Watch: Cruise ship seen sinking after collision with cargo ship in New Orleans Some 130 people on a cruise ship docked in New Orleans have been rescued after it was struck by a tanker. The cruise ship, American Heritage, was left lying on its side in the Mississippi River after it was hit by the cargo vessel, Atlantic Asphalt. The collision left 32 people from the stricken riverboat in hospital with non-critical injuries, but no-one unaccounted for.