Passengers were thrown from their beds when cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas ran into heavy weather in the Eastern Mediterranean yesterday. The ship was approaching Alexandria, in northern Egypt, when a violent storm forced it to roll several times.
About 30 of the 2,100 passengers on board suffered minor injuries, some by treading on broken glass, after the incident at about 2.45 in the morning.
Furniture was thrown around in cabins and throughout the ship, and the Christmas tree (above) in the ship’s Centrum was toppled. Fitness equipment in the gym, tables in the casino, and displays in the shops were all tossed about.
One passenger told Cruise Critic that the Windjammer buffet restaurant was “a disaster area,” but that it was open for business later in the day.
A spokesman for Royal Caribbean Cruises said: “The ship has full power and is sailing as normal. They do not have any food shortages on board. All power and toilets are working normally . . . no one has been seriously injured.”
The visit to Alexandria was cancelled and the ship turned for Valetta, in Malta, where it is expected to spend two days in port. Storms in the area sank a cargo ship near the Israeli port of Ashdod, and caused flooding on land.
Picture: NBC Nightly News
How is it possible that a modern ship with all the sophisticated radar and weather gear can be caught by a surprise storm..what failed in their planning ?
Having spent seven years at sea in the military, I can comment on this incident. First, unlike military vessels, cruise ships do not ‘ready’ themselves for sea. They have a great deal of material, furniture, merchandise, and various other items loose and unsecured about the decks, and the slightest list or roll will set all those things adrift, which can cause damage. Secondly, modern cruise passengers are lulled into a false sense that being aboard a ship at sea will be a rock-steady experience, much like being in a building with views of the ocean out the windows. Nothing could be further from the truth. A ship, no matter how large, is subject to wind, waves, and tides, and WILL roll and pitch, even when that motion inconveniences the passengers. The worst part is, the news media plays up these incidents to the level of a seagoing disaster, which is unfair to the cruise lines and the hard-working crews who attend to the passengers very diligently. The sea is an unforgiving mistress.
I was on on that ship, and we were told that the ship slowed down too much while waiting to get word that they could enter Alexandria harbor, and its stabilization system stopped working. This allowed the ship to list considerably (I think they said 17deg?). Things slid around the room, yes. Because it happened in the middle of the night, most people were in bed (there were a LOT of old people on that cruise). Many injuries happened when people tried to get out of their beds/rooms. After the listing stopped, the captain imediately came on the speaker. Then, 5 min later, he came on and basically told everyone to get back in their rooms instead of running on broken glass taking pictures of the “destruction”.
In short, was it scary? Yes. Should RC be responsible? Yes, they let the stabilization system shut off. Should people have been given a refund? Yes, they pay for the destinations as well as the amenities, and most of the ship’s “fun” activities were closed the last 1/3 of the trip. Do people overreact and make a big deal out of everything? Yes.