Passengers sat in a PortMiami terminal for hours Friday after a cruise ship was evacuated when a guest tried to board without authorization, officials said.
The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. when a guest of the Norwegian Sky who had already gone through a pier-side security checkpoint tried to board the ship, officials said.
"As the safety and security of our guests is always our top priority, and as a precautionary measure, the ship underwent a secondary security screening in cooperation with MDPD, FBI, Coast Guard and CBP authorities," Norwegian said in a statement. "During the screening process, our teams in the terminal made regular announcements throughout the afternoon, and water and snacks were provided to guests."
Close to 2,000 people were stuck in the terminal for upwards of seven hours.
"The security officer gave us a description of the possible individual who didn't follow proper procedures of boarding, mind you this person did pass different levels of security prior to leaving the ship, so it wasn't necessarily in any specific danger involving firearms or anything along those lines," Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.
After several hours the ship was cleared to sail and was expected to arrive in Nassau as scheduled Saturday morning, officials said.
the cruise line said they're crediting every passenger with $50 to use on board and food and beverages were complimentary until midnight.
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"We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may have caused and thank our guests for their understanding and cooperation," Norwegian's statement read.
