Some local newlyweds are home after their honeymoon cruise took an unexpected turn.

Rob and Megan Mauri, of Lancaster County, arrived at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday. They were aboard the Costa Concordia, which ran aground off the Italian coast on Friday.

They described a chaotic scene of passenger panic and crucial delays that kept them from getting into life boats for more than an hour after the problems began.

The Mauris said they were just three hours into their cruise when the ship hit a reef and capsized off the coast of Italy.

What the passengers were initially told was a generator problem soon turned into a terrifying ordeal as the ship listed to the starboard side, sending furniture skidding along the floor and passengers fleeing for safety.

Rob Mauri said the couple waited nearly 90 minutes before they were allowed to board lifeboats, but by then the ship had rolled so far over the lifeboats got stuck on the deck.

At least 11 people were killed and 29 remained missing.

The captain of the ship is facing multiple charges, including manslaughter.

Naval divers have set off explosives to create four small openings in the hull of the ship to speed the search for the missing passengers and crew.

Navy spokesman Alessandro Busonero told Sky TV 24 the micro-charges set early Tuesday created four openings to allow divers "to enter easily for the search." The holes were made both above and below the water level. Television footage showed the holes to be less than two meters (6 feet) in diameter.

Busonero said the rescuers were racing against time.

The cruise liner tragedy has turned into a potential environmental crisis.

Officials said rough seas could cause some of the 500,000 gallons of fuel on board to leak, threatening the protected sanctuary for dolphins, porpoises and whales.