Table Of Content
- Heavy Seas with Hurricane Lee Pose Threat to Mariners
- Sign up to the 7NEWS newsletters
- Cruise ships diverted as Cyclone Oma causes hazardous conditions at sea
- Features & News
- Storm causes messy conditions on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico
- Class action launched against P&O Cruises over ship steering into cyclone: ‘Cruise from hell’
Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island recorded maximum waves greater than any of those seen in Cyclone Oswald with 113km/h winds at Cape Moreton. While it may intensify throughout Friday, it’s hoped it will then weaken again – and remain largely out at sea. The next Pacific Dawn cruise, which was due to set off on Saturday from Brisbane, has however been cancelled, with guests being offered a full refund for the trip plus $100 future cruise credit. P&O’s Pacific Dawn was due to dock in Brisbane this weekend, but the return has now been delayed until Tuesday to allow the weather system to weaken. Days later, she said, she's still suffering from vertigo that her doctor recommended waiting out with continued sedation. But she's angry about what she and her family went through aboard the Breakaway, and she's in the process of bringing a class action lawsuit to bear against NCL.
Heavy Seas with Hurricane Lee Pose Threat to Mariners
Incidents such as the Viking Sky emergency off the coast of Norway in 2019, or the more recent incident aboard Carnival Sunshine this year, raise questions about how safe modern cruise ships are in storms at sea. Hurricanes are formidable natural disasters, characterized by powerful winds, torrential rain, and massive waves, so cruise lines take hurricane threats seriously and employ multiple strategies to minimize risks. If a cruise ship were to find itself in the direct path of a hurricane, it would have to be due to the failure of multiple redundancies in the system. The Beaufort scale is a measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Force 12 is categorised as hurricane force, with winds exceeding 64 knots (73 mph, or 118 km/h) and waves higher than 46 feet or 14 metres. Leffak and her fellow passengers were unsettled by a lack of communication from the bridge -- roughly a full day went by between Tuesday and Wednesday night without any updates -- and the storm was in full swing, with the ship swaying in high winds and waves.
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Cruise Ship Floods In Gulf Of Mexico Storm - Videos from The Weather Channel - The Weather Channel
Cruise Ship Floods In Gulf Of Mexico Storm - Videos from The Weather Channel.
Posted: Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
But what happens to cruise ships in sustained extreme weather conditions, particularly hurricanes? Being hit by a rogue wave, or getting caught out by a sudden severe storm that leads to rough seas is different to a hurricane, which is a huge weather system that could see a cruise ship battered by high winds and waves for hours. During the early morning hours of January 4, Norwegian Breakaway encountered stronger than forecasted weather conditions due to winter storm Grayson.
Cruise ships diverted as Cyclone Oma causes hazardous conditions at sea
Computer models differed slightly in the storm track forecast, particularly on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, but they all agreed that the system would be incredibly intense -- possibly breaking a record for the rate of intensification in such a short period of time. This aspect of the storm is crucial, because such a rapid pressure drop would lead to hurricane force winds of 75 miles per hour or greater as well as building seas. Norwegian Breakaway suffered an even more violent experience in 2018 when it was forced to sail through a severe storm with winds equivalent to a Category 3 cyclone while en-route to New York.
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Spirit of Discovery was carrying roughly 1,000 passengers on a two-week journey from Portsmouth, in southern England, through the Canary Islands off the western coast of Spain. The 14-night "Canary Island Quintet" cruise, operated by Saga Cruises, left from Portsmouth on Oct. 24 and completed the first nine days of its prepared itinerary before beginning to confront a bout of bad weather. In 2019, Norwegian Escape was hit by unexpectedly strong winds in excess of 100 knots, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane, but came out the other side with only minor damage, although the experience was a little harrowing for her passengers. The ship rolled 20 degrees, causing many people to lose their footing, while unsecured items were sent sliding off tables and shelves. Before delving into this question, it’s crucial to understand the complexity of modern cruise ships. These floating cities are engineered to be resilient, incorporating advanced technology and safety features to ensure passenger safety.
Features & News
It's not clear what led Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to stick to the ship's planned itinerary as forecasts made as early as Dec. 31 pointed to a winter storm of historic proportions forming along the East Coast. But the decision left Ellen Leffak, her family, and many of the fellow passengers they commiserated with sick from the rough voyage and furious at what they see as negligence on the part of NCL's decision-makers. Severe weather warnings were issued across the state this week as gale force winds and hazardous boating conditions continued to gain strength, with the storm raised to a Category 2 over the last 24 hours. During hurricane conditions, cruise ships may limit passenger movement on open decks and secure loose objects. While cruise ships are sometimes struck by rogue waves, most recently in 2022, and while it does tragically sometimes lead to the loss of life, cruising remains a fundamentally safe way to travel because of all the redundancy built into the construction of cruise ships.
Storm floods cruise ship, passenger shares scary video - Hindustan Times
Storm floods cruise ship, passenger shares scary video.
Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Four injuries were reported, though none of them were severe, and the ship sustained damage but remained seaworthy. Waves were breaking against the ship at the same height as the lifeboats, and for much of the night the vessel was heeled over at an angle of up to 45-degrees due to the wind and sea conditions. Passengers were confined to their cabins to avoid injury, and there are unverified reports that the ship’s captain contacted the US Coast Guard to notify them of a potential emergency. Cruise ships are designed with stability in mind, featuring a low center of gravity, ballast tanks, and advanced navigation systems to minimize the impact of rough seas. It was originally supposed to leave on Jan. 5, but the ship's late arrival in New York prompted a delay for the next trip. It's unclear if the ship rushed back to New York -- perhaps along a needlessly risky or uncomfortable course -- with the next trip in mind, but even after the brutal journey, the crew's minds were on the next trip before departing passengers had fully disembarked.
Class action launched against P&O Cruises over ship steering into cyclone: ‘Cruise from hell’
Royal Caribbean’s “Anthem of the Seas” ran straight into post-tropical storm Hermine in 2016, just one year after suffering damage when it encountered a storm off the coast of North Carolina. In response, the cruise line hired a meteorologist to advise on its ships' routing decisions. In a statement defending its crew’s actions, Norwegian Cruise Lines has said the ship encountered worse conditions than anticipated.
It was one of the fastest-intensifying storms ever observed off the East Coast, and battered Norwegian Breakaway with waves of 15 to 30 feet. It’s important to note that for the reasons above, no modern cruise ships have ever had to sail through an actual hurricane. Cruise ships have encountered hurricanes in the past, but have always been able to avoid them. "We operate to the highest health and safety protocols and every decision was made based on advice from the ship's Master and forecasts from our dedicated marine meteorologists," Banks said in his statement.
The vessel encountered progressively worse and rougher sea conditions as the cruise progressed towards New Caledonia, Carter said. A pool on board was unable to be used due to the rough sea conditions, with large waves shown on camera. Carter said most passengers were confined to their cabin for the majority of the cruise while the ship navigated the cyclone and heavy seas. To curate to the needs and wants of over-60s online — from news and retirement guides to cruises and exclusive holidays — and get members a better deal wherever possible through the power of our huge online community. Indeed, Surf Life Saving QLD was forced to rescue 43 surfers on Thursday due to the dangerous conditions and they have since warned surfers to avoid the water altogether.
Ryan Maue, the chief operating officer of weather company weather.us, urged caution before judging the crew of the NCL Breakaway as reckless in the face of the storm. "Confidence was high on Sunday and only grew through Wednesday. Ocean Prediction Center forecast discussions indicated that confidence was high and growing," she said. On top of all that, the cruise's concierge service had no answers; "We just take our orders from the bridge," Leffak recalls being told. They dispensed dramamine to sick passengers, but getting just a single dose came with a 20-minute wait. The cabin experience got to be so uncomfortable that many guests sought rest in the ship's public spaces.
No one mentioned anything about a storm, let alone a historic storm that would affect every coastal state from Florida to Maine.
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