Port of New Orleans sues tanker that hit riverboat cruise for $1 million in repair costs

November 14, 2026 / 12:56 PM EST / CBS News

The Port of New Orleans is suing the owners and managers of the asphalt tanker that crashed into a docked cruise ship on the Mississippi River yesterday. In a lawsuit reviewed by CBS News, the port said the tanker was at fault for the incident and that the collision caused more than $1 million in damage to port property.

The Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with the much smaller American Heritage passenger boat while it was docked at the port's Thalia Street Terminal on Friday afternoon. There were an estimated 129 passengers, plus crew members, aboard the cruise ship at the time of the collision, Port NOLA said Friday. Everyone aboard both vessels was accounted for, and there were no fatalities or critical injuries reported, though the cruise ship was left on its side and largely submerged in water.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court late Friday, names the tanker, the M/V Atlantic Asphalt, its owner Nave Shipping SA and its management company Thome Ship Management Pte, Ltd.

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to the lawsuit, and the port is seeking money to cover cleanup…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/