance,” Miami-based Royal Caribbean said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people on board,” the company said. “The crew provided them with medical attention, and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard.”

The crew broadcast “Code Oscar, Code Oscar, Code Oscar,” over the loudspeakers around 3 p.m., Alessandra Amodio said in a report on FoxWeather.com .

Amodio said she watched as people on the tiny craft waved a large white flag.

“The boat turned around, and we pulled up as close as we could to them and stopped,” Amodio said. The cruise ship then launched “a small zodiac-type rescue boat to investigate.”

After the rescue, Amodio said the cruise ship’s captain announced that the crew had rescued 14 people stranded at sea for eight days.

The Icon of the Seas is considered by cruise industry experts to be the largest cruise ship in the world at the moment, the Miami Herald reported . It can host 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members. The ship has 2,850 staterooms, 18 guest decks and seven swimming pools.

Norwegian cruise employee arrested for allegedly stabbing multiple people on board

A Norwegian Cruise Line employee was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stabbing multiple people during an Alaska cruise.

Personnel onboard Norwegian Encore saw Ntando Sogoni trying to deploy a lifeboat late on Sunday evening, according to an affidavit signed by Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Matthew B. Judy.

Sogoni, a South African citizen, had joined the ship that day in Seattle.

Ship security officers took him to the medical center for evaluation. When he was taken to an exam room he “became irrational and attempted to leave,” attacking a security guard and a male nurse, the affidavit said.

He then ran to another exam room, grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed a 75-year-old woman there for a medical assessment “several times in the arm, hand, and face.” The woman was a U.S. citizen.

“Security guards intervened and Sogoni stabbed two guards with the scissors before they could subdue and detain him,” the affidavit said. He allegedly stabbed one in the head and the other in the back and shoulder. The injuries were not life threatening. 

The attack occurred shortly before 2 a.m. PDT on Monday, according to the document. The ship was west of Vancouver Island and roughly 16.5 miles from land at the time.

Sogoni was held in the ship’s jail until Encore reached Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska said in a news release that he is charged with assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count.

An attorney for Sogoni was not listed.

A Norwegian spokesperson told USA TODAY that a "newly employed crew member was observed exhibiting unusual and irrational behavior."

"The ship’s security team escorted the crew member to the medical center for evaluation and assessment, where he became violent without provocation, attacking two other crew members and a guest," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "The security team quickly detained him, and the onboard medical staff treated those involved for non-life-threatening injuries."

Relevant law enforcement authorities were "immediately" contacted and took custody of the employee upon the ship's arrival in Juneau. "We condemn violent behavior of this nature and are committed to the safety and security of all crew members and guests on our ships," the spokesperson added. "We commend the onboard security team for their brave actions."

Senior ship leadership has been monitoring the situation, and senior company executives traveled to Juneau to meet and help the passenger. "We will continue to assist the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation," the spokesperson said.

The news comes after a Carnival Cruise Line guest pleaded guilty in February to assaulting a fellow passenger and smashing a glass in their face.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Crew member missing at sea during round-the-world cruise

The ship - which can carry 1,400 guests at a time - turned back to join the search for the missing crew member. It had been due to return back to the UK on Sunday morning.

By Rachel McGrath, news reporter

Friday 3 May 2024 22:07, UK

A crew member on a 120-day voyage around the world is missing at sea.

Ambassador Cruise Line's Ambience ship was making its final journey from Lisbon, Portugal back to the UK when the crew member was reported missing.

In a statement to Sky News, the British cruise line said Ambience had initially turned back to "retrace her route to the ship's position when the crew member was last seen".

However, it has since been "released by coastguard authorities from the search" and is "continuing on her original course back to the UK".

According to the statement, the crew member, who was from India, was reported missing "shortly after breakfast" this morning while the ship was off Cape Finisterre, on the west coast of Spain .

It said thorough ship-wide searches were conducted for the person, who has not been named, and the local coastguard was informed.

Ambience had departed from Tilbury, Essex on 6 January and is due to return to the port on Sunday.

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Ambassador has confirmed its arrival time, initially planned for 9am, will be delayed until the evening.

All events to mark its return have also been cancelled.

"Our immediate priority is to provide full support to all crew members closely affected by this incident," Ambassador said.

"Guests onboard have been kept informed throughout the day and have been advised of recent developments.

"Ambassador remains committed to the safety and wellbeing of all our crew and guests. We are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of our colleague at this difficult time."

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British cruise line Ambassador has its headquarters in Purfleet, Essex, and its home port is the nearby Tilbury.

The 800ft-long Ambience is its flagship boat and can carry 1,400 guests in its 789 cabins.

Stops on its 120-day Grand Round The World Cruise voyage have included New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Brazil.

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Bill Of The Month

He fell ill on a cruise. before he boarded the rescue boat, they handed him the bill.

Bram Sable-Smith

On the last full day of a Bahamas excursion, Vincent Wasney had three epileptic seizures. While being evacuated, he received a bill for expenses incurred during the cruise. Kristen Norman for KFF Health News hide caption

On the last full day of a Bahamas excursion, Vincent Wasney had three epileptic seizures. While being evacuated, he received a bill for expenses incurred during the cruise.

Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, had never visited the ocean. They'd never even been on a plane. But when they bought their first home in Saginaw, Michigan, in 2018, their real estate agent gifted them tickets for a Royal Caribbean cruise.

After two years of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, they set sail in December 2022.

The couple chose a cruise destined for the Bahamas in part because it included a trip to CocoCay, a private island accessible to Royal Caribbean passengers that featured a water park, balloon rides, and an excursion swimming with pigs.

Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by KFF Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us? Tell us about it !

It was on that day on CocoCay when Wasney, 31, started feeling off, he said.

The next morning, as the couple made plans in their cabin for the last full day of the trip, Wasney made a pained noise. Eberlein saw him having a seizure in bed, with blood coming out of his mouth from biting his tongue. She opened their door to find help and happened upon another guest, who roused his wife, an emergency room physician.

Wasney was able to climb into a wheelchair brought by the ship's medical crew to take him down to the medical facility, where he was given anticonvulsants and fluids and monitored before being released.

Vincent had had seizures in the past, starting about ten years ago, but it had been a while since his last one. Imaging back then showed no tumors, and doctors concluded he was likely epileptic, he said. He took medicine initially, but after two years without another seizure, he said his doctors took him off the medicine to avoid liver damage.

Wasney had a second seizure on the ship a few hours later, back in his cabin. This time he stopped breathing, and Eberlein remembered his lips being so purple, they almost looked black. Again, she ran to find help but, in her haste, locked herself out. By the time the ship's medical team got into the cabin, Wasney was breathing again but had broken blood vessels along his chest and neck that he later said resembled tiger stripes.

Wasney was in the ship's medical center when he had a third seizure — a grand mal, which typically causes a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. By then, the ship was close enough to port that Wasney could be evacuated by rescue boat. He was put on a stretcher to be lowered by ropes off the side of the ship, with Eberlein climbing down a rope ladder to join him.

But before they disembarked, the bill came.

The patient: Vincent Wasney, 31, who was uninsured at the time.

Medical services: General and enhanced observation, a blood test, anticonvulsant medicine, and a fee for services performed outside the medical facility.

Service provider: Independence of the Seas Medical Center, the on-ship medical facility on the cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International .

Total bill: $2,500.22.

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What gives: As part of Royal Caribbean's guest terms , cruise passengers "agree to pay in full" all expenses incurred on board by the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care. In addition, Royal Caribbean does not accept "land-based" health insurance plans.

Wasney said he was surprised to learn that, along with other charges like wireless internet, Royal Caribbean required he pay his medical bills before exiting the ship — even though he was being evacuated urgently.

"Are we being held hostage at this point?" Eberlein remembered asking. "Because, obviously, if he's had three seizures in 10 hours, it's an issue."

Wasney said he has little memory of being on the ship after his first seizure — seizures often leave victims groggy and disoriented for a few hours afterward.

But he certainly remembers being shown a bill, the bulk of which was the $2,500.22 in medical charges, while waiting for the rescue boat.

Still groggy, Wasney recalled saying he couldn't afford that and a cruise employee responding: "How much can you pay?"

They drained their bank accounts, including money saved for their next house payment, and maxed out Wasney's credit card but were still about $1,000 short, he said.

Ultimately, they were allowed to leave the ship. He later learned his card was overdrafted to cover the shortfall, he said.

Royal Caribbean International did not respond to multiple inquiries from KFF Health News.

Once on land, in Florida, Wasney was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he incurred thousands of dollars more in medical expenses.

He still isn't entirely sure what caused the seizures.

On the ship he was told it could have been extreme dehydration — and he said he does remember being extra thirsty on CocoCay. He also has mused whether trying escargot for the first time the night before could have played a role. Eberlein's mother is convinced the episode was connected to swimming with pigs, he said. And not to be discounted, Eberlein accidentally broke a pocket mirror three days before their trip.

Wasney, who works in a stone shop, was uninsured when they set sail. He said that one month before they embarked on their voyage, he finally felt he could afford the health plan offered through his employer and signed up, but the plan didn't start until January 2023, after their return.

They also lacked travel insurance. As inexperienced travelers, Wasney said, they thought it was for lost luggage and canceled trips, not unexpected medical expenses. And because the cruise was a gift, they were never prompted to buy coverage, which often happens when tickets are purchased.

When a quick telehealth visit yields multiple surprises beyond a big bill

The resolution: Wasney said the couple returned to Saginaw with essentially no money in their bank account, several thousand dollars of medical debt, and no idea how they would cover their mortgage payment. Because he was uninsured at the time of the cruise, Wasney did not try to collect reimbursement for the cruise bill from his new health plan when his coverage began weeks later.

The couple set up payment plans to cover the medical bills for Wasney's care after leaving the ship: one each with two doctors he saw at Broward Health, who billed separately from the hospital, and one with the ambulance company. He also made payments on a bill with Broward Health itself. Those plans do not charge interest.

But Broward Health said Wasney missed two payments to the hospital, and that bill was ultimately sent to collections.

In a statement, Broward Health spokesperson Nina Levine said Wasney's bill was reduced by 73% because he was uninsured.

"We do everything in our power to provide the best care with the least financial impact, but also cannot stress enough the importance of taking advantage of private and Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, as well as travel insurance, to lower risks associated with unplanned medical issues," she said.

The couple was able to make their house payment with $2,690 they raised through a GoFundMe campaign that Wasney set up. Wasney said a lot of that help came from family as well as friends he met playing disc golf, a sport he picked up during the pandemic.

"A bunch of people came through for us," Wasney said, still moved to tears by the generosity. "But there's still the hospital bill."

The takeaway: Billing practices differ by cruise line, but Joe Scott , chair of the cruise ship medicine section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said medical charges are typically added to a cruise passenger's onboard account, which must be paid before leaving the ship. Individuals can then submit receipts to their insurers for possible reimbursement.

He recommended that those planning to take a cruise purchase travel insurance that specifically covers their trips. "This will facilitate reimbursement if they do incur charges and potentially cover a costly medical evacuation if needed," Scott said.

Royal Caribbean suggests that passengers who receive onboard care submit their paid bills to their health insurer for possible reimbursement. Many health plans do not cover medical services received on cruise ships, however. Medicare will sometimes cover medically necessary health care services on cruise ships, but not if the ship is more than six hours away from a U.S. port.

Travel insurance can be designed to address lots of out-of-town mishaps, like lost baggage or even transportation and lodging for a loved one to visit if a traveler is hospitalized.

Travel medical insurance, as well as plans that offer "emergency evacuation and repatriation," are two types that can specifically assist with medical emergencies. Such plans can be purchased individually. Credit cards may offer travel medical insurance among their benefits, as well.

But travel insurance plans come with limitations. For instance, they may not cover care associated with preexisting conditions or what the plans consider "risky" activities, such as rock climbing. Some plans also require that travelers file first with their primary health insurance before seeking reimbursement from travel insurance.

As with other insurance, be sure to read the fine print and understand how reimbursement works.

Wasney said that's what they plan to do before their next Royal Caribbean cruise. They'd like to go back to the Bahamas on basically the same trip, he said — there's a lot about CocoCay they didn't get to explore.

Emmarie Huetteman of KFF Health News edited the digital story, and Taunya English of KFF Health News edited the audio story. NPR's Will Stone edited the audio and digital story.

KFF Health News , formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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• broward health
• travel insurance
• cruise ship
• royal caribbean

Former cruise ship worker reveals morbid reason crew throw 'free ice cream parties'

There may be a horrifying reason why cruise ship crew throw "free ice cream parties."

Dara Starr Tucker, a former cruise ship singer, has opened up about her experience with cruise ship disasters and deaths in a TikTok video series shared to her 1.1 million followers.

A commenter alleged there is a correlation between the amount of ice cream given to passengers and the number of bodies in the morgue, which Tucker claimed "is unfortunately often true."

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"If the crew suddenly makes a bunch of ice cream available to the passengers - free ice cream party - it's often because more people have died on the ship than they have room for in the morgue," Tucker alleged in a viral video posted on February 20.

Tucker said that a decade ago she spent six months on cruises around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

"Thankfully, we didn't have to deal with this kind of stuff, but we were friends with some crew members who did," she claimed.

She claims that there were between 25,000 to 30,000 passengers on each cruise, with about four to ten people dying per voyage.

"There are a lot of older people on ships and often people die on cruises," she claimed. "So, the morgue, I believe they said they held about seven people."

"If more than seven people died on that particular ship, they would have to start moving bodies to the freezer, which means they needed to make room in the freezer."

Approximately 200 people die on cruise ships each year, amounting to about three deaths on cruise ships per week, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

It also estimates that 50% passengers are over the age of 50, with nearly a third of them being over 70 years old.

CLIA, the world's largest cruise industry trade association, did not immediately respond to request for comment about the allegation.

Tucker's claims came out just weeks after another cruise ship worker shared that people die more often than you may think on cruise voyages.

Zoie Madigan, 28, from North Carolina, documents her life as a Norwegian Cruise Line employee on TikTok, where she boasts over 13,000 followers.

In a video posted in January, she opened up about Serenade of the Seas, a nine-month cruise that set sail at the end of last year, telling her followers that it is likely that multiple people die during a voyage.

"Something that I feel like no one's talking about enough about this nine-month world cruise is how often people just simply pass away of natural causes while they're on vacation," she said. "It happens more often than you think."

One user took to the comments claiming to be a cruise ship media, saying they can "confirm" the allegations.

However, most users took to the comments to share their shock and horror.

"It never crossed my mind that there would be a morgue on a cruise ship," one viewer wrote. "I need to reflect a moment and come back."

"I swear every cruise fact I learn makes me want to go on one less," another joked.

"Wait, so if people die on ship they don't turn back out of respect for the loved ones?" another asked. "We all just keep partying while Nana is dead in the freezer?"

GM-owned Cruise reached a more than $8M settlement with pedestrian who was dragged by robo taxi 

Cruise, the self-driving robo taxi company owned by General Motors , reached a settlement with the pedestrian who was dragged by one of its vehicles last fall, according to someone with knowledge of the matter and independently verified by Fortune .

The settlement was between $8-12 million, Fortune has learned. It’s unclear exactly when the settlement was reached.

The accident itself took place late in the evening on Oct. 2 when a pedestrian who was crossing the road in San Francisco was struck in a hit-and-run by another vehicle, then subsequently dragged for 20 feet by one of Cruise’s autonomous robo-taxis. Regulators determined Cruise had not been forthcoming enough with them about the incident, and ordered Cruise to halt its taxi service in San Francisco. Cruise subsequently pulled all of its vehicles off the road across the U.S., and it is just now starting to reintroduce its robo taxi fleet back on the roads.

The current condition of the pedestrian remains unknown. A representative from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where the pedestrian was taken after the incident in critical condition, said that the pedestrian had been discharged, but declined to share any further information. The San Francisco Police Department said it continues to investigate the incident.

“The hearts of all Cruise employees continue to be with the pedestrian, and we hope for her continued recovery,” a Cruise spokesperson said in a statement.

Cruise said earlier this week that it would start testing its self-driving vehicles in Arizona—operating autonomously, but with human drivers inside the vehicles to take over, if needed. The testing will begin in Phoenix and will then gradually move into other cities in the state. At the beginning of April, Cruise submitted responses to the California DMV to reinstate its permit, though the DMV told Fortune those responses are still under review.

In the six months following the October accident, General Motors slashed Cruise’s annual budget by $1 billion and replaced nearly all of the company’s management team. Cruise has recorded $9.2 billion in pre-tax losses since GM acquired the company in 2016, according to filings. 

Do you have an insight to share? Got a tip? Contact Jessica Mathews at [email protected] or through the secure messaging app Signal at 479-715-9553.

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Maine Maritime training cruise cleared to depart after lifeboat repair

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Maine Maritime Academy’s students are cleared to set sail for the open ocean.

The Castine-based school’s 500-foot training ship, State of Maine, had to delay the beginning of its annual overseas cruise  when a U.S. Coast Guard inspection found the crane used to lower one of its four lifeboats broke.

That required a new part to be shipped from Norway for the necessary repairs.

Well, those repairs have been completed, according to a Thursday post  on the blog run by the midshipmen.

So the 202 students and 45 staff and crew are cleared to cast off.

The 74-day cruise was scheduled to take the State of Maine to Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Spain, Portugal, Portland and then back to Castine.

Since the State of Maine had to linger longer off the Maine coast, the Maine Maritime students won’t be stopping at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, but rather sailing for New York before shipping off to Tenerife, Spain. They were scheduled to sail out from Castine at noon Friday.

It could be the last voyage for the State of Maine, which has been in use since 1997. A new training ship  is being built in Philadelphia, and it is expected to be delivered to Castine in spring 2025.

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