A cruise ship carrying some 1,700 passengers collided with a cargo vessel Monday in a Uruguayan port, but no injuries were reported.
The Norwegian Dream, a Bahamas-flagged cruise ship, received damages described as "not serious" above its waterline and remained in harbor as authorities temporarily closed the Montevideo port, Uruguay's navy said in a statement.
The cargo vessel also suffered unspecified damages and at least five containers and some vehicles tumbled into the shallow River Plate estuary, naval authorities said. The ship remained afloat.
The passenger ship, which recently left Buenos Aires to begin a 14-day cruise toward the southern tip of South America, was leaving port when it collided with the barge which was "adrift in the entrance channel," Norwegian Cruise Line spokeswoman Susan Robison said in a statement from Miami.
"The overall safety of the vessel has not been compromised," Robison said.
She said the Norwegian Dream was anchored off Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, and is expected to return to the dock overnight where it will remain while repairs are conducted prior to resuming its voyage.
The statement said the ship would miss two ports of call before repairs are complete, and passengers were being offered alternate shore excursions before it resumes sailing to Ushuaia, Argentina's southernmost city.
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