Shuttle Bus Crashes at Honolulu Cruise Terminal

What should have been a fun day of exploring Honolulu, Hawaii, turned tragic for cruise guests visiting the city when a shuttle bus crashed into concrete barriers and struck pedestrians at the Pier 2 cruise ship terminal. A dozen guests were injured in the accident and one later passed away at a local hospital.

Shuttle Bus Accident at Cruise Terminal

A terrible accident happened at the Port of Honolulu on Friday morning, April 12, 2024. According to Hawaii News Now, a shuttle bus was dropping off guests near the Pier 2 cruise terminal at approximately 10:20 a.m. when the bus moved forward unexpectedly and the driver inadvertently hit the gas instead of the brake.

The bus collided with a group of nearby pedestrians and crashed into concrete barriers. The guests were pinned against the barriers, according to first responders on the scene.

Five pedestrians were seriously injured and one of them, a 68-year-old woman, was in critical condition and later died at a local hospital. One other person was taken to the hospital in stable condition, while six other individuals received minor injuries and declined hospital care.

Carnival has confirmed that nine of them were passengers from the Carnival Miracle cruise ship. The incident happened in a private parking lot at the Pier 2 cruise terminal, where the vessel was visiting from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday.

Carnival Cruise Line stated to Cruise Hive: “Nine Carnival Miracle guests were hit by a shuttle bus in the transportation area outside the Honolulu cruise terminal on Friday morning, April 12. Sadly, one guest has died from her injuries. She was traveling with her husband, who was also injured and is expected to recover. Members of the Carnival Care Team are assisting the guests. Our thoughts are with the guests affected and their loved ones.“

Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Regatta was also in port in Honolulu on Friday, but was docked some distance away at Pier 11.

There appears to be no adjustment to either cruise ship’s schedule at this time. Carnival Miracle is homeported from Long Beach, California and is in the middle of a 15-night Carnival Journeys cruise to Hawaii, while Oceania Regatta is on a 56-night, one-way sailing from Auckland, New Zealand to Los Angeles.

How Could This Happen?

Honolulu police have reported that the driver of the shuttle bus was both dropping passengers off as well as picking others up when the incident occurred. The driver was not in the vehicle at the time, but may have been helping guests with luggage or bags, or assisting those with mobility concerns.

When it was noticed that the vehicle was moving forward without anyone at the wheel, the driver attempted to regain control of the bus but appeared to have accidentally hit the gas rather than the brake.

Witnesses have said the shuttle bus had a Hilo Hattie’s logo on the side. The vehicle may have been a shuttle to take people to the popular shopping hotspot and Honolulu icon, located slightly more than two miles east of the cruise terminal. These types of shuttles are often provided as a courtesy but are not directly affiliated with either the cruise port or any individual cruise line.

The identities of those involved have not been released, in order to preserve their privacy and the privacy of their friends, family members, and traveling companions.

Not the First Cruise Terminal Accident

Sadly, this is not the first time a vehicle accident has caused injuries at a cruise terminal. In December 2023, a car crashed through a metal fence at the Port of Galveston and struck a family of six, injuring four people, all of whom had just debarked from Carnival Dream. Fortunately, the injuries were not as severe in that case.

Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by today’s accident.