High Seas Damage Cruise Ship

[mamalle]

Massive Wave Damages, Diverts Cruise Ship
Sunday, April 17, 2005 10:57 PM EDT
The Associated Press


A seven-story wave damaged a cruise ship returning from the Bahamas over the weekend, smashing windows, flooding more than 60 cabins and injuring four passengers.

The Norwegian Dawn was diverted from its route when the ship ran into rough weather on the way back to New York on Saturday. The 965-foot-long vessel docked in the Charleston harbor for repairs, and departed for New York early Sunday after a Coast Guard inspection, officials said. It was expected back in New York by noon Monday.

"The ship was hit by a freak wave that caused two windows to break in two different cabins," Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement. It said 62 cabins flooded and four passengers had cuts and bruises. The wave reached as high as deck 10 on the ship, company spokeswoman Susan Robison said Sunday.

James Fraley, who was taking a honeymoon cruise with his wife, said they called their loved ones as the wave pounded the boat because they thought the ship was going down.

"It was pure hell. We're talking 47-foot waves hitting the 10th floor, knocking Jacuzzis on the 12th floor overboard _ people sleeping in hallways in life jackets," Fraley told WCBD-TV in Charleston. "Just pure pandemonium."

The ship's hull was damaged but the vessel was not taking on water, said Keith Moore of the Coast Guard Group Charleston.

"All the passengers had donned personal flotation devices as a precaution," Moore told The (Charleston) Post and Courier.

The cruise line said passengers whose cabins were flooded were being flown home

How scary for all of them. I know the seas have been pretty rough this past weekend here in south fla.

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CM_Mom]

James Fraley, who was taking a honeymoon cruise with his wife, said they called their loved ones as the wave pounded the boat because they thought the ship was going down.

I'm sorry the people were afraid but don't think they were in as much danger as they thought. The way ships are designed now, there is little likelihood of the ship "going down" because the "below water line" decks are compartmentalized with water tight doors so each area is a separate bouyant chamber.

Note in the article it says that the hull was damaged but NOT taking on water. Sounds like the captain made good choices for the safety of the passengers and crew even if putting on the flotation devices really scares some folks.

I heard on the news that only 300 of the 2500 passengers left the ship at Charleston. But I can understand the fear if you're the one who got wet.

Stuff happens but don't let it scare you away from cruising.

 

[Rence]

I find the story very reassuring.

The ship got hit by a 70 foot wave!!!!

Four people had minor injuries, cuts and bruises.

Considering the magnitude of what happened, the injuries were minor. To me this shows how safe modern ships are.