Watch: Cruise ship passengers left screaming after ship tilts ‘at 45 degrees’ near Tenerife
Cruise passengers sent goodbye messages and thought they would die “like on the Titanic” after their ship tilted 45 degrees during a sudden gust in the storm-hit region off the coast of Tenerife.
The Royal Caribbean cruise from Spain to Miami was sailing near the island when the wind caused the ship to tilt dramatically, leading to passengers screaming and objects flying across the floor.
The ship was travelling in the Mediterranean as extreme weather lashed the east coast of Spain where over 200 people have been killed in recent weeks due to dramatic flash floods that have shocked the country.
Dan So, 41, said the experience “was like the Titanic” as he saw people cling to walls and desks as objects slid across the deck and thought the “ship was going to fall into the water.”
So, from Toronto, recorded a clip of the incident and said: “I could hear screaming sounds, glasses were falling around and the cruise had started tilting. You can see a whole advertisement sign hit a guy and he saves himself and grabs his girlfriend. He was in a state of shock.
“I wondered if this was a normal thing but the more I heard people screaming that’s when I got scared and had to turn the video off.”
So said he “thought he would die” as the ship remained tilted for around three minutes. He went as far as sending a goodbye message to work colleagues.
He said it was a “huge relief” when the ordeal was over and believes it’s a sign climate change is impacting sea travel.
It’s believed the ship hit a squall, which is a sudden storm often experienced in the sea, and its wind tipped the ship.
The 12-night cruise was reportedly forced to make an unplanned stop in Las Palmas, Spain, so the injured guests could leave but it’s now back on course. Royal Caribbean said one passenger was injured.
A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said: “During an unexpected wind gust near Tenerife, Spain, one of our sailings experienced sudden movement.
“One guest was injured and required additional medical care, resulting in the ship calling into Las Palmas, Spain for a medical disembarkation. We communicated these changes directly with our guests.”
Where were the most popular cruise destinations in 2024?
Journeys from Europe to places like Miami, particularly via the Caribbean are among the most popular in the world.
According to travel insurance company All Clear the Caribbean is the most popular destination for most people who go on a cruise.
They found based on Google searches 2.8 million people looked for information on cruises stopping by the Caribbean, compared to the Mediterranean on 2.1 million and Alaska on 1.8 million.
The contrast between the warmest and the coldest places was dramatic, with most people wanting to relax in places like the sunbaked Maldives or explore the ice of Antarctica.
AllClear said 66% of Brits were considering a cruise for their next holiday, based on their research.
Many people have also been opting to go on extended cruises that stop at multiple destinations all over the world in recent years.
A nine-month cruise that cost £42,000 a ticket stopped at 60 different destinations and attracted a lot of internet attention before finally stopping in Miami this September.
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