Carnival cruise ship hammered by party-crashing winds and gargantuan waves



A cruise liner completing its journey from the Bahamas to Charleston, South Carolina, was battered in its final stretch Friday by a powerful storm, which left glass shattered, hallways flooded, and some passengers praying for relief.

The gargantuan waves and strong winds that rocked the Carnival Sunshine, a 102,853-ton ship with a guest capacity of over 3,000 souls, were resultant of a low-pressure storm system that hit the East Coast over the weekend.

Daniel Taylor, a passenger aboard the vessel, told the Daily Mail that around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, the ship sailed into choppy waters, prompting the captain to both issue an advisory about adverse weather conditions and warn of a possible delay.

"He said that the staff would do everything they could to minimize discomfort," said Taylor. "I went to a show in the Liquid Lounge at the front of the ship at that time. ... The sound of us crashing into the swells could be heard over the music playing."

Taylor's intended distraction at the lounge served only to highlight the intensity of the storm.

"Stage lights mounted on the ceiling began to shake, the disco ball started swinging, and the LED wall on the stage ... began rolling side by side on its own," added Taylor.

Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University who was a passenger on the battered ship, noted on Twitter that the Sunshine spent "11 hours pitching, diving, and rolling," all the while surrounded by lightning.

Tutrone added that at one point, "the ship took a huge hit by a wave and sounded like it split in two."

The situation reportedly continued to deteriorate into the night, with only sporadic updates from the crew as water began pouring from the ceilings and into the hallways.

WCIV reported that passenger Christa Seifert-alicea said the silence from crew members amid the dark and rocking was the "worst part."

"What we endured is indescribable, not only to feel it yourself but to hear and see it set in on every single person around you from adult, child, and the elderly is something I will never forget," said Seifert-alicea.

Videos shared online by various passengers show the ominous weather that delayed the ship's return as well as the damage wrought within the vessel.

\u201cFootage from the Carnival sunshine cruise \ud83d\ude33\ud83c\udf0a Video credit: \ud83d\udcf9 TT: k8lyns_m\u201d
— Wow Terrifying (@Wow Terrifying) 1685403445


The Daily Mail reported that minor injuries were sustained and one person aboard indicated, "You could smell people being sick walking down the halls."

Vomit ejected by the panic-stricken was not the only thing racing down the halls during the ship's Odyssean thrashing.

One video of a lower deck shows debris, broken doors, and waste traveling down one hallway on a surge of water:

\u201cThe aftermath aboard Carnival Sunshine after a severe storm. \nThe crew from Deck 0-4 evacuated to the theater, and anywhere they could rest\u2026 the crew bar destroyed.\u201d
— Crew Center (@Crew Center) 1685268922


Passenger Brenda Shobert wrote on Facebook, "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."

The cruise line said in a statement to Fox Weather, "Carnival Sunshine’s return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday. The weather’s prolonged impact on the Charleston area delayed the ship’s arrival on Sunday and as a result, the next voyage’s embarkation was also delayed. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests."

Carnival added, "The weather and rough surf led to some crew cabins being temporarily taken out of service while we clean up water damage. All the public areas of the ship are open and in service and Carnival Sunshine is currently operating its next cruise, a five-day Bahamas sailing."

\u201c@CarnivalCruise #carnivalsunshine The morning after the storm. 9:07am.\u201d
— FlyersCaptain\u2122\u00ae\u00a9 (@FlyersCaptain\u2122\u00ae\u00a9) 1685319945

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Watch: Huge brawl erupts on Carnival cruise ship, Coast Guard involved with 60-person brouhaha sparked by alleged threesome



A massive brawl erupted on a Carnival cruise ship this week. The huge brouhaha was so intense that it continued on several different floors of the Carnival Magic cruise ship.

Video shows dozens of cruise passengers engaging in a brawl during the last hours of a Caribbean cruise. Around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, an argument exploded on the dance floor.

Citing travel agent Theresa James, who was aboard the cruise, Fox News reported, "An alleged threesome between passengers had upset their significant others when they learned of the rendezvous."

Authorities estimated that as many as 60 people were involved in the all-out brawl. The ship's security attempted to stop the fighting, but the guards were overwhelmed by the hostile crowd. The fight started on the dance floor on the fifth floor, spread to the casino on the same floor, and eventually fizzled out on the first floor of the vessel. The melee lasted for about an hour.

An onlooker said some passengers were injured by being cut by glass.

\u201clast nights festivities on my carnival cruise \ud83e\udd73\ud83d\udef3\u201d
— naim (@naim) 1656423512

The fisticuffs broke out in international waters.

The Carnival cruise ship called the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance. The Coast Guard escorted the cruise liner back to New York City, according to the New York Post. New York police were waiting at the dock when the Carnival Magic arrived in port.

WNBC reported, "No injuries were reported and no weapons were involved, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Neither the Coast Guard nor the NYPD boarded the vessel, officials said. Passengers disembarked without further incident upon their NYC arrival Tuesday."

Cruise Law News reported, "The Coast Guard notified the New York Police Department which also clearly does not have jurisdiction to investigate crimes on Panamanian-flagged ships which are outside of New York waters."

"Last night while Carnival Magic was returning to New York, a number of guests were involved in an altercation in a nightclub," Carnival said in a statement. "Thankfully no serious injuries were reported and our onboard security team intervened. The ship arrived as scheduled this morning and shoreside law enforcement authorities were notified and met the ship to interview suspects and witnesses and conduct an investigation."

The eight-day cruise left New York City on June 20 and stopped at ports in the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and a private island in the Bahamas before returning to the Big Apple.

Carnival Cruise brawl prompts Coast Guard response | Morning in America www.youtube.com