cruise ship volcano accident

Royal Caribbean passengers describe how a terrifying volcano disaster led them to sue the cruise company over their injuries

• Two cruise passengers have spoken out about a harrowing experience that forever changed their lives.
• They told The Independent they were severely injured during a shore excursion to a volcano in 2019.
• Since the incident, the pair have been locked in a legal battle, along with other passengers.

Two Royal Caribbean cruise passengers have spoken out about a harrowing experience they endured during an excursion to a volcanic site.

In an interview with The Independent on Thursday, Matt Urey and Lauren Barham said that in 2019, a volcano they were visiting during a shore excursion erupted in front of them. It caused severe injuries, according to the pair, who live in Richmond, Virginia.

They told the outlet that the recent volcanic eruption near Tonga filled them with a sense of dread, given their own experiences.

In December 2019, Urey and Barham boarded Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas to celebrate their honeymoon, according to a lawsuit that was filed two years ago. 

On one day, the couple took a trip to New Zealand's White Island Volcano as part of a shore excursion. They said they were led to what appeared to be the center, when it erupted shortly afterwards, leaving the couple with severe burns. 

Related stories

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

According to the couple's lawsuit, Urey suffered burns to 54% of his body and Barham to 23% of her body. 

"We literally took off running for our lives," Urey told The Independent . "It was pure terror."

Multiple publications reported at the time that 22 people were killed in the catastrophic eruption and dozens were left with burns. 

"We heard our tour guide shout run, and that was when it all hit," Urey said. Barham added that she was sure she was going to die. 

The couple alleged in their lawsuit that Royal Caribbean failed to alert cruise passengers about the risks involved in visiting the island.

Royal Caribbean has its headquarters in Florida, which in June 2021, was ruled to be the correct jurisdiction for legal action taken on behalf of fellow passengers to proceed. 

Recently, some current and former Royal Caribbean staff members complained of unsatisfactory quarantine experiences after contracting COVID-19. 

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Into the Inferno: Victims, Families Claim Royal Caribbean Sent Them to Active Volcano

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‘It was pure terror’: Couple suing cruise giant Royal Caribbean over deadly ‘Ring of Fire’ volcanic eruption

Matt urey and lauren barham spent their honeymoon in a coma in hospitals 1,000km apart after suffering catastrophic burn injuries in the 2019 white island volcanic eruption. they tell bevan hurley the disaster was a failure ‘from top to bottom’..

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A s they watched footage on the news of Tonga ’s “once-in-a millennium” volcanic eruption last week, Matt Urey and Lauren Barham became filled with a sense of dread.

The couple from Richmond, Virginia, could sympathise with the plight of the South Pacific nation more than most, having only just survived a catastrophic eruption on the same Ring of Fire volcanic chain that encircles the Pacific Ocean.

They knew all too well what it felt like to have life altered in an instant by the frightening force of mother nature, and painful memories came flooding back.

“It really bothered me,” Mr Urey tells The Independent of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption that sent spectacular plumes of smoke, ash and gas into the sky and set off tsunami alerts from California to Japan.

On 9 December 2019, the couple were on their honeymoon cruise aboard Royal Caribbean ’s Ovation of the Seas when they took a shore excursion to New Zealand’s White Island volcano.

They were led to the crater’s edge to experience the dramatic, lunar-like scenery. Moments later the volcano erupted, and the couple became submerged in burning ash and pelted with rock, leaving both with life-long physical and emotional scars.

Twenty-two people were killed in the eruption and dozens more were left with catastrophic burn injuries.

Three weeks before the eruption, New Zealand’s geological hazards agency Geonet issued a level two alert for the volcano, which is one step below an eruption event.

In fact, scientists had been warning for more than 20 years that “frequent explosive eruptions present an obvious threat” to the thousands who visited White Island each year, according to multiple court filings.

Mr Urey and Ms Barham are among survivors and family members of the victims who are suing Royal Caribbean International for gross negligence causing loss of life and physical and emotional injury.

“We wouldn’t have gone there if we had known it was so close to an eruption,” Mr Urey tells The Independent.

“It was a failure from top to bottom.”

‘We literally took off running for our lives’

Honeymoon pictures from before the eruption show Mr Urey and Ms Barham taking in Sydney’s famous Opera House, visiting the city’s aquarium, and at the top of the Southern Hemisphere’s highest building, the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand.

“I really wanted a relaxing honeymoon,” Ms Barham says.

They were fit and active, but not interested in adventure tourism.

Upon arriving at the port of Tauranga on New Zealand’s east coast, the newlyweds boarded a bus for Whakatane 90km away where they boarded small inflatable boats for the 90-minute journey to White Island.

Within minutes of landing on White Island, that anticipation had turned to fear after they overheard a guide say the volcano’s alert level had been raised and the tour would have to be cut short. The mountain had recently received a level two alert warning and was approaching level three - meaning it could erupt at any moment.

The couple were given gas masks to combat the toxic smoke and hiked to the edge of the crater, posing for photos as the volcano’s mouth smouldered a few metres away.

At 2.11pm on 9 December 2019, they heard a deafening crack.

“We heard our tour guide shout run, and that was when it all hit. We literally took off running for our lives,” Mr Urey said.

A thick plume of smoke rose 3.7 kilometres (12,000 ft) into the air, blotting out the sun and bringing burning rocks and a toxic cocktail of poisonous gases streaming back down to earth.

“There was nothing you could do, but hang on and hope to survive,” Mr Urey said.

They huddled behind a rocky outcrop, as burning ash rained down all around them.

Ms Barham said she held on tightly to her husband as they slowly became buried underneath the ash.

“At that point I was sure I was going to die,” she tells The Independent from her home in Virginia.

“I just kept telling Matt ‘I love you’. I just held on to him because I wanted our bodies to be found together.”

Ms Barham’s gas mask was blown off in the blast, while Mr Urey said his became filled with ash and smoke, momentarily blinding him.

“You have the extreme heat, you’re being pelted with rocks out of the volcano, you could not see any daylight. It was pure terror.”

When the eruption stopped two minutes later, Ms Barham was in shock and unable to walk, and Mr Urey guided her back to the jetty.

They found a single dinghy waiting to take the injured survivors to safety, and had to make a decision whether to climb aboard the small inflatable boat or wait for a helicopter to arrive, unsure if another eruption was coming.

“Everybody was panicking trying to get off there. It was a free-for-all,” he said.

“There was this rusty metal ladder leading to the boat, and as I grabbed on it my hand just slid because all the skin was peeling off my fingers.”

They found a spot on the crowded boat, and endured an excruciating 90-minute trip back to the mainland as Ms Barham passed in and out of consciousness.

“We were getting blasted by saltwater and laying in the sun, while burnt to a crisp. It was absolutely agonising,” he says.

A crewmember washed the ash off their bodies, which they believe saved them from even worse burn injuries.

Mr Urey said he was still running on adrenaline and rode in the ambulance back to Whakatane Hospital - a small regional medical facility unequipped to deal with a mass casualty event.

As Ms Barham was taken into an intensive care room, he was led into a separate room and wrapped in cling film.

It would be the last time they saw each other until February when they were reunited at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

Ms Barham was medevaced 300km (180 miles) north to Auckland where she spent three weeks in a coma. Her airwaves had been burnt from the ash and she suffered a lung infection.

Ms Barham suffered 23 per cent burns, including to her hands, neck and face.

Mr Urey was flown to a hospital 1,000km (600 miles) away in the city of Christchurch in the country’s South Island, where he spent 11 days in a medically-induced coma.

Photos taken soon afterward show Mr Urey’s burn marks forming a patchwork of bright red scars on his back, chest and legs. He sustained burns to 54 per cent of his body.

“That was our honeymoon and we spent the majority of it in a coma hundreds of miles apart,” Mr Urey said.

New Zealand’s hospital burn units were overwhelmed in the days after the eruption and surgeons had to order in 120 square metres (1,290 square feet) of human skin from overseas.

Amid the confusion, survivors and family of the injured struggled to find out where their loved ones were and who had survived.

In all, 20 tourists died; 14 from Australia, five from the United States, and a German national, along with two local tour guides. It took days for some victims to succumb to their injuries. Many more suffered “life-altering” injuries.

Florida attorney Mike Winkleman is representing the Ureys and several other US-based victims in a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean and told The Independent the cruise company had failed to alert his clients about the risks.

“Passengers weren’t fully informed about what was going on the island and were not able to make an informed decision,” he said.

“Just about all the passengers have said ‘if I had known about the heightened seismic activity, I never would have set foot on White Island’,” he said.

Royal Caribbean International declined to comment to The Independent.

‘Powder keg’

Australian Stephanie Browitt is another survivor who is suing Royal Caribbean.

The 25-year-old boarded the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship in Sydney with parents Paul and Marie, and sister Krystal, a veterinary student. They were celebrating Krystal’s 21st birthday, and made a spur of the moment decision to book a day excursion to the volcanic island, except for Marie, who stayed on the ship due to a medical condition.

When the volcano blew, Stephanie had just snapped pictures near the centre of the island with her father and sister, and was struck by burning ash and rocks.

“Covered with burns and barely able to move, Stephanie staggered toward the jetty, with other passengers screaming and grabbing at her legs as she went,” according to a lawsuit filed in Florida’s Miami-Dade County Court.

“She made it to the jetty, where she waited on the hot ground for rescue. Every 15 to 20 minutes, she could hear her father calling her name and she realised he was trying to help her stay awake. She shifted position periodically as the hot, ash-covered ground burned her side and back.”

Krystal never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at hospital. Paul died after spending several agonising days in hospital. Stephanie woke from a coma two weeks later with third-degree burns to 70 per cent of her body.

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Florida attorney Rebecca Vinocur, who represents the Browitts, says tourist excursions to the “powder keg” island could not have been safe under any circumstances.

Royal Caribbean “compounded its error” by ignoring warnings of heightened risk and failing to inform passengers of White Island’s history of eruptions, Ms Vinocur says in the lawsuit.

They have accused Royal Caribbean of gross negligence causing the wrongful deaths of Paul and Krystal, and physical and psychological injuries to Stephanie and Marie.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, one of the largest cruise companies in the world, is registered in the West African country of Liberia and maintains its corporate headquarters in Florida.

After the Browitts filed their lawsuit, Royal Caribbean attempted to get the case shifted to Australia, claiming terms in their ticket agreement meant any disputes could only be tried in the state of New South Wales.

However, a federal court in Australia ruled  in June last year the appropriate jurisdiction was Florida, where the company’s headquarters are based.

That ruling opened the door for Australians to file lawsuits in the US courts, and Mike Winkleman said several more clients had joined the litigation. More details of the passenger’s suffering emerged in newly filed court documents.

“The potential for a significant recovery is much higher here in Florida than it is in Australia,” Mr Winkleman told The Independent, as the case will be heard by a jury .

He is also representing several plaintiffs including the family of Mayuari and Pratap Singh​, an Indian-American couple from Atlanta, Georgia, who were killed in the eruption.

Mr Winkleman told The Independent: “Their big defence is an act of God, there’s always an element of that. But when there’s red flag after red flag there comes a point when you have to do something about those red flags.”

He says his clients accept there are some inherent risks with visiting an active volcano.

“What the law requires here is that Royal Caribbean or any cruise ship operators give a warning to its passengers about risks it knew about or that it should have known about.

“They literally make tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars, marketing, promoting the tours - everything related to excursions. My clients want to see better warning signs and greater responsibility shown by cruise companies.”

The Ring of Fire

New Zealand’s explosive geology, a key feature of the country’s physical beauty that used to attract four million annual visitors before the Covid pandemic, has long been both a blessing and a curse.

Sitting on the Ring of Fire chain astride the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, New Zealand sees frequent, violent earthquakes and occasional volcanic eruptions, Auckland University Professor of Volcanology Shane Cronin tells The Independent.

“Volcanoes from the Aleutians to Alaska and from Tonga to New Zealand are all related to the same general process. Each volcano along this ring, however, operates independently of the other volcanoes in terms of its magma accumulation and eruption frequency and timing,” Professor Cronin says.

“In addition, the combined impact of volcanoes and earthquake motions have generated a series of spectacular lakes, mountains and geothermal areas – all of which are major tourist attractions.”

Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson employed that dramatic scenery to bring Tolkien’s Middle Earth universe to cinema screens in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

White Island sits 48km (30 miles) off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, one of New Zealand’s most scenic and impoverished regions.

New Zealand’s indigenous Maori have lived in the area for about 700 years , and call the island Te Puia o Whakaari , which translates to The Dramatic Volcano.

It received its English name from explorer Captain James Cook in 1769 for the white clouds hovering around its peak.

According to information from New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence, White Island erupted at least 10 times in the past century, including a deadly 1914 eruption that killed 11 sulphur miners on the island (The only survivor was the mining company’s cat, who earned the nickname Peter the Great.)

New Zealand’s deadliest recorded eruption occurred in 1886 when the North Island’s Mt Tarawera blew, burying villages in the area, destroying the famed pink and white terraces of Lake Rotomahana, and killing an estimated 120 people.

White Island experienced the longest eruption episode in recorded history between 1975 and 2000, as active vents in the mountain’s craters emitted volcanic ash.

According to Geonet, the volcano experienced a succession of steam and sulphur explosions in 2012, 2013 and 2016 that dramatically reshaped the volcanic cone, causing landslides and the formation of a new lake on the island.

Despite the regular eruptions, volcanic activity on White Island is notoriously difficult to predict, says Professor Cronin.

Small amounts of magma are continuously being fed into the island’s conical peak, he says.

“The magma rises very slowly to the surface at this volcano so it is not erupting with large volumes all the time, but it does have a continuous hot crater area with hot springs and fumaroles. It also builds up gas pressure regularly.”

And yet none of the island’s explosive history was explained to the passengers, the lawsuits allege. While it did advertise that White Island was an “active” volcano, this only indicates that there had been at least one eruption in the past 10,000 years.

The alleged collective failure has also led to criminal charges against several Government agencies, tourism operators and company directors in New Zealand.

WorkSafe, the country’s workplace health and safety regulator, has charged GNS Science with failing to “effectively communicate” the dangers of volcanic activity.

White Island’s owners Andrew, James and Peter Buttle and their company, Whakaari Management, also face criminal charges, along with several tour companies including White Island Tours, Volcanic Air Safaris and ID Tours New Zealand.

All have pleaded not guilty, and a criminal trial is expected to take place later this year. Each organisation faces a maximum fine of NZ$1.5m, and the individuals could be fined up to $300,000.

Mr Urey and Ms Barham are assisting New Zealand police with the criminal case and say they are expecting to give evidence via videolink at trial.

“It’s been hard on us, especially when they are pleading not guilty,” Ms Barham says. “I just wish they would take accountability for what they did.”

Mr Urey agreed, saying there had been a collective failure.

“White Island Tours knew that island better than anybody else. They should have known not to send us there.

“And at the very minimum, Royal Caribbean should have told us before we got off that cruise ship, ‘hey this volcano is at a heightened level of activity, you might want to double check if you’re really willing to accept this risk’. Instead of sending us on our merry way without saying a word.

“Any one organisation stepping up could have stopped this tragedy.”

In October, Nature magazine reported that some in the scientific community fear that prosecuting a science agency over the information it releases could have a “chilling effect” on an organisation’s ability to give the public accurate and timely advice on natural hazards.

‘It’s like ageing 40 years overnight’

More than two years after the eruption, Lauren Barham is still undergoing monthly operations for her injuries at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Initially she struggled to even hold a knife and fork.

As a lab technician at a hospital, she says the ongoing skin grafts are gradually helping her to recover more mobility and strength in her hands.

“I understand that I’m going to have scars forever, but I just want my range of motion to be better.”

Mr Urey works as a mechanical engineer at a company that makes flame resistant clothing, and says one of the hardest things to deal with has been the loss of sensation on his grafted skin.

“It’s like ageing 40 years overnight,” he says.

“Every joint is stiff, your skin constantly tightens up. Every morning you spend 20 minutes trying to get your skin to move, and we both apply lots of lotion every day.”

In his spare time he likes to build and fix things. “I drop screws and nails constantly, because I just can’t feel them like I used to.”

Mr Urey used to be an avid runner, but now his body is unable to cool down properly because his grafted skin doesn’t sweat.

“That’s one hobby that is never coming back which hurts, because that used to be my stress relief.

“This just drags on and on.”

Complicating their recovery has been Covid – the couple are fearful of what an infection could do to their immune systems.

They are holding on to the hope of starting a family one day, and are about to become an aunt and uncle for the first time.

“There’s still not a day that goes by when I don’t think about the eruption,” Ms Barham says.

“I have days when I really struggle emotionally. But I also have a new appreciation for life now.”

She hopes by taking legal action that White Island is never opened to tourists again.

“That place should just not be open at all. It’s too unpredictable.”

Stephanie Browitt suffered burns so severe that her eight fingers had to be amputated at the second knuckle. She has had more than 20 surgeries and faces a long, slow recovery.

Her attorneys did not respond to a request for comment, but Ms Browitt has shared her recovery journey in a series of inspiring posts on social media.

Ms Browitt, who still wears a mask for her injuries, has written candidly about how simple pleasures like enjoying a restaurant meal or wearing a dress in public have helped.

On the second anniversary of the eruption, her “burnaversy” as survivors often call it, Stephanie posted a moving tribute to her family, and to celebrate the many hurdles she had overcome.

“Today marks two years of accomplishments but also loss, pain and never ending grief. I miss and yearn for my family everyday. I love you so much dad and Krystal, so much it kills me.”

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Royal Caribbean liability for volcano deaths may turn on 'act of God' defense

By Tom Hals

(Reuters) - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's potential liability for a deadly excursion to a volcanic island in New Zealand could hinge on whether the eruption was an unforeseeable "act of God," according to maritime lawyers.

Cruise ship passengers were among the tourists on White Island on Monday when it erupted. While no lawsuits have yet been filed, legal experts said they expected action in U.S courts by injured passengers and families of those who died.

There were 47 people on the island at the time. Eight have been officially declared dead and more than 20 are being treated for severe burns. The New Zealand military was carrying out an operation to recover eight other bodies still on the island.

Royal Caribbean ticket terms posted on its website spell out that the company is not liable for any injury, death or loss of property caused by an act of God, as well as war, terrorism or other events beyond the company's control.

Royal Caribbean will likely argue the disaster was an extraordinary event no one could reasonably foresee, said Robert Kritzman, an attorney with Baker Donelson in Miami.

"If a volcano were to erupt, clearly that isn't negligence on anyone's part, that's nature," said Kritzman, a former general counsel with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean did not respond to questions about missing passengers or whether it told passengers of the risks of visiting the island.

"We grieve this tragic loss. We will to continue to offer our support and services to the families during this difficult time," the company said in an email.

Part of the case will turn on what the cruise line knew or should have known and what they told passengers about indications of increased volcanic activity.

"There are tremors, there are earthquakes and people monitor that," said Carlos Llinás Negret, an attorney with Nelson & Fraenkel who represents passengers. "It all depends on what the cruise knew, and when they knew it."

Geological hazard tracker GeoNet raised the alert level for the White Island volcano in November and said on Dec. 3 that "the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal."

The cruise line described White Island as "one of the most active volcanoes in the world," according to a cached version of its website. "Get close to the drama: Gas masks help you get near roaring steam vents, bubbling pits of mud, hot volcanic streams and the amazing lake of steaming acid," it promised.

Virginia parents of one woman who was severely burned told a TV station that her daughter said she believed Royal Caribbean would not have let her visit the island if it were not safe.

The experts said in a typical shore excursion accident the cruise line tries to put blame on the third party that is hired to run the tour. On its website, Royal Caribbean does not identify the company that ran the White Island excursion.

Passengers would have to show Royal Caribbean did not take proper care to vet the operator, lawyers said.

But lawsuits face the added challenge of overcoming the argument the eruption was unforeseeable.

Norwegian Cruise Line was able to fend off a class action lawsuit about a large "freak wave" hitting one of its ships in 2005 by arguing it was an unforeseeable event. Regulators had concluded there was no wrongdoing by Norwegian.

Royal Caribbean is using the act of God defense against a class action about a powerful storm in 2016 that hit the ship Anthem of the Seas off the eastern United States. Passengers said the company knew of the risks of the storm, but tried to outrun it.

The dramatic description of the White Island tour on Royal Caribbean's website will likely be a focus of any lawsuit, with lawyers seizing on it to show the company knew a disaster was possible, legal experts said. The company could argue passengers were fully informed of the dangers and received proper safety equipment.

"If they hand out gas masks that says automatically you know you have a risk," said Bob Parks, a Miami attorney who represents passengers.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; editing by Noeleen Walder and Grant McCool)

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White Island tragedy: Ovation of the Seas passengers return to Sydney following the volcano disaster

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As the Ovation of the Seas cruise liner docked in Sydney under a pale dawn this morning, passengers began to talk about the despair that unfolded last Monday.

A day when the simple choice between a visit to Lord of the Rings' Hobbiton set, white-water rafting, or a trip to the White Island volcano became a choice between life and potentially death.

Kim Lee Eng had considered taking the tour to White Island.

"We always wanted to see something like that and we know the risks," he said as he left the Royal Caribbean vessel.

"But we have my 86-year-old mum with us and a friend on crutches. So we went to Hobbiton instead."

Jo-Anne Anderson decided to take to the rapids of the Wairoa River, around 15 minutes south of Tauranga where the ship had docked.

She finds it hard to come to terms with the fact that while she was careering down a river, scores of her fellow passengers had become engulfed in the unimaginable horror unfolding as the White Island volcano erupted.

"I feel really sorry; even selfish. We were enjoying ourselves white water rafting while elsewhere people were being blown away.

"It broke my heart," she said, sobbing outside Sydney's cruise terminal this morning.

"These people went on a holiday of a lifetime and never came home."

Ms Henderson was one of about 4000 passengers who disembarked from a 12-day South Pacific cruise that turned to tragedy. Tears streamed down faces as family members were reunited.

Sixteen people are now confirmed to have died on the island, also known as Whakaari, when it erupted spewing out molten mud, toxic gases and superheated steam. A further 27 are injured, many critically. Two bodies are thought to have slid in the water with prospects for their retrieval fading.

Talking to news.com.au early this morning, passengers described how the mood instantly changed on the ship – from carefree to sombre.

Staff members broke down in tears and the captain was said to be devastated. Most praised the efforts of staff. But others criticised the cruise line and said it had "handled terribly" the incident.

TRAGIC CLUES TO UNFOLDING DISASTER

Last Monday, while Ms Anderson was white-water rafting and Mr Kim was looking at Hobbit homes, a group of school friends from Melbourne were mooching around the tidy coastal town of Tauranga.

At 2.11pm, as the disaster began to unfold, they were oblivious to events out in the waters of the Bay of Plenty.

But as the hours went by, clues began to surface that not all was well, said Jess Smithies.

"We got back on the boat and it was meant to leave at 5.30pm and by 6pm I said to my friend that maybe something was wrong because the boat usually left on time."

Passenger Karen Kociszewski, who was holidaying with her husband and kids, told news.com.au there were rumours something was wrong.

"We were waiting to leave Tauranga and they kept calling for people over the PA. We just assumed they were running late," she said.

But it was out of the ordinary enough to get people talking.

Robin Oilsmith said in hindsight the announcements were unnerving, with the crew potentially looking for passengers that were never to return.

"There were three cabins they just kept calling," she said.

Josh and Elise Pierce were married in Adelaide the Saturday before they left for their honeymoon on Ovation of the Seas.

"We hoped our honeymoon would be great and it was just tragic," Mr Peirce said.

"About three or four o'clock on the Monday we started to find out something had happened."

Talk arose of an unfolding incident out of sight and sound of the vessel.

Then, just after 6pm, the terrible rumours were confirmed over the PA by Captain Hernik Loy.

"We got back from rafting and popped upstairs for a drink and that's how we found out," said Ms Anderson.

"It hit us dreadfully; all we could do was pray for these poor people and hope that God took them home quickly and that they didn't suffer too much.

"What a horrible way to go, on an expensive trip and never come home," she said.

Ms Smithies was equally shocked: "The captain let us know what had happened and we were like, what? That's crazy."

'BROKE DOWN IN MY ARMS'

Mobile reception was patchy and Wi-Fi was expensive so some passengers were less contactable than others. That put worried family members in Australia even further on edge.

"We got messages from our parents saying call us and they were asking if we were OK," Ms Smithies said.

One passenger said it only really hit her when she saw what she suspected was the luggage of the passengers affected being wheeled down the corridors and off the ship by crew.

Several people news.com.au spoke too said the ship's captain was audibly and visibly "devastated". As were other staff.

"One of the chefs broke down in my arms because he knew one of the crew that got badly injured. She was only 23," said Ms Kociszewski.

Mr Pierce said the first night was surreal with the ship's entertainment schedule barely changed.

"There were still parties. It took a while to sink in."

He said by the next day Royal Caribbean radically altered the on ship activity list.

"They made quite a sombre message that they weren't going to do the fun and games they normally do," he said.

READ MORE: • Ovation of the Seas cruise ship departs Tauranga leaving Whakaari passengers behind • White Island Eruption: Ovation of the Seas passengers receiving counselling • Ovation of the Seas revises cruise itinerary after 38 passengers caught in White Island eruption • White Island eruption: Ovation of the Seas' passenger care criticised

"The second day in Tauranga we stayed on the ship. It was an emotional day; we really weren't in the mood to do anything.

"We finally managed to talk to family back home and we definitely needed a few beers after that."

FRIENDS WITH THOSE WHO DIED

Some passengers are full of praise for the actions of the captain and crew, which they said was informative while being respectful to the victims. Names of those affected, for instance, were not relayed to other passengers.

However, a number of passengers felt the communication was lacking. They said that given the tragedy was unfolding in the media, including there fellow travellers' names, more information could have been given on board.

One dad was furious with Royal Caribbean. His son, he said, had made friends with two of the people now confirmed to have perished.

"He's not (okay)," he said. "He was in the medical centre last night at 2am, it was terrible."

Tearing up, he clutched a piece of paper with generic mental health advice, which he said was the extent of the help he and his family had received.

"I have a 17-year-old boy and this is what I got. They offer you mental health support on the last night when you're about to get off," he said.

"The worst thing is the way Royal Caribbean handled this. It was terrible.

"The captain didn't even tell us what was happening. We had to watch the news. It was a prison ship in the end, you weren't allowed to know anything."

Ms Kociszewski said Royal Caribbean should have "done their homework" regarding White Island given the threat level had been raised.

"You sign a waiver to say that if you go there and break your ankle you're not going to sue them, but you don't go there thinking a volcano will erupt," she said.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean thanked the passengers for their understanding.

"Our thoughts remain with those affected and we will continue to provide ongoing support and services to them and their families during this difficult time."

Indeed, other passengers praised Royal Caribbean's assistance and one said they "handled (the incident) wonderfully".

Repeatedly, those on board said the most poignant moment of the tragedy came when a group of Maori New Zealanders performed a memorial for the victims.

"We had a minute's silence and then the Maoris did a ceremony and they said the people that died were their people now," said Ms Oilsmith.

Mr Pierce said it was not the honeymoon they imagined or wanted, but at least they had made it back safe and sound.

"We'll be happy to get home and just hug our families."

New Zealand police have officially named 12 of the victims so far. They are:

• Krystal Browitt, 21

• Anthony Langford, 51

• Kristine Langford, 45

• Martin Hollander, 48

• Matthew Hollander, 13 (US citizen)

• Berend Hollander, 16 (US citizen)

• Karla Mathews, 32

• Jason Griffiths, 33

• Jessica Richards, 20

• Gavin Dallow, 53

• Zoe Hosking, 15

• Tipene Maangi, 24 (NZ citizen)

The final victims believed to be deceased but not yet named are:

• Hayden Marshall-Inman, tour giude (NZ citizen)

• Winona Langford, 17, Anthony and Kristine's daughter

• Richard Elzer, 32, partner of Karla Mathews and friend of Jason Griffiths

• Julie Richards, 47, mum of Jessica Richards

• Barbara Hollander, 50, a US citizen and wife of Martin Hollander

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Ovation of the Seas cruise ship sails on following White Island eruption

Two days after the volcanic eruption at White Island, cruise ship Ovation of the Seas has left the port of Tauranga and set sail back to Sydney.

Major update after airport chaos

Family’s $22k cruise cancelled 2 days before

Aussies injured in turbulence return home

Two days after the volcanic eruption at White Island, which left six people dead and eight still missing, the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship has left the Port of Tauranga in New Zealand.

Setting sail at 7am local time on Wednesday, passengers stood on the deck and waved to a small crowd that had gathered at the port to see the ship off.

RELATED: Death toll from White Island volcano rises

RELATED: Cruise passengers claim they weren’t advised of any warnings

Floral tributes covered a security fence on the Whakatane Wharf, near where the ship was docked. As New Zealand officials get ready to search for bodies today, the volcano can still be seen smoking from a distance as the ship set sail.

There were 47 people on the island in total, including 38 from Ovation of the Seas .

According to The Age , Stuff.co.nz journalist Dominico Zapata said people were crying and waving as the ship passed by. He described it as a “sombre” and “very emotional” scene.

As the ship cruised north towards Picton, a local barge blasted its horn three times, with the cruise ship responding with three blasts.

The ship will make a stop in Picton, the northern tip of the South Island, before moving on to Wellington. The Ovations of the Seas’ final stop will be in Sydney at around 6.30am on Monday.

Following the eruption, the ship stayed in Tauranga to allow Royal Caribbean personnel to assist local authorities and support those affected by the natural disaster.

A spokesperson told news.com.au that a team would remain on-site in Tauranga and at all hospital locations to ensure those affected by Monday’s incident were taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodations, and transport.

“Our priority continues to be to ensure that all guests and crew impacted are well taken care of and we assist the local authorities in any way we can,” the statement read.

“We thank our guests on-board for their patience and understanding during this tragic situation.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with those impacted.”

RELATED: Tour guide Parul Kingi praised for role in rescue effort

New Zealand is facing a grim day as the country wakes to the news there is no sign of life on White Island following the volcanic eruption.

At least six people have now died in the wake of the Monday tragedy,

with the sixth person succumbing to their injuries at a hospital on Tuesday, according to the New Zealand Police. Their nationalities and identities have not yet been released.

Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said police were trying to return bodies to grieving families but identification was a complex process.

“The nature of the injuries that people have suffered is severe and means identifying them is a complex matter,” he said.

“We are working through the process to identify them as quickly as possible, to return those who have died to their loved ones.

“We understand people’s desire to recover their loved ones, and we are working around the clock to get on to the island so we can recover them as soon as possible.

“Based on the effects of the eruption on the bodies, this recovery will need to be handled with expert skill and care.”

RELATED: Newlywed leaves chilling voicemail from White Island during eruption

In the aftermath of the deadly eruption on New Zealand’s White Island, questions are being raised about why tourists were allowed on an active volcano in the first place.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday “there will be questions that are being asked, that will need to be answered … by the appropriate authorities”.

“It’s an unpredictable live volcano,” Ms Ardern said.

While the island is monitored by Geonet, which tracks the volcano’s activity, the island is privately owned, and it is up to tour operators to decide when to visit. Geonet had put the volcano on level two, indicating minor volcanic unrest. It was on level one before its previous eruption in 2016.

Tourists are only allowed to land on White Island as part of a tour group and are provided with hard hats and gas masks to protect against the sulphurous steam. Around 10,000 tourists annually visit White Island.

Ray Cas, emeritus professor at the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University, told the Science Media Centre that the eruption was a disaster waiting to happen.

“Having visited it twice, I have always felt that it was too dangerous to allow the daily tour groups that visit the uninhabited island volcano by boat and helicopter,” he added.

Passengers on-board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, however, claim they were not warned of the increased danger on White Island.

Venessa Lugo, 24, from Newcastle, told the Herald Sun the ship provided information about the island on paper printouts and online, but no warnings were mentioned.

“In those sheets we weren’t advised of any warnings of anything going off,” she said.

“It did ask about pre-existing medical conditions, and it was classified as strenuous activity because you would be in a gas mask, but it definitely didn’t specify the possibility of (the volcano) going off.”

Meanwhile, the mother of American tourist Lauren Urey, who was badly burned in the explosion with her husband Matthew, says she’s “livid” they weren’t warned of the dangers.

“There’s been warnings about it … my son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured,” Barbara Barham said.

A fuelling issue at one Australian airport has sparked the cancellation or delay of more than 80 flights across the country.

A mistake unknowingly cost this family their $22,000 cruise holiday just two days before the ship was set to sail.

Two of the Australians injured on the terrifying Singapore Airlines flight have returned home, with one praising the other for ‘strength and courage’.

New Zealand volcano tragedy cruise ship Ovation of the Seas arrives back in Sydney

Passengers have disembarked at Sydney Harbour from the cruise ship at the centre of the New Zealand volcano disaster, with some complaining about a lack of information given while on board the ship.

Key points:

• Most of the those killed in the White Island volcano disaster were part of day trips from the ship
• "The whole boat stopped" to listen to the news of the eruption, a passenger said
• Another passenger said it felt emotional arriving in Sydney without the volcano victims

The Ovation of the Seas returned to Sydney this morning after a 12-day trans-Tasman cruise.

Most of those killed or injured in the White Island eruption were part of organised day trips from the ship.

Passenger Max Sum said "the whole boat stopped" when the news of the eruption was announced.

"When the captain announced the news, the whole boat kept silent. The whole boat stopped. Unfortunately, I didn't hear any more information from the captain," Mr Sum said.

Asked about communication on the ship, Mr Sum said it "could have been better".

On hearing the news, his 11-year-old son Russell said: "I thought it was fake news. I was like that can't be true."

Tourist Jennifer Highfield from Michigan in the United States is on an antipodean holiday and said she was grieving for her fellow passengers and the families affected.

"Those poor people, I just feel so terrible for them. I am a nurse so I know how long it is going to be for their recovery," she said.

Ms Highfield said the White Island tour was on her radar.

"That tour was our second choice if we did not go on the one we ended up doing. I just feel so sorry for them," she said.

"The ship constantly gave us information and counselling. But it would have been helpful to have free Wi-Fi to keep in touch with family and friends who were concerned. I had a package covering internet, but I know there was a lot of people on board who did not." she said.

"I felt a little bit guilty having fun when such a terrible thing happened. The captain was wonderful, we could tell it was heartbreaking for him personally. Even coming in today I felt a bit emotional.

"I think it will probably hit people later on as well, they were trying to get through the cruise and think what actually happened and how bad it was. There were those that lost their lives but there are also those in hospital," passenger Kylie Peat, from Brisbane, said.

One of the passengers said he briefly met one of the women killed in the eruption during the cruise.

"It was really sad to hear. We became friends on the ship, not close friends. She was pretty nice, got along with everyone. Definitely stirred up a bit of trouble when everyone found out," he said.

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A passenger fell off the world’s biggest cruise ship and died

On the first leg of a seven-night voyage from florida, a man fell from a deck of icon of the seas and was pronounced dead after a two-hour rescue mission.

A man died after falling from the deck on the world’s largest cruise ship , Icon of the Seas last week. The massive vessel had just started a seven-night cruise from Miami, Florida, when the man fell from one of its 20 decks , sparking a two-hour rescue mission.

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The 1,200-foot long Icon of the Seas set sail from Florida on May 25 bound for its first stop at Honduras, reports the Royal Caribbean Blog . However, just a day after departing U.S. soil, the ship was forced into a dramatic rescue mission after an unnamed passenger fell from one of its decks.

The passenger reportedly plummeted into the Gulf of Mexico, sparking a two-hour rescue mission that involved crews from the ship as well as U.S. Coastguard officers. Rescue boats from the Royal Caribbean-operated cruise liner were quickly deployed to recover the man. As Royal Caribbean Blog reports:

The incident allegedly took place in the morning on Sunday, prompting an immediate rescue mission from the vessel. According to guests onboard Icon of the Seas, a small rescue boat was launched from Icon of the Seas to search for the overboard guest. Guests online stated that Icon of the Seas halted its course for approximately two hours to complete the search and rescue mission. Crew members took swift action while the ship maintained its location for the duration of the rescue mission.

However, while crews were able to recover the man after he fell from the ship and bring him back onboard alive, he reportedly succumbed to his injuries and died as a result of the fall. In a statement shared with Jalopnik, the U.S. Coastguard said:

The Coast Guard assisted in the search for a man who fell overboard the cruise ship Icon of the Seas. The cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man and brought him back aboard. He was pronounced deceased. Beyond assisting in the search, the U.S. Coast Guard did not have much involvement in this incident.

Jalopnik has reached out to Royal Caribbean, which operates Icon of the Seas , for a statement about the death onboard its ship.

Royal Caribbean launched Icon of the Seas earlier this year, with the 7,600-passenger ship undertaking its maiden voyage in January. The ship, which is roughly 1,200 feet long and requires a crew of almost 3,000, features a water park onboard, an ice rink onboard and the largest swimming pool aboard any cruise ship.

A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik .

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Cruise Ship Passengers Dead, Many Missing As New Zealand Volcano Erupts During Excursion

• New Zealand volcano erupts
• Cruise passengers killed
• Victims include guests from Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas

The volcanic eruption at New Zealand’s White Island on Monday killed several cruise ship passengers, injured several people and many are still missing.

Victims also included excursion teams from the Royal Caribbean ship “Ovation of the Seas.” According to reports, many tourists were close to the volcano’s crater when the incident occurred.

Checked photo timestamps. Last photo from me standing on the land was 13:49; this first photo of the eruption was 14:12, about a minute or two into the eruption. pic.twitter.com/hyqQuO4vNq — Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019

The latest news also said at least five people had been killed in the volcanic explosion and 31 people are in hospital and eight are missing.

The volcano last erupted nearly 20 years ago in 2001.

Whakaari is yet another name of the White Island volcano. The privately-owned island had been a thriving tourist destination with frequent day tours, notes the BBC News report.

The latest news is that at least 50 people were in its vicinity when the White Island volcano erupted. Among them, a good number of visitors were close to the volcano’s crater minutes before it exploded.

Most of the survivors including critically wounded people had been airlifted off White Island by helicopters. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has stated that there were “no signs of life at any point” after an aircraft conducted an aerial survey.

Among the missing and injured travelers include citizens of Australia, China, the U.S, Britain, and Malaysia, per Canada’s CTV news.

The cruise law news report also noted that Royal Caribbean used to carry advertisements about the exciting “White Island Volcano Experience Cruise and Guided Exploration,” as a shore excursion for the New Zealand package.

The report notes that in the light of the volcanic incident, Cruise lines ought to be more alert and check the qualifications and safety record of tour operators handling shore excursions for guests under cruise deals.

Questions are being raised about why people were taken to White Island despite warnings by scientists about increasing volcanic activity.

According to 9 News report, cruise passengers in the Ovation of the Seas woke up to a “somber” morning on Tuesday.

Quoting Anna, a 33-year-old Australian passenger onboard the Ovation docked at Tauranga, the report said the atmosphere on the cruise liner was “somber.”

“I have taken a walk through the main area and there's not a lot of life. A few people at guest services,” Anna said.

The 9 News report also mentioned the first victim of the mishap as local tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman working with White Island Tours.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross published a list of missing people based on the data from various families. However, the authorities have not published any names.

© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.

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2 crew members die on Holland America ship; fire breaks out on Carnival cruise

MIAMI — Two crew members died on board a Holland America cruise ship, and a fire broke out on a Carnival ship while both of the ships were in the Bahamas this weekend, officials said.

The two crew on the Florida-based Nieuw Amsterdam died Friday during an "accidental steam release" while it was calling at the private resort island Half Moon Cay, Holland America said in a statement on Sunday.

"There was an accidental steam release in an engineering space on board Nieuw Amsterdam, which sadly resulted in the death of two crew members," the cruise line said.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Dutch Safety Board were investigating the exact cause of the release, Holland America said.

A representative of the Bahama’s Coroner’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for information, such as the crew members’ identities and the cause and manner of death.

The cruise line said the conclusions of any investigation would be taken seriously. "Safety is always our top priority, and we are working to understand what, if anything, can be learned from this tragic accident," it said.

Passenger Laine Doss said she was on board when the captain announced the deaths on the vessel's P.A. system.

"We were celebrating the last day of the cruise," she said, when the mood changed "to something extremely somber."

The captain's voice broke, she said.

"He broke down crying," Doss said. "There was a moment of silence that the captain requested. And that entire scenario did affect the entire cruise. Things were canceled, joyous events were canceled, and we really just thought about mortality — the people who perished on the ship."

Crew members were being offered counseling, Holland America said.

Dutch government inspectors determined the vessel to be "fully operable," and this was "confirmed" by the U.S. Coast Guard, the cruise line said.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said she was looking into the statement and was unable to immediately confirm it.

The Nieuw Amsterdam returned Saturday to its home port of Fort Lauderdale, guests disembarked, and the vessel has embarked on a cruise with a stop in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Monday, Holland America said.

"All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event," the cruise line said. "We’ve been in contact with the families of both team members and are offering our support to them and to all of our crew at this difficult time."  

The ship set sail out of Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip.

Fire on the port-side exhaust funnel of another Florida-based cruise ship in the Bahamas, the Carnival Freedom, rocked some passengers Saturday and took the ship out of commission for repairs, the cruise line said.

No injuries were reported.

In a statement Sunday, Carnival Cruises acknowledged witness reports of a lightning strike or the sound of thunder before the fire erupted.

Passenger Heath Barnes said the ship was on a detoured path, destined for an unscheduled stop in Freeport, as a result of stormy weather and high winds when fire started.

"I was shocked," he said. "I mean, I looked out there and you're not supposed to see black smoke and fire shooting out of the tail end of the cruise."

The blaze was preceded by "the loudest thunder-lightning clap that I've ever heard in my life," Barnes said.

Ship personnel extinguished the fire, Carnival Cruises said.

The cruise line said a technical team determined the ship sustained enough damage that it will need repairs before it can be returned to scheduled cruises. The funnel was stabilized, passengers were expected to be returned to Port Canaveral, and the ship will set off to Freeport for repairs, it said.

"The damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," Carnival Cruises said.

Passengers scheduled for those late-March cruises are being offered full refunds and credit that can be used for a future cruise, it said.

It was the second funnel fire on the Carnival Freedom since 2022.

Marissa Parra is a national correspondent for NBC News based in Miami, Florida.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

PHOTOS: 1st cruise ship departs from Baltimore since Key Bridge collapse

by Alexa Dikos

Baltimore (WBFF) — A cruise ship departed from Baltimore on Saturday for the first time since the Key Bridge disaster.

On May 25, Royal Carribean International's "Vision of the Seas' departed from a 5-night voyage from Baltimore to Bermuda.

Watch CBS News

Carnival, Royal Caribbean cruise ships embark from Baltimore in latest sign of recovery after Key Bridge collapse

By Mike Hellgren

Updated on: May 27, 2024 / 8:05 PM EDT / CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE -- On the cusp of nine weeks since the Key Bridge collapse, the Carnival Pride embarked from Baltimore Sunday on a 14-day journey to Greenland.

 The day before, Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas left Baltimore for Bermuda—exciting for Colonel Estee Pinchasin of the Unified Command.

"Did you guys notice the cruise ship?" she asked reporters with a smile while on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tour of the recovery efforts on Friday. 

Thomas Sitzler and his friends were onboard the Vision of the Seas to celebrate his partner's 60th birthday. It was important that they leave from Baltimore. 

"Our fingers were crossed the entire time. We knew if we couldn't do this now, there would be another opportunity with Royal Caribbean to do this," Sitzler told WJZ. "The whole plan was to cruise out of Baltimore into and out of the [Chesapeake] Bay because all of these people grew up in the area, and they wanted to see all the sites from the water, so it's super cool we're going to go out this way."

Jonathan Daniels, the Executive Director of the Maryland Port Administration, said the economic impact is more than one million dollars for each ship. He noted more than 440,000 people cruised out of Baltimore last year—the second highest number since 2012–and promised more growth ahead. 

"We hate to see any business leave for any period of time, but certainly thank the flexibility that was out there for the industry,"  Daniels said and referenced the temporary rerouting of cruises to Norfolk, Virginia. 

Signs outside the Cruise Maryland terminal  welcomed back cruisers while tropical music played inside the terminal which served as the Unified Command's headquarters less than a week earlier.

After the Dali was successfully re-floated and removed from the collapse site last Monday, Unified Command packed up and left the cruise terminal, but they still continue working and providing updates on the recovery process. 

"We are here to celebrate the fortitude and the work that was done during the last two months to bring cruising back so quickly," Daniels said. 

After the Dali was removed , the main 50-foot-deep channel could accommodate these larger cruise vessels, but for now, there's only one-way traffic—with the opening of the full 700-foot width pushed back from the end of May until June 8th to 10th. 

"We're very proud of the hard work that our team put in to get to 400 feet across, 50 feet down, which allows any vessel that used to come to Baltimore to come in now," Pinchasin said. 

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren came to WJZ in the spring of 2004. Solid reporting credentials and a reputation for breaking important news stories have characterized Mike's work. Mike holds a B.S. degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and grew up partly in both Chicago and Louisiana.

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DLNR says it found no evidence cruise ship violated state rule

May 29, 2024

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The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources today said it failed to find any evidence that a Celebrity Cruise Lines ship violated state rules while sailing off Kauai’s Na Pali Coast earlier this month.

DLNR had on May 7 said it was investigating whether a large cruise ship had anchored too closely to the coast in response to social media posts and concerns from community members.

State rules for Na Pali Coast ocean waters require any vessels carrying more than 50 passengers to maintain a distance of at least 3,000 feet from the shoreline, DLNR said.

Officers conducted a two-pronged investigation, according to DLNR in a news release, which involved both an on-ship inquiry when the Celebrity Edge returned to port in Honolulu as well a search for witnesses on Kauai.

DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Officers boarded the Celebrity Edge at Honolulu, and interviewed the captain and shipmaster.

According to DLNR, the captain said he was in full control of the vessel and was always in waters of no less than 30 meters depth, but was unclear on the vessel’s distance from shore.

On Kauai, DOCARE officers searched for witnesses who could provide relevant information, but found none.

“None of the witnesses could factually conclude the 3,000-foot seaward distance was violated,” said DLNR. “Some witnesses did not wish to be involved in the investigation and others only had second- or third-hand information or repeated what they saw on social media.”

DLNR said the cruise line chose to sail along Na Pali Coast because it was unable to make port calls at Lahaina due to the Aug. 8 wildfires.

“DOCARE determined there is insufficient evidence that supports probable cause or that there is clear and convincing evidence to pursue any criminal or civil action at this time,” said DLNR in the release.

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Carnival cruise ship rescues 25 people stranded off the coast of Mexico

A Carnival Cruise Line ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard and rescued 25 people stranded in a small boat off the coast of Mexico, the company announced Saturday.

The 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance had left Long Beach, California, on Friday and was heading toward Ensenada Mexico for a three-day sailing when the cruise ship's officers were informed by the Coast Guard "about a distress call involving a small vessel," a news release said.

The ship immediately routed toward the location of the vessel, provided by the USCG, and "quickly" rescued all 25 people on board, including three children, the company said.

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The U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

The rescued group was welcomed onto the cruise ship and given food, water, and medical assistance. Carnival coordinated with the Coast Guard to hand off the group.

The incident did not disrupt the Carnival Radiance's schedule, the company announced.

A roller coaster in the ocean: What Carnival Cruise Line's BOLT ride is like

Another Carnival ship rescued a group of 28 Cuban nationals stuck at sea as it was sailing the Caribbean and saw people signaling for help in late April. The cruise ship was headed from Tampa, Florida, to Roatan in Honduras at the time. Also last month, a Celebrity Cruises ship sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to multiple destinations in the Caribbean rescued a small vessel adrift between Mexico and Cuba.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival cruise ship rescues 25 people stranded off the coast of Mexico

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

Carnival passengers recount ‘nightmare’ cruise as storm floods ship

Videos showed the Carnival Sunshine cabins and hallways flooding and ceilings leaking

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. So Branham and Davis didn’t worry.

As the day went on, “We noticed it started getting cooler in the afternoon — much, much cooler,” said Branham, 25, of Castlewood, Va. “And then it was like a switch was flipped, and it literally turned into a nightmare.”

En route back to Charleston Friday night into Saturday, the Carnival Sunshine navigated into a strong storm system that battered the southeast over the holiday weekend. Videos emerged on social media showing cabins and hallways flooding, shop floors littered with destroyed merchandise and leaking ceilings . Passenger Brad Morrell snapped a photo of an automated instrument map reporting a 69 knot, or 79 mph, wind.

#CarnivalSunshine : Due to return to Charleston, South Carolina this Saturday, May 27, 2023, has been delayed due to severe weather. The ship is currently off the South Carolina coast and holding position, unable to return to the port because of high winds & rough seas. #cruise 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/2B6HlAn2yD — ∼Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) May 28, 2023

Carnival said in a statement that the weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecast, but that its fleet operations center team, which relies on outside meteorology resources for itinerary planning, “coordinated to keep the ship in its safest location.”

“Attempting to sail out of the large front could have been dangerous,” the statement continued. “The ship proceeded to the port as soon as the weather began to clear.”

Strong Southeast storm slams Carolinas

Carnival said the captain made “several announcements about the weather and the delay it caused in returning to Charleston, asking guests to use extra precaution while walking around the ship.” Additionally, “some of the worst weather occurred in the overnight hours when announcements are not typically made, but guests and crew were safe.”

The ship’s medical staff did help a “small number” of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance following the storm. Despite the significant damage and a delay in schedule, Carnival Sunshine embarked on its next five-day Bahama sailing on Saturday.

From their sea-view room, Branham and Davis watched as waves surged over their window and braced themselves as the 892-foot-long ship lurched in the storm.

“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,” Branham said.

They were told to stay in their cabins. Meanwhile, Branham said, TVs were falling off walls, and glassware was sliding off shelves and shattering on the floor. “You could not stand up in your room,” he said. “You could be thrown from the bed.”

They packed up their belongings when their floor started to flood and took shelter in a main lobby area.

“All of the employees were sprinting downstairs with life vests,” Branham said. “There were little kids besides us screaming and crying and throwing fits.”

Throughout the storm, Branham wondered why there weren’t more announcements from Carnival staff. Besides the warning of rougher seas earlier Friday and one Saturday morning after they’d weathered the storm, Branham said they weren’t given any official updates on their situation. When he asked workers what was going on, they told him not to worry.

⁦⁦ @CarnivalCruise ⁩ #carnivalsunshine still 75mph winds at 9:25am. Sitting and spinning in the Atlantic. pic.twitter.com/NITCO2l9Ss — FlyersCaptain™®© (@flyerscaptain) May 29, 2023

“But you see rooms flooded, and you can pick up a handful of sand and you’re kind of like, ‘What in the world? Why is nobody telling us anything?’” Branham said.

Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer and cruise industry legal expert, says his firm has been contacted by some Carnival Sunshine passengers who were injured during the storm, including a man who says he was struck by a door and broke his foot. Others have asked him about the potential for a class-action lawsuit.

While Walker said passengers should make their complaints known to Carnival, he doesn’t believe filing a lawsuit would be an efficient next step. Instead, impacted passengers can ask Carnival for a refund or a credit for another cruise, although there’s no guarantee the cruise line will grant such requests.

Pete Peterson, owner of Storybook Cruises , which is affiliated with Cruise Planners, said cruise ships keep a close eye on weather developments and will adjust their itinerary depending on the severity of the storm.

“Cruise lines monitor the weather all the time. They’re not going to put their passengers in harm’s way,” said Peterson, who has been a cruise adviser for more than 20 years and has sailed on nearly 60 cruises. “Obviously, some cruise lines are better at doing this than others.”

In 2016, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas returned to port after cruising into a “bomb cyclone,” which damaged the ship amid winds gusting to 100 mph. The ship sailed into the remnants of Hurricane Hermine seven months later, causing additional problems.

To ensure the safety and comfort of its passengers, a cruise ship can alter its course and circumvent the rough weather system. In stormy conditions, the crew can deploy the stabilizers, which will prevent the ship from rolling and bucking.

“You don’t experience the up and down,” Peterson said. “It’s not as rough a ride.”

Both approaches can add to a cruise line’s expenditures, Peterson said. Stabilizers slow the vessel, thereby consuming more fuel. Sailing around the storm can take longer than the original route and disrupt the company’s cruise schedule, leading to delays or cancellations. The cruise line may have to reimburse passengers or provide them with future credits because of the inconvenience.

“When they do something like that, it’s going to cost them money,” Peterson said.

Craig Setzer , a meteorologist and hurricane preparedness specialist, said that even with the hurricane-like conditions and flooding, “I would never be in doubt of the vessel’s integrity,” he said. “Cruise ships are structurally very, very sound and can survive a lot. They’re really rugged.”

Matthew Cappucci contributed to this report.

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Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.