Coast Guard temporarily detains cruise ship in New York due to safety concerns

NEW YORK - A 782-foot cruise ship carrying 848 passengers and crew is being temporarily detained in New York Harbor after a routine safety inspection revealed minor hull damage and several maintenance deficiencies Thursday. A seven person examination team from Coast Guard Sector New York boarded the cruise ship Oceanic, homeported in Malta, at 9 a.m. Thursday to conduct a routine safety inspection and found that the vessel had minor hull damage sustained prior to coming to New York Harbor. A small hole was discovered, leaking approximately one gallon of water per hour into the vessel. Further investigation by the Coast Guard team identified 16 discrepancies including a crack in the hull below the waterline on the port side of the vessel, lifesaving, fire fighting, safety, and other maintenance deficiencies. Click link for more.