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Rogue Wave Strikes Cruise Ship, Killing a Passenger and Injuring 4 Others

The passengers were hurt after a large, unpredictable wave hit the ship, which was traveling toward the Antarctic, Viking Cruises said.

By Amanda Holpuch

A passenger died and four others were injured after a large, unexpected wave hit a cruise ship traveling toward a popular launching point for expeditions to Antarctica, Viking Cruises said.

The ship, the Viking Polaris, was struck by a “rogue wave” on Tuesday at 10:40 p.m. local time while traveling toward Ushuaia, Argentina, which is on the southern tip of South America, Viking Cruises said in a statement .

Viking Cruises did not say how the passenger was killed or provide the passenger’s name. The four passengers who were injured were treated by onboard medical staff and had non-life-threatening injuries, Viking Cruises said.

A State Department official said that a U.S. citizen died and that the department was offering consular assistance to the person’s family.

Rogue waves are unpredictable, typically twice the size of surrounding waves and often come from a different direction than the surrounding wind and waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Scientists are still trying to figure out how and when these uncommon waves form.

Ann Mah, of Topeka, Kan., told the news station WIBW that she and her husband were on the ship when it was hit by the wave and that it was “just like your whole house got shook really hard.”

“I mean, it was just a thud,” Ms. Mah said.

The Viking Polaris was launched this year and was designed for travel to remote destinations such as the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship is 665 feet long and can carry 378 passengers and 256 crew members.

The ship sustained “limited damage” from the wave and arrived in Ushuaia the day after it was struck, Viking Cruises said.

The cruise company canceled the Viking Polaris’s next scheduled trip, a 13-day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula.

“We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities,” the company said.

Tourism to the Antarctic has steadily increased in the last 30 years, with 74,401 people traveling there in the 2019-20 season, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Roughly 6,700 people traveled there in the 1992-93 season, according to the association.

In recent years, some observers have warned that the increase in tourism may not be sustainable and that it could threaten visitor safety or disrupt the fragile environment, which is already straining under the effects of climate change.

It is the beginning of the Antarctic tourism season, which coincides with its summer, beginning in late October or early November and usually lasting until March.

The death on the Viking Cruises ship this week comes after the death of two other cruise ship passengers in the Antarctic last month. Two Quark Expeditions cruise ship passengers died after one of the ship’s heavy duty inflatable Zodiac boats overturned near shore, Seatrade Cruise News reported .

Amanda Holpuch is a general assignment reporter. More about Amanda Holpuch

'Rogue wave' kills US passenger on Antarctic cruise ship, injures four others

One person has died and four have been injured after a massive wave smashed into an Antarctic cruise ship during a storm, while sailing off the southernmost tip of South America.

Key points:

• Authorities say a 62-year-old woman from the US was hit by broken glass when a wave broke cabin windows
• Four other tourists sustained "non-life-threatening injuries" and were treated onboard
• The ship suffered minor damage and was anchored off Ushuaia, 3,200 kilometres from the capital Buenos Aires

The 62-year-old woman from the US was hit by broken glass when the wave broke cabin windows late Tuesday during a storm, Argentine authorities said.

The Viking Polaris cruise ship was sailing towards Ushuaia in Argentina -- the main starting point for expeditions to Antarctica -- when there was "a rogue wave incident," a representative of the Viking cruise company said in a statement.

"It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident. We have notified the guest's family and shared our deepest sympathies," the statement said.

Four other tourists "sustained non-life-threatening injuries" and were treated onboard.

The ship suffered minor damage and was anchored off Ushuaia, 3,200 kilometres from the capital Buenos Aires, with several windows smashed on the side, AFP journalists reported.

A federal court has opened a case to determine what happened. Viking said it was also "investigating the facts surrounding this incident."

Scientists often refer to rogue waves as extreme storm waves that surge out of nowhere, often in an unpredictable direction, and can look like a steep wall of water, up to twice the size of surrounding waves.

These rare killer waves were once seen as a myth reported by mariners or explorers.

The polar explorer Ernest Shackleton wrote in his book of a "gigantic" freak wave he encountered in Antarctica in 1916.

However, scientists have learned more about them in recent decades, studying how they emerge and how to predict the wall of water that can surge up even in calm seas.

The Viking Polaris was launched in 2022 and is the newest ship in the company's fleet, with a capacity for 378 passengers and 256 crew members.

The incident comes two weeks after two tourists died on another Antarctic cruise.

The two men, aged 76 and 80, had left the World Explorer ship for an excursion on an inflatable zodiac boat that overturned near the shore.

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'Rogue wave' hits Viking cruise ship, killing 1 passenger and injuring 4 others

One person died and four others were injured after a "rogue wave" hit the Viking Polaris cruise ship while it was sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina, on Tuesday night, officials said.

“It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident,” Viking said in a statement Thursday. “We have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest sympathies. We will continue to offer our full support to the family in the hours and days ahead.”

The name and hometown of the passenger was not released, but Argentine authorities identified her as a 62-year-old American who was hit by broken glass when the wave broke cabin windows, according to The Associated Press .

The four other guests had non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment from doctors and medical staff onboard.

Rogue waves, or extreme storm waves, are uncommon, unpredictable and "greater than twice the size of surrounding waves," according to the National Ocean Service . They are described as "walls of water" in most reports.

Suzie Gooding, who was on the ship when the incident happened, recalled feeling like they'd hit an iceberg, according to NBC affiliate WRAL of Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Everything was fine until the rogue wave hit, and it was just sudden. Shocking,” Gooding told the news station. “We didn’t know if we should get our gear ready for abandoning ship.”

The ship "sustained limited damage during the incident" and arrived in Ushuaia Wednesday afternoon, Viking said in its statement.

"We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities," the company said. "Our focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel."

The Viking Polaris’ next departure, the Antarctic Explorer cruise scheduled for Dec. 5-17, was canceled due to the incident.

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Carnival cruise ship battered by waves in storm off Charleston

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: May 29, 2023 / 4:16 PM EDT / CBS News

A storm off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, battered a Carnival cruise ship for hours late Friday night before it docked, leaving passengers terrified.

Passengers aboard the Carnival Sunshine described shattered glass, water pouring into rooms and hallways, the ship pitching about and a lack of communication from cruise staff. Some passengers and crew members needed "minor assistance" from medical staff, a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News. "Guests on board the ship were safe," the spokesman added. 

Carnival Sunshine, which was headed from the Bahamas to South Carolina, arrived in Charleston behind schedule, according to the spokesman. Some crew cabins needed to be temporarily taken out of service because of water damage. The ship's next voyage, on which it has since embarked, was also delayed.

The National Hurricane Center on Friday warned of a non-tropical area of low pressure off Florida that was set to move northward and inland over the Carolinas during the weekend. Forecasters said there would be gusty winds, dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the U.S.'s southeastern coast through Sunday.

Passenger Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, tweeted Friday that the ship was rocking. She said that the only time passengers heard from the captain was in the afternoon, when he told them he had an experienced crew and would do everything he could to minimize discomfort as the ship encountered the storm. 

"They said it will get worse as we get closer to the storm," she tweeted. "@CarnivalCruise  is doing an EXCELLENT job!"

She tweeted again on Saturday afternoon, describing " 14 hours of high winds, rain and massive waves ." 

"We were surrounded by lightning and the ship took a huge hit by a wave and sounded like it split in two," Tutrone tweeted.

Several passengers, including Brenda Goodwin Sherbert, posted on social media about broken glass on the ship . They also wrote about water coming in through balcony doors.

"We had a 40 foot wave hit our side of the ship,.. we almost fell out the bed.. things were crashing all around us and the carpet on my side of the bed was soaked bc water came in thru our balcony door," Goodwin Sherbert wrote.

Passenger Reid Overcash, who was on the cruise with his wife, said televisions on the ship displayed a message during the storm: "Public address announcement please standby." 

He said it was when winds had reached between 70-90 mph and the ship was tilting left that he truly feared for his life.

"Myself being in emergency services and retired, I knew nobody was going to come and rescue us with winds over 40 knots," Overcash said.

The trip marked Overcash's seventh cruise. He said he's not going to let the frightening experience stop him from going on more cruises in the future. 

"It's just one of them unlucky experiences that occurs once in a while," he said.

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Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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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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Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

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.

Change of plans: Tropical Storm Nicole disrupts major cruise line itineraries

Major cruise lines have changed their plans due to Tropical Storm Nicole .

Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Liberty ship, which departed Monday on a four-day sailing from Florida's Port Canaveral, skipped a planned visit to Nassau in the Bahamas Tuesday, spending the day at sea instead, spokesperson Matt Lupoli said in an emailed statement. The ship also stopped in Cozumel, Mexico, Wednesday rather than private island Princess Cays. 

The line is asking guests sailing on the vessel's next voyage Friday to come to the cruise terminal "one hour after their previously scheduled embarkation time."

Carnival Sunshine, which left Monday on a five-day cruise from Charleston, South Carolina, also changed course. The ship spent Wednesday at sea instead of visiting Nassau, and will stop in Nassau on Thursday rather than Princess Cays. 

Carnival Paradise "will remain at sea until it is safe to dock at the Port of Tampa Bay," Lupoli said. The ship left Tampa on Sunday for a five-day sailing. The vessel's next cruise, which had been scheduled to leave Thursday, will now depart Friday. Passengers will receive a refund for half their original fare.

Carnival Elation also visited Freeport in the Bahamas on Tuesday instead of Princess Cays. The ship departed Saturday on a five-day voyage from Jacksonville.

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"Our Fleet Operations Center in Miami is actively monitoring the storm’s forecast for any potential impact," Lupoli said. "As the safety of our guests and crew is our priority, we will continue to keep an eye on the storm and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates as more information becomes available."

Are cruises skipping Florida ports?

Port Canaveral is  closed until further notice , and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale also ceased operations . The Jacksonville Port Authority said the port is closed with plans to begin reopening Friday after the storm passes, according to its  website .

What other cruise lines have made changes?

► Disney Cruise Line also amended multiple itineraries because of the storm. Disney Dream, which left Monday on a six-day sailing from Miami, skipped a planned stop at Disney's Bahamas private island Castaway Cay Tuesday and instead spent the day at sea, a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson said by email.

Disney Wish also opted for a sea day Tuesday in place of a planned stop in Nassau. The ship, which left on a five-day voyage from Port Canaveral Monday, also visited Cozumel on Wednesday rather than Castaway Cay.

"We will continue to closely monitor the storm and notify guests of any further impacts," the spokesperson said.

► Norwegian Cruise Line made similar changes. Norwegian Getaway, which left for a 10-day sailing from Port Canaveral Tuesday, canceled plans to stop at the line's private island, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the line. The ship instead opted to spend the day at sea.

Norwegian Prima also canceled its Thursday visit to Great Stirrup Cay in favor of a sea day. The ship left from Galveston, Texas, on Oct. 31.

► Holland America Line's Eurodam and Rotterdam ships each spent an extra day at sea to avoid the storm, a spokesperson for the line said in an emailed statement. Both ships had been scheduled to return to Port Everglades on Wednesday following 11-day and 10-day cruises, respectively, and their next voyages will be delayed by at least one day.

Where is Tropical Storm Nicole headed?

The east coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina will continue to see tropical storm conditions within warning areas Thursday, according to the  National Hurricane Center .

"Tropical storm conditions will spread northward along the west coast of Florida to the coast of the Florida Panhandle through tonight," the center added.

Couple describes harrowing tale after Carnival Cruise ship struck by lightning: 'This doesn't look good'

The carnival freedom was about 20 miles off eleuthera island in the bahamas on march 23, sailing to freeport after being unable to dock at princess cay earlier that morning due to strong winds. then thunderstorms rolled over the ship during the afternoon..

Couple tells of how cruise ship caught fire after lightning strike in Caribbean

Florence & Joe Torchia tell FOX Weather about the harrowing experience they had on a cruise ship that was hit by lightning and then caught fire while at sea in the Caribbean. 

OCALA, Fla. –  A couple, who were vacationing on a Carnival Cruise ship in the Caribbean last week when a lightning bolt reportedly struck the ship, described how it turned their relaxing afternoon into a harrowing experience.

The Carnival Freedom was about 20 miles off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas on March 23, sailing to Freeport after being unable to dock at Princess Cay earlier that morning due to strong winds.

Smoke and flames coming from the exhaust tunnel of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship on Saturday, March 23, 2024. 

(@breezebreeze_ via Storyful)

Then thunderstorms rolled over the ship during the afternoon. Florence and Joe Torchia were in their cabin at the back of the ship when the storm struck.

"I saw the lightning," Florence Torchia told FOX Weather.

Radar at 3:15 p.m. on March 23 when a Carnival Cruise ship was possibly hit by lightning. 

(FOX Weather)

LIGHTNING FATALITIES WERE SECOND LOWEST ON RECORD IN 2023, SAFETY COUNCIL SAYS

Moments later, the crew reported a fire on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel.

"We saw it on the TV because they had a (camera) set up," Joe Torchia said. "And then we said, 'Oh my God, this doesn't look good.' And then they were trying to put it out and the hoses just didn't reach the funnel."

The captain then announced to the passengers that there was a fire on the ship.

Carnival Freedom cruise ship on fire

Video shows smoke and flames coming from the Carnival Freedom exhaust tunnel on Saturday after a possible lightning strike. (video credit: Credit: @breezebreeze_ via Storyful)

"And so we tried to go down to the muster station," Joe Torchia said. "And it was kids crying, looking for their parents. And it was scary."

Florence said they couldn't see the fire from their cabin due to the angles of the ship.

"But then the (exhaust) stack fell down onto the 10th deck, and then the plume of smoke came down, and we had it in our cabin and everything," she said. "So (it) was a little scary for a bit, but the staff… notified us of everything."

LIGHTNING SAFETY: WHEN THUNDER ROARS, EVEN TAKING OUT THE TRASH CAN TURN DEADLY

"Communications were pretty good. And the captain did a good job," Joe added.

A Carnival Cruise spokesperson said their onboard team acted quickly to contain and put out the fire.

"While we continue to investigate multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike, our technical team completed a thorough assessment during the ship’s visit to Freeport on Sunday," the spokesperson said.

Carnival cruise ship catches fire during storm at sea

Passenger video shows smoke billowing from the exhaust tunnel of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship on Saturday. (Video: Heath Barnes/LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)

The Freedom eventually had to return to Port Canaveral , Florida , on that Monday, where guests disembarked.

The cruise line said damage to the ship is "more than we first thought" and will require immediate repair to stabilize the funnel. Cruises scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on March 25 and March 29 were canceled. All guests on the canceled trips will receive a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.

"We greatly appreciate our terrific guests for their outstanding cooperation and support," Carnival said.

DEBUNKING 7 MYTHS ABOUT LIGHTNING

Joe Torchia said it was the couple's third cruise, "but it might be our last."

"I'd rather go to the Caribbean to a single destination," Florence Torchia added.

FOX Business reported that the same cruise ship caught on fire in 2022 after being struck by lightning.

• Extreme Weather

Couple recalls terrifying moment lightning struck Carnival cruise ship before it caught on fire

A couple recalled the terrifying moment they watched lightning strike their Carnival cruise ship, which caught fire over the weekend during a Caribbean excursion.

Florence Torchia watched the bolt hit the Carnival Freedom ship during a thunderstorm as the ship was 20 miles off the coast of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas on Saturday.

Moments later, the crew reported a fire in the ship’s exhaust funnel, the couple told Fox Weather.

“Oh my God, this doesn’t look good,” Joe recalled them saying as they saw the fire on the TV. “They had a [camera] set up.”

Crews quickly responded to the fire, but the couple said their hoses “didn’t reach the funnel.”

The Torchias tried to make their way down to the muster station after the captain made an announcement and they were met with “kids crying” while they looked for their parents.

“It was scary,” Joe said.

The exhaust stack would eventually fall onto the 10th deck, sending a plume of smoke “in our cabin and everything,” Florence said.

Despite the emergency , the couple said the cruise line’s communication was “pretty good” and they “notified us of everything.”

However, the third-time cruisers said this trip “might be our last” after the ordeal.

“I’d rather go to the Caribbean to a single destination,” Florence said.

A Carnival spokesperson told Fox Weather that their onboard team did a “thorough assessment” after the ship was able to dock at Freeport a day later and are still investigating witness reports.

The boat was able to return to Port Canaveral in Florida on Monday.

The cruise line admitted to the outlet that the damage was “more than we first thought” and would need immediate repairs to stabilize the damaged funnel.

The March 25 and 29 cruises out of Port Canaveral were canceled. Customers on those trips received refunds.

This is the second time the Freedom cruise ship’s funnel has caught fire in two years, with the last time being in May 2022.

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• Pipe burst during storm leads to flooding on Carnival Sunrise...

Pipe burst during storm leads to flooding on Carnival Sunrise cruise ship

Heavy rains led to the bursting of a pipe on a CCL-Carnival Cruise Line vessel last weekend, resulting in flooding in several staterooms.

The incident occurred aboard the Carnival Sunrise as the ship was returning to Miami, Florida from the Caribbean during adverse weather conditions on Friday night (March 22) and early Saturday morning (March 23). The rainfall caused a pipe to burst, resulting in flooding in various areas of the ship, including guest cabins.

As a consequence of the flooding, the ship's upcoming departure was impacted.

“Some staterooms were taken out of service for Saturday's departure as our team completed clean up and replaced carpet,” said Carnival's spokesman Matt Lupoli. “Those guests who were not able to sail were provided full refunds, a future cruise credit and received overnight accommodations if they needed them.”

For more Carnival Sunrise incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page .

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Mysterious light show over california was chinese space junk falling to earth.

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Mysterious streaks of light spotted over California were caused by Chinese space junk plummeting back to Earth, experts said.

Residents from Sacramento to San Diego were dazzled by the light show around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. While speculation ranged from a meteor shower to UFOs, it was ultimately determined that it was nothing more than the remnants of a Chinese spacecraft re-entering the atmosphere.

The heap of space debris was the orbital module of China’s Shenzhou 15 spacecraft, astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell confirmed in a social media post . 

The Shenzhou 15 has been floating in orbit for more than a year after launching three astronauts to China’s Tiangong space station in Nov. 2022 for a six-month mission, according to Space.com .

Videos obtained by ABC7 showed several fireballs in long streaks of light up the night sky.

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The Shenzhou orbital craft, which weighs some 3,300 pounds, provides extra room for astronauts in space, according to Space.com.

It’s not designed to return to Earth safely after its mission The Shenzhou reentry module is built to do that with astronauts on board, the outlet reported.

The module had been predicted to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere early Tuesday morning, according to ABC7.

Many who saw the spectacle initally believed it may have been a part of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which had launched 22 Starlink satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara about six hours earlier.

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March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

By Helen Regan , Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Rachel Ramirez , Elise Hammond , Aditi Sangal , Tori B. Powell , Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Kathleen Magramo , CNN

Our live coverage of the Baltimore bridge collapse has moved here .

Crew member on DALI said everyone on board was safe hours after bridge collapse, official says

From CNN’s Amy Simonson

A crew member on the DALI cargo ship sent a message hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday saying everybody on board was safe, according to Apostleship of the Sea director Andy Middleton.

Middleton, who spent time with the captain of the DALI Monday, told CNN’s Laura Coates he reached out to a crew member after hearing about the incident Tuesday morning. 

He said there were 22 members aboard the ship from India who were setting sail earlier Tuesday morning and were heading toward Sri Lanka.

“I was able to reach out to a crew member very early this morning around 5:30 (a.m. ET) or 6 (a.m. ET) and get a message to them asking if they were OK,” he said. “That crew member responded within just a few minutes advising that the crew was safe, and everybody that [was] on board was safe.”

Middleton was told by the ship's captain Monday that the vessel was going to take a longer route to avoid risks along the Yemen coast.

“When I was out with the captain yesterday, we were talking while we were driving, and he advised that they were sailing down and around the tip of South Africa in order to avoid the incidents that are going on off the Yemen coast, and it was a safer way to go,” he said.

Middleton said the  Apostleship of the Sea  is a ministry to seafarers with members that spend time in the port and on the vessels as a friendly face to the seafarers that visit the Port of Baltimore, “taking care of their needs to make sure that they're reminded of their God-given human dignity when they're here in Baltimore.”

Search operation ends in "heartbreaking conclusion," Maryland governor says. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning. The collapse came after a 984-foot cargo ship hit the bridge's pillar.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters Tuesday evening it's a "really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day."

Late Tuesday, it was discovered that two of the construction workers who went missing after the bridge collapsed were from Guatemala , the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Tuesday.

Here's what you should know to get up to speed:

• The victims: Eight people were on the bridge  when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and was later  discharged , fire official and the medical center said.
• The incident: Video shows the moment the entire bridge structure falls into the water, as the ship hits one of the bridge's pillars. CNN analysis shows that the  ships lights flickered  and it veered off course before it hit the bridge. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crew on the ship were able to issue a "mayday" before colliding into the bridge, which allowed the authorities to stop incoming traffic from going onto the bridge.
• Response efforts: Earlier, dive teams from various state and local agencies were brought in to assist in search-and-rescue operations, according to Maryland State Police Secretary Col. Roland L. Butler Jr.. The mission started with 50 personnel and continued to grow before the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening that it was suspending its active search-and-rescue operation and transitioning to a "different phase."
• The investigation: Authorities are still working to establish exactly how the crash occurred. The National Transportation Safety Board will look into  how the bridge was built  and investigate the structure itself. It will "take time to dig through" whether the bridge had ever been  flagged for any safety deficiencies , NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
• Rebuilding the bridge: US Sen. Chris Van Hollen said the path to rebuilding the bridge will be "long and expensive." Senior White House adviser Tom Perez told reporters Tuesday “it’s too early” to tell how long it will take to rebuild the bridge. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he wants the federal government to bear the full cost of rebuilding the collapsed bridge, noting that it will not wait for the company who owns the container ship DALI to shoulder the costs. Funding could come from the Federal Highway Administration as well as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but it may require additional funding from Congress.

2 of the missing construction workers from bridge collapse were from Guatemala, foreign ministry says

From CNN’s Allison Gordon, Flora Charner and Amy Simonson

Two of the construction workers missing from the bridge collapse in Baltimore were from Guatemala, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday.

Those missing included a 26-year-old originally from San Luis, Petén. The other is a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula, the statement said.

The ministry said both were part of a work team “repairing the asphalt on the bridge at the time of the accident.”

The statement did not name the two people missing, but it said the country’s consul general in Maryland “went to the area where the families of those affected are located,” where he hopes to be able to meet with the brothers of both missing people.

The consulate   also issued a statement Tuesday saying its consul general in Maryland "remains in contact with local authorities," and also confirmed that two of those missing "were of Guatemalan origin.”

Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning when a cargo ship hit the bridge's pillar.

State and federal officials have not released information about the identities of any of the six missing workers.

Underwater mapping of bridge collapse area to begin Wednesday, Baltimore fire chief says

From CNN's Jennifer Henderson

Search operations near the Key Bridge collapse have shut down for the night due to dangerous conditions, but the process of underwater mapping with many local, state and federal dive teams will begin Wednesday, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Tuesday night.

Wallace said the portion of the Patapsco River is “tidal influenced, so it goes through tide cycles just like the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay does.”

The water depths in the area under the bridge vary from 40 feet to more than 60 feet, Wallace said. The deeper the divers go, the colder the temperatures they encounter, and the visibility is zero, he added.

 Wallace said when crews arrived Tuesday morning, the surface water temperatures of the Patapsco River were about 47 degrees with an air temperature of 44-45 degrees.

Here's what you should know about the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after a massive container ship lost power and crashed into the iconic Baltimore bridge, sending people and vehicles into the frigid Patapsco River.

Six people, believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead and the Coast Guard has ended its active search and rescue mission.

Here's what you should know about the historic bridge:

• How old?: The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also referred to as just the Key Bridge, opened to traffic in March 1977 and is the final link in the Baltimore Beltway, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA.) It crosses over the 50-foot-deep Patapsco River, where former US attorney Francis Scott Key found inspiration to write the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner, the MDTA says.
• How long?: The bridge was 1.6 miles long when standing, MDTA reports.
• Traffic volume: More than 30,000 people commuted daily on the bridge, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
• How much did it cost?: The bridge cost $60.3 million to build, MDTA says. Since its collapse, President Joe Biden said he’s committed to helping rebuild the bridge as soon as possible.
• About the port: Baltimore ranks as the ninth biggest US port for international cargo. It handled a record 52.3 million tons, valued at $80.8 billion, in 2023. According to the Maryland state government, the port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in related services.
• About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. Dali is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk . The ship is about 984 feet long , according to MarineTraffic data. That’s the length of almost three football fields.

Baltimore woman says bridge collapse was "like a piece of family dissolved"

From CNN's Kit Maher

For longtime Baltimore resident, Ceely, who opted not to share her last name, seeing footage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse  Tuesday was deeply personal.

“I was very heavy-hearted,” Ceely told CNN. “Very tearful, thinking about the families whose loved ones may be in the water and just remembering when the bridge was constructed, and it was just like a piece of family dissolved.”

Ceely was at a prayer group Tuesday morning when she saw the news. She recalled being afraid when she first crossed the bridge while in Ford Maverick in 1975, but grew to like it because it saved time on the road.

“It was a main artery just like a blood line. It was a main artery to the other side of town. It was awesome. It beat going through the city all the time,” she said.

Elder Rashad A. Singletary , a senior pastor who led Tuesday night’s vigil at Mt. Olive Baptist Church told CNN that many church members watched the bridge's construction.

"It’s a part of the community. A lot of our individuals in our congregation drive that bridge to go to work, and so now it’s really a life changing moment,” he said.

"Heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," Maryland governor says as Coast Guard ended search operation

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

More than 18 hours after the collapse of the Baltimore bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said it was a heartbreaking conclusion after the Coast Guard ended the search-and-rescue operation for the six people who were on the bridge when it collapsed.

It's a "really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," he said.

"We put every single asset possible — air, land and sea" to find the missing people, he told reporters on Tuesday evening. "While even though we're moving on now to a recovery mission, we're still fully committed to making sure that we're going to use every single asset to now bring a sense of closure to the families," the governor added.

6 people presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse, Coast Guard says. Here's what we know

As the sun sets in Baltimore, six people are presumed dead after a major bridge collapsed overnight Tuesday, according to the Coast Guard. The Francis Scott Key Bridge came down around 1:30 a.m. ET after a cargo ship collided with it.

The Coast Guard said it has ended its active search-and-rescue operation for the missing construction workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed.

• What we know: Eight people were on the bridge when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and has been discharged . The Coast Guard has been searching for six other people. But, around 7:30 p.m. ET, the Coast Guard said it has transitioned to a “different phase” of operation, now it did “not believe we are going to find any of these individuals alive,” Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said.
• About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. The vessel is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk . The US Embassy in Singapore has been in contact with the country’s Maritime and Port Authority, a State Department spokesperson said.
• The investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the collapse. A team of 24 experts will dig into nautical operations, vessel operations, safety history records, owners, operators, company policy and any safety management systems or programs, said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. A voyage data recorder will be critical to the investigation, she added. 
• Vehicles on the bridge: Officials are also working to verify the numbers of how many cars and people were on the bridge, Homendy said. Gov. Wes Moore said the quick work of authorities in closing the bridge had saved lives . Radio traffic captured how authorities stopped traffic and worked to clear the bridge seconds before the impact . Maryland State Police Secretary Col. Roland L. Butler Jr. said there is a “ distinct possibility ” more vehicles were on the bridge, but authorities have not found any evidence to support that.
• Looking ahead: NTSB will look into how the bridge was built and investigate the structure itself, including if it was flagged for any safety deficiencies , Homendy said. The federal government has also directed its resources to help with search and rescue, to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge, Vice President Kamala Harris said . Earlier, President Joe Biden said t he federal government will pay to fix the bridge.
• The economy: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned the collapse will have a serious impact on supply chains . Until the channel is reopened, ships will likely already be changing course for other East Coast ports. Ocean carriers are already being diverted from the Port of Baltimore, where the bridge collapsed, to the Port of Virginia to “keep trade moving."

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Dredging of Puerto Rico’s biggest port begins despite warnings it may harm turtles and corals

FILE - A bird flies over the San Juan Bay Estuary in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 26, 2013. A $62 million project to dredge Puerto Rico’s biggest and most important seaport began Wednesday, April 3, 2024 amid fierce opposition from environmentalists. Crews will remove nearly 3 million cubic yards of marine floor to open the San Juan Bay to larger vessels including tankers that will serve a new liquid natural gas terminal on Puerto Rico’s north coast. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo, File)

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A $62 million project to dredge Puerto Rico’s biggest and most important seaport began Wednesday amid fierce opposition from environmentalists and a pending lawsuit.

Crews with California-based Curtin Maritime will remove nearly 3 million cubic yards (76 million cubic feet) of marine floor to open the San Juan Bay to larger vessels including tankers that will serve a new liquid natural gas terminal on Puerto Rico’s north coast.

The dredged material will be deposited into the Atlantic Ocean 2 nautical miles (4 kilometers) north of the U.S. territory in a move approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials said.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said the project overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to give a $400 million boost to the local economy, adding that the dredging will be completed by October.

He dismissed concerns by environmentalists who have said the project would endanger wildlife and humans. “This already was authorized at all federal levels, including any environmental impact it might have,” he said.

In August 2022, the Arizona-based nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government, saying the project threatens to destroy corals and seagrass beds and suck up turtles and other marine life.

The lawsuit is pending at a U.S. District Court in Washington, with a hearing last held in January.

“We are hoping for a decision soon,” Catherine Kilduff, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a phone interview.

“The dredging itself causes sediment that can kill corals,” she said. “Those corals have been impacted by diseases and warming waters, and so we’re worried that this dredging project…could be a death knell.”

Kilduff said the center also is concerned about manatees that swim in the San Juan Bay, where they depend on seagrass for food and are struck by ships.

She said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last dredged the bay in the early 2000s, promising they would plant an acre of seagrass.

“They still haven’t done that,” she said.

Kilduff noted that the federal government held a public comment period on the dredging project when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm in 2017, leaving the island without power or passable roads.

A USACE spokesperson did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

As the governor shared details about the project on Wednesday, a dredging vessel began operations in the background.

Officials said it would dig up to 46 feet (14 meters), with some areas in the San Juan Bay currently at depths ranging from 36 feet (11 meters) to 42 feet (13 meters).

“San Juan harbor is an economic engine and vital lifeline for Puerto Rico,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Charles Decker said in the announcement. “It’s a phenomenal investment in the future of Puerto Rico.”

The Corps is investing almost $45 million in the project, with the government of Puerto Rico providing the rest.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america