Cruise ship holed - passengers stranded

About 1700 passengers, including Australians, from the cruise ship Norwegian Dream are stranded in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, days after the accident-prone boat collided with a barge.

Norwegian Dream sustained damage to its bow and forward ballast tank when it collided with the barge on Monday, sending 5 shipping containers and as many as 10 cars into the water. With a two-metre wide hole above the water line and a crack along the upper deck, the ship's passengers were stuck on the ship while the Uruguayan navy attempted to clear the channel. It then limped back to port where it is expected to remain for at least another 12 hours. The ship is due to sail around Cape Horn through similar waters to that of the recent capsizing of the MV Explorer. The passengers have expressed concerns about continuing the cruise and have received no reassurance from Norwegian Cruise Liners about the integrity of the ship to continue an arduous journey.

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