Table Of Content
- Heartbreaking video shows cruise ship passenger swimming, fishing with friends week before fatal jump
- Footage shows moment Royal Caribbean cruise ship was flooded during storm in the Gulf of Mexico
- Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.
- When are you most likely to experience storms on a cruise ship?

I recall there was barely a ripple on my Martini in the Queen’s Room aboard the venerable liner QE2, when the band played the jazz classic Stormy Weather while outside a force ten wind raged. One passenger, Alan Grisedale, filmed the enormous waves that rocked Spirit of Discovery in the Bay of Biscay and shared the footage with BBC News. Grisedale said the force against the ship was so great that his wife was knocked over, and furniture was pushed around inside their cabin, the BBC reported. Another passenger on the ship recalled in comments to the BBC that "tables were flying" and waves were "throwing people around all up and down the place." A social media user on X said their parents were passengers on Spirit of Discovery during the cruise.
Heartbreaking video shows cruise ship passenger swimming, fishing with friends week before fatal jump
Norwegian safety body criticizes cruise ship that nearly ran aground in 2019 storm - The Associated Press
Norwegian safety body criticizes cruise ship that nearly ran aground in 2019 storm.
Posted: Tue, 19 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
It was supposed to be a 4-night cruise, but at the time of writing will end up being 6-nights. Going on a cruise ship during hurricane season means there's a chance a storm could impact your vacation, and when it does, there's all sorts of possibilities. Passenger Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, tweeted Friday that the ship was rocking. She said that the only time passengers heard from the captain was in the afternoon, when he told them he had an experienced crew and would do everything he could to minimize discomfort as the ship encountered the storm.
Footage shows moment Royal Caribbean cruise ship was flooded during storm in the Gulf of Mexico
Instead, Spirit of Discovery changed directions to route toward the northwestern tip of mainland Spain, where the captain intended to dock the ship at La Coruña. He added there were "high winds on the deck… platters of food crashing to the floor in the buffet, liquor and other glass breaking, water coming in through the balconies and flooding." "The aftermath aboard Carnival Sunshine after a severe storm," the post read. "The crew from Deck 0-4 evacuated to the theater, and anywhere they could rest… the crew bar destroyed."
Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.
Matthew Branham, who was also on board, told The Washington Post, that "waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor." The cruise line said the passengers missed the "all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time." It said it was a "very unfortunate situation" but that passengers were responsible for being on time. The water activity part of the advisory may be the result of the November 2023 sinking of the Blue Lagoon Island ferry.
Carnival passengers recount ‘nightmare’ cruise as storm floods ship

None of this should cause concern, as every ship has been tested in simulated storm conditions. You might notice the swimming pool is emptied and outdoor decks closed off but, inside the ship, the well-trained crew knows what measures to enact to make passengers safe and comfortable. In my 40-year career as a cruise writer and maritime historian, I’ve encountered plenty of bad weather affecting cruises. Five passengers needed treatment in onboard medical facilities for more serious injuries, while the rest were described as minor. A spokesperson for the cruise line said that the ship could not safely dock in Gambia due to adverse weather conditions, adding that efforts are being made for the guests to rejoin the ship in Senegal on Tuesday.

'Devastated': Passengers speak out after Bahamas-bound cruise diverted to New England, Canada over weather
The North Atlantic can pack a punch from September until February, when the barometric pressure plunges, giving even the sturdiest ships a rollercoaster ride through squally seas. Another seaway where storms lurk during autumn and winter months is the Bay of Biscay. This portion of the Atlantic, located off the west coast of France and the northern coast of Spain, is renowned for restless seas that can test the mettle of even the most seasoned sea dog. Other passengers may face the stress of becoming stranded in remote locations through no fault of their own.
“Ships of all sizes will experience movement in heavy weather, but the larger the ship, the less the movement. Hurricane season in the Caribbean officially lasts from June 1 to November 30 and frequently impacts cruise schedules. Spirit of Discovery encountered massive, tumultuous waves while crossing the Bay of Biscay, a body of water bordering Span and France that is known at times for especially turbulent currents. While crossing the bay, the ship's propulsion safety system activated and caused it to jerk suddenly to one direction, which essentially brought the vessel to a halt.
Spirit of Discovery: Cruise ship passengers 'feared for their lives' - BBC.com
Spirit of Discovery: Cruise ship passengers 'feared for their lives'.
Posted: Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
How safe is a cruise ship in a storm?
However, York County and port officials found out on January 26, 2024 that Princess Cruises has instead opted to call at Norfolk, Virginia, rather than Yorktown. The shift means that Yorktown will not benefit from an estimated 14,000 cruise guests, who would have contributed to the local economy. The change has the potential to make prospective cruisers leery of the policy. Typically, if a guest cancels a cruise before the final payment is made, there is little or no financial penalty.
Seafood is king on Galveston Island— Gulf shrimp, blue crabs, snapper and grouper come fresh off the boat. But the signature Tex-Mex cuisine equally impresses with sizzling fajitas and tequila-laced margaritas. Old Strand Emporium scoops out ice-cream parlor charm, while La King’s Confectionary is where local candy makers craft saltwater taffy in-house.
Outdoor decks were closed, and crew members worked to clear flooded interior areas. While I think most people understand cruise ships don't sail into hurricanes, the most common question I've received during my cruise is something along the lines of, "how bad are the waves?". A storm off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, battered a Carnival cruise ship for hours late Friday night before it docked, leaving passengers terrified. "The weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecasted," the statement continues. From the Bahamas when it got caught in severe weather, including nearly 80 mph winds.
A TikTok video showed the couple waving and begging the crew to wait for them, even though the gangway appeared to have already been removed. It added that the deadline to return was "communicated broadly" over the ship's intercom, in printed communications, and on posts shown at the exits of the ship. The Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement provided to BI by email that eight guests on the tour missed the last tender back to the vessel. "We have never had an experience like this before," Jill Campbell told WPDE. Most of the stranded passengers didn't have their medication or working credit cards, WPDE said.
A meteorologist for Fox 35 reported that winds reached from 55 to 60 mph at the height of the storm. Matthew Branham and his fiancée, Madison Davis, were lying by a Carnival Sunshine pool on Friday aboard a cruise returning to Charleston, S.C., from the Bahamas when an announcement came over the loudspeaker. The captain was expecting rougher weather that evening, but there was nothing to worry about. I had complete faith in the expertise of the master mariners on the ship’s bridge and the structural integrity of the steel-clad keel that was cutting through the angry seas.
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