‘Nothing like it’: Horror as cruise ship tilts sideways
A cruise ship heading from Sydney to New Zealand entered such rough seas it tilted sideways for about 40 seconds causing mayhem.
A passenger has recounted the horror 40-seconds on-board a cruise ship when the vessel tilted sideways injuring 16 people.
The Crown Princess was on a 14 day round trip from Sydney to New Zealand when on February 26 it encountered rough seas when cruising through Milford Sounds – a fjord in the southwest of NZ’s South Island.
Wild footage from inside the ship’s kitchen has since surfaced that shows staff firmly clutching onto counters to balance themselves as equipment and tools are seen flying through the galley.
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Food can be seen splattered across the tiled floors with broken dishes laid on the ground as the change in direction forced the 290 metre ship to tilt sideways for about 40 seconds, according to passenger Martin Wise.
“I felt the boat starting to slant and tip,” Mr Wise, who was in the sixth floor dining room, told NZ publication Stuff.
“Then it lent over quite a bit and really started moving along at a high speed and we could see the sea looking very high out of the restaurant windows.”
He said cups, glasses and plates “went flying” around the room.
“[And] crashing could be heard around the area and a huge crash from the kitchen.”
According to Mr Wise, the captain told passengers the boat had been hit by a 75 knot wind, which briefly increased the vessels speed, and tilted the boat by 14 degrees.
“On a frightening scale, I’d put it at 8.5 to 10,” he said. “This is our seventh Princess cruise and nothing’s ever happened like this before.”
However, despite the scary indigent, he said it’s not put him off cruising.
Footage also shows water spilling out of a pool on-board the ship – and luxury items from one of the stores all over the carpeted floor.
In total, the vessel was carrying 3090 guests with 13 passengers and three crew members suffering minor injuries a Princess Cruises spokesperson told news.com.au in a statement.
The ship itself did not suffer any structural damage and continued on as scheduled.
“On February 25, while in Fiordland, New Zealand, Crown Princess encountered strong winds during a course change, causing the ship to briefly tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilising,” the spokesperson said.
“Our crew responded quickly to correct the situation, and at no point was the safety of the ship compromised.
“A total of 13 guests and three crew members sustained minor injuries and all are doing well. “Additionally, a small amount of water from the Lido Deck pool briefly entered the Horizons food court, but the area was quickly cleaned and reopened. There was no structural damage to the ship.”
The spokesperson said they “regret any inconvenience this may have caused”.
“[And] appreciate our guests’ understanding. Crown Princess remains fully operational and safe, and the voyage continued as planned.”
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