A passenger on the cruise ship that 'tilted 45 degrees' shared their experience onboard the vessel as the terrifying event unfolded.
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship was affected by some freak weather off the coast of Africa, as thousands of passengers had to undergo the shocking experience.
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It seems like more people are warming up to the idea of going on a cruise holiday, taking an extended break and travelling to several countries, rather than a traditional getaway, but this is one of the risks that comes with it.
Aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas in the past week, drinks and items went flying off tables as the ship made its way from Barcelona to the US state of Florida, with over 5,000 crew and passengers blindsided by the 'tilt'.
A gust of wind headed from Tenerife in the Canary Islands left the ship looking worse for wear, particularly in the main shopping area of the ship as it was central.
Winds hit 86mph according to one passenger, as those onboard had to hold onto things to keep their balance as the ship tilted, as he told CBS News that 'there was about five minutes in there where everybody was wondering what was going on,' before clarification from the captain calmed nerves.
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It was reported that one person was reported as injured, as the ship redirected to Las Palmas to receive medical help.
Now, passengers have shared their account of events on the official Royal Caribbean blog, as people have taken to forums to reveal what they went through as the wind hit.
For context, a 'listing' is caused on a ship when it takes on water and tilts to one side or another.
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Calling the incident a 'severe listing', a passenger known as 'Pattycruise' wrote: "It took a bit of time, understandably, for the captain to announce that we were hit with a pop up squall with hurricane force winds of 80 mph.
"It was for quite some time we were listing, I’m sure for some it felt like forever.
"Things crashed down, tables overturned etc, reports of a 'stampede' to exit the theatre, passengers grabbed their life vests, and you could hear some screaming and crying," they recalled.
Detailing that dinner continued as normal at 8pm and the theatre reopened, they added: "Almost 2 1/2 hrs later they’ve decided to start checking to see if anyone is missing. We have all been sent to our cabins and cannot leave till all are accounted for," as attendants would put red cards to key slots to indicate they were there.
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They also revealed that their friend on the other side of the ship was allowed to leave her cabin after being scanned, contrary to the announcement.
Later on, the user provided an update, saying: "I’m now scanned and awaiting the announcement I can leave my room…once everyone has been scanned in,
"Spoke to a neighbour who stated she went to and opened her balcony during this listing and was surprised how close we were to the water. She’s lucky she didn’t go in. Her son is deck 2 and his window was in the ocean," they revealed.
Regarding the incident, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: "During an unexpected wind gust near Tenerife, Spain, one of our sailings experienced sudden movement.
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"One of our guests was injured and requires additional medical care, so the ship will make a call in Las Palmas, Spain for a medical disembarkation.
"We are communicating these changes directly with our guests."
The ship is set to arrive in Miami in two weeks, following its diversion.
Topics: Cruise Ship, Holiday, Travel, Weather, UK News, World News
Joshua Nair