New Orleans rescue operations underway after tanker strikes docked cruise ship

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Cruise ship capsizes in New Orleans after being hit by tanker

Paddlewheel boat had docked about two hours earlier to begin disembarking passengers

The National

November 13, 2026

A tanker collided with a docked river cruise ship carrying more than 100 passengers and crew members on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, leaving the smaller vessel partly submerged and setting off a rescue operation.

The Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with the American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines near the Port of New Orleans, according to a statement from port spokesperson Kimberly Curth.

The cruise ship had docked about two hours earlier to begin disembarking passengers and still had about 129 passengers and an unspecified number of crew members aboard.

Video of the incident aired by local television station WDSU, an NBC affiliate, showed a larger tanker approaching the docked cruise ship before the two vessels collided. Later footage showed the American Heritage tipped onto its side and partly submerged in the river.

Multiple people had been rescued, according to Fox-affiliated WVUE, citing the New Orleans mayor’s office. Port police, city firefighters, police officers, the US Coast Guard and emergency are on the scene, where rescue operations were underway.

“Our immediate priority is the safety of all passengers, crew members and first responders. This remains an active and evolving incident,” according to the Port of New Orlean’s statement. The number of injuries and the cause haven’t yet been confirmed.

The American Cruise Lines website describes the American Heritage as a classic paddlewheeler river boat with capacity for as many as 180 passengers, which was last renovated in 2022.

Updated:

November 13, 2026, 9:59 PM