A cruise ship just a few months old crashed into a port as it was docking in Sicily.

Cruise ship MSC Grandiosa made contact with the port in Palermo on the Italian island while it was docking in heavy winds.

The incident happened around 8.30am yesterday.

The ship was damaged on its portside stern, reports Maritime Bulletin.

Images from the incident shared on Facebook show some damage to the liner above her waterline, as well as damage to the dock in Palermo.

Footage shot by passengers shows the ship retreating from the port following the collision. It later docked without any further problems.

Passenger Ronny Cop, who is currently onboard the ship, told The Independent: “We are currently on Grandiosa. This incident happened at Palermo yesterday and there was nothing that the Captain could do to prevent this incident.

“The sudden gust of wind was the cause of this incident. He took all measures to prevent a bigger incident.”

MSC Grandiosa is currently in the waters off Valletta, the capital of Malta.

The 331-metre-long MSC Grandiosa, one of the largest in the MSC fleet, has only been in service since the end of October. 

She has 11 restaurants and 20 bars, and can accommodate more than 6,300 passengers alongside 1,700 crew members.

Itineraries on the MSC Grandiosa focus on the Western Mediterranean, with stops in ports such as Barcelona, Marseille and Palermo.

Earlier this month, two cruise ships crashed into each other in Mexico.

The Carnival Glory collided with the Carnival Legend by Cozumel port on 20 December.

Video shows the moment the liners hit each other, with visible damage being done to the stern of the Glory. According to Carnival, both ships are still seaworthy and there was only one “minor” injury reported.

The Independent has contacted MSC Cruises for comment.

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