Running Aground occurs when there is no longer deep enough water to float a vessel. This will sometimes be done intentionally, for instance to perform maintenance or to land cargo, but more than likely it occurs due to misinformation about water depths, operator error, or a change in the bottom structure of a waterway…as Norwegian Cruise Line’s Escape found out recently.

Officials in the Dominican Republic have confirmed that Norwegian Escape had run aground off the Caribbean island nation’s north coast shortly after leaving the port of Puerto Plata. On board: an estimated 3000 passengers and 1500 crew.