Cruise ships on tsunami alert

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Cruise ships in the Pacific are on tsunami alert after the devastation caused in Japan by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake earlier today, and the Japanese coastguard are reported to be searching for a vessel carrying 80 people which was washed away by the massive wave.
Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 left Tokyo yesterday (March 10) and is scheduled to berth in Nagasaki tomorrow, so is heading away from the worst-affected areas. A small group of passengers is ashore on an overland excursion to Osaka and a company spokesperson says they are all safe and accounted for.
The official @cunardline Twitter feed posted the following message: “QM2 is 450 miles South West of this morning`s earthquake. Weather is calm and it is unlikely that the route the ship is on will be affected. The Commodore

[Bernard Warner] has made a broadcast to the guests advising them of the situation. He has walked the decks and all is calm on board.”
Sister ship Queen Elizabeth is in Hong Kong today, together with Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas.
Azamara Quest left Nagasaki this morning with 70 UK guests among those on board and is due to reach Osaka on March 13. Crystal Serenity is in Bali, Indonesia, and TTGLive’s Sophie Griffiths reports that about 40 UK passengers are on board, with another 15 due to join the ship when it reaches Singapore on Monday.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America was in Hawaii when the tsunami warning was issued. The ship left Nawiliwili, Kauai early, at approximately 1.00 a.m. local time and headed for the open ocean where it remained until the port re-opened.
Pride of America will return to Honolulu on Saturday, and the next cruise is expected to sail as scheduled. Norwegian Star is at sea today and will arrive in Los Angeles tomorrow.
Paul Gauguin, with one UK guest, and Royal Princess are both in Bora Bora, in French Polynesia, which was placed on high tsunami alert.
Ships in open water are unlikely to be affected by passing tsunamis which cause devastation only when they reach shallow water and the coast as their speed slows and height increases dramatically.
By | 2017-06-15T16:00:09+00:00 11 March 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|18 Comments

About the Author:

John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.

18 Comments

  1. Christine Vella 11 March 2011 at 5:26 pm - Reply

    Any news on the Holland America ship Zaandam that left Hawaii a couple of days ago, heading to San Diego?

  2. John Honeywell 11 March 2011 at 6:10 pm - Reply

    Zaandam is scheduled to arrive in Ensenada, Mexico, tomorrow morning. As it is in the open ocean, it is unlikely to be affected by a tsunami.

  3. Glenn 11 March 2011 at 11:42 pm - Reply

    Is there any news on the Royal Princess which was down in Bora Bora. My ladyfriend is really worried about her daughter who works on the cruise ship

  4. Glenn 11 March 2011 at 11:47 pm - Reply

    Is there any news on the Royal Princess cruise ship that was in Bora Bora today. I have a realative that works on that ship and her mother is very worried about her.

  5. Glenn 11 March 2011 at 11:54 pm - Reply

    Any news on the Royal Princess that was in Bora Bora today. I have a relative that works on the cruise line and her mother is very worried about her

  6. John Honeywell 11 March 2011 at 11:56 pm - Reply

    Nothing to worry about. The official statement from Princess Cruises should put her mind at rest. It reads: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan especially those directly affected by today’s devastating earthquake. We currently have no ships in Japan, nor are any of our ships considered at risk from any tsunami activity. All Princess passengers, crew and ships are safe.”

  7. Kristina 12 March 2011 at 2:03 am - Reply

    Hi,
    if anyone has any news of the Zaandam please post a message as my father is the executive chef onboard and i am in the UK and very worried. Any news would be great. Thank You in advance.

  8. Royal Princess 12 March 2011 at 4:37 am - Reply

    Spoke with a member of the crew of the Royal Princess today who is a family member and several others on it as well… all is safe for now, they were staying in Bora Bora until tonight and then heading to Moorea? tonight… you can see the web cam from the ship by going to http://www.princesscruises.com clicking on ships then learn more, scroll down to royal princess, then select bridge cam, it will show you a view of the ship and tell you where they are currently located.
    Hope they stay safe I have several family members on board as well.

  9. Shirley 12 March 2011 at 8:57 pm - Reply

    Is there any news on Royal Caribbean, Legend of The Seas? They were scheduled to start visiting ports in Japan, next week. Has Royal Caribbean changed any of the itineraries?
    Thanks

  10. John Honeywell 13 March 2011 at 2:26 pm - Reply

    Please see the following response from Royal Caribbean:
    LEGEND OF THE SEAS
    Legend of the Seas will begin its season from Shanghai on Monday, March 14 as scheduled. There are no changes to its itineraries at this time.
    Our guests and travel agency partners can be assured that business will continue without interruption, and that Royal Caribbean will deliver memorable holiday experiences for its Chinese guests on the upcoming sailings from Shanghai.
    Royal Caribbean International has more than 40 years of experience delivering memorable vacations, and is very experienced in dealing with and responding to natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Japan. The safety and security of our guests and crew member is always our foremost concern.
    Royal Caribbean continues to monitor the situation in Japan around the clock, and we will deliver any updates immediately, should they be necessary.

  11. Shirley 14 March 2011 at 3:13 pm - Reply

    John, where did the information from Royal Caribbean come from?
    I have been searching for days for info.
    Thanks

  12. John Honeywell 14 March 2011 at 4:04 pm - Reply

    Shirley. The information came from Royal Caribbean head office in response to your question, which I forwarded to them

  13. Shirley 15 March 2011 at 2:56 pm - Reply

    Thank you, John.
    Is it possible for me to get Royal Caribbean’s contact/email information?
    Thanks again,
    Shirley

  14. sharon micheletty 15 March 2011 at 10:19 pm - Reply

    Hello John,
    I am also trying to get information about the legend of the seas, do you have any information dating more recently.
    Thanking you in advance,
    Sharon Micheletty

  15. John Honeywell 16 March 2011 at 9:35 am - Reply

    UPDATE: Latest statement from Royal Caribbean regarding the deployment of Legend of the Seas.
    Royal Caribbean has been closely monitoring the situation in Japan since the earthquake and tsunami, especially the status of the damaged nuclear reactors. We are aware that several countries have issued advisories discouraging travel to Japan, and many of our guests have expressed concern about whether it is safe to call there.
    Although the areas of concern are far from Fukuoka, Japan, there is no doubt that the situation remains fluid and continues to deteriorate. Therefore, we have decided to cancel Legend of the Seas’ port call to Fukuoka, Japan on Wednesday, March 16. Instead, the ship will proceed directly to Busan, South Korea.
    We continue to keep the people of Japan in our thoughts and prayers.

  16. sharon micheletty 16 March 2011 at 1:17 pm - Reply

    Thank you John,
    Your the only way of getting news of The legend of the seas.
    Once again thank you,
    Sharon Micheletty

  17. Shirley 16 March 2011 at 3:25 pm - Reply

    Sharon and John,
    I found out, late last night, that Legend left Fukuoka, Japan and is now in Busan, Korea now. This morning, I read that they are adjusting their schedule and will not go to Japan. I don’t know for how long.
    John, getting information from RC is difficult. Anything you can do to keep us informed about the ship’s location and travel plans is greatly appreciated.
    Shirley

  18. John Honeywell 16 March 2011 at 3:41 pm - Reply

    Further update, just received from Royal Caribbean:
    We have revised our itinerary for the Legend of the Seas sailing that is scheduled to depart Shanghai (Baoshan), China on Saturday, March 19. Legend of the Seas will now call on Cheju Island, South Korea on Sunday, March 20, and stay overnight in Hong Kong, China from 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 until midnight on Wednesday, March 23. Legend of the Seas will return to Shanghai on Saturday, March 26 as scheduled.
    Guest who chose to sail on the revised itinerary will receive an onboard credit. Guests who choose not to sail on March 19 will receive a full refund.

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