Carnival Sunshine passengers recount nightmare cruise as ship floods

Table Of Content

• The Power of the Sea: Analyzing the Storm’s Intensity and Impact
• More from CBS News
• Worsening allergies tied to climate change and severe weather
• Carnival passenger documents 24-hour nightmare as storm pounded cruise ship off Southeast coast
• stabbed, one hit in head with a bottle on party boat in Brooklyn
• Improving Ship Design and Safety Features
• New York Post launches video series 'Listen Up! The Music Beat With Chuck Arnold'

By studying these factors, cruise lines can better determine whether it is safe to set sail or make necessary adjustments to their routes to avoid potentially dangerous weather conditions. The Carnival Sunshine’s crew swiftly activated emergency protocols to ensure the safety of passengers. They communicated with onshore rescue teams, providing updates on the ship’s location and conditions.

The Power of the Sea: Analyzing the Storm’s Intensity and Impact

The findings from these audits should be used as a basis for implementing corrective actions and enhancing safety protocols. From reinforced hulls to stabilizers that counteract the motion of the ship, various measures are taken to enhance the ship’s stability and safety. Meanwhile, rescue vessels were dispatched to assist in the evacuation of passengers if necessary. The crew’s training and preparedness were put to the test as they worked diligently to keep everyone safe. Forecasters from the NHC had visited the Carnival Cruise Line headquarters in Miami two days before the ship got caught in the powerful storm. Torrential rains caused the boat’s hallways to flood with water and the boat’s furniture was flung around inside the ship by the rough conditions of the sea.

More from CBS News

Guests and crew members on Carnival Dream were confined to their cabins when the ship encountered a severe squall in the Gulf of Mexico. This fosters trust and ensures that all parties are working towards a common goal of ensuring passenger and crew safety. Effective oversight and regulation are essential in maintaining safety standards within the cruise industry. Regulators and industry stakeholders must work together to establish and enforce robust safety requirements.

Worsening allergies tied to climate change and severe weather

Despite the chaos and fear that engulfed the ship, acts of bravery and kindness were witnessed as passengers supported each other through this ordeal. On May 27, 2023, the Carnival Sunshine found itself in the midst of a powerful storm. Passengers and crew members were advised to stay in their cabins and secure any loose objects. Several other passengers, including Brenda Goodwin Sherbert, posted on social media about broken glass all over the ship and about water coming through their balcony doors. Cruise passenger Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, tweeted Friday that the ship was rocking.

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By examining the root causes and underlying factors, cruise lines can identify trends and patterns that may indicate systemic issues. It is imperative for cruise lines to prioritize the well-being of their guests and constantly strive for innovation and improvement in all aspects of ship operations. The Carnival Sunshine Storm Incident serves as a reminder of the importance of continuously evaluating and improving ship design to enhance safety measures. This article delves into the details of the Carnival Sunshine storm incident, providing a comprehensive analysis of the events that unfolded, the potential risks involved, and the lessons learned from this near-disaster. Water damage and broken glass were left in the hallways and rooms following the storm. Terrified passengers on a Carnival cruise were left vomiting after a torrential storm pounded the ship in South Carolina — flooding the vessel and ripping doors off their hinges.

Carnival passenger documents 24-hour nightmare as storm pounded cruise ship off Southeast coast

Instead, impacted passengers can ask Carnival for a refund or a credit for another cruise, although there’s no guarantee the cruise line will grant such requests. “Waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor,” Branham said. The spokesperson added that the Carnival Sunshine is now sailing on a five-day Bahamas cruise and will return to Charleston on Thursday. Throughout the storm, several passengers also complained they were starting to feel sick due to the boat’s rough movements. When the ship hit 70kts (80 mph) winds, Taylor said the captain slowed the ship and turned heading north-northeast heading directly into the storm. National Weather Service meteorologists were expecting waves upwards of 15 feet Friday, but some computer models indicated wave heights could reach 20 feet in the storm system.

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Royal Caribbean cruise ship floods amid rough weather.

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stabbed, one hit in head with a bottle on party boat in Brooklyn

The ship is homeported from Galveston, Texas year-round, offering mostly 6- and 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, with occasional longer voyages on her schedule. As maritime technology evolves and the demand for cruise experiences continues to grow, the industry must remain at the forefront of safety innovation, embracing new advancements and continuously refining existing protocols. In conclusion, the Carnival Sunshine storm incident of 2023 serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges and responsibilities inherent in maritime operations. While the incident unfolded without serious injuries or loss of life, it underscored the importance of preparedness, vigilance, and a commitment to safety at all levels.

Improving Ship Design and Safety Features

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However, the severity of the storm was initially underestimated, leading to a false sense of security among those onboard the ship. The boat, Carnival Sunshine, was returning to Charleston, S.C., on Friday, May 26, when it encountered a storm. “It’s just one of them unlucky experiences that occurs once in a while,” he told CBS News. He said he’s not going to let this experience stop him from going on future cruises. He said he's not going to let the frightening experience stop him from going on more cruises in the future. "Myself being in emergency services and retired, I knew nobody was going to come and rescue us with winds over 40 knots," Overcash said.

Cruise ship passengers reported water damage and broken glass, as well as high waves that battered the vessel. Carnival Cruise Line told Insider in a statement that the ship's "return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday." "The ship’s crew followed our protocols for rough weather and thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Our medical staff helped a small number of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance. – A coastal storm generated a lot of drama on the high seas over the weekend for passengers aboard a Carnival cruise ship.

Passengers were informed of the worsening weather conditions, and the captain and crew closely monitored the situation. Despite the looming threat, the ship continued its course, hoping to navigate through the storm without incident. Video and photos taken by passengers show water sluicing through hallways, retail display areas strewn with debris that fell from shelves, broken glass, doors knocked from their frames and huge waves smashing against the side of the vessel. The National Hurricane Center on Friday warned of a non-tropical area of low pressure off Florida that was set to move northward and inland over the Carolinas during the weekend. Forecasters said there would be gusty winds, dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the U.S.'s southeastern coast through Sunday. Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer and cruise industry legal expert, says his firm has been contacted by some Carnival Sunshine passengers who were injured during the storm, including a man who says he was struck by a door and broke his foot.

"He also advised that the staff would do everything they could to minimize any discomfort." Taylor said the weather was great prior to the large waves that were churned up by a powerful storm off the Southeast coast. Rough weather is common in the Gulf of Mexico during the winter months, though the severity of storms can vary considerably. Squalls and other storms can happen anywhere at any time, and often lead to some incidental flooding and other instances, such as happened on Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas at the beginning of the ship’s ongoing Ultimate World Cruise. Some localized flooding occurred on the ship in different areas, as well as disarrayed furniture and other minor issues. Crew members were quick to respond and clean up the affected hallways and public areas, and no significant damage was reported.

Matthew Branham and his fiancée, Madison Davis, were lying by a Carnival Sunshine pool on Friday aboard a cruise returning to Charleston, S.C., from the Bahamas when an announcement came over the loudspeaker. The captain was expecting rougher weather that evening, but there was nothing to worry about. Matthew Branham, who was also on board, told The Washington Post, that "waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor." "It was only 45 minutes later that Captain Contarino came over the intercom system to let everyone know that due to adverse weather conditions, we may arrive later in port than scheduled," Taylor said.

By conducting thorough inspections and implementing necessary upgrades, cruise ships can better withstand storms and minimize potential risks to passengers and crew. Passengers aboard the Carnival Sunshine described shattered glass, water pouring into rooms and hallways, the ship pitching about and a lack of communication from cruise staff. Some passengers and crew members needed "minor assistance" from medical staff, a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News. Daniel Taylor, of Albemarle, North Carolina, was one of the passengers aboard the ship and reported water damage and communication outages, as well as high waves that battered the vessel. Other major cruise lines followed suit, conducting safety audits and implementing new measures to enhance passenger safety during extreme weather conditions. These measures include the installation of advanced weather tracking systems, improved communication protocols, and enhanced training for crew members.

“Myself being in emergency services and retired, I knew nobody was going to come rescue us with winds over 40 knots,” he told CBS News. Passenger Daniel Taylor said the crew “left us blind, not reassuring us what was going on, where we were heading to, what the plan was,” WCIV-TV reported. "We had a 40 foot wave hit our side of the ship,.. we almost fell out the bed.. things were crashing all around us and the carpet on my side of the bed was soaked bc water came in thru our balcony door," Goodwin Sherbert wrote. "We were surrounded by lightning and the ship took a huge hit by a wave and sounded like it split in two," Tutrone tweeted. While Walker said passengers should make their complaints known to Carnival, he doesn’t believe filing a lawsuit would be an efficient next step.