Cruises are often seen as a luxurious escape with unlimited dining, breathtaking sea vistas, and a chance to explore various global destinations. However, the allure can quickly fade when unexpected incidents occur, such as a ship rapidly tilting during its voyage.
A dramatic incident was recently captured on the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, en route from Barcelona, Spain to Miami, Florida. The cruise encountered severe weather conditions, leading to unsettling footage of the ship tilting.
The video reveals passengers struggling to maintain balance as the ship leaned significantly, with items tumbling from tables and shelves at a bar.
The ship was in the vicinity of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, when it was struck by what Royal Caribbean Cruises called an ‘unexpected wind gust’ resulting in the vessel’s ‘sudden movement’.
Speaking with CBS Miami, passenger Jonathan Parrish recounted being informed that the wind speed escalated dramatically from 46mph to 84mph in just six minutes.
“[There’s] not much you can do about that, with mother nature,” Parrish reflected.
While attending a theater show on the cruise, Parrish experienced a ‘hard right turn’ followed by another, ‘more intense’ one. He and other concerned passengers left the show to assess the situation, observing: “Everybody kind of walked around a little bit, just gawking at all the bottles from the bar that had fallen. All the merchandise that you could purchase in the Royal Promenade was just all spread out throughout the floor.”
“There was about five minutes in there where everybody was wondering what was going on, but as soon as the captain came on and made the announcement of what had happened, [it] kind of gave you a sense of calmness,” Parrish continued.
After the announcement, passengers were advised to return to their cabins while crew members performed accountability checks.
Despite Parrish’s reassurance, viewers of the video found the sight of the listing ship alarming, with some estimating the tilt reached up to 45 degrees.
@digitalnomado Cruise hot a squal in Atlantic Ocean and tilted 45 degrees in to the ocean #neardeath #cruiselife
“I did not need to see this 9 days before I leave for my first damn cruise,” one individual commented upon discovering the video on the TikTok account @digitalnomado.
“This only further solidifies my lifelong decision to NEVER go on a cruise,” another remarked.
Following the ordeal, Royal Caribbean reported that one individual suffered an injury and required additional medical attention.
“One of our guests was injured and requires additional medical care, so the ship will make a call in Las Palmas, Spain for a medical disembarkation. We are communicating these changes directly with our guests,” the company stated.