A port call in Le Havre, France, took a dramatic turn on September 8 when strong winds caused the cruise ship AIDAperla to break away from its berth and make contact with a quay wall.

The incident happened at around 4 p.m. after an unexpected storm front brought powerful wind gusts to the port. According to reports, several mooring lines at the front of the ship either broke or came loose, allowing the vessel to drift away from the dock.

Weather records showed gusts of around 35 mph in Le Havre that afternoon. Videos shared on social media captured AIDAperla moving through the harbor before its stern struck the quay.

Both passenger gangways were pulled away during the incident and fell into the water, creating temporary obstacles in the harbor. Around 500 passengers who were ashore on excursions were unable to return to the ship until it was safely secured.

Tugboats were sent to assist AIDAperla and guide it back to the berth. Port officials confirmed later that evening that the vessel had been secured and passengers were able to board safely.

No injuries were reported aboard the ship or on the dock.

Mein Schiff 3 was docked nearby and was held in position with the help of tugboats. Its departure was delayed by approximately two hours because of the difficult conditions in the port.

AIDA Cruises confirmed that AIDAperla made contact with the quay. The ship remained in Le Havre while technicians, port authorities and the responsible classification society carried out inspections.

As a result of the delay, AIDAperla cancelled its scheduled September 9 visit to Zeebrugge. Its next planned call is Rotterdam on September 10, followed by its return to Hamburg on September 12.

The 3,286-passenger ship is sailing on a seven-night cruise that departed Hamburg on September 5. It had visited Southampton before arriving in Le Havre.