Carnival Pride Got Buzzed By A Jet

I was on the Carnival Pride last week. On Monday or Tuesday, My wife and I were in our cabin late morning/early afternoon and all of sudden there was the sound of an airplane approaching the ship and it was moving fast and got louder and louder. It sounded like it was getting ready to hit the ship and I dove onto the floor of our cabin. It flew away from the ship and then about a minute later it returned but not quite as close, but still close. It turned out to be a U.S. fighter jet playing with the ship. My wife saw it but I never did because I was on the floor. She and several other passengers said it was about 50 feet away from and ship and just above the water, about even with our deck 7. Some people I talked to who were on lido also thought a plane was going to hit the ship. It scared the crap of me.

Wow, that sounds like it would have been awesome to see and hear!!

Sounds like the boy from the NAS in Norfolk were having some fun.

My wife and I heard it, but did not see it. We were on our Vista wrap balcony so it must have gone over the middle or front of the ship.

I was on the Carnival Pride last week. On Monday or Tuesday, My wife and I were in our cabin late morning/early afternoon and all of sudden there was the sound of an airplane approaching the ship and it was moving fast and got louder and louder. It sounded like it was getting ready to hit the ship and I dove onto the floor of our cabin. It flew away from the ship and then about a minute later it returned but not quite as close, but still close. It turned out to be a U.S. fighter jet playing with the ship. My wife saw it but I never did because I was on the floor. She and several other passengers said it was about 50 feet away from and ship and just above the water, about even with our deck 7. Some people I talked to who were on lido also thought a plane was going to hit the ship. It scared the crap of me.

SMH. That's not funny. I would have been scared as hell.

M&T, it flew beside the ship, about even with deck 7. I wish I had known what was going on because I would have also liked to have seen it, but like I said, I never saw it because I thought the worst and thought the ship was getting ready to be hit.

it could have been a training mission

This happens somewhat regularly actually. I worked at the NAS down in Key West for a while and was told several accounts of pilots putting on a show for the visiting cruise ship passengers, including flying low and right over the ship. Sounds kinda awesome if you ask me.

NOT COOL! The Cptn. should have made an announcement. Instilling fear in passengers for no good reason is just not cool!

This also happened to us when we were on the Liberty last week. It did a fly-by three times as we were approaching Key West to drop off a crew member who needed immediate medical attention.

It happened to us in the middle of the Gulf. There was a carrier about 10 miles off and the planes and helicopters were flying around.

But if you REALLY want to get "buzzed" by a plane, go into Boston on a cruise ship... :)

I would like reiterate that the jet did not fly over the ship, it flew right beside it, 50 feet away, which is really close. It flew by on the starboard side where my balcony cabin was. And it was without warning and I can't even tell you how loud it was. I was terrified.

It happened to us on the Magic coming from Nassua to Galveston. A Russian Mig jet buzzed the ship a few times and took off. SUSPECTED to be from Cuba as we might have been a little to close. I thought it great, he was so close to Lido we could almost see the pilot if he hadn't be going to dang gum fast:D Nancy

I can't say that I find anything "cool" about this. One small miscalculation and there could be serious consequences. If this is in fact taking place as often as people say, it should be reported to some one. All it will take is for one plane to hit a cruise ship to send this country into a terrorist tailspin. IMHO, not cool at all.:confused:

That would have been AWESOME to see.

This happens somewhat regularly actually. I worked at the NAS down in Key West for a while and was told several accounts of pilots putting on a show for the visiting cruise ship passengers, including flying low and right over the ship. Sounds kinda awesome if you ask me.

Yea, I think thats the case with what the OP "experienced". If it was the Monday of the OP's Pride cruise as mentioned, the Pride would have been off the coast of North Carolina, bout 20 miles or so off the coast of the Outer Banks, not far from the Naval Base in Norfolk VA.

We been buzzed numerous times while vacationing at the OBX...on the beach...on boats...all around....always thought it was cool to see those jets flying buy...faster and louder the better!!

I agree with you Wrigley. The pilot probably wanted a view of the ship.

I would've wanted a warning first (to remove the fear and to get my camera ready). On a cruise to Alaska we had a Navy sub surface next to the ship...but the captain came on and warned us first...it was awesome to see!

I doubt it was only 50' away, and as a pilot I am a VERY good judge of distance. Of course you were on the floor, so how could you tell?

If you are in international waters they can basically do whatever they want. Now was it a smart thing to do? Probably not, unless he went supersonic and gave you a real audible and visual show. Ever hear a sonic boom?

Why would you think it would hit the ship??? Ah, yes, the old 9/11 fears!

FA18 breaking the sound barrier, sorry no sound to go with it:

I would've wanted a warning first (to remove the fear and to get my camera ready). On a cruise to Alaska we had a Navy sub surface next to the ship...but the captain came on and warned us first...it was awesome to see!

Now that would have been cool too... Wonder why it came up next to a cruise ship.

I doubt it was only 50' away, and as a pilot I am a VERY good judge of distance. Of course you were on the floor, so how could you tell?

 

If you are in international waters they can basically do whatever they want. Now was it a smart thing to do? Probably not, unless he went supersonic and gave you a real audible and visual show. Ever hear a sonic boom?

 

Why would you think it would hit the ship??? Ah, yes, the old 9/11 fears!

 

FA18 breaking the sound barrier, sorry no sound to go with it:

 

I'm with Lou,

Less than a wingspan away from the ship at .3 - .4 mach will not likely happen.

It is not a 9/11 fear that has me concerned about the plane hitting the ship. Not too long ago, like less than 6 weeks, an Air Force jet from Massachusetts crashed into the woods in Virginia. This pilot was extremely experienced, yet his plane crashed and sadly, he lost his life. He was flying the jet to LA to have some upgrades done. This kind of thing can happen in an instance without warning. To me, the Naval Air Base in NC is putting thousands of cruise passengers in harms way. I do not mean to sound like a stick in the mud, but believe me, accidents happen in an instance.

Quite frankly, being married to a former USAF fighter jock and having a father who was an USAF nav, I love the sound of a fighter jet. Gives me a thrill!!! :D

I think that the first time it happened I would have been in the hallway, on the floor. As far away from my balcony as possible thinking the pilot was in trouble. But then the second time he buzzed around I would have had my camera ready.

I was on the Pride the week before, and we didn't have anything this exciting happen. :(

Part of me thinks this would have been really cool to see, but in this day and age, it seems really stupid. Not only could there have been a mistake leading to catastrophe, but with peoples' 9-11 fears, some passengers could have been frightened to the point of having heart attacks :eek: It just doesn't seem to be a smart thing to have done.

Wow, I would have loved to have seen and heard that, but I would have been ticked that the captain hadn't made an announcement so I could have gotten out on deck! Maybe he didn't know it was going to happen.

I can see why people would have been scared/surprised/upset, though. Not everyone loves loud jets in close proximity!