Stormy weather has wreaked havoc on a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship. Choppy seas caused bottles to be thrown off shelves and casino tables overturned.
The frightening scenes happened as the luxury ship, named The Explorer of the Seas, made its way from Barcelona to Miami, forcing the £1.6 billion liner to halt its journey for safety reasons.
According to reports, the boat was hit by an “unexpected wind gust” off the coast of Tenerife, causing the ship to experience a “sudden movement”, according to a statement on the cruise operator’s website.
One passenger told reporters that the captain informed them that the wind speed nearly doubled from 46mph to 86mph in hours.
Jonathan Parrish, who was on board, told CBS News: “I think there was about five minutes in there where everybody was wondering what was going on, but as soon as the captain came on and made the announcement of what had happened, (it) kind of gave you a sense of calmness.
“Everybody kind of walked around a little bit, just gawking at all the bottles from the bar that had fallen.
“All the merchandise that you could purchase in the Royal Promenade was just all spread out throughout the floor.”
Mr Parrish added that the ship was forced to make drastic manoeuvres before passengers were consigned to their rooms to allow staff to conduct an accountability check.
An injury to a passenger which required additional care to that provided on board forced the liner to dock in Las Palmas, Spain, to allow for a “medical disembarkation.”
As of yesterday, the ship was docked at Ponta Delgada, an African island past the Straits of Gibraltar.
The Explorer of the Seas is a 1,020-foot vessel that can hold up to 4,290 guests and 1,185 crew members, according to a Royal Caribbean Cruises fact sheet.
Its fifteen passenger-decks include an ice skating rink, a mini-golf course, and a rock-climbing wall. It is registered in the Bahamas and has been sailing since 2000.
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