Caribbean Ship in Storm

[TravelingProf]

First of all let me express my sympathy for those of you on the C. Princess. We were on the Carnival Triumph and left Halifax the same day as you -- not sure who left first. God must have been smiling on us and spared us your horrible ordeal.

 

We knew we were in a storm and heard the creaking in our cabin on deck 7. Walking was difficult as we made our way up to deck 9 for the buffet area. The elevators behaved like the inside of a washing machines throwing you from side to side. You could feel the ship going up and down like a see saw with the horizon disappearing and then reappearing. Passengers were clutching onto the furniture not to lose their balance. We could see the waves behaving as if it was the reversing falls at St. John at full speed. Surprisingly, the visibility wasn't bad like my sailing on June on the Caribbean Princess where we had pea soup fog for over 14 hours with the fog horn blowing non-stop. If we had had the same misfortune as you did, we would have been flooded out of our cabin since the balcony doors on the C. Truimph open like a regular door (not sliding) and do not have a tight seal to begin with! Our ship was very drafty and cold since none of the Carnival ships have heat -- just a blower on the ceiling to adjust the amount of air.

 

The Crown and the Caribbean Princess are more prone to swaying/tilting due to the way the ships are builit. The Carnival ships are very square and boxy in design while the 2 Princess ship taper (get narrower) as the decks get higher -- making them less balanced than the Carnival ships.

 

I only heard about the Caribbean Princess situation after I came home. Thankfully for the Truimph passengers we didn't encounter the same problem. As bad as things were, it could have been worse. Damage to property is better than injuries to people. How scarery it must have been for the passengers. I would have been kissing the ground in Brooklyn!

 

Again, my sympathies for your ordeal.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

 

You were a bit behind us as we saw you pass our ship (we were already docked) in Brooklyn on your way to your pier in Manhattan. Glad you arrived safely given the rocky ride we all had!

[ariellejesse]

Google Events at Sea or cruisejunkie.com for an account of the trouble and numerous other interesting and scary cruise ship happenings.

[knowidea]

Yes, it was the Caribbean Princess. On Friday October 16th in the late morning we encountered very rough seas said to be 12 to 18 feet and winds in excess of 70 knots (82 mph) which hit the ship on the port side and caused it list to the starboard side and stayed like that for about 30 seconds. A crew member told me the ship listed 35 degrees. We were on deck 15 in the Horizon dining room where 100s of plates, bowls and trays of food slid off the counters & tables on ended up on the floor. As we entered this buffet dining room room a large automatic toaster flew off the counter and just missed us by inches. Yes a piano slid off one of the stages and flipped over on it's top. It took 20 people to flip it back over. 100s of items in the gift shops were smashed (maple syrup, liquor, crystal) and in heaps on the floor. We saw doors that were broken and windows smashed. I heard of one glass table that broke & cut someone. People fell out of bed but I did not hear about any serious injuries. Here are some pictures I took. Most of the water in the swimming pools was thrown out. All the on deck and some inside activities were canceled. The crew was very diligent in getting the mess cleaned up and we were back to normal in no time although it did give everyone a lot to talk about and the ride of their life. This was the last day of the cruise which we spent at sea sailing from Halifax, NS back to NYC. This was the best cruise of the 8 I have been on. The weather & excitement just added to the experience.

[fcorey]

The Crown and the Caribbean Princess are more prone to swaying/tilting due to the way the ships are builit. The Carnival ships are very square and boxy in design while the 2 Princess ship taper (get narrower) as the decks get higher -- making them less balanced than the Carnival ships.

MARAPRINCE

 

I believe they are designed in that way for weight distribution reasons...so they can maximize the number of those valuable balcony cabins :) On QM2 the balconies have a slight angle in like that so they are protected from the wind by the forward structure.

 

For the Caribbean Princess, Princess took the design of the Grand, Golden and Star Princesses and added the Riviera deck. This would raise the center of gravity of the ship and make the ship more vulnerable to rolling and healing, unless it was compensated by extra ballast. I would have to think that naval architects who designed the ship know a lot more about this concept than I do.

Emile

 

I would hesitate to state that either hull design is more unstable than the other as there are many factors that go into the stability. But I would be willing to bet that Carnival had those hulls thoroughly test at Marin to insure SOLAS compliance etc.

 

Both ships are relatively close in size (Caribbean Princess is about 60 feet longer than Triumph if I remember correctly), but Triumph sits lower in the water than the Princess ship of similar size and that may contribute. Also the use of lighter materials in upper decks helps to cheat the center of gravity issue....no matter what though, the higher you are in the ship the more movement you will feel (that was why I chose submarines over surface ships in the Navy...once we were submerged no sea sickness issues :) )

Thats also why we'd choose rooms on HAL no higher than deck 6, or Baja or lower on Princess :)

 

But really good news that nobody was seriously injured. Things can always be replaced...glad everyone made it home safely

[e71465]

chrysalis, let's not be petty, in the uk the grammar in that case would have been....ship in the caribbean in storm

 

 

look, it's like this....if this was a macdonald's forum and i complain about the chips/chicken, someone says..do you mean macdonald's chips/chicken?;)

 

amen!

[djphob]

I was also aboard the Caribbean Princess when it listed Friday. I think the reason there were fewer injuries than you'd expect is because there were less people on deck due to the rain and cold temperature. I was sleeping when it happened and awoke to everything on the tables next to my bed sliding down on top of me. I felt bad that the crew had to deal with my coffee-stained bedsheets on top of everything else! I walked up (literally up!) to the balcony window and looked out. It was such an extreme angle that I was holding onto the door handle to be able to see down. It was really wild. Glad I was on the side that was up!

 

I never really left my bed the rest of the day because I was so seasick. I usually enjoy the rocking of the ship and find it soothing but this was entirely different. Still haven't quite gotten my landlegs back after that day!

[jdavid]

Last Thursday we watched the Caribbean Princess leave Halifax. We were anxious to get some pictures of your sail away but rather than leaving at 6 pm, you departed well after 7:00 pm. It was quite dark by that time. The Rccl did leave at about 6:15 pm. The Triumph was late as well although it left before the Caribbean Princess. Little did we realize what a harrowing sail you were going to experience!!!

 

Glad you all made it home but not a pleasant way to end your vacation.

[ss475]

There isn't too much to add to all of the posts regarding the tilt, but my experience was a little different. My daughter and I got ready just before 9 am to do the Walk for the Cure scheduled for 9am. We saw lightening outside the balcony door and it was raining. We went to Club Fusion and were told by cruise staff that we COULD do the walk, the promenade deck was open, but it was windy and wet. Some people did go outside and began the walk, but most of us decided since it was an independent walk, we would either walk later if the weather improved or do the walk on the treadmills, so we headed to the Coral Dining Room and sat on the port side of the room, when the tilt occurred. For the first few seconds the waiters were joking singing "rolling on the river", but when the ship did not correct itself quickly, they became very quiet, as the dishes and cups at their stations began to fall.

However, at our table, the only thing that fell over was the pepper mill.

We were told to remain seated at our table and the Captain came over the loudspeaker and apologized for the tilt. When we were able to get up, we witnessed the damage that had been done to the shops, took photos of the piano, which was never uprighted, but carried back onto the platform in the Explorer's Lounge and partially covered with a cloth. We went back to our cabin on deck 12, starboard side, forward, and NOTHING had fallen, nothing was broken, even our makeup was still on the vanity. We were amazed.

At dinner that night our waiter said he was scared and one of his fellow waiters made the sign of the cross, hid behind one of the pillars and started to pray. Another one he said began to cry. Yet another waiter who had been up in the Horizon, said at first he was juggling things to keep the passengers busy, but then when the ship didn't correct quickly, he said he just thought to himself, I want to go home! So, being much more experienced than the passengers, they were accutely aware of the possible dangers.

We are very seasoned cruisers, I have over 30 cruises and have been in rough seas before. Personally, I didn't think it was very much motion at all, compared to my September 3-17th cruise to Alaska onboard the Pacific Princess. On that cruise we missed Kodiak due to heavy winds and the winds were so strong we had to slow down after Juneau and arrived at midnight to Victoria, B.C. for a service call to comply with the Jones Act. Many people on that cruise slept in the lobby area of the Front Desk on instructions from the Captain to stay midships on decks 4 and 5. Doggie bags could be seen all around the ship.

I guess there is a big difference between a tilt and rough seas.

[SomeBeach]

Thank you to those that have posted pictures. It gives a clear idea of what you experienced.

[julia]

Ok, as many of you know, I have already posted that we also experienced what happened on Friday morning aboard the Caribbean Princess.

It has been very interesting to see the photos and read the various stories of that morning.

 

After piecing together the events from this thread, I'd really like to express my opinion on something that is bothering both myself & DH.

 

Here is our POV... (and I sincerely don't mean to be an armchair quarterback here).

 

Timeline:

 

Wednesday night leaving St John New Brunswick: Captain announced that rough seas were ahead... nothing really materialized overnight.

Thursday night leaving Halifax Nova Scotia: Captain announced rough seas ahead. Overnight seas were heavy, but not too bad

Friday 6:00 AM Sea Day: Yep... we are now in rough seas!

Friday 7:00 AM - Heavy rolling... with increasingly high waves

Friday 8:00 AM - Rolling is steadily increasing as the morning progresses, dark skies, thunder & lightening

Friday 9:00 AM - Side-to-side rolling & some forward pitching is occurring as we leave our cabin at 9:15

Friday 9:15 AM - There are heavy sea, with waves hitting higher decks and the rolling continues.

Friday 9:25 AM - We experience two prolonged tilts, very scary throughout the ship, that result in damage and a few injuries.

Friday 10:00 - High seas continue, but we have changed our speed and course to compensate.

Friday 11:00 - Ship has settled down (somewhat) but we sail along with several more hours of high seas

 

So here is what I don't understand. Aren't there certain precautions that should "kick in" under high sea/wind conditions? (The fact that a "Walk For The Cure" was still taking place at 9:00 on an outside deck is astounding to me!)

 

At what point in the above timeline should the Captain have asked the staff to secure their areas (buffet, dining room, shops, etc.?)

 

At what point does the Captain ask the passengers to remain inside, or remain seated or perhaps secure their cabin belongings?

 

Again, I am not second guessing the staff, but the Caribbean Princess had several hours of heavy seas that morning, and both the staff and passengers could have benefitted from a few hours of "let's suspend activities (including eating) and please STAY PUT" until things settle down a bit.

 

My point is.... I am surprised at how it was "business as usual" when the seas/wind were so high. Is this common operating procedure?

 

Lastly, please see photos below... I am amused that they battened down the plastic deck chairs, yet not the expensive artwork. It just seems surprising in the weather conditions that we were in.... .

[swdke]

I was on the Caribbean Princess last Friday, Oct. 16, during the storm. I too was in the Horizon Court for breakfast, and indeed it was a very interesting experience. The ship listed significantly to the starbord side during a 70 knot gust of wind, that's when things became interesting. Trays and food did fall on the floor, it was a mess, and they had to close the buffett area to clean up. In my area where I was sitting, small trays which contained pitchers of water, coffee, and orange juice tipped over and went all over the floor. I had to catch my coffee from sliding off the table, but coffee still spilled out over the cup due to the angle of the tilt which was significant. To explain what it felt like, it simply felt like the ship was tipping. It did take a while for the ship to right back up. The swells were reported dto be 25 feet, and as you looked out the windows, they did indeed seem very large. It was actually a fun and interesting experience. Being a New England cruise in October, it's not like we were going to lay out in the sun or swim in the pool anyhow, so basically it made the sea day more interesting. However, I did get a little funny feeling and had to lay down on my bed for several hours, but didn't get sick, I just needed to lay down. All in all, yes, the ship rocked, but overall, it was not too bad. Considering the huge swells, I would have thought the ship would have rocked more. It was only that one time when the ship listed severly to starboard for about 5-10 min. was when things went crazy. The stage show in the theater was cancelled that evening to permit for checking out all the technical equipment. However, they were able to place the Bert Stratton show in the theater and he did an awsome job, a funny guy. Oh, once as I passed by the elevators, I heard a guy telling another guy how is room got flooded during the tilt. He said that when the ship listed, water from the pool poured out, sent down some stairs, into the hallway, and into the rooms. This was on the 14th deck. That's all I heard as they walked away. Oh, I did speak to someone who reported that all the liquor bottles chashed on the floor. And, there were displays of crystal and other breakable things which all fell onto the ground too, was apparently a mess.

 

Like I said, for me, it was a fun experience, but for the moment when the ship felt like it was tipping, well, I have to admit, that was a bit scarry at the time.

 

Oh, I forgot to add, in our cabin, everything on the desk by the mirror, it all came to the ground. It was mostly papers, but we did have a glass with water and some roses given to us in Saint John that I found all broken floor, glass everywhere. I tried to find our cabin steward, but I could not find him, but did notice the vaccum in the hallway. So I vaccumed the glass myself.

[Maraprince]

Our Walk for the Cure was moved from deck 11 to deck 5 inside on the Triumph. No way would I even consider being out on the open deck! When I awoke I immediately heard the ship creaking. Looking out our balcony the sea looked as if were going in 10 directions at the same time and there seemed to be deep throughs which I had never seen before.

 

The CD or Capt. came over the PA system at one point and apologized for the rough seas and said that they would be calming down shortly. Lines at breakfast and lunch were unusually small. People started appearing around 2 PM. We were looking at the photos on deck 5 and I found myself having to grab onto a pole to keep my balance. We had no idea how high the winds were since all the TV news stations were from Denver. Unlike the NY stations, the Denver stations only gave info on their local weather and not the rest of the country.

 

It's really amazing that 2 ships approx. the same size could experience totally different reactions to the same weather.

 

Again, thankfully, no lives were lost, no serious injuries except to the ship's property.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Bluwaterz]

I think what surprises me the most in all of the various posts and reactions to this event is the great variance in people's comments. To some, this was a fun and interesting experience. I know that to me, it was frightening and not something I would ever want to repeat. I was keenly aware of the number of passengers who were older and could easily have fallen down and been injured. I also spoke with others who were truly marked from the whole episode. It is very interesting that to some, it was an interesting and even fun event for their cruise. I am in no way belittling that opinion, it just shows the great difference in people's reactions.

[RickEk]

Our Walk for the Cure was moved from deck 11 to deck 5 inside on the Triumph. No way would I even consider being out on the open deck! When I awoke I immediately heard the ship creaking. Looking out our balcony the sea looked as if were going in 10 directions at the same time and there seemed to be deep throughs which I had never seen before.

 

The CD or Capt. came over the PA system at one point and apologized for the rough seas and said that they would be calming down shortly. Lines at breakfast and lunch were unusually small. People started appearing around 2 PM. We were looking at the photos on deck 5 and I found myself having to grab onto a pole to keep my balance. We had no idea how high the winds were since all the TV news stations were from Denver. Unlike the NY stations, the Denver stations only gave info on their local weather and not the rest of the country.

 

It's really amazing that 2 ships approx. the same size could experience totally different reactions to the same weather.

 

Again, thankfully, no lives were lost, no serious injuries except to the ship's property.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

Well, in actuality, the Triumph is about 15% smaller than the Caribbean Princess.... about 15,000 GRT lighter, 50 feet shorter, and about 4 decks smaller. I'd say, therefore, that the Caribbean Princess has a greater cross-section than does the Triumph which would make her more vulnerable to high winds...

[Colo Cruiser]

I live poster from today said that everything appears to be fixed and back to normal. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

I think what surprises me the most in all of the various posts and reactions to this event is the great variance in people's comments. To some, this was a fun and interesting experience. I know that to me, it was frightening and not something I would ever want to repeat. I was keenly aware of the number of passengers who were older and could easily have fallen down and been injured. I also spoke with others who were truly marked from the whole episode. It is very interesting that to some, it was an interesting and even fun event for their cruise. I am in no way belittling that opinion, it just shows the great difference in people's reactions.

 

Everyone views posts differently and thats whats great about this board or any other for that matter. The difference of opinion/perspective. Thats what we are all about. :)

[Bluwaterz]

Everyone views posts differently and thats whats great about this board or any other for that matter. The difference of opinion/perspective. Thats what we are all about. :)

 

I completely agree with you. I guess I was referring more to the way we as people react to a given situation. It doesn't mean the reaction is right or wrong; just different. And that is the way it should be.

[SomeBeach]

Julia, I get your point about the Captain advising folks to stay put and crew to batten down the hatches (so to speak.)

Now lets turn this around, at what point should/could pax take responsibility for themselves.

I've been on rough seas, twice where a ship has had a slight list (I know neither of mine were a bad as yours) but I take my own precautions. I pretty much keep any breakable items, or any item that could go sliding, secured at all times so something falling and breaking in my stateroom is not an issue.

As far as being out walking around, on all but my last cruise I base it on how bad the ship is rockin' and rollin'. My last cruise I had a recovering from surgery knee and kept a bit more to my stateroom.

 

A tilt can't be predicted, tho conditions could indicate that the possibility is there. A Captain would be in a no win situation... if he tells folks to stay put and nothing happens, some folks will be upset; if he lets them go about their business and something happens, some folks will be upset.

I will grant that dining areas should have glasses, dishes, silverware fairly secured but again, if dining venues are shut down, some folks won't be happy.

 

The best help pax can be in these types of situations is to use common sense, especially if you have trouble with balance under such conditions.

[RickEk]

Julia, I get your point about the Captain advising folks to stay put and crew to batten down the hatches (so to speak.)

Now lets turn this around, at what point should/could pax take responsibility for themselves.

I've been on rough seas, twice where a ship has had a slight list (I know neither of mine were a bad as yours) but I take my own precautions. I pretty much keep any breakable items, or any item that could go sliding, secured at all times so something falling and breaking in my stateroom is not an issue.

As far as being out walking around, on all but my last cruise I base it on how bad the ship is rockin' and rollin'. My last cruise I had a recovering from surgery knee and kept a bit more to my stateroom.

 

A tilt can't be predicted, tho conditions could indicate that the possibility is there. A Captain would be in a no win situation... if he tells folks to stay put and nothing happens, some folks will be upset; if he lets them go about their business and something happens, some folks will be upset.

I will grant that dining areas should have glasses, dishes, silverware fairly secured but again, if dining venues are shut down, some folks won't be happy.

 

The best help pax can be in these types of situations is to use common sense, especially if you have trouble with balance under such conditions.

 

Well said...

[julia]

Julia, I get your point about the Captain advising folks to stay put and crew to batten down the hatches (so to speak.)

Now lets turn this around, at what point should/could pax take responsibility for themselves.

I've been on rough seas, twice where a ship has had a slight list (I know neither of mine were a bad as yours) but I take my own precautions. I pretty much keep any breakable items, or any item that could go sliding, secured at all times so something falling and breaking in my stateroom is not an issue.

As far as being out walking around, on all but my last cruise I base it on how bad the ship is rockin' and rollin'. My last cruise I had a recovering from surgery knee and kept a bit more to my stateroom.

 

A tilt can't be predicted, tho conditions could indicate that the possibility is there. A Captain would be in a no win situation... if he tells folks to stay put and nothing happens, some folks will be upset; if he lets them go about their business and something happens, some folks will be upset.

I will grant that dining areas should have glasses, dishes, silverware fairly secured but again, if dining venues are shut down, some folks won't be happy.

 

The best help pax can be in these types of situations is to use common sense, especially if you have trouble with balance under such conditions.

 

 

Yes... I do agree with you.... it's a tough call for a ship's captain to make, and passengers should be very aware of their surroundings.

 

We also take care to keep our cabin secure... nearly everything is in drawers when not in use. In the future though, we'll be even more proactive with wine glasses and other breakables (especially the bottle of fine port we brought on board!! :p)

[PL Gramsie]

My husband and I were on the CB last week too and experienced the storm. I'm wondering if we were hit by a rogue wave. Immediately before the ship listed it felt like we were broadsided by a wave - slam! I was in our stateroom and couldn't walk to the door because of the steep tilt. One other detail that wasn't mentioned, the pool on the 16th floor emptied out into the spa. The crew who worked up there said there wasn't a drop of water left in the pool. Every crew member we spoke with said they had never been in a situation like that before. Very dramatic!

[804]

We were on the ship...... It was a frightfull experience.

At about 9:40 am the ship listed due to a 70 knot wind (85 miles per hour). The seas were 21 feet.

 

The furniture in our stateroom turned up side down, items flew around the room including a vase with roses and our chocolate celebration cake. We were scared to death.

 

I hear that it was bad in the gift shops, restaurants, horzon court. Dishes flew off tables, giftware fell off shelves.

 

The cruise and Captain were great. They kept us informed. The Captain sent the room stewards to each cabin to insure the well-being of passengers. He made announcement often to put our minds at ease.

 

He slowed the boat down and took every precaution to keep us safe.

 

We arrived home safe and on time.

 

804

[tothemall&beyond]

if you think it's necessary to post so many barbs about Caribbean Princess vs Caribbean Ocean.

Life is too short.

What I didn't see until the very last post was an actual answer to the real question.

21' seas are bad (we've been in them in Western Carribbean and coming back from Hawaii, but the Ruby just had a day with 40' seas due to Mistral off French Riviera. I'll admit though, that a 70 knot list would be very, very scary.

[Doug R.]

if you think it's necessary to post so many barbs about Caribbean Princess vs Caribbean Ocean.

Life is too short.

What I didn't see until the very last post was an actual answer to the real question.

21' seas are bad (we've been in them in Western Carribbean and coming back from Hawaii, but the Ruby just had a day with 40' seas due to Mistral off French Riviera. I'll admit though, that a 70 knot list would be very, very scary.

 

There were a series of miscues and sins:

 

-OP was unintentionally vague when she posted.

-OP got defensive when she was asked to clarify

-Responses to the vagueness got quite snarky and OP got more defensive (I don't blame her)

 

[cue quotation from Rodney King} :D

[A Sixth?]

We were on the ship...... It was a frightfull experience.

At about 9:40 am the ship listed due to a 70 knot wind (85 miles per hour). The seas were 21 feet.

 

The furniture in our stateroom turned up side down, items flew around the room including a vase with roses and our chocolate celebration cake. We were scared to death.

 

I hear that it was bad in the gift shops, restaurants, horzon court. Dishes flew off tables, giftware fell off shelves.

 

The cruise and Captain were great. They kept us informed. The Captain sent the room stewards to each cabin to insure the well-being of passengers. He made announcement often to put our minds at ease.

 

He slowed the boat down and took every precaution to keep us safe.

 

We arrived home safe and on time.

 

804

 

Wow! :eek: Sounds nasty.

 

Does anyone have any video of the ship and seas that day. I did a quick YouTube search and found nothing.