mediterranean cruise ship in storm

Watch CBS News

100 cruise passengers injured, some "flung to the floor" and "holding on for dear life" as ship hits fierce storm on way to U.K.

By Emily Mae Czachor

November 9, 2023 / 10:55 AM EST / CBS News

About 100 cruise ship passengers were injured last week when a fierce storm — which had cut short their scheduled trip around the Canary Islands — ended up hitting the ship in the Bay of Biscay as it routed back to the United Kingdom. Five passengers needed treatment in onboard medical facilities for more serious injuries, while the rest were described as minor. 

Nigel Banks, the CEO of British company Saga Cruises, said Spirit of Discovery had safely returned to the U.K. and all passengers had disembarked in a statement to CBS News on Thursday.

"We have apologised to all our guests who experienced such difficult weather conditions; we know that this was a very distressing experience for them," Banks said in the statement. 

Spirit of Discovery was carrying roughly 1,000 passengers on a two-week journey from Portsmouth, in southern England, through the Canary Islands off the western coast of Spain. The 14-night  "Canary Island Quintet" cruise , operated by Saga Cruises, left from Portsmouth on Oct. 24 and completed the first nine days of its prepared itinerary before beginning to confront a bout of bad weather. 

Conditions prompted the ship's captain to cancel their next planned stop in Las Palmas, where they were due to travel from the capital of Fuerteventura, another place in the Canary Islands, on Nov. 2. Instead, Spirit of Discovery changed directions to route toward the northwestern tip of mainland Spain, where the captain intended to dock the ship at La Coruña.

But while en route to the Spanish seaside town on the edge of the Bay of Biscay, the captain received word that the port at La Coruña would be closed because of bad weather. Hoping to stay ahead of the storm, the captain decided to start routing Spirit of Discovery back to the U.K. earlier than originally planned.

Spirit of Discovery encountered massive, tumultuous waves while crossing the Bay of Biscay, a body of water bordering Span and France that is known at times for especially turbulent currents. While crossing the bay, the ship's propulsion safety system activated and caused it to jerk suddenly to one direction, which essentially brought the vessel to a halt. 

A social media user on X said their parents were passengers on Spirit of Discovery during the cruise. 

"My elderly parents on board the Saga Spirit of Discovery and have also had a horrendous time in the storm, including getting flung to the floor in the dining room with tables and crockery falling on them," the post read , adding, "Why did the captain rush from the Canaries into the storm?"

One passenger, Alan Grisedale, filmed the enormous waves that rocked Spirit of Discovery in the Bay of Biscay and shared the footage with BBC News . Grisedale said the force against the ship was so great that his wife was knocked over, and furniture was pushed around inside their cabin, the BBC reported . Another passenger on the ship recalled in comments to the BBC that "tables were flying" and waves were "throwing people around all up and down the place."

Jan Bendall, a 75-year-old passenger who had taken the cruise with her husband, told the BBC that Spirit of Discovery remained stationary in the Bay of Biscay for about 15 hours while "caught in the middle of the storm." Bendall said that she and her husband were "holding on for dear life."

Banks, the cruise line's CEO, said the crew did "everything we could" to keep passengers safe.   

"We operate to the highest health and safety protocols and every decision was made based on advice from the ship's Master and forecasts from our dedicated marine meteorologists," Banks said in his statement. "We did everything we could at all times to keep our guests as safe as possible and to support them through the storm, including expert medical attention for those injured. I want to thank our guests for their patience and understanding and all our crew, who went over and above to care for everyone onboard."

• United Kingdom

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

More from CBS News

London mayor wins historic third term

A.J. Jacobs on "The Year of Living Constitutionally"

Floods in southern Brazil kill at least 60, more than 100 missing

Rep. Jeffries says House Democrats "governing as if we were in the majority"

Powerful storm causes chaos at resort, cruise ship collision on Spanish island of Mallorca

The Spanish holiday island of Mallorca was slammed by a storm with wind gusts of up to 100 km/h on Sunday, causing chaos at a local hotel and caused a collision involving a cruise ship.

Video captured guests fleeing from the pool at the Sol Mirlos Tordos Hotel as sun loungers were sent flying by the powerful winds.

The storm also broke the P&O Cruises ship Britannia free of its mooring, causing it to collide with another ship in the island's capital of Palma.

• Watch live events and breaking news video on demand
• Follow CTV News on TikTok for the stories that matter to you

"P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre," a spokesperson for P&O Cruises said.

With files from Reuters

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed

The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.

Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl

Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.

Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible

Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.

Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack

The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.

East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation

Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.

Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds

A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.

An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada

As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.

Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs

Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.

'Real despair': High-ranking Toronto police officer felt isolation, mistreatment at TPS pushed her to help officers cheat on exam, lawyer says

The first female Black superintendent in Toronto Police Service history was attempting to diversify the ranks on her own when she helped six constables cheat in a promotions exam, her lawyer told a police tribunal.

Manitoba Court of Appeal dismisses Peter Nygard's appeal of extradition order

The Manitoba Court of Appeal has dismissed Peter Nygard's application for a judicial review of an order to extradite the former fashion mogul to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Report warns of dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents in Canada in 2023

Antisemitism in Canada exploded last year as the war unfolding in Israel and Gaza was used to 'justify' the targeting of Jews in Canada, B'nai Brith said Monday as it released its latest report on antisemitism.

Toronto-area trio charged with drug trafficking in northern Ont.

Three people from southern Ontario were nabbed on Highway 144 over the weekend, leading to a haul of illegal drugs and a handgun.

B.C. court date set for 3 accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar

Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday.

Russia defends veto of UN resolution to prohibit nukes in outer space, urges vote to ban all weapons

Russia on Monday defended its veto of a UN resolution urging all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space, challenging the U.S., Japan and their western allies to support Moscow's rival resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space 'for all time.'

An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say

An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.

2 workers killed, more than 50 trapped when a building under construction collapses in South Africa

A multi-story apartment building under construction collapsed Monday in a coastal city in South Africa, killing two construction workers and leaving 53 trapped under the rubble, authorities said.

China's Xi backs Macron call for global Olympic truce

China's President Xi Jinping on Monday called for a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after the French president and the head of the European Commission urged him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

Liberal icon Bernie Sanders is running for U.S. Senate reelection, squelching retirement rumours

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says he will run for reelection this year, squelching speculation that the 82-year-old progressive icon might retire at a time when the Democratic Party is anxious about the advancing age of its leaders.

Biden speaks with Netanyahu as Israelis appear closer to Rafah offensive

U.S. President Joe Biden again urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching an offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as Israel on Monday appeared to be moving closer to an offensive to root out Hamas militants.

NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation

The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.

Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns

The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.

For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease

For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.

What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection

A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.

Holocaust researchers use AI to search for unnamed victims

Researchers in Israel are turning to artificial intelligence to comb through piles of records to try to identify hundreds of thousands of Jewish people killed in the Holocaust whose names are missing from official memorials.

When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead

AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.

Entertainment

2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree

Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake gave us an epic hip-hop beef weekend. Here’s what to know

Two of hip-hop’s biggest stars have beef and people are taking sides.

With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here's how his first song post-stroke came to be

In July 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart, and later suffered a stroke. The Country Music Hall of Famer had to relearn how to walk, spell and read in the years that followed. A condition called aphasia limits his ability to speak — it's why his wife Mary Travis assists him in interviews. It's also why he hasn't released new music in over a decade, until now.

The FAA investigates after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into Boeing after the beleaguered company reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes.

Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations

Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.

'Incendiary objects' found under machinery at future Northvolt site in Quebec, company says

'Incendiary objects' have allegedly been placed under machinery on the site of Northvolt's future battery plant in Monteregie, seriously endangering employees, according to the company.

Investigating the tale of Winnipeg's long-running mystery bookstore

Whether passionate about Poirot or hungry for Holmes, Winnipeg mystery obsessives have had a local haunt for over 30 years in which to search out their latest page-turners.

Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen

Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama named NBA Rookie of the Year after a record-setting season

Spurs' star Victor Wembanyama has been announced as the unanimous winner of the NBA's Rookie of the Year award.

Kyle Larson wins by 0.001 seconds in closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history

Capping off a weekend of photo finishes, Kyle Larson won NASCAR's AdventHealth 400 by a staggering 0.001 seconds in Kansas on Sunday.

Brittney Griner still adjusting after Russian prison ordeal. WNBA star details experience in book

Brittney Griner continues her efforts to settle into a normal routine following her release from a Russian prison 17 months ago.

Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles

Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.

These driving offences now come with an automatic impoundment, licence suspension in Sask.

Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.

April auto sales jump 14 per cent; still below pre-pandemic levels: DesRosiers

Auto sales last month totalled 164,000 units, higher than April 2023, which was the weakest month for sales last year.

Local Spotlight

'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married

Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.

Twin Alberta Ballet dancers retire after 15 years with company

Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.

Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver

A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.

B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book

A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.

Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children

Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.

Here's how one of Sask.'s largest power plants was knocked out for 73 days, and what it took to fix it

A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.

Quebec police officer anonymously donates kidney, changes schoolteacher's life

A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.

Canada's oldest hat store still going strong after 90 years

Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.

Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross

Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.

Closing arguments underway for accused in Richmond restaurant murder

Closing arguments are underway in the trial of a man accused of killing an alleged money launderer and wounding his associate at a Richmond, B.C., restaurant in September 2020.

Canucks enter second round as underdogs against Edmonton Oilers

Despite a better regular season record, including a clean sweep of the Edmonton Oilers, the Vancouver Canucks are entering the second round series between the two teams as underdogs.

Vancouver high school teacher pleads guilty to sexual assault

A former band teacher at a Vancouver high school has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one of his former students, CTV News has learned.

Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban

An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.

'A big help': Relief anticipated with rainfall to break dry spell in southeastern Alberta

Parts of southern Alberta are expecting significant rainfall over the next few days, which is welcome news for farmers.

Calgary Shaw services disrupted after attempted copper wire theft

Some Shaw customers in north Calgary experienced a service outage on Monday after an attempted theft of copper wire.

'He was a nice kid': Sir Guy Carleton students remember teen stabbed to death

Students from Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School have placed roses outside the city building in Nepean where one of their classmates was stabbed on Thursday and later died of his injuries.

Ottawa photo radar camera on road connecting Ontario-Quebec issues 7,500 speeding tickets in one month

Newly released statistics show the photo radar camera on King Edward Avenue, between Cathcart Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 7,569 tickets during its first month of operation in March.

Pro-Palestinian encampment members say little progress made in meeting with McGill

Pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up an encampment at Montreal's McGill University say they're no closer to taking down their tents after meeting with members of the school administration.

Nearly 5,000 Quebec teachers have quit in the last five years: report

According to a report by French-language media outlet the Journal de Montreal, from 2018 to 2023, the number of teachers quitting increased by 76 per cent, for a total of 4,880.

Edmonton businesswoman fined, put on house arrest for scamming newcomers

An Ontario woman working in Edmonton has been convicted of defrauding newcomers of tens of thousands of dollars.

Alberta Municipalities said it hasn't been given chance to consult on changes to bill

Alberta's municipal affairs minister declined Monday to clarify whether towns and cities would still get their say before changes are made to a contentious bill that gives the province broad authority to fire local councillors.

Second-degree murder charge laid in Alberta Avenue death

A 24-year-old man has been charged in the death of a 44-year-old man in the Alberta Avenue area last Friday.

N.S. crews searching for missing man in capsized boat

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) is searching for a man missing from a capsized recreational boat in Annapolis County, N.S., Monday night.

Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash

Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.

IWK looking for missing 17-year-old patient

The IWK Health Centre in Halifax is looking for a 17-year-old patient who has gone missing.

Butterfly Garden at the Leaf takes flight again after closure

Springtime is here and a popular attraction at The Leaf is undergoing a metamorphosis.

Manitoba to use tobacco suit windfall to fight cancer: Premier

A windfall from a lawsuit against big tobacco could see a major expansion to help cancer patients.

Sask. NDP criticizes nearly $1 million spent on former Prime Minister's consulting firm

The Government of Saskatchewan has paid former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's consulting firm nearly $1 million over the past four years for trade advice. The opposition says it has been blocked while trying to gather more details on the contract.

'Absolutely critical': Looming rail worker strike causing concern for Sask.'s biggest industries

The possibility of a strike by both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail workers has Saskatchewan's major economic drivers sounding alarms.

Hudson's Bay in Regina to close in 2025

The Hudson's Bay department store location at Regina's Cornwall Centre will close its doors in 2025.

OPP urge safety as another wrong-way driver spotted on Highway 401

There have been two fatal wrong-way collisions on Highway 401 in the last week, and on Sunday, another driver was seen travelling in the opposite direction near Cambridge, Ont.

Stratford resident banned from city property and contacting staff

A couple of Stratford residents claim they have been banned from attending any city owned properties or from speaking with any city staff for three months.

Man accused of stealing more than $300K in products from LCBO stores

A Guelph, Ont. man is believed to be responsible for stealing more than $300,000 worth of product from LCBO stores across the province.

Police say Sask. man assaulted hospital staff the night before killing his mother

Prince Albert police say a 29-year-old man charged in the murder of his mother had assaulted a staff member at Victoria Hospital the night before the killing.

The lone road into this Sask. village is so bad some locals drive through the ditch

Aaron Fosseneuve says the official name of the road into his home community of Cumberland House is Highway 123, but locals joke it’s not as easy as 1-2-3 — “it’s more like a 4-5-6.”

Saskatoon Blades superfans excited for game 7 against Moose Jaw Warriors

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are getting ready for what’s sure to be an epic game seven at Sasktel Centre, capping off one of the tightest series in recent history.

Northern Ontario

Northern Ont. woman charged in fatal head-on Highway 17 crash

A 32-year-old northern Ontario woman has been charged in a head-on collision on Highway 17 near Espanola that killed one and seriously injured two others Sunday.

City of Timmins launches pilot sharp collection program

When people find drug litter on public property in Timmins, the city wants them to contact Service Timmins.

Man charged with child abduction in northern Ont. elects for trial by judge

A Brampton man in his 30s charged with abducting a northern Ontario boy last summer has elected to be tried by a judge without a jury.

'So scared there's going to be a tragedy': Vacant building in OEV raises concern among residents

Homeowners living near the former McCormick/Beta Brands building are again raising the alarm over a structure that has been vacant for nearly two decades.

Morgan, Lewis pitch extending winter shelter spaces through July so city can consider year-round proposal

A last ditch effort at city hall might see the doors to Ark Aid Street Mission’s winter homeless shelter remain open past the end of this month.

Jury at abuse case hears children sought refuge at friend's home

A London, Ont. jury heard evidence on Monday that the children at the centre of a sexual abuse case sought refuge at the home of family friends just before they went to police.

YMCA celebrates successes with major changes on the horizon

Friends and passionate supporters of the YMCA gathered tonight to celebrate some major accomplishments of the last year as the organization looks toward a busy timeline in the coming years.

Sentences handed down in Barrie catwalk shooting

Sentencing has been handed down to two men who pleaded guilty for their roles in a Barrie catwalk shooting last spring that left the victim fighting for his life.

Motorcyclist airlifted with serious injuries after Owen Sound collision

A motorcyclist was airlifted via air ambulance after a collision in an Owen Sound intersection.

Family of nurse, 22, who died after surgery complications establish scholarship in her honour

With an infectious giggle and a strong desire to help others, Hannah Pare had all the tools to be a spectacular nurse. But that thrill has quickly turned into heartbreaking agony for Hannah's family after complications from a routine surgery cut her life short.

Tecumseh considers removing crossing guards, parents concerned

The Town of Tecumseh could soon be without crossing guards altogether, as council considers a plan to phase them out.

Windsor city councillor calls for school board, police collaboration to tackle youth crime

Ward 4 Coun. Mark McKenzie is calling for greater collaboration between the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSC) and the Windsor Police Service in response to a recent rise in youth crime across the city.

Vancouver Island

Victoria the only city to pass B.C. home-building target so far

Under the province’s new housing targets, Victoria was tasked with creating 659 new units within the first year. It has hit 753 in six months.

B.C.'s human rights commissioner calls on universities to protect student protesters

Amid ongoing protest encampments on university campuses in B.C., the province’s human rights commissioner is calling on institutions to protect free speech.

Red dresses to make fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women

Models in uniquely designed red dresses are taking to the runway in British Columbia this weekend to make a powerful fashion statement about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

B.C. breweries take home awards at World Beer Cup

Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.

B.C. man rescues starving dachshund trapped in carrier: BC SPCA

An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.

Lethbridge police seek suspects in 'street robbery'

Lethbridge police are looking for two people they believe were involved in the 'street robbery' of a senior last week.

Southern Alberta animal shelters overrun with abandoned pets

Animal shelters across the province are finding themselves frequently at capacity -- or more.

Woman charged in connection with fatal crash

Lethbridge police say impaired driving is to blame in a fatal crash that killed a 25-year-old man on Thursday.

Sault Ste. Marie

Northeast police posts intimate partner violence stats

In an effort to increase awareness across the region, the Ontario Provincial Police North East is publicizing intimate partner violence statistics across its 12 detachments from April.

Sault greenlights boulevard gardens

Citing growing interest among residents and community groups, the City of Sault Ste. Marie is allowing boulevard gardens for the first time this year.

Sault suspect brandished bear spray, came at victim with a knife

A 26-year-old suspect has been arrested in Sault Ste. Marie for an incident that took place in early April.

Officer convicted of on-duty rape no longer with Royal Newfoundland Constabulary

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says an officer convicted in 2021 of raping a woman while on duty is no longer with the force.

Evicted from St. John's, N.L. tent city, this man refuses bed in 'disgusting' shelter

A homeless man in Newfoundland says he refuses to sleep in a shelter after workers wearing balaclavas and haz-mat suits tore down a tent encampment in St. John's on Friday.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.  Read about us.

Editor's Picks

13 blackout curtains for anyone who needs complete darkness to fall asleep, 17 practical things for your backyard that you'll want to order immediately, 16 night creams that'll work magic on your skin while you sleep, 15 household products that you may have forgotten to order this month, our guide to the best dehumidifiers in canada in 2024 (and where to get them), 17 problem-solving dog products that cost less than $30, 20 last-minute mother's day gifts from amazon canada that'll arrive on time, 22 of the best mother's day gifts to give in 2024, 17 unique mother's day gifts your mom definitely wants, but probably won’t buy herself, 15 hydrating facial toners that reviewers actually swear by, here are the best retinol serums and treatments you can snag under $50, according to reviewers, 20 affordable amazon beauty and skincare products you'll probably repurchase over and over again, stay connected.

Terrified cruise passengers wrote good-bye texts to their families as their ship was battered by a giant storm in the Bay of Biscay

• A cruise ship was caught in a brutal storm in the Bay of Biscay over the weekend.
• Terrified passengers described massive swells and howling winds that sent the ship shaking.
• One hundred people were injured, the BBC reported, citing the cruise company, which described the injuries as "minor."

A dream vacation became a maritime nightmare for those onboard a cruise ship caught in a fierce storm in the Bay of Biscay that left 100 people injured over the weekend, according to media reports.

"People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized," an unnamed passenger told BBC News of the chaotic voyage.

The Spirit of Discovery, a vessel run by Saga Cruises, was carrying about 1,000 people on what was supposed to be a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands, the outlet reported.

But when the weather turned, the ship decided to return to the UK earlier than expected amid a coming storm. As it was making its return voyage, the vessel ran into a storm in the Bay of Biscay, an area off the coast of Spain and France known for its rough seas.

Amid slamming waves and howling winds, the ship's automatic safety system kicked in which caused the boat to veer and stop, the BBC reported. A spokesperson for Saga told the outlet that most of the injuries among passengers occurred at this moment and described most of them as "minor."

A representative for Saga did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"To say 'minor injuries' is an insult to the many horrific broken bones, pelvises, lacerations, stitches, etc. that were caused [to] a very old passenger clientele," the same unnamed passenger told the BBC.

Related stories

The ship stayed put until the weather cleared up, the outlet reported. Video from the voyage shows huge swells outside the ship's windows.

WATCH: BBC reports "tables were flying" as waves threw people "all up and down the place", say passengers on UK cruise ship 'Spirit of discovery' caught in storm. 100 people got injured as 30ft waves battered the ship windows. pic.twitter.com/NWZh2tL2ff — Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 7, 2023

Jan Bendall, 75, a passenger onboard the cruise, told the BBC that the vessel didn't move for 15 hours as the storm raged on around them.

"It was quite frightening," she told the outlet. "I'm not somebody who frightens easily, it was quite dramatic."

Bendall said a section of the dining room was turned into a makeshift medical center.

Richard Reynolds, 60, told The Daily Mail he and his wife were passengers onboard along with his elderly parents. Reynolds said his mom was injured after being thrown to the floor when the boat rocked.

Reynolds said passengers were confined to their cabins and wore life vests for two straight days as they rode out the storm, afraid the ship might capsize.

"People were screaming for their lives, things were banging and crashing around us and they thought they were going to die," he told the outlet.

Five people were taken to the hospital when the ship was finally able to dock in Portsmouth on Monday, according to the BBC.

Watch: Cruise ship captain breaks down 8 cruise ship disasters in movies and TV

• Main content

Advertisement

Bonkers video footage shows chaos on cruise ship during intense storm, share this article.

An intense storm surprised passengers as they boarded a cruise ship in Florida and sent them scrambling for shelter as hurricane-like winds sent deck chairs and loungers, among other things, flying into the air in a chaotic scene some likened to the movie “Twister.”

The Independence of the Seas from Royal Caribbean was at the dock in Port Canaveral when the storm suddenly erupted with heavy rain and wind, sending many of the passengers into a panic as they sought safety. Some were hit by the flying debris.

Jenn Stancil captured video of the storm moving in and the passengers scrambling for safety as rain drenched the deck.

“It just turned crazy,” Stancil told FOX 35 Orlando . “It looked like a scene from the movie “Twister” is exactly what I thought, because you see these chairs flying up in the air.”

Lucas Sparrow, another eyewitness, told FOX 35 Orlando, “People were getting blown, losing their hats [and] towels.”

One lounger crashed down on an empty baby stroller as the woman pulled it. Fortunately the woman was carrying the baby and was not hit, as shown in footage posted on the Instagram account called Sunshine State of Mind 305 . (To view on some servers, you might have to click the link.)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Sunshine State of Mind 305 (@305ssom)

Stancil’s video lasted only a bit over four minutes, showing how quickly a storm can move in. And how quickly, in this case, it can move on.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Video from fishing boat in high seas causes viewers to become ‘seasick’

Royal Caribbean responded to FOX 35’s request for comments, saying, “On Friday, June 16, while departing from Port Canaveral,  Independence of the Seas  encountered a sudden gust of high winds. This lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew.  Independence of the Seas  continued its regularly scheduled 3-night itinerary, arriving to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, on Saturday morning, as scheduled.”

Most Popular

The 10 best players left in the men’s basketball transfer portal (and where they may be headed), the best and most outrageous hats of the 2024 kentucky derby, the most fabulous outfits from the 2024 met gala red carpet including zendaya and chris hemsworth, grizzly bear cub breaks out moves in hilarious trail-cam footage, the best tom brady moments from the roast of tom brady, including some classic bill belichick zingers, 2024 nba mock draft 6.0: projections for stephon castle, zach edey, reed sheppard and more, celebrities and athletes who made an appearance at the 2024 kentucky derby.

Please enter an email address.

Thanks for signing up.

Please check your email for a confirmation.

Something went wrong.

Footage shows moment Royal Caribbean cruise ship was flooded during storm in the Gulf of Mexico

Water flowed into rooms and sunbeds were strewn across the deck as the vessel was battered by the fierce weather conditions.

Friday 2 February 2024 12:39, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Footage has emerged of a cruise ship being flooded during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico - causing water to flow into people's cabins.

Travis Hair, a passenger on the Royal Caribbean vessel, filmed as the balcony of his room on the Voyager Of The Seas was swamped.

Mr Hair said he captured the video while the vessel was "sailing through a thunderstorm" on 26 January.

He added there were "high winds on the deck… platters of food crashing to the floor in the buffet, liquor and other glass breaking, water coming in through the balconies and flooding."

The footage also shows sunbeds piled up on the deck after being tossed around in the powerful storm.

The vessel was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, as part of a five-night trip to Cozumel, Mexico, according to USA Today.

Passenger Chelsea Ireland told the newspaper she felt the vessel tilt as it was battered by heavy winds.

She said: "When we tried to walk across our room, it felt like we were walking up a very steep hill."

Read more from Sky News: CIA leaker jailed for 40 years Three killed after exploding gas cylinders spark inferno Democrats turn on Biden over Israel support

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Fellow passenger Elaina Escobedo, 21, went to her grandparent's cabin to check on them during the storm. "There were just things flying all over the place," she said.

Ms Escobedo added that her grandmother was safe on the sofa, but her wheelchair had rolled across the room and cups of lemonade had been knocked over.

The footage emerged after another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, reportedly flooded last month.

Sky News has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

Related Topics

• cruise ships

Southampton-based P&O cruise ship Britannia crashes in Spain during storm

• Cruise ship
• Monday 28 August 2023 at 2:05pm

A cruise ship which left Southampton earlier this month has crashed after its moorings snapped in stormy weather.

A number of passengers onboard have suffered minor injuries.

The P&O Britannia cruise ship, which was carrying thousands of British passengers, crashed into another vessel on Sunday (August 27) just off the coast of Palma.

Photos and videos posted on social media from those onboard show the vessel struggling in the stormy conditions.

Sue Roberts spoke to ITV News Meridian from her cabin onboard the Britannia about the moment the cruise ship broke free from its moorings

Mallorca had been experiencing 75mph winds and torrential rain, which caused sun loungers to be blown into the air.

Passengers were told to remain inside their cabins while being told 'this is not a drill' by the captain after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water

The captain later confirmed that there was no "structural compromise" resulting from the incident.

In a statement P&O Cruises said: "We are aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning while the ship was alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

"We are working to assess the situation. The captain is keeping all guests updated. To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

P&O added that a 'small number' of people are being cared for onboard after receiving 'minor injuries'

The £473m ship, which began sailing in 2015, is the flagship of the P&O fleet based in Southampton, Hampshire.

The Britannia set sail from Southampton on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza and had been due to leave Mallorca on Sunday afternoon.

'Things flying all over the place': Royal Caribbean cruise ship rocked by rough weather

A Royal Caribbean International cruise ship was rocked by rough weather that shook guest cabins and caused flooding around the ship, according to travelers on board.

The line’s Voyager of the Seas was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, as part of a round-trip, five-night sailing that visited Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise originally departed on Jan. 22.

Passengers told USA TODAY the ship sailed through three bouts of rough weather that brought rain, hail and high winds beginning late in the day on Friday.

Chelsea Ireland and her husband noticed the ship was approaching dark skies and rain around 2:30 p.m. The pair decided to stay in their balcony cabin, which seemed the safest place to be but felt the ship tilt heavily to one side.

“When we tried to walk across our room, it felt like we were walking up a very steep hill,” said the 30-year-old, who lives in Frisco, Texas. “And that lasted for about five minutes.”

When they eventually left their cabin, they saw some passengers walking around in lifejackets, and praying and comforting one another in the halls.

Elaina Escobedo, 21, was around the ship’s Royal Promenade when she heard what sounded like metal dishware hitting the ground. When she and her boyfriend arrived at her grandparents’ cabin, among several family members traveling with her, she found her grandmother’s wheelchair had rolled across the room and cups of lemonade and water had spilled (her grandmother was safe on her couch).

“There were just things flying all over the place,” said Escobedo, who lives in Port Arthur, Texas. She had been on eight cruises before and felt ships rock “but nothing to this extent.” Escobedo also posted a video on TikTok that her sister filmed, showing a chair being blown across an outer deck.

Both Ireland and Escobedo said their staterooms flooded as water filled their balconies, as well, though neither were as severe as some other staterooms they saw.

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

The news comes after another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, also faced flooding last month. The vessel, which is currently operating the line’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise , got caught in rough weather off the coast of South America.

For Escobedo’s part, the experience wasn’t enough to prevent her from taking another cruise – eventually. “I don’t think it’d be anytime soon,” she said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected] .

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise news
• VIDEO: Viking Sea cruise ship with 800 passengers onboard breaks...

VIDEO: Viking Sea cruise ship with 800 passengers onboard breaks moorings in Ravenna (Italy)

At 9.15 am Italy time (7:15 UTC) Saturday morning on September 17, the berthed at Port Ravenna (Porto Corsini, Italy) Viking OCEAN 's ship Viking Sea , due to adverse weather conditions/strong winds broke the moorings risking running aground towards the land.

The intervention of a Gesmar-owned tugboat (part of Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group), to which 4 other tugboats were added later, made it possible to limit the displacement of the liner whose drift was 'slowed down' allowing them to bring the 228-m Viking Sea back to the quay.

According to a note from the local port authority, due to the exceptionally adverse weather situation of the last few hours, the cruise vessel (moored on the south berth at Porto Corsini's cruise terminal since 8 am / 6 UTC) had moved away from the berth due to strong gusts of north winds with absolutely extraordinary intensity.

The Port Authority and the nautical technical services (tugs, pilots, and mooring crews) promptly intervened, giving support to the passenger liner which was now safely and constantly monitored.

There had been no consequence for passengers who continued their activities.

Ravenna Port Authority adds that Viking Sea was already remoored in her position and when the weather conditions allow it, she would leave the port.

For more Viking Sea incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page .

Share this on:

Cruise ship battered in mediterranean storm.

(CNN) -- A violent storm over the weekend lashed a Royal Caribbean ship trying to get to port in Alexandria, Egypt, injuring nearly 30 passengers, shattering glass and overturning furniture.

"It was a little scary on Saturday because the boat was rocking down and rocking back up, but you never knew how deep it was going to go," honeymooning passenger Justine Lovelace told CNN affiliate WTNH .

The ship, Brilliance of the Seas, was rocked by 70-knot winds early Sunday morning. The winds were nearly twice as strong as forecasted, Royal Caribbean said in a statement.

"Some guest injuries were reported, the most serious of which were two guests with fractures. The medical facility onboard is fully operational and our medical team is diligently caring for guests," the statement said. The ship is carrying more than 2,000 passengers.

Damage has forced the closure of the ship's beauty salon, video arcade and disco for the remainder of the sailing. The ship's operating systems and engines were unharmed in the storm.

The rough weather prompted the captain to bypass Alexandria and continue on to Malta, the cruise's next scheduled destination. The ship will return to Barcelona, Spain, on Friday as scheduled. The ship's next sailing will not be affected, Royal Caribbean said.

The cruise line has provided guests with an onboard credit as well as a full refund for the sailing.

Cruising website Cruise Critic received accounts of the violent weather from members on its message boards.

"I was flying back and forth. My roomie managed to brace herself. The beds were sliding back and forth!! Broken glass everywhere as everything on it went flying. Tables and chairs upended," wrote a member with the handle dirtgirl.

On shore , strong winds and heavy rains caused damage to buildings and numerous deaths and injuries, according to Egyptian officials.

Most Popular

Fine art from an iphone the best instagram photos from 2014, after ivf shock, mom gives birth to two sets of identical twins, inside north korea: water park, sacred birth site and some minders, 10 top destinations to visit in 2015, what really scares terrorists.

Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship

A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a US couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.

Richard and Claudene Gordon of Salt Lake City, Utah, were on a Mediterranean cruise aboard Norwegian Viva with family and friends and looking forward to celebrating Richard’s 85th birthday later this week.

While the ship was docked in Motril, Spain, on Monday, the pair took an independent excursion by themselves to the historic city of Granada, not organized by the cruise line. On their return, their bus was delayed for an hour by a rain storm, Richard Gordon told CNN by phone.

“I am a very experienced traveler and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime,” Gordon said. “Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port. So we are not someone who abuses the system.”

The pair missed the ship’s all-aboard time of 5.30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6 p.m. Gordon said that at around 5.45 p.m. he spoke to a relative on board who raised the alarm that they were nearby and running late, but the relative was told by Norwegian Cruise Line staff that as the ship needed to sail on time, nothing could be done.

According to the Gordons, they arrived at the dock by taxi at 6.10 p.m., while the ship sailed away with Claudene’s medication, Richard’s eyeglasses and both their spare hearing aid batteries and phone chargers on board.

“Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4:00 p.m.,” Gordon told CNN. “Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled.”

“They looked around and they looked around and no one was there,” Marilee Barker, the couple’s Utah-based daughter, told CNN by phone. They got a taxi to the police station where “the policeman helped them call back to the dock. And they said, ‘there’s nothing we can do.’ ”

The couple says they received no further assistance from Norwegian Cruise Line at that point, from the ship or on land.

No medication, no hearing aid batteries

“Luckily my dad has traveled, but he’s still 85,” Barker said. As the Norwegian Viva wouldn’t be docking again until Tuesday on the island of Ibiza, “they took a bus up to Granada and found a cute, cheap little B&B.”

Meanwhile, Barker says she and her husband were up to 3 a.m. finding flights and a hotel, eventually getting them on a plane to Palma de Mallorca, where their ship would be docking at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday May 1.

Claudene Gordon texted her daughter late Tuesday afternoon Spanish time to say that Norwegian Cruise Line had made contact with them for the first time since the incident and had offered them a taxi from their Palma hotel in the morning to reunite them with their boat.

“We really received the royal treatment today,” Gordon told CNN after being reunited with the ship on Wednesday morning, two days they disembarked at Montril.

“They picked us up at the hotel in a beautiful black BMW limousine to take us to the ship. There we were met by the head of ship services who escorted us inside the ship to meet the general manager of the ship, then they escorted us to breakfast, then they escorted us to our cabin.

“We simply told them that we were abandoned at the dock with no one to meet us or tell us where to go, and they said they have already complained about the harbor master who was supposed to take care of things for them. But of course the ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn’t speak so well for them.”

Norwegian Cruise Line said it disputed the time of the couple’s arrival at the pier. “The two guests who went ashore independently arrived at the pier approximately an hour late and missed the all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6:00 p.m.,” a spokesperson said via email.

“A cruise ship follows a set itinerary with designated arrival and departure times. Itineraries are carefully coordinated and planned out well in advance of each voyage to ensure that all of our guests have the experience they are expecting,” they said. While there is a small window of time where late guests can be accommodated, they added, the Gordons arrived outside of this.

“After several attempts to contact these guests with the phone numbers provided, as well as trying to phone their emergency contact, we were unable to speak to them directly. However, we worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel.”

The spokesperson said that, prior to the hotel pickup on Wednesday morning, the cruise line had coordinated an airport pick-up for the Gordons at Palma de Mallorca the evening before but were still unable to contact the couple by phone.

In the similar incident last month, eight passengers were late getting back to their Norwegian Cruise Line ship on the African island nation of São Tomé on March 27. They then struggled for days to catch up with their ship as it made its way up the western coast of Africa.

In that case, Norwegian emphasized that the delayed guests were on a private tour that was not organized by the cruise line.

CNN’s Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Passengers disembark after storm batters ship

CAGLIARI, Italy — Nearly 500 passengers, including eight with broken bones, disembarked from the Grand Voyager cruise ship in Sardinia on Tuesday, a day after it was battered by a storm in the Mediterranean Sea.The Voyager lost communications and most of its power Monday as it was pummeled by gales and waves up to 15 meters, or nearly 50 feet, high while en route from Tunisia to Barcelona."It was like being on a roller coaster," a Spanish passenger said.

More than 20 passengers were bruised and eight other had broken bones, according to officials at the port at Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia, where the boat arrived. (Reuters)

ROMULUS, Michigan

Glitches cause luggage to pile up at Northwest

Northwest Airlines's baggage handling system suffered a major backup in Detroit, with thousands of pieces of luggage left off flights and piled to the ceiling behind the counters.

"It was chaos," said Donna Satterfield of Grosse Pointe Park. She said her luggage was delivered to her Sunday evening in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, more than 36 hours after she left Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Northwest officials acknowledged problems with the airline's luggage-sorting system over the weekend but said those glitches were caused by a backup at Transportation Security Administration machines.(AP)

Winds wreak major havoc

Strong winds canceled flights and cut power in several districts of Athens on Tuesday, while traffic on central roads was disrupted by uprooted trees and fallen billboards.

Officials at Athens International Airport said that five domestic flights were canceled and that two inbound flights, including one from Tel Aviv, were unable to land. Winds of more than 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, per hour caused power outages in 14 districts of the Athens area, affecting more than 10,000 homes. (AP)

NEW YORK: Continental Airlines said it would change its upgrade policy to favor those who pay the highest coach fares and check in earliest online, effective March 16. Companion upgrades will also be sorted by the status level of the elite member and by the time of check-in.(NYT)

NEW YORK:Almost half the business travelers in Europe and the United States who were questioned in a survey by American Express said that their companies had tightened travel-spending policies over the past two to three years. More than a third said their travel and entertainment expense accounts were getting greater scrutiny, with good reason, apparently: More than a third believe it is either "somewhat" or "quite" common for business travelers to submit expense accounts with "one or more completely false or bogus charges."(NYT)

ORLANDO, Florida:AirTran Airways, a U.S. low-fare carrier that flies mostly east of the Mississippi River, plans 25 percent of its growth this year on cross-country routes as it expands. The carrier plans to increase capacity 30 percent this year as it adds 19 aircraft, said its president, Robert Fornaro. AirTran, which plans to begin flights to Indianapolis in April, will announce another new city for its system next week, he said. (Bloomberg)

How Cruise Lines Handle Storms, Fog, Bomb Cyclones, and More

By Fran Golden

Water sloshing across the deck, waves lapping at cabin windows, furniture flying, dishes smashing. We’ve all seen terrifying videos of what happens when a cruise ship gets caught in a major storm. But the toughest reality might be this: generally, it looks worse than it is. Though we can’t control Mother Nature, when bad weather strikes, cruise lines are prepared. Want to know their strategies—how they handle it, and what that means for when you cruise? We talked to the cruise lines directly to find out.

Ships are made for moving

When in the throes of a storm—whether in a plane, a car, or a ship—it’s easy to get nervous about the turbulence and forget that today’s methods of transportation are fairly capable of enduring bouts of bad weather. “Ships can go through rough seas,” says captain Ben Lyons, who helmed small ships for Lindblad Expeditions for years, and is now CEO of Expedition Voyage Consultants, which advises cruise lines on best practices for planning and executing expedition sailings. “It’s more uncomfortable for the guests, but ships can take it.”

Cruise ships are made of heavy steel that’s even heavier with a full load of passengers and crew onboard. With all that weight, they can roll with the waves. In the roughest seas a ship may list, or tilt to one side, but even that’s unlikely—shipbuilders test things such as buoyancy and center of gravity during construction, which includes putting scale models of ships through all sorts of storm simulations. In short, those ships are built to handle storms, even in hurricane season.

Monitoring the weather

Take heed, budding armchair meteorologists: Modern cruise ships have the latest and greatest weather forecasting equipment—far beyond what you can look up on your phone. The bridge (the command center where the captain works) has an entire arsenal of weather maps, satellite images of storms, even computer models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and third-party meteorologists. The crew and officers monitor it all constantly.

Safety is a priority for all cruise lines, and even with these on-ship set-ups, many companies add additional layers of precaution. In January 2017, Royal Caribbean hired James Van Fleet as the first-in-the-industry dedicated cruise line meteorologist; he previously worked as a TV meteorologist for more than 20 years. During the hurricane and typhoon season, which is June to November, he’s in the Miami headquarters monitoring a 25-foot wall of weather screens and sharing information with the company’s 26 ships and the executive team.

In most cases, he says, he can see storms seven to 10 days out, and advise ships on avoidance strategies. “I know what the models are suggesting, and they [the crews] are getting the word sooner so they don’t have to scramble,” Van Fleet says. “If there is a typhoon in the western Pacific and we may need to reroute a couple of ships, I can be talking to them two or three times a day.”

Carnival Cruise Line , meanwhile, monitors weather from a multi-million-dollar command center that it opened last year. “One of the many ways that we keep our guests, crew, and vessels safe is through our new state-of-the-art Fleet Operations Center (FOC) at our Miami headquarters,” says Lars Ljoen, executive vice president of marine operations for Carnival Cruise Line.

The first facility of its kind in Southern Florida, the 35,000-square-foot operations center is staffed 24/7 and has a 74-foot-long video wall with 57 LED screens that shows the status of all the line’s 27 ships, including weather, itinerary, and safety updates—some captured by a software called Argos, a management tool developed in-house.

“During hurricane season, our Fleet Operations Center is an invaluable tool as it provides a comprehensive, at-a-glance look at the exact locations of our ships, allowing us to closely monitor their position in relation to the path of the storm and ultimately deploy vessels elsewhere,” says its director, John Rowley.

When to reroute a ship

Cruise ships tend to stick to destinations where they can avoid bad weather, such as the Caribbean in winter and Alaska’s inside passage and the Mediterranean in summer, but there are exceptions: cruising in the Caribbean in summer when the kids are out of school has become popular for families, for example, even though it’s during hurricane season. At any time of year, too, the weather can be unpredictable.

Mark Ellwood

Lydia Mansel

Harrison Pierce

When seas get rough, modern cruise ships have onboard technology that helps stabilize them. But if it looks like a more serious storm is in their path, cruise ships generally try to outrun or avoid them.

“We’ve steered our ships around typhoons, hurricanes, fog, massive storms with rapid intensification—which gets the term ‘bomb cyclones,’” Van Fleet says. “But we’ve moved. If you are on our ship and there’s a hurricane out there, I can move you. I can get you to better weather,” he adds, noting that land-based hotels and resorts don’t have that option.

There are situations where a ship may have no choice other than encountering some weather, such as during a North Atlantic crossing in the fall. But even in these cases ships try to find the calmest patch of sea. If adverse weather is unavoidable, the cruise line may change your itinerary , possibly switching your Bermuda cruise with one along the coast of New England and Canada, or shortening or lengthening your cruise by a day or two.

Those decisions are made collaboratively with captains, with guest comfort in mind, Van Fleet says. For instance, to avoid heavy rain, he might suggest a ship stay at sea and arrive at a port a few hours later than planned. By contrast, a port may be skipped altogether if seas are too rough—especially if the port doesn’t have a deep-water dock, meaning passengers have to board tenders, or small boats to get to shore, which is a difficult and dangerous operation in windy conditions.

In those cases, the ship may dock at an alternative port, possibly one you didn’t expect to visit; change the order of the ports that are on the itinerary; or seek a sunny spot at sea. Cruise lines are adept at handling these situations and outline this possibility for guests, along with their policies for how they handle them. If this happens to you, talk to the cruise line directly about refunds or other means of recompense—especially if your ship’s return to its homeport needs to be delayed and affects your flights home.

What to expect if your ship hits bad weather

If you’re already on a ship and meet rough conditions, listen to the instructions of the captain and crew. It’s common for the crew to put down non-slip mats and add signage reminding you to exercise caution when walking. Van Fleet says part of his job is communicating with the crew when such procedures may be necessary.

Every day, listen to the captain’s report from the bridge, which includes a description of sea conditions, to decide what preparations you may need to make for the day. If you get seasick , be prepared with over-the-counter motion sickness medications, homeopathic remedies, or a prescription patch from your doctor.

Note that attractions such as the pool and waterslides may shut down, or the outdoor decks may be closed altogether. In very rare situations, the Captain may require all passengers stay in their cabins. In general, you’ll likely feel some rolling—but that goes for the entirety of your trip, too. “You’re on a ship on the ocean; you’re signing on for some movement,” Van Fleet says. “But my job is to make sure it’s an acceptable, safe amount that you can enjoy your vacation with.”

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Traveller. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

• AI Generator

barcelona beach

9,563 mediterranean cruise ship stock photos & high-res pictures, browse 9,563 mediterranean cruise ship photos and images available, or search for barcelona beach to find more great photos and pictures..

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Elderly couple left at Spanish port after Norwegian Cruise sails off

The couple say that the ship sailed off with their medication, eyeglasses and spare hearing aid batteries, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get simon calder’s travel email, thanks for signing up to the simon calder’s travel email.

A couple in their 80s say they were left in Spain by Norweigan Cruise Line a month after the same cruise company sailed off from an African island, leaving eight passengers behind.

Richard and Claudene Gordon, ages 84 and 81, had left their home in Salt Lake City , Utah, to embark on a vacation around the Mediterranean aboard the Norweigan Viva cruise ship, along with their family and friends to celebrate Mr Gordon’s 85th birthday, this week.

However, their trip took a drastic turn on Monday when the couple booked an independent excursion, not organised by the cruise line, while docked in Motril, Spain, to the historic city of Granada, the pair told CNN.

On their return back, their bus was delayed for an hour while a rain storm hit the region, meaning the couple missed the ship’s all-aboard time of 5.30pm to sail away at around 6pm.

“I am a very experienced traveller and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime,” Mr Gordon told the outlet. “Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port . So we are not someone who abuses the system.”

Along with the rest of their party, the ship sailed away to its next destination with Ms Gordon’s medication, Mr Gordon’s eyeglasses and both their spare hearing aid batteries and phone chargers.

The incident occured almost a month after eight passengers with Norweigan Cruise Line were left on the island nation of São Tomé and Principe after a private tour overran.

While the passengers claim they had to spend thousands in attempts to catch up with the ship, the cruise line said the passengers were “responsible” for returning to the vessel at the designated all-aboard time.

The Gordons told the outlet that they eventually made it to the dock by taxi at 6.10pm, but their cruise ship had already started to set sail.

At around 5.45pm, Mr Gordon said he phoned a relative on board, who told the cruise staff that they were nearby but running late; however, the staff allegedly replied that the ship needed to sail on time and nothing could be done.

“Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4pm,” Mr Gordon told CNN. “Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled.”

Stranded on the Spanish dock, the couple tried to talk to local police, but they said they could not do anything, so they took a bus up to Granada and stayed in a little B&B since they had not heard from Norweigan Cruise Line at that point.

The couple’s daughter then booked them on a flight to Palma de Mallorca, where the ship would be docking at 8am on Wednesday.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the couple said that Norweigan Cruise Line had made contact with them for the first time since they were left on the port, and offered them a taxi from their Palma hotel to reunite them with the vessel, the outlet reported.

The couple said they said that they received “royal treatment” when a BMW limousine turned up and took them to the ship where they were met by senior cruise staff who escorted them to breakfast.

“We simply told them that we were abandoned at the dock with no one to meet us or tell us where to go, and they said they have already complained about the harbor master who was supposed to take care of things for them. But of course, the ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn’t speak so well for them,” Ms Gordon told the outlet.

Norwegian Cruise Line, however, disputed the couple’s arrival time at the pier. It said they were “approximately an hour late,” in a statement to CNN.

“A cruise ship follows a set itinerary with designated arrival and departure times. Itineraries are carefully coordinated and planned out well in advance of each voyage to ensure that all of our guests have the experience they are expecting.” It added that while they keep a small window for late guests to be accommodated, the Gordons arrived outside of this.

“After several attempts to contact these guests with the phone numbers provided, as well as trying to phone their emergency contact, we were unable to speak to them directly. However, we worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel.”

The cruise spokesperson added that prior to their hotel pick-up on Wednesday morning, the ship had coordaited an airport pickup for them at Palma de Mallorca the evening prior, but were still unreachable by phone.

The Independent has contacted Norweigan Cruise Line for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

• TV & Film
• Say Maaate to a Mate
• First Impressions - The Game
• Daily Ladness
• Citizen Reef

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories , we're happy to send you some reminders

Click ' OK ' then ' Allow ' to enable notifications

Couple who have been on 30 cruise ships left stranded after breaking golden rule

Cruise ships have specific rules you should be following to avoid your holiday being ruined.

Tom Earnshaw

A couple who have journeyed on 30 cruise ship holidays have found themselves stranded after breaking a golden rule.

Cruise ship holidays are truly like no other you can go on , full of immersive experiences on a massive floating hotel that often comes with on board streets full of shops as well as cinema screens and even ice skating arenas.

They're an engineering marvel and are rightly celebrated.

But as with any particular holiday, they come with their own very specific rules that you might only truly understand by experiencing or listening to the experts on .

And for this particular story, it shows that experience is no guarantee of anything and stresses the importance of following departure times more than ever.

Sadly for Richard and Claudene Gordon, the experience of the 30 cruises they had previously been on ended up counting for nothing.

That's because the American couple, from Salt Lake City in Utah , were left stranded on a Mediterranean cruise around southern Europe.

It follows on from eight passengers being left stranded on an African island following an 'unfortunate' error.

Travelling on the Norwegian Viva cruise ship with their family and close friends, Richard was just days away from celebrating his 85th birthday on-board.

But he and wife Claudene were left in the Spanish town of Motril on Monday (29 April) after a rain storm saw their bus back to port delayed by an hour.

Speaking to CNN Travel, Gordon said: "I am a very experienced traveler and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime.

"Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port. So we are not someone who abuses the system.

"Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4pm. Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled.”

One British cruise ship worker, Lucy Southerton, posted on her YouTube channel about the importance of following departure times.

She said: "When you're on a cruise it is very different to a hotel in that the hotel is going to stay stationary. It's not going to go any where.

"The cruise ship will so you absolutely have to make it a priority to get back to the ship on time. Ask crew members about what the traffic is like in this port if you are thinking about you know getting a taxi to a certain destination because missing the ship could really put a damper on your vacation."

Richard and Claudene stayed in a B&B for the night before getting up at 3am to find flights to nearby Palma Airport on the Spanish island of Majorca, where Norwegian Viva was docking on Wednesday.

Thankfully for the couple, Norwegian Cruise Line offered a taxi from the airport to the ship to get them back on board.

After arriving back with their family on the ship, they said: "We really received the royal treatment today. They picked us up at the hotel in a beautiful black BMW limousine to take us to the ship.

"There we were met by the head of ship services who escorted us inside the ship to meet the general manager of the ship, then they escorted us to breakfast, then they escorted us to our cabin.

“We simply told them that we were abandoned at the dock with no one to meet us or tell us where to go, and they said they have already complained about the harbour master who was supposed to take care of things for them.

"But of course the ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn’t speak so well for them."

Norwegian Cruise Line said it 'worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel'.

Topics:  Cruise Ship , Hacks , Holiday , Travel , US News , World News

Tom joined LADbible in 2024, specialising in SEO and trending content. He moved to the company from Reach plc where he enjoyed spells as a content editor and senior reporter for one of the country's most-read local news brands, LancsLive. When he's not in work, Tom spends his adult life as a suffering Manchester United supporter after a childhood filled with trebles and Premier League titles. You can't have it all forever, I suppose.

@ TREarnshaw

Choose your content:

Travel expert shares three passenger traits that everyone ‘hates’

Just because you can fly it doesn't mean you own the plane..

Dating expert warns over 'micro-cheating' and the signs that you're doing it

If you're doing it, you probably don't realise you're doing it....

Bloke's 'criminal' Indian takeaway order causes fury as people reckon it's the 'worst ever'

This lad's trip to the curry house ended up going viral.

Brits urged to use Google 'cheat code' to find cheapest flights for any holiday

People couldn't believe the flights were cheaper than train tickets.

• Cruise ship worker says there are six things you should never do while on one
• Man took 'world's cheapest cruise' and was 'shocked' by what he experienced
• Travel agent reveals amount of alcohol you need to drink to make cruise drinks package worth it
• Woman who has been on 62 cruises says there is one type that she won't ever go on

Stranded cruise passengers from Utah race to catch up with their ship

By maureen o'hare, cnn | posted - may 2, 2024 at 6:18 a.m., a utah couple – ages 84 and 81 – were left behind by the cruise line in spain. (roman belogorodov, alamy).

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

ATLANTA — A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a Utah couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.

Salt Lake City couple Richard and Claudene Gordon were on a Mediterranean cruise aboard Norwegian Viva with family and friends and looking forward to celebrating Richard Gordon's 85th birthday later this week.

While the ship was docked in Motril, Spain, on Monday, the pair went to tour the historic city of Granada by themselves, an excursion not organized by the cruise line. On their return, their bus was delayed for an hour by a rain storm, Richard Gordon told CNN by phone.

"I am a very experienced traveler and have probably been on as many as 30 cruises during my lifetime," Gordon said. "Never before have we ever missed catching a ship on time at a port. So we are not someone who abuses the system."

The pair missed the ship's all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6 p.m. Gordon said that at around 5:45 p.m. he spoke to a relative on board who raised the alarm that they were nearby and running late, but the relative was told by Norwegian Cruise Line staff that as the ship needed to sail on time, nothing could be done.

According to the Gordons, they arrived at the dock by taxi at 6:10 p.m., while the ship sailed away with Claudene Gordon's medication, Richard Gordon's eyeglasses and both their spare hearing aid batteries and phone chargers on board.

"Our cruise began in Lisbon and we departed from Lisbon about one and a half hours after the scheduled departure at 4:00 p.m.," Richard Gordon told CNN. "Then the next night or two, at least a half-hour late from the dock, so it is clear that they do not always leave on the exact moment scheduled."

"They looked around and they looked around and no one was there," Marilee Barker, the couple's Utah-based daughter, told CNN by phone. They got a taxi to the police station where "the policeman helped them call back to the dock. And they said, 'There's nothing we can do.'"

The couple says they received no further assistance from Norwegian Cruise Line at that point, from the ship or on land.

No medication, no hearing aid batteries

"Luckily my dad has traveled, but he's still 85," Barker said. As the Norwegian Viva wouldn't be docking again until Tuesday on the island of Ibiza, "They took a bus up to Granada and found a cute, cheap little B&B."

Meanwhile, Barker says she and her husband were up to 3 a.m. finding flights and a hotel, eventually getting them on a plane to Palma de Mallorca, where their ship would be docking at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

Claudene Gordon texted her daughter late Tuesday afternoon Spanish time to say that Norwegian Cruise Line had made contact with them for the first time since the incident and had offered them a taxi from their Palma hotel in the morning to reunite them with their boat.

"We really received the royal treatment today," Claudene Gordon told CNN after being reunited with the ship on Wednesday morning, two days they disembarked at Montril.

"They picked us up at the hotel in a beautiful black BMW limousine to take us to the ship. There we were met by the head of ship services who escorted us inside the ship to meet the general manager of the ship, then they escorted us to breakfast, then they escorted us to our cabin," she said.

"We simply told them that we were abandoned at the dock with no one to meet us or tell us where to go, and they said they have already complained about the harbor master who was supposed to take care of things for them. But of course, the ship had not contacted us directly for two days so that doesn't speak so well for them," Claudene Gordon said.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it disputed the time of the couple's arrival at the pier. "The two guests who went ashore independently arrived at the pier approximately an hour late and missed the all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6:00 p.m.," a spokesperson said via email.

"A cruise ship follows a set itinerary with designated arrival and departure times. Itineraries are carefully coordinated and planned out well in advance of each voyage to ensure that all of our guests have the experience they are expecting," the spokesperson said. While there is a small window of time where late guests can be accommodated, the spokesperson added, the Gordons arrived outside of this.

"After several attempts to contact these guests with the phone numbers provided, as well as trying to phone their emergency contact, we were unable to speak to them directly. However, we worked closely with the local port agents to make arrangements for the guests to rejoin the vessel."

The spokesperson said that, prior to the hotel pickup on Wednesday morning, the cruise line had coordinated an airport pick-up for the Gordons at Palma de Mallorca the evening before but were still unable to contact the couple by phone.

In a similar incident last month, eight passengers were late getting back to their Norwegian Cruise Line ship on the African island nation of São Tomé on March 27. They then struggled for days to catch up with their ship as it made its way up the western coast of Africa.

In that case, Norwegian Cruise Line emphasized that the delayed guests were on a private tour that was not organized by the cruise line.

Most recent Utah stories

Southern utah couple accused of supplying drugs that killed pregnant woman, 2 utah projects get federal funding to help improve water systems in the west.

• Utah's Miss USA steps down for 'physical and mental well-being'

Related topics

More stories you may be interested in.

Winter storm warning extended; freeze watch issued for parts of Utah

• Ryan Smith emerging as new power broker in the sports industry

Most Viewed

• Katherine Heigl reveals some of her go-to restaurants in Utah
• How often does Utah get valley snow in May? Here's what the record book says
• Hiker dies at Scout Lookout in Zion National Park
• Slamdance founder explains why festival is leaving Utah
• Ben Criddle: BYU basketball's most valuable addition may not be who you think
• 'I don't think there's any debate': Rudy Gobert misses playoff game after birth of son
• 'Bill died a hero': Santaquin sergeant killed in the line of duty returned home
• Lori Daybell's niece testifies about zombies, castings at Chad Daybell's murder trial

STAY IN THE KNOW

KSL Weather Forecast