royal cruise ship storm

Footage shows moment Royal Caribbean cruise ship was flooded during storm in the Gulf of Mexico

Water flowed into rooms and sunbeds were strewn across the deck as the vessel was battered by the fierce weather conditions.

Friday 2 February 2024 12:39, UK

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Footage has emerged of a cruise ship being flooded during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico - causing water to flow into people's cabins.

Travis Hair, a passenger on the Royal Caribbean vessel, filmed as the balcony of his room on the Voyager Of The Seas was swamped.

Mr Hair said he captured the video while the vessel was "sailing through a thunderstorm" on 26 January.

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 footage also shows sunbeds piled up on the deck after being tossed around in the powerful storm.

The vessel was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, as part of a five-night trip to Cozumel, Mexico, according to USA Today.

Passenger Chelsea Ireland told the newspaper she felt the vessel tilt as it was battered by heavy winds.

She said: "When we tried to walk across our room, it felt like we were walking up a very steep hill."

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Fellow passenger Elaina Escobedo, 21, went to her grandparent's cabin to check on them during the storm. "There were just things flying all over the place," she said.

Ms Escobedo added that her grandmother was safe on the sofa, but her wheelchair had rolled across the room and cups of lemonade had been knocked over.

The footage emerged after another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, reportedly flooded last month.

Sky News has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

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Videos capture terrifying moments of Royal Caribbean cruise caught in bad weather

A spokesperson for royal caribbean said the turbulence did not last long and there were no serious injuries., by monica galarza and kaitlyn schwanemann • published june 23, 2023 • updated on june 26, 2023 at 7:27 am.

A sudden storm hit a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, sending passengers running for cover as furniture flew around the deck.

Passengers had just boarded the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas docked in Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and were about to depart for the Bahamas when gusts of hurricane-like winds hit the ship.

Videos shared on social media show lounge chairs and tables flying across the deck.

One video captured the terrifying moment when a lounge chair narrowly misses a woman carrying a small child and hitting her stroller. Fortunately, the stroller was empty.

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Another video shows cruise guests running from the turbulent weather.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said the storm did not last long and there were no serious injuries reported.

The cruise was able depart for the Bahamas and arrived at CocoCay on time, the spokesperson said.

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@cornettahh Another angle from the 6/16/23 squall that hit #independenceofthesea while docked in #PortCanaveral around 4pm. It hit so fast and was gone in a matter of minutes! No ship announcements were made before or after so people on the lower pool deck were hit completely without warning. 😳 #hurricaneseason #floridaweather #cruiseship #royalcaribbean #chaos #ocean #sea #squall ♬ original sound - Cora Cornett

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Passengers hit by a storm on a Royal Caribbean cruise line cling to railings as intense gusts rock the ship and send debris flying, videos show

• A Royal Caribbean cruise was battered by gusts of rain and wind before its departure Friday.
• Passengers shared videos of patrons sliding along the deck during the storm.
• The cruise line says no serious injuries or damage occurred as a result of the storm.

Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship ran for cover as umbrellas, chairs, and other furniture flew around them during a sudden, spectacular storm that struck Florida's Port Canaveral on Friday.

As the Independence of the Seas prepared to depart, strong winds and rain battered the 15-deck ship. In multiple videos posted to YouTube and Twitter , passengers are shown slipping and sliding across the decks while attempting to get safely inside.

The ship departed for the Bahamas despite the storm and arrived at CocoCay on time, according to a Royal Caribbean statement to Insider. The company called the storm "brief" and said there were no serious injuries to crewmembers or passengers.  

Related stories

Passengers took to the internet to describe their personal experiences. 

"Instead of telling people to come up to the top deck when we have a severe thunderstorm warning, maybe you should be more worried about your guests and employees and tell them to get inside," tweeted one passenger who filmed the storm .

Jerry Pike, a photographer and Florida local, told Insider he watched the storm hit the Independence of the Seas while sitting in a car in Jetty Park facing the port. Though the storm lasted only minutes, he said it was "exceptionally strong." 

—Jerry Pike (@JerryPikePhoto) June 16, 2023

Pike estimated winds reached between 40 and 50 miles per hour at the height of the storm, which he added was "terrifying" to watch. A meteorologist for Fox 35 reported winds reached from 55 to 60 miles an hour at their peak strength. 

"The Independence was just getting battered by winds as it was trying to push off the dock," Pike said. "Then [it] was covered by the gray cloud of rain and we couldn't see more than 20 yards out the window."  

The storm is just one of many expected to hit the Florida coast as hurricane season begins in the Atlantic Ocean, which runs from the beginning of June to November 30.

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

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Billal Rahman | Tuesday 27 June 2023 05:30 BST

Passengers flee as Royal Caribbean cruise ship lashed by storm

Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship were forced to run for cover after an intense rain storm and strong winds sent deck furniture flying across the deck.

Footage circulating on social media shows furniture flying across decks while people desperately attempted to escape the weather carnage.

The  Independence of the Seas  ship was caught in a brief rain storm as it prepared to leave Port Canaveral in Florida last week.

Passengers were lounging by the pool in the sunshine when strong winds and heavy rain suddenly hit the seas.

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Royal Caribbean responds after video shows cruise ship passengers hit by flying deck chairs during storm

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Royal Caribbean responds after cruise ship passengers hit by flying deck chairs during severe storm

A Central Florida travel agent is concerned with how Royal Caribbean handled a severe storm, saying it could turn passengers away from future trips.

FOX 35 was sent a video from aboard the Independence of the Seas cruise ship last Friday. Passengers on board were caught in a severe thunderstorm, causing damage and forcing people to scramble looking for safety.

Travel experts say passengers put a lot of trust in cruises when booking vacations, and this isn’t how you maintain that trust. In several videos, you can hear passengers screaming and see dozens running trying to find shelter. 

It was a chaotic scene, and Kyleigh Cole is shocked it even happened in the first place.

"There’s always something you can do, other than just letting the guests and the travelers getting poured on, rained down on and being in the middle of a storm," Cole said, who’s a licensed travel agent with Boardwalk Travel Agency.

She cruises herself and knows how important safety is before, during and after the ship docks. 

"This could have ruined somebody’s cruise experience where they’ll never take another cruise again," Cole added.

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Wicked weather causes chaos on cruise ship

Passengers were caught off guard by a Florida summer storm as they were boarding their ship at Port Canaveral last week.

At least one person was caught on video getting hit by a flying beach chair. Fox 35 meteorologist, Brooks Garner, says there were severe weather warnings in the area at the time of the storm."

On Friday, June 16, between 3:45 and 4:15 p.m. – there was a severe thunderstorm warning for coastal Brevard County for a storm producing wind gusts over 60 miles per hour, in fact the port recorded winds gusting over 55 miles per hour, so there was a lot of wind confirmed with this storm," Garner said.

Passengers on board say they had no warning."They should have at least gave some kind of warning, you know, a minute or two or something, but they never made an announcement or anything," said Lucas Sparrow who was safely inside during the storm but captured a lot of the chaos on video.

In a statement sent to FOX 35, Royal Caribbean says, "…Independence of the seas encountered a sudden gust of high winds. This lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew…". Whether there were injuries or not, this ordeal has passengers sounding the alarm on safety. 

Since receiving the statement from Royal Caribbean, FOX 35 is pressing for more information on what weather safety protocols are currently in place and why guests weren’t notified earlier. At this time, we haven’t heard back. 

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Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers scramble during freak storm

Royal Caribbean passengers speak with Fox 35 Orlando and recount the scary scene as a storm hit the Independence of the Seas cruise ship. 

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Vacation horror as ‘drunk’ son, 20, jumps from royal caribbean cruise in front of family.

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A cruise turned into a nightmare for people aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas when a young man jumped overboard shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday.

The 18-story ship was sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island when the as-yet-unidentified man jumped off one of the decks.

According to onlookers, his father and brother watched helplessly as he leaped over the side.

Some passengers said it appeared to be an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment decision. 

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” passenger Bryan Sims tells The Post. ” It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk,” Sims continues.

“As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.” “When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now.’ And he jumped out the window in front of us all.” 

“There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately,” another passenger,  Deborah Morrison, told The Post.

“His family was horrified. Just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

“It was insane,” says Sims. “It was just surreal.” 

In a statement to The Post, Royal Caribbean said its crew immediately sprang into action following the incident.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search,” the statement reads.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

News of the apparent suicide attempt quickly spread among the guests — and many of them tried to help in any way they could.

“The early morning was definitely somber as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person,” said Amy Phelps Fouse, a passenger on the ship.

“Royal Caribbean has been excellent at communicating updates throughout the day,” Fouse continued. “They have asked that people act with compassion in light of the tragic situation.”

Overboard incidents on cruise ships are rare.

According to the Washington Post , about 386 people were reported to have gone overboard on the major cruise lines between 2000 to 2020.

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The incidents, whether accidental or intentional, are often deadly.

In the past few years, most cruise lines have enacted onboard safety measures and surveillance systems to help reduce the risk of overboard deaths.

The Coast Guard confirmed to The Post it is still conducting a search and rescue operation in the waters off Cuba. The man has not yet been found.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to  SuicidePreventionLifeline.org .

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A cruise to nowhere: Royal Caribbean sailing canceled after guests boarded

A Royal Caribbean International Alaska voyage became a cruise to nowhere over the weekend, with the line canceling the sailing after guests had already boarded.

The cruise line’s Radiance of the Seas ship experienced propulsion issues, forcing it to shorten and eventually scrap the weeklong itinerary, according to notices shared with guests. The sailing was originally set to depart from Vancouver on Friday.

Charlene Chong, who was on board with her husband, their 3-year and 11-month-old children, and her parents, said passengers were notified Saturday afternoon that the cruise was canceled. The 34-year-old teacher and her husband previously took a cruise for their honeymoon, but this marked their first trip with Royal Caribbean.

“My parents had wanted to go to Alaska for a really long time,” said Chong, who lives in Vancouver.

The cruise line warned guests several days before boarding that the ship had a “technical issue with its propulsion system,” according to an email sent to passengers that Chong shared with USA TODAY. The line later pushed the departure back by two days to allow more time for repairs.

Royal Caribbean said boarding would proceed as planned but that the terminal would close Friday evening due to U.S. Customs and Border Protection rules. Passengers would not be able to leave until the ship arrived at Icy Strait Point.

“We were going stir crazy a little bit,” said Chong.

Royal Caribbean gave guests onboard credit worth two days of their fare, a future cruise credit of the same amount, complimentary drinks and other compensation, another email said.

According to Chong, the ship sailed toward a nearby cargo port, but the captain announced Saturday afternoon that the sailing could not proceed and that guests would need to disembark by Sunday at 4 p.m. Chong said she and her family were “lucky” they were local, but she saw other guests scrambling to change their flights and find accommodations.

Your cruise was canceled: Now what?

“We understand the disappointment due to this unfortunate turn of events,” the cruise line said in a letter shared with guests. “We truly extend our sincerest apologies for the continued unforeseen disruptions to your vacation.”

Royal Caribbean gave them their money back as onboard credit with any remaining amount refunded, increased their future cruise credit to 100% of their fare and kept its open-bar policy for the remaining time on board. The line also offered to reimburse trip change fees up to $250 for guests traveling domestically and $400 for international travel and additional reimbursements for hotel and transportation costs, among other compensation.

“Due to a technical issue, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the April 26 sailing," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Guests will receive a full refund and 100% future cruise credit, and have been notified directly.” The spokesperson did not comment on the specifics of Chong's experience.

The ship will resume service for its May 3 sailing.

After they got home, Chong and her family booked a trip to Mexico instead – though her parents decided not to join as they were “a bit exhausted by the whole ordeal.” For now, she’s not inclined to use the future cruise credit. “I would like to go to Alaska,” she said. “I'm not sure if I want to go with them.”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach him at [email protected].

Royal Caribbean’s Port Canaveral-bound Utopia of the Seas heads out for sea trials

O RLANDO, Fla. — The newest Royal Caribbean ship, Utopia of the Seas, is cranking up its engines to ensure it’s seaworthy before it makes its way to Port Canaveral in July.

The sixth Oasis-class vessel set to become the second largest cruise ship in the world has five days of sea trials ahead of it, sailing from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, on Tuesday where it has been under construction since April 2022.

With 10 weeks before its July 19 debut, the ship will perform hundreds of tests as it travels more than 1,000 miles.

“More than 900 experts, specialists across areas such as naval architecture, engineering, navigation and design, are on Utopia to push the ship to its limits and make sure it’s ready for smooth sailing,” according to a Royal Caribbean news release.

On the list will be confirming expected ship movement through the open water and making sure its navigation systems and engines perform as expected.

The ship is taking over the three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries currently being performed by Allure of the Seas out of Port Canaveral, part of a strategy of parking two Oasis-class ships at the Orlando-area port that has led to record passenger numbers.

Each sailing will visit Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamas island Little Stirrup Cay, which the company has rebranded Perfect Day at CocoCay. The destination features a water park with 14 waterslides and a massive wave pool, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean and the Bahamas and a new adults-only area called Hideaway Beach.

As the sixth Oasis-class ship, the ship is 236,860 gross tons and 1,188 feet long with 18 decks and a 5,668-passenger capacity based on double occupancy. Oasis of the Seas was the largest in the world when it debuted in 2009 followed by 2010’s Allure of the Seas, 2016’s Harmony of the Seas, 2018’s Symphony of the Seas and 2022’s Wonder of the Seas.

All but Symphony have spent some time calling Port Canaveral home.

It’s the first time Royal has assigned the short sailing duties to a ship of that size for its debut.

It will not become the world’s largest ship because of the debut this year out of Miami of the even larger Icon of the Seas, the first in a new class of ship whose sister Star of the Seas will come online in 2025 and also make its way to Port Canaveral.

For now, though, Utopia of the Seas at No. 2 brings with it the Oasis-class favorites including the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. Utopia’s will be the longest at sea at 295 feet long — 43 feet longer than those on its sister ships. The ship’s outdoor features include eight hot tubs, five pools, three Perfect Storm waterslides, a surf simulator, mini golf, climbing walls and the Splashaway Bay water play area.

It will be home to seven neighborhoods that carve up the ship including the Boardwalk, Royal Promenade and Central Park.

A new dining venue is called Royal Railway – Utopia Station will bring travelers on board a virtual train, offering a thematic dinner experience similar to the new Empire Supper Club that debuted on Icon of the Seas. The railway cars diners sit in will mimic train travel with digital screens showing a variety of destinations with matching cuisine.

The ship will also feature a new poolside food truck with quick bites called The Spare Tire, a walkup window for Japanese restaurant Izumi with Japanese-inspired street food and sweets, a repositioned, two-deck Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar and new outside terrace Gio’s Terrazza and the second iteration of the popular Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar that debuted on Wonder of the Seas.

Also on board will be Hooked Seafood, Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, Park Cafe, Sorrento’s, Boardwalk Dog House, Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, Windjammer buffet, the main dining room and chef’s table experience.

One of 23 bar options, a new venue called the Pesky Parrot will feature fruit-based cocktails and frozen drinks on the Promenade taking place of the Bionic Bar found on some of its sister ships.

Utopia of the Seas will also be the first Oasis-class ship to run on liquefied natural gas, a cleaner burning fuel that is among the cruise industry’s efforts to reduce their ships’ carbon footprint. Port Canaveral was the first North American port to home port an LNG cruise ship when Carnival’s Mardi Gras arrived in 2021 followed by Disney Wish in 2022.

For its main show entertainment, new show titles have yet to be revealed, but it will have its three main performance venues with Broadway-style shows at the Royal Theater, a new diving and aerobatic show in the AquaTheater, new ice-skating performances in Studio B as well as comedy in The Attic.

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©2024 Orlando Sentinel. Visit at orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Bar Harbor businesses file motion against cruise ship ordinance

BAR HARBOR, Maine (WABI) - “It is an enormous amount of money that goes to our infrastructure, and the amount of visitations that we have is very stressed. And it’s going to be a ripple effect,” said Susan Stanley, Seagrass Gallery owner.

As Memorial Day approaches, coastal towns in Maine are gearing up for the tourism season.

But, businesses in one popular stop are fighting to let more visitors get there.

The Association to Preserve and Protect Local Livelihoods is a local non-profit that has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against an ordinance that limits cruise ships in Bar Harbor to allow no more than 1000 passengers to come ashore each day.

“We formed a group of the citizens, taxpayers, and residents formed a group, a nonprofit to take the town’s orders to court and this latest filing is part of that process where we’re seeking injunctive relief to prevent the economic disruption,” Ocean Properties Director of Operations, Eben Salvatore.

The injunction would prevent the town from enforcing the ordinance until a court issues a final ruling on its legality.

“More than 90% of our visitors annually come on ships larger than that. And as you can imagine, if you’re a cruise ship, to have to pick and choose who you would like to come ashore and who would have to stay on board, it’s not something that you will do, so they’re just not coming. It’s harmful to the taxpayers, it’s harmful to the businesses and the owners and their employees and families, etc.,” said Salvatore.

“Bar Harbor has always been a tourism town, and people have arrived here on ships since the very beginning. So, this isn’t new in any regard. It’s not just the cruise ships. It’s the fact that they bring people back,” said Stanley.

Local businesses say return customers are a strong part of their income.

And, it’s not only the money being spent at these establishments.

“We do receive well over a million dollars in cruise ship fees, and that money is able to go to our town parks, our bathrooms, our sidewalks, our streetlamps,” said Stanley.

Like many other coastal towns recovering from storm devastation, businesses on Mount Desert Island are seeing the financial hardships from those storms.

“The only way to make up for the missing revenue is going to be raising our property taxes again. It’s got to be figured out somehow, and I think APPLL is more than willing to work with, you know, the other side about this, and I just hope that happens before it’s too late,” said Stanley.

Copyright 2024 WABI. All rights reserved.

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