Cruise ship passengers were left hanging on for their dear lives after the vessel tilted into water because of freak weather. Footage of the huge Royal Caribbean cruise ship tilting “45 degrees” into the Atlantic Ocean has gone massively viral online.
According to news reports, the ship was hit with a squall - a sudden storm with sharp and sustained winds. This caused the vessel to tilt into water off the coast of Africa.
According to Cruise Hive, the incident took place on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas on November 7. Hurricane-strength winds caused the 137,308-gross ton vessel to tilt on its side, sparking chaos onboard.
Dramatic footage that has gone viral online shows chaos unfolding onboard the ship, with furniture being smashed and passengers struggling to stay upright. The video shows plates and glasses shattered on the ground as crew members tried to pacify panicked passengers.
Watch the video below:
The Explorer of the Seas was carrying more than 5,000 crew and passengers when the freak weather phenomenon caused it to tip to one side. Luckily, no major injuries were reported, although some passengers and crew members required first aid for minor cuts and bruises.
{{/usCountry}}The Explorer of the Seas was carrying more than 5,000 crew and passengers when the freak weather phenomenon caused it to tip to one side. Luckily, no major injuries were reported, although some passengers and crew members required first aid for minor cuts and bruises.
{{/usCountry}}One video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), has gone viral with more than 22 million views and hundreds of comments.
Passengers also took to Facebook to share their experience, with one person writing: “I’m on the ship too, scary as hell in the dining room with plates smashing everywhere, people screaming and tables & food all over the place.”
According to Beaumont Enterprise, guests were asked to return to their rooms to everyone could be accounted for and verified.
(Also read: American Airlines flight diverted after mysterious sound sends passengers and crew into panic)