Jefferson City man, “would go on another cruise” after cruise ship crash

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man was on-board the Carnival Glory cruise ship when it collided with another cruise ship in Mexico.

"I remember lying in bed and feeling a lot of scraping and my bed began going back and forth back and forth and hitting against the wall and then the sound was like nails on a chalkboard but times a thousand," said Zach Heathman, a cruise ship passenger and Jefferson City resident.

Carnival Glory was allegedly trying to dock Friday morning, at a port in Cozumel, an island off the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

"The boat apparently caught some high winds and high waters," Heathman said.

The cruise started in New Orleans and sailed through the Gulf of Mexico before stopping in Cozumel.

"My first instinct was I thought we had just hit a bunch of rocks or something or there was something wrong with the engine but then my dad called my room and said we just hit the other boat," Heathman said.

Reports say the crash left multiple passengers injured.

Heathman and other passengers took to social media to share photos and videos of the boat crash. They show the front of Carnival Glory hitting the back of Carnival Legend leaving it damaged.

"My first thought was what the heck was that? I didn't think we were crashing into another boat for sure," Heathman said.

Although the trip had its rough moments, Heathman says he wouldn't steer away from another cruise.

"I would honestly say besides that happening I had a great time, and I wouldn't let those once in a million percent chance event happening, deter them from you know having a good time and going on one," Heathman said.

According to Carnival's website, Carnival Glory is 952 feet long with a crew of over a thousand and a nearly 3000 person guest capacity.

The Carnival Glory web page currently has a note saying, "We’re working on unexpected repairs to the Platinum Dining Room on Carnival Glory and wanted to let you know. While no sailings have been canceled, the short-term work involves minor weatherproofing and cosmetic repairs…"