cruise ship tilting video

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Carnival cruise ship tilts hard to one side, terrifying passengers

November 2, 2018 / 6:59 AM EDT / CBS News

A Carnival cruise ship tipped to one side Sunday night, sending loose items sliding and falling all around and sparking panic among passengers, reports CBS New York . The station calls it a case of chaos on the high seas.

The Carnival Sunshine leaned mere hours after leaving Port Canaveral, Florida for the Caribbean.

The cruise line says a "technical issue" caused the bumpy start to the voyage.

Passenger Kyla Williams told CBS New York her husband had to hold her up so she wouldn't fall. "I was shifting, falling out of my seat," she said. "This was very much the ship rolling to one side and everything falling down from that, and it was something you'll never forget."

Passenger David Crews, of Long Island, New York told CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG-TV , "I didn't think anything of it, since it's not uncommon for ships to rock back and forth. But it didn't rock back. It kept leaning.

"Plates and silverware started sliding off the tables. Then the tables themselves started to slide. Glasses and plates started to fall and shatter. At this point, it was pure chaos. Screams. Cries. Panic."

https://t.co/uPR3J52wm8 — Clay LePard (@ClayLePardNews6) November 1, 2018

This is the inside of the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship on Sunday evening. @CarnivalCruise says the ship listed (tilted or leaned) because of a technical issue just hours after leaving @PortCanaveral . (H/t to David Crews for the pictures) pic.twitter.com/usSaQsZBzG — Clay LePard (@ClayLePard) October 31, 2018

Another passenger wrote on social media that water ran into elevators, and all her clothes were soaked by exploding cans falling from shelves.

"Get me off!!!!" the user exclaimed on Twitter.

Carnival says the boat leveled out after about a minute, then continued on its route.

Video from the ship shows employees trying to clean up the mess as passengers clutched at life jackets later that night.

The day after the incident, guests got a letter from the captain explaining what had happened and offering each person a $50 on-board credit "so you can enjoy something on us."

This is the letter guests received from @CarnivalCruise after their ship started to lean/tilt, causing all sorts of damage. pic.twitter.com/v5UNaM7LVA — Clay LePard (@ClayLePardNews6) October 31, 2018

The following day, a passenger wrote on social media "$50 credit is not enough. I did not sleep at all we got no explanation until this morning. My cruise is ruined. I cannot wait to get off this ship. I'm terrified."

CBS New York sent that passenger's complaint straight to the cruise line, which said in response, "We appreciated our guests understanding of this disruption and provided compensation as a gesture of goodwill."

The Carnival Sunshine is one of the oldest ships in Carnival's fleet. It was born as the Carnival Destiny in 1996, the world's largest cruise ship at the time, but was renamed after an extensive renovation several years later. 

WKMG has learned some guests cut their trip short, preferring to fly home early when the ship docked after the incident in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. 

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What to Do If You Find Yourself on a Wildly Tilting Cruise Ship

Hopefully you already know how to book your next cruise using points & miles, but do you know what you should do if you're on a cruise ship that gets stranded in the middle of rough seas?

If you're a big-wave lover like Alexus Sheppard, the 67-year-old retiree who went viral on Saturday with video of a disabled Viking ship rolling in the waves, you might want to head straight to the highest and most-forward observation deck on board.

"I'm a yachtswoman, so I needed to see it up close and in person," the former dentist and author told The Points Guy via Twitter, explaining her decision to watch the wild tilting of the 930-passenger Viking Sky after it lost power from the ship's seven-deck-high, forward-facing Explorers' Lounge.

Still, for most people, high places at the very front of a vessel are about the worst place to be when a ship hits rough seas and loses power. That's because without power to keep a vessel's bow pointed into the waves and without stabilizers functioning, the ship will begin to bob around much more noticeably. And that sort of movement will be felt in a much stronger way by passengers located at the high ends of a vessel.

Your best bet if you're wanting to avoid discomfort when a ship begins to wobble in the waves is to move to its equilibrium point, which generally is somewhere around its middle on a lower deck. Think of a teeter-totter: If you stand right at the middle of a teeter-totter, you're not going to see much action. But stand way out on the tips and, yeah, it's a thrill ride (depending on how you look at it).

Of course, if things get serious during a power loss at sea, you might not have much choice on where you can hunker down. As was the case with Viking Sky, the captain of the vessel might send passengers on a disabled ship to muster stations, which are pre-assigned locations. Often muster stations are relatively low on the ship, not far from the lifeboats. But they might be both in the center of the vessel or towards its bow and stern.

It should go without saying that, just as when an airplane experiences a problem, passengers on a ship during a malfunction should listen closely to announcements.

"If a ship does tilt – or has some other form of major disruption – the best course of action is for passengers to listen for announcements from the captain and pay attention to crew instructions," says Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic , the world's leading cruise-focused website. "They will be most familiar with the issue at hand and will provide passengers with the most up-to-date information and instructions."

"It's worth noting that in a majority of situations, problems will quickly be resolved," McDaniel adds.

McDaniel also notes that heavy rolling of the sort seen in Sheppard's video isn't a common occurrence during cruises.

When it does happen, it can be uncomfortable. Sheppard tells TPG the seas were "extremely rough" after the ship lost its propulsion, though "not too many (passengers) were seasick, amazingly enough."

Ships in rough seas move in multiple ways. In the case of a power loss, a big vessel such as Viking Sky generally will turn side-on to the wind and the waves, producing a side-to-side "roll" that can become quite severe. It was just such a roll that caused the furniture in Viking Sky's Explorers' Lounge to slide from side to side as Sheppard was shooting video.

Just like airplanes, cruise ships also can "pitch" forward and backward, rotating around their side-to-side axes, and they can rotate around their vertical axes in what is known as a "yaw."

Meanwhile, with propulsion power down, a cruise ship will begin to drift. That's not such a big deal if the vessel is far out to sea. But it becomes a crisis when the ship is close to the shore, as was the case on with Viking Sky. At the time of its power loss, Viking Sky was just a few miles from the rocky coast of Norway, and the drift was moving it ever-closer to land. This may explain why Viking Sky's captain decided to begin evacuating passengers from the ship by helicopter, something that has been rarely seen in the history of cruising.

One thing would-be cruisers should know is that, while alarming for many to see and experience, a significant roll from side to side isn't a sign that a vessel is about to capsize or sink. Just like that rubber ducky in your bathtub, cruise ships are designed to stay upright in extremely rough seas.

For the latest travel news, deals and points and miles tips please subscribe to The Points Guy daily email newsletter .

NBCNews.com

Cruise ship tilt: caught on tape.

Home video shows the massive list the Crown Princess took 11 miles at sea. MSNBC.com's Dara Brown reports. July 19, 2006

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Passengers detail panic on cruise ship that tilted to one side

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‘Several’ Cruise Passengers Injured After ‘Sudden, Extreme’ 115-mph Wind Causes Ship to Tilt

P assengers on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship traveling toward Florida experienced extreme wind Sunday night that caused the ship to tilt to its side, injuring some passengers.

The Norwegian Escape encountered “a sudden, extreme gust of wind” estimated at 115 miles per hour, and several passengers were injured as the ship tilted to its port side, the cruise line said in a series of tweets.

“Several injuries were reported and those guests and crew received immediate attention or are being treated by the ship’s medical staff,” Norwegian Cruise Line said on Twitter on Monday. “There was no damage to the ship; she remains fully operational and continues her scheduled itinerary.”

The ship, which holds about 4,200 passengers and 1,700 crew members, was not damaged, and it arrived at Port Canaveral, Fla. on Tuesday.

Videos captured on board the ship during the intense weather show passengers screaming and trying to steady themselves, as furniture slides across the floor and glasses crash to the ground.

The @CruiseNorwegian Escape was hit be a 100+ knot gust last night. The ship tilted and damage was everywhere. Crazy! pic.twitter.com/3fNx9sFBhW — Michael Patterson (@michaelpNYC) March 5, 2019

First, the staff and crew on Norwegian Escape have been terrific after an incident from extreme weather, the captain and cruise director were quick with transparent updates and everything was quickly brought back in order. Second, it was still insane: https://t.co/TJWVubwYi2 — AJ Black (@aaronjosef) March 5, 2019

Passenger Aaron Black shared a video from a piano bar on the ship, showing tables sliding across the floor, liquor bottles falling off the bar and passengers struggling to cross the room without falling. He described seeing “injuries and a lot of broken glass all around the ship.”

“I remember thinking about how calm it was for sailing out of New York in March and suddenly we got hit by a large gust of wind and the whole ship kind of just tilted to the side for about 30 seconds,” Black told CNN . “Suddenly everything around me was starting to move.”

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Exclusive first preview of 9-1-1 season 7: 'I'm on a cruise ship, there was an explosion'

We last saw Angela Bassett's Athena and Peter Krause's Bobby headed out on a cruise. Now the Fox-turned-ABC drama has one going down.

ABC/ Youtube

"I can't believe we're doing this!"

Athena ( Angela Bassett ) and Bobby ( Peter Krause ) were quite excited to head out on their delayed honeymoon cruise in the 9-1-1 season 6 finale in May — but now, in a season 7 preview clip exclusive to EW, the middle of the ocean appears to be the last place you'd want to be.

"I'm on a cruise ship, there was an explosion," a passenger tells a 9-1-1 operator in the first peek at the upcoming season of the first-responder drama, which makes the move from Fox to ABC when it returns March 14.

It's not yet clear if this is the same cruise ship that Athena and Bobby headed out on, but it doesn't bode well that the show made a point to tell viewers that the couple didn't inform anyone about their last-minute trip. (Classic 9-1-1 mistake!)

This cruise ship disaster has been a long time coming, with showrunner Kristen Reidel teasing a honeymoon hazard way back at the end of season 5 .

"I mean, dinners don't go well on  9-1-1 . Proposals don't go well on  9-1-1 . So I would expect that yes, at some point next season, you will definitely see some portion of that vacation and it will be very  9-1-1, " she told EW in May 2022.

And Reidel wasn't alone in predicting a cruise mishap.

"Bobby feels like, 'Hey, maybe it's finally time for us to go on a honeymoon.' And he chooses to surprise Athena with an idea for a vacation — and what could possibly go wrong if they get on a cruise ship?" Krause told EW a few weeks prior to the season 5 finale .

It may have taken them a season longer than we'd expected, but it seems the high seas are finally set for high drama.

Courtesy ABC

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• 9-1-1 's Maddie and Chimney romance: Kenneth Choi says he 'owes everything' to Jennifer Love Hewitt
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Coast Guard pulls Carnival cruise crew member from ship off Florida coast

Related video: Coast Guard medevacs pregnant woman aboard Disney cruise

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The U.S. Coast Guard said it pulled a crew member from a Carnival ship off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon.

Officials said the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 helicopter crew medevaced the 35-year-old crew member from the Carnival Sunshine.

The crew said it hoisted the ailing man and the ship’s nurse and took them to a medical center in Melbourne.

Photos from the Coast Guard show officials hovering over the ship to help the crew member.

Officials did not say what happened to the crew member or his condition.

According to CruiseHive , the ship was one day into its five-night sailing to the Bahamas. The Carnival Sunshine left Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.

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They cut a giant cruise ship in half to make it even bigger and it's amazing to watch

Like turning eggs into omelets, it turns out you sometimes have to break a cruise ship to make it bigger.

There’s something slightly unnerving about seeing an enormous cruise ship out of water. A skyscraper-sized vessel propped up by a few planks of wood in a barren dry dock is definitely strange to see, but it gets even odder when you watch workers slowly cut a ship in half in pursuit of making the vessel even longer.

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That’s exactly the fate that befell the Silver Spirit cruise ship, which is operated by European cruise line Silversea Cruises. The ship entered dry dock back in 2018 as a 640-foot, 36,009 ton ship, and left two months later almost 50 feet longer and with a new gross tonnage of 39,519.

Now, video of that glow up has surfaced online and was brought to our attention by the folks over at UniLad in the UK . And, dear reader, it makes for some very satisfying viewing I must say.

In the footage, workers can be seen cutting down the center of the ship . Once separated, the two sections are then slowly, but surely, inched further and further apart until there’s a gaping hole in the middle of the ship.

Next, a brand new, pre-fabricated section of ship is rolled into place and slotted between the two halves. The three pieces are then joined together and the refurbishment of the ship is complete, As UniLad explains:

Some 500 skilled workers put in approximately 450,000 man hours to insert the mid section and stretch Silver Spirit from 195.8 to 210.7 meters (640 feet to 690 feet). The operation involved 846 tons of steel and 110,000 meters (68 miles) of cabling and 8,000 meters (five miles) of piping. After the work was finished the ship has had its capacity increased by about 12 percent.

Once the work was finished up, the Silver Spirit returned to the seas with its new capacity that allowed for an additional 68 passengers to hop onboard the cruise liner.

A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik .

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Seven of the best after-dark adventures at sea

Ships by night aren’t all cocktails and casinos — from camping in antarctica to illuminated venice, these incredible cruise experiences only happen once the sun sets.

T here’s more to evenings on a cruise than cocktails, casinos and crooners. Whether it’s a private view of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice or camping on the Antarctic ice that floats your boat, here are seven evening cruise activities that might surprise you.

This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue

1. Sleep under the stars on deck in the Med

The ultra-luxurious SeaDream Yacht Club encourages guests to try a night under the stars on deck, with duvets, pillows and even monogrammed pyjamas provided. The best spot is the oversized lounger on the foredeck, completely private and roped off from the rest of the ship once you’ve retired. Scattered rose petals and chilled champagne add to the romance — and if the wind picks up you can always retreat to your cabin. Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive from Athens to Valletta from £5,354pp, departing on August 3 (seadream.com). Fly to Athens

2. See Ephesus in Turkey without the crowds

Imagine wandering around the 3,000-year-old ruins of Ephesus in Turkey when the hordes have gone, the ancient stones still reflecting the day’s heat as the light fades. This after-hours exclusive experience, which includes cocktails and a magical choral recital under the stars in the Roman theatre, is one of Azamara’s “AzAmazing Evenings” special cultural events on every cruise. Details Ten nights’ all-inclusive from Athens to Istanbul from £1,471pp, departing on July 31 (azamara.com). Fly to Athens

3. Camp on the ice in Antarctica

Snuggling up under canvas in a sleeping bag is such a popular activity on Hurtigruten’s Antarctic expeditions that you have to enter a lottery to secure your place for camping on the ice. After dinner on board an expedition team sets forth to put the tents up. Once you’re installed, sit and listen to the sounds of nature; the gentle crackling of the ice, the whisper of the wind and the chatter of nearby penguin colonies. Make sure you’re up to watch the sunrise before heading back to the ship for breakfast. Details Eleven nights’ all-inclusive from £7,1725pp, departing on November 27 (travelhx.com). Fly to Buenos Aires

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4. chase the aurora in norway with an astronomer.

This year and next are peak times for viewing the northern lights. Havila Voyages is offering 11-night astronomy cruises to take advantage of the increased solar activity, with Ian Ridpath, editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy , escorting the October departure. He will deliver lectures on the aurora, constellations, comets and the moon landings as the ship sails a round-trip from Bergen to Kirkenes in the far north of Norway, with the crew on constant lookout for those dancing lights in the night sky. Details Eleven nights’ full board from £1,308pp, departing on October 30 (havilavoyages.com). Fly to Bergen

• 12 best northern lights cruises for a spectacular adventure

5. Watch fruit bats in Indonesia

When the luxurious superyacht Aqua Blu is anchored off the Indonesian island of Mioskon on its cruises around jungly Raja Ampat, passengers can witness an extraordinary event. As darkness falls, thousands of fruit bats launch themselves from the trees, twittering as they stream across the fading sunset and filling the sky overhead. Marvel at this spectacle from one of the ship’s tenders, complete with cocktails and canapés, before heading back on board for dinner. Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £7,444pp, including all activities, departing on December 21 (aquaexpeditions.com). Fly to Sorong

6. Have St Mark’s in Venice to yourself

Imagine seeing the golden mosaics and exquisite marble of St Mark’s Basilica after sunset, without a selfie stick in sight. Uniworld has after-hours access to this glorious 11th-century cathedral for its cruises from Venice, and you’re in for a treat. Once the day trippers have left you’ll sit in a pew in front of the gleaming golden altar, before the lights are switched off and you’re plunged into darkness; one by one they come on again, illuminating the exquisite detail of the interior — it’s a true goose-bump experience. Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £2,799pp, departing on September 8 (uniworld.com). Fly to Venice

7. Toast marshmallows around a campfire in Mexico

On an UnCruise expedition around the Sea of Cortez off Mexico you’ll spend most of your time spotting super-pods of whales and dolphins and hiking the cactus-strewn mountains that frame this sheltered sea. But one of the best moments is when the crew head ashore to build a beach bonfire. After dinner you’re ferried across in darkness to sit around the fire, toasting marshmallows, drinking rum-laced hot chocolate, looking at the canopy of glittering stars and listening to the crackling of the flames. Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £6,770pp, including flights and a night at a Los Angeles hotel pre-cruise, departing on January 17 (mundyadventures.co.uk)

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Technical issue causes Carnival Cruises ship to lean, leading to panic on board

There was chaos on a Carnival Cruise ship when the cruise suffered a technical issue that made the ship list, or lean to one side.

The cruise line confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday that the tilt, which happened after the ship departed from the Florida coast Sunday, lasted for "approximately one minute."

The aftermath of the dramatic tilt was captured in photos shared to Twitter by local CBS-affiliate WKMG reporter Clay LePard. The images show items on the floor along with broken glass and shattered plates. 

Guests on the cruise told the news station the tilt caused panic. 

"I didn't think anything of it, since it's not uncommon for ships to rock back and forth. But it didn't rock back. It kept leaning," David Crews, of Long Island, said. "Plates and silverware started sliding off the tables. Then the tables themselves started to slide. Glasses and plates started to fall and shatter. At this point, it was pure chaos. Screams. Cries. Panic."

Others took to social media to share their reactions and concerns.

"@CarnivalCruise Last night was a very scary experience on the Sunshine. The starboard side literally felt like it lifted," one Twitter user shared. "I was in the dining room on 3. All the tables slid and fell over, glass falling and breaking. People screaming. And all we get is, ‘It’s being investigated' "

"@CarnivalCruise get me off this ship Carnival Sunshine. We just listed so bad that I am not comfortable being in this shop (sic) anymore," another tweeted. "Water ran out if the pools glasses shattered in my room and drink spilled in my suitcase!"

The cruise line issued a statement that noted it was business as usual aboard the ship after the tilt. 

"There was never any issue with the safe operation of the ship and our officers quickly intervened to correct the situation," Carnival spokesperson AnneMarie Mathews told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "Following the incident, evening events resumed for our guests and the ship proceeded on its Caribbean cruise as scheduled. We are very sorry for the disruption this caused."

The Carnival statement added the ship remains fully operational and will sail as scheduled on Friday.

"We remain confident of the safety of the ship as we are committed to the safety of our guests and crew," the statement concluded.

More: Couple found hidden camera in their Carnival Cruise bedroom: 'Our privacy had been invaded'

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I work from a cruise ship for 3 months a year. Here's how I stay productive at sea.

• Walter Biscardi runs his travel business remotely from cruise ships for three months each year.
• He said WiFi reliability has improved, but video calls and finding power outlets can be challenging.
• Biscardi recommends Virgin Voyages for remote workers because of the spaces to work and the WiFi.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Walter Biscardi, a 59-year-old travel agent based in Orlando. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I used to work in film, television, documentary, and marketing, and I ran two creative agencies in Atlanta for 25 years.

A few years ago, my wife and I turned my second passion, travel, into " Where's Walter Travel ." We specialize in travel planning services for cruises , group vacations, theme park tours, and company retreats.

We live in an Orlando rental, but I run the travel-planning business from a cruise ship for three months out of the year.

We started taking advantage of our remote working situation after the pandemic

In a few short years of working on cruise ships, I've noticed that more and more people are starting to do the same thing.

We predominantly cruise the Caribbean. Last year, our three months were spread over six different trips on the Royal Caribbean , Oceania , Virgin Voyages , and Carnival cruise lines. If it were up to me, I'd be at sea for six months a year, but my wife prefers three.

This year, we'll be back on Virgin Voyages in June and on the Sun Princess in October. We're planning a few more, too.

WiFi speed and reliability onboard ships have been game-changers

I don't always look for speed but rather consistency and reliability.

Even though the WiFi is reliable on most ships , it's still not perfect, and you need to manage your expectations. The WiFi on ships is satellite-based, so the signal will be slower if there's a lot of cloud cover. Rain may also temporarily cut it out completely.

The WiFi signal in rooms can be weak. When I get on board, I walk around public places, look at the ceiling, and find the repeaters , which amplify the router's signal . I park myself under a repeater to work, so at least I know I'm getting the fastest signal.

Video calls can be dicey, but voice calls over WiFi work well

Most of my work is using emails, social media apps, and a web browser, so I don't tend to have problems. The upload speed is the most difficult thing about working on a cruise ship.

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Working from a cruise ship might not be for you if you're required to upload a video to YouTube or be on video for 100% of your Zoom calls. Zoom with video turned off works well. I post TikToks all day, but uploading to YouTube will fail almost every time.

Turn off your cell service on the ship, even if you have unlimited roaming overseas. Phones use satellite maritime cellular, and it's ridiculously expensive. I've heard of people who have come home with $1,000 cellular bills because they didn't turn off their roaming.

I can typically make most of my calls over WiFi, but you won't be able to on some ships. Texting from ship to land usually works well if you're using the same type of phone as the person you're messaging, but when you're texting cross-platform, sometimes it doesn't work.

Finding power outlets can be challenging

Typically, if you need to put in a full day of work connected to power, you need to stay in your room. One tip to finding power when you're looking around public areas is to see where they plug in the vacuum cleaners.

I strongly recommend bringing a powerboard with multiple USB sockets. I have one with 10 USB connections, so I can charge my phone, GoPro, and other devices simultaneously.

Virgin Voyages ships are the most friendly for remote workers

The galley on a Virgin Voyages ship is set up like a coffee shop, with easily accessible power and USB sockets at the table. There are dozens of outlets, as they're inviting people to bring their laptops and work from the ship.

I usually upgrade to the premium WiFi option, which can cost anywhere from $19 to $39 per day on most lines, but Virgin only charges $10 per day to upgrade.

I work in an office at home, so working on a cruise is a big change

I operate at sea as I do on land, with the same office hours available to my clients other than when I know we're going on an excursion.

Cruise ships are comparable to remote working spaces, but they offer so much more. On a cruise, almost everything is included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, entertainment, and most amenities.

If I want to take a break from work, I go to the pool. When I finish for the day, I'll go to the theater to see a show.

Meeting places are usually free on a cruise ship. Generally, all you have to do is reserve a conference room. AV facilities are usually included too, although you may have to pay a setup fee.

Remember to be respectful — many people are on board for a vacation. I've been out by the pool and seen people taking business calls on speakerphone, which is ridiculously annoying.

I suggest picking at least one port on every cruise and make it a 'ship day'

About 75% of people will get off the ship at any port, so staying on board feels like you have the whole place to yourself.

Activities like the pools will still be open, and the spas will often discount their services by 20-40% on port days.

Of course, I still recommend getting off and exploring as much as possible — that's what cruises are for.

Watch: Cruise ship captain breaks down 8 cruise ship disasters in movies and TV

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