cruise ship at sea in storm

Watch: Massive rogue wave batters cruise ship in North Sea

A deadly storm in northern europe churned up a massive rogue wave which terrified cruise ship passengers on one vessel and disabled another ship. the cruise line initially reported no serious injuries, but german media reported that three passengers were taken to a hospital upon disembarking. passengers reported broken bones, scrapes and bruises..

Cruise ship rocked by massive rogue wave in the North Sea

Rough weather in the North Sea churned up massive waves which battered a cruise ship in the North Sea.  "I love it," said the tour operator. "However, a few of my guests are not so happy." 

A rogue wave terrified cruise ship passengers on the North Sea on Thursday as it towered over and tossed the ship, Tour Operator Thorsten Hansen told TMX.

"I love it," posted Hansen on social media . "However, a few of my guests are not so happy."

The video shows the rogue wave ahead of the Otto Sverdrup off the coast of Germany on Friday. The ship is over 450 feet long, 70 feet wide, almost 16,000 tons, and has eight decks, and still, the freak wave dwarfed the ship. The Otto Sverdrup can hold up to 500 passengers.

WHAT IS A ROGUE WAVE? THOSE MONSTERS OF THE OCEAN ARE MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK

The rogue wave that tossed a Norwegian cruise ship.

(Credit: Thorsten Hansen/Tour operator and HX Hurtigruten Expeditions Agency /TMX / FOX Weather)

Storm Pia's hurricane-force winds punished the North Sea and much of Europe Thursday and Friday, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. The rough seas interacting with the ocean floor and coasts built up the rogue wave, which can be twice the size of surrounding waves, according to NOAA.

Hansen said the wave was the same one that hit a nearby cruise ship, the Maud, at about the same time. The wave smashed at least two windows on the bridge of the more than 16,000-ton ship, and the incoming seawater knocked out the navigation system and radar . It threw the ship with 266 passengers and 131 crew into darkness as the power failed, according to local media and the cruise line HX .

The crew was able to restart one motor, according to a trade paper .

WATCH: PLANES ABORT HARROWING LANDINGS IN ENGLAND AS STORM PIA RAKES US WITH 50-80 MPH GUSTS

File: A photo of the Maud at port before the accident.

(Refinitive Eikon, Magnus Thor Hafsteinsson / FOX Weather)

"Spent 4 hours in survival suits and life vests while the Danish Coastguard and local oil rigs sent out rescue boats to escort us and provide navigation as the crew manually steered the boat from the engine room," one passenger wrote on Facebook. "Hands down, one of the scariest nights of my life in gale force winds and 11 meter (36 feet) waves."

The ship was about 125 miles off the coast of Denmark on a trip from Norway to England.

PASSENGER KILLED AFTER ROGUE WAVE SMASHES INTO CRUISE SHIP

The purple shows the path of the ship from Norway to 120 miles off the coast of Denmark. The United Kingdom is to the west.

"There were about 20 minutes in which I thought the ship might capsize, it was rocking so much and we had no idea what had happened," an American passenger posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The cruise line initially reported no serious injuries, but German media reported that three passengers were taken to a hospital upon disembarking. Passengers reported broken bones, scrapes and bruises.

Storm Pia altered the course of the ship. Local media reported that about 200 people disembarked in Norway due to the bad weather before the accident. 

The ship limped to Bremerhaven, Germany, where many passengers had to stay aboard due to limited flights out of the area. 

VACATION TURNS INTO NIGHTMARE FOR A SEATTLE MAN AFTER ‘ROGUE WAVE’ PARALYZES HIM

Pia churned up huge surf swamping coastal towns. People walk on the pier in Hammerhavn near Sandvig on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, Denmark, on December 22, 2023, after storm Pia hit the country.

(PELLE RINK/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP / Getty Images)

HX reported that the ship is not expected to return to service until February after repairs.

Passengers and crew on the Otto Sverdrup were rushed off the vessel because Storm Pia flooding closed the harbor, according to Hansen.

High seas knocked containers from cargo ships as well. On Saturday, beaches in Norway were littered with goods.

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Several containers stranded between Tranum and Slette beach, northern Norway, on December 23, 2023 after being lost in the North Sea during storm Pia. 

(CLAUS BJOERN LARSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP / Getty Images)

Elsewhere, Storm Pia blew over a 65-foot Christmas tree onto a woman, killing her, in Belgium, according to AP . Another person was killed by another falling tree in the Netherlands.

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Footage shows moment Royal Caribbean cruise ship was flooded during storm in the Gulf of Mexico

Water flowed into rooms and sunbeds were strewn across the deck as the vessel was battered by the fierce weather conditions.

Friday 2 February 2024 12:39, UK

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Footage has emerged of a cruise ship being flooded during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico - causing water to flow into people's cabins.

Travis Hair, a passenger on the Royal Caribbean vessel, filmed as the balcony of his room on the Voyager Of The Seas was swamped.

Mr Hair said he captured the video while the vessel was "sailing through a thunderstorm" on 26 January.

He added there were "high winds on the deck… platters of food crashing to the floor in the buffet, liquor and other glass breaking, water coming in through the balconies and flooding."

The footage also shows sunbeds piled up on the deck after being tossed around in the powerful storm.

The vessel was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, as part of a five-night trip to Cozumel, Mexico, according to USA Today.

Passenger Chelsea Ireland told the newspaper she felt the vessel tilt as it was battered by heavy winds.

She said: "When we tried to walk across our room, it felt like we were walking up a very steep hill."

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Fellow passenger Elaina Escobedo, 21, went to her grandparent's cabin to check on them during the storm. "There were just things flying all over the place," she said.

Ms Escobedo added that her grandmother was safe on the sofa, but her wheelchair had rolled across the room and cups of lemonade had been knocked over.

The footage emerged after another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, reportedly flooded last month.

Sky News has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

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WATCH: Cruise Passengers Share Terrifying Videos from 'Nightmare' Storm at Sea

The Carnival Sunshine cruise ship made it back to port safely on Saturday after being stuck in a storm between the Bahamas and Charleston, S.C. for 15 hours

The Carnival Sunshine cruise ship made it back to port nine hours later than planned after sailing through a terrifying storm on Friday night.

The ship was on its way to Charleston, S.C. from the Bahamas when it got caught in severe weather, including nearly 80 mph winds. Passengers on board shared details and footage of the chaos and destruction caused by the storm on social media. Thankfully, Carnival told PEOPLE in a statement provided below that "no one was seriously injured."

Crew Center, a cruise ship information site, posted a video on Twitter showing a flooded hallway, torn-off doors and other debris and destruction on board.

"The aftermath aboard Carnival Sunshine after a severe storm," the post read. "The crew from Deck 0-4 evacuated to the theater, and anywhere they could rest… the crew bar destroyed."

brad morrell/storyful

Passenger Daniel Taylor told Newsweek that the captain made an announcement around 4:45 p.m. saying that they would be experiencing a delay due to "adverse weather conditions," expressing that they "would do everything they could to minimize discomfort.

By dinner time, public decks had been closed off, and plates and cups were flying off the buffet areas, he recalled.

By the early hours of Saturday morning, he said, "We were no longer able to see where we were going, how fast we were going, what the wind speed was, or anything. We were blind to what was going on." Swells were hitting the ship "over and over," said Taylor, who also recalled seeing crew members wearing life vests.

At that point, the internet was also out, so those on board couldn't get any additional information or reach loved ones.

Matthew Branham, who was also on board, told The Washington Post , that "waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor."

TVs were falling off walls and glasses shattering. “You could not stand up in your room,” he said. “You could be thrown from the bed."

Another passenger, RJ Whited, wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post cited by Newsweek , "Our cruise ship last night was literally sideways and slung everything in our room breaking, people in the hallways throwing up and sleeping on the stairs."

Added Whited, "We also found out that they knew about the storm and instead of us staying back to ride it out a few hours they hit it head-on so we could make it back for the other cruise to be on time."

Finally, the ship made it back to Charleston around 7:30 a.m., though it couldn't immediately dock due to continuing rough weather.

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, the ship was able to dock.

Summing up the "nightmare" experience, passenger Christa Seifert-Alicea told NBC News 4 : "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."

In a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, Carnival said: "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 and as a result, the next voyage's embarkation was also delayed. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests." The statement claims that "the ship's crew followed our protocols for rough weather" noting, "thankfully, no one was seriously injured."

"The weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecasted," the statement continues. "Given the circumstances as they were, the ship's officers and our Fleet Operations Center team using real time meteorology data coordinated to keep the ship in its safest location. Attempting to sail out of the large front could have been dangerous. The ship proceeded to the port as soon as the weather began to clear." The cruise line's statement also said that the captain "made several announcements about the weather and the delay" but noted "some of the worst weather occurred in the overnight hours when announcements are not typically made."

The Carnival Sunshine is already on its next voyage, the cruise line confirmed.

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Passengers hit by a storm on a Royal Caribbean cruise line cling to railings as intense gusts rock the ship and send debris flying, videos show

• A Royal Caribbean cruise was battered by gusts of rain and wind before its departure Friday.
• Passengers shared videos of patrons sliding along the deck during the storm.
• The cruise line says no serious injuries or damage occurred as a result of the storm.

Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship ran for cover as umbrellas, chairs, and other furniture flew around them during a sudden, spectacular storm that struck Florida's Port Canaveral on Friday.

As the Independence of the Seas prepared to depart, strong winds and rain battered the 15-deck ship. In multiple videos posted to YouTube and Twitter , passengers are shown slipping and sliding across the decks while attempting to get safely inside.

The ship departed for the Bahamas despite the storm and arrived at CocoCay on time, according to a Royal Caribbean statement to Insider. The company called the storm "brief" and said there were no serious injuries to crewmembers or passengers.  

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Passengers took to the internet to describe their personal experiences. 

"Instead of telling people to come up to the top deck when we have a severe thunderstorm warning, maybe you should be more worried about your guests and employees and tell them to get inside," tweeted one passenger who filmed the storm .

Jerry Pike, a photographer and Florida local, told Insider he watched the storm hit the Independence of the Seas while sitting in a car in Jetty Park facing the port. Though the storm lasted only minutes, he said it was "exceptionally strong." 

—Jerry Pike (@JerryPikePhoto) June 16, 2023

Pike estimated winds reached between 40 and 50 miles per hour at the height of the storm, which he added was "terrifying" to watch. A meteorologist for Fox 35 reported winds reached from 55 to 60 miles an hour at their peak strength. 

"The Independence was just getting battered by winds as it was trying to push off the dock," Pike said. "Then [it] was covered by the gray cloud of rain and we couldn't see more than 20 yards out the window."  

The storm is just one of many expected to hit the Florida coast as hurricane season begins in the Atlantic Ocean, which runs from the beginning of June to November 30.

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

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Carnival passengers recount ‘nightmare’ cruise as storm floods ship

Videos showed the Carnival Sunshine cabins and hallways flooding and ceilings leaking

Matthew Branham and his fiancée, Madison Davis, were lying by a Carnival Sunshine pool on Friday aboard a cruise returning to Charleston, S.C., from the Bahamas when an announcement came over the loudspeaker. The captain was expecting rougher weather that evening, but there was nothing to worry about. So Branham and Davis didn’t worry.

As the day went on, “We noticed it started getting cooler in the afternoon — much, much cooler,” said Branham, 25, of Castlewood, Va. “And then it was like a switch was flipped, and it literally turned into a nightmare.”

En route back to Charleston Friday night into Saturday, the Carnival Sunshine navigated into a strong storm system that battered the southeast over the holiday weekend. Videos emerged on social media showing cabins and hallways flooding, shop floors littered with destroyed merchandise and leaking ceilings . Passenger Brad Morrell snapped a photo of an automated instrument map reporting a 69 knot, or 79 mph, wind.

#CarnivalSunshine : Due to return to Charleston, South Carolina this Saturday, May 27, 2023, has been delayed due to severe weather. The ship is currently off the South Carolina coast and holding position, unable to return to the port because of high winds & rough seas. #cruise 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/2B6HlAn2yD — ∼Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) May 28, 2023

Carnival said in a statement that the weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecast, but that its fleet operations center team, which relies on outside meteorology resources for itinerary planning, “coordinated to keep the ship in its safest location.”

“Attempting to sail out of the large front could have been dangerous,” the statement continued. “The ship proceeded to the port as soon as the weather began to clear.”

Strong Southeast storm slams Carolinas

Carnival said the captain made “several announcements about the weather and the delay it caused in returning to Charleston, asking guests to use extra precaution while walking around the ship.” Additionally, “some of the worst weather occurred in the overnight hours when announcements are not typically made, but guests and crew were safe.”

The ship’s medical staff did help a “small number” of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance following the storm. Despite the significant damage and a delay in schedule, Carnival Sunshine embarked on its next five-day Bahama sailing on Saturday.

From their sea-view room, Branham and Davis watched as waves surged over their window and braced themselves as the 892-foot-long ship lurched in the storm.

“Waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor,” Branham said.

They were told to stay in their cabins. Meanwhile, Branham said, TVs were falling off walls, and glassware was sliding off shelves and shattering on the floor. “You could not stand up in your room,” he said. “You could be thrown from the bed.”

They packed up their belongings when their floor started to flood and took shelter in a main lobby area.

“All of the employees were sprinting downstairs with life vests,” Branham said. “There were little kids besides us screaming and crying and throwing fits.”

Throughout the storm, Branham wondered why there weren’t more announcements from Carnival staff. Besides the warning of rougher seas earlier Friday and one Saturday morning after they’d weathered the storm, Branham said they weren’t given any official updates on their situation. When he asked workers what was going on, they told him not to worry.

⁦⁦ @CarnivalCruise ⁩ #carnivalsunshine still 75mph winds at 9:25am. Sitting and spinning in the Atlantic. pic.twitter.com/NITCO2l9Ss — FlyersCaptain™®© (@flyerscaptain) May 29, 2023

“But you see rooms flooded, and you can pick up a handful of sand and you’re kind of like, ‘What in the world? Why is nobody telling us anything?’” Branham said.

Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer and cruise industry legal expert, says his firm has been contacted by some Carnival Sunshine passengers who were injured during the storm, including a man who says he was struck by a door and broke his foot. Others have asked him about the potential for a class-action lawsuit.

While Walker said passengers should make their complaints known to Carnival, he doesn’t believe filing a lawsuit would be an efficient next step. Instead, impacted passengers can ask Carnival for a refund or a credit for another cruise, although there’s no guarantee the cruise line will grant such requests.

Pete Peterson, owner of Storybook Cruises , which is affiliated with Cruise Planners, said cruise ships keep a close eye on weather developments and will adjust their itinerary depending on the severity of the storm.

“Cruise lines monitor the weather all the time. They’re not going to put their passengers in harm’s way,” said Peterson, who has been a cruise adviser for more than 20 years and has sailed on nearly 60 cruises. “Obviously, some cruise lines are better at doing this than others.”

In 2016, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas returned to port after cruising into a “bomb cyclone,” which damaged the ship amid winds gusting to 100 mph. The ship sailed into the remnants of Hurricane Hermine seven months later, causing additional problems.

To ensure the safety and comfort of its passengers, a cruise ship can alter its course and circumvent the rough weather system. In stormy conditions, the crew can deploy the stabilizers, which will prevent the ship from rolling and bucking.

“You don’t experience the up and down,” Peterson said. “It’s not as rough a ride.”

Both approaches can add to a cruise line’s expenditures, Peterson said. Stabilizers slow the vessel, thereby consuming more fuel. Sailing around the storm can take longer than the original route and disrupt the company’s cruise schedule, leading to delays or cancellations. The cruise line may have to reimburse passengers or provide them with future credits because of the inconvenience.

“When they do something like that, it’s going to cost them money,” Peterson said.

Craig Setzer , a meteorologist and hurricane preparedness specialist, said that even with the hurricane-like conditions and flooding, “I would never be in doubt of the vessel’s integrity,” he said. “Cruise ships are structurally very, very sound and can survive a lot. They’re really rugged.”

Matthew Cappucci contributed to this report.

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Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

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Ferocious storm floods cruise ship in the gulf of mexico: video.

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GALVESTON, Texas – A ferocious storm that struck a cruise ship while in the Gulf of Mexico Friday left at least one cabin flooded as torrential rains poured down.

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas first encountered hail as the ship was heading back to its home port of Galveston, Texas.

Video from a passenger inside their cabin shows hail that can be heard striking the glass door and seen bouncing on a black chair outside and then falling onto a pool of water on the floor.

As heavy rains fall, water on the balcony can then floods into the cabin itself, soaking a path through the carpet, under a bed and leading to the door.

“Hope there’s nothing electrical that we’re gonna get electrocuted on,” said Jessica Helms, who filmed the flooding in her cabin.

She referred to the flooding as a “complete river” that extended across the hall to her neighbor’s room.

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Bonkers video footage shows chaos on cruise ship during intense storm, share this article.

An intense storm surprised passengers as they boarded a cruise ship in Florida and sent them scrambling for shelter as hurricane-like winds sent deck chairs and loungers, among other things, flying into the air in a chaotic scene some likened to the movie “Twister.”

The Independence of the Seas from Royal Caribbean was at the dock in Port Canaveral when the storm suddenly erupted with heavy rain and wind, sending many of the passengers into a panic as they sought safety. Some were hit by the flying debris.

Jenn Stancil captured video of the storm moving in and the passengers scrambling for safety as rain drenched the deck.

“It just turned crazy,” Stancil told FOX 35 Orlando . “It looked like a scene from the movie “Twister” is exactly what I thought, because you see these chairs flying up in the air.”

Lucas Sparrow, another eyewitness, told FOX 35 Orlando, “People were getting blown, losing their hats [and] towels.”

One lounger crashed down on an empty baby stroller as the woman pulled it. Fortunately the woman was carrying the baby and was not hit, as shown in footage posted on the Instagram account called Sunshine State of Mind 305 . (To view on some servers, you might have to click the link.)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Sunshine State of Mind 305 (@305ssom)

Stancil’s video lasted only a bit over four minutes, showing how quickly a storm can move in. And how quickly, in this case, it can move on.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Video from fishing boat in high seas causes viewers to become ‘seasick’

Royal Caribbean responded to FOX 35’s request for comments, saying, “On Friday, June 16, while departing from Port Canaveral,  Independence of the Seas  encountered a sudden gust of high winds. This lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew.  Independence of the Seas  continued its regularly scheduled 3-night itinerary, arriving to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, on Saturday morning, as scheduled.”

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Watch CBS News

Rogue wave kills navigation system on cruise ship with nearly 400 on board as deadly storm hammers northern Europe

December 22, 2023 / 9:05 AM EST / CBS/AP

A cruise ship in the North Sea was hit by a massive rogue wave, causing a power outage and disabling the vessel's navigation system late on Thursday, Danish authorities said, as a deadly storm brought heavy rain and strong winds across northern Europe overnight and into Friday.

The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud temporarily lost power on Thursday after encountering the rogue wave. Its operator, Hurtigruten Expedition, said in a statement that the 266 guests and 131 crew were uninjured and that the vessel, initially headed for the English port of Tilbury, would be diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.

Danish Search and Rescue said the vessel could "maneuver via emergency systems, and it has two civilian support vessels close by."

Reuters reported that the ship was being towed to Bremerhafen in Germany after the power outage. A spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre told the news agency that a ship from civil rescue firm Esvagt had managed to connect a tow line to the MS Maud.

"An Esvagt ship is towing it slowly towards Bremerhafen in Germany at around 8-9 knots," the spokesperson told Reuters.

On Thursday, high winds also grounded flights in parts of the U.K., suspended train services and stopped Scottish ferries.

Women killed by falling trees

The storm also brought down trees and prompting warnings of flooding on the North Sea coast. A woman in Belgium was fatally injured by a falling Christmas tree, while another tree killed a person in the Netherlands.

The 65-foot Christmas tree collapsed onto three people at a busy market in Oudenaarde in western Belgium late Thursday, killing a 63-year-old woman and injuring two other people. The Christmas market was immediately canceled.

A woman who was struck by a falling tree on Thursday in the eastern Dutch town of Wilp later died of her injuries, her employer said.

Pre-Christmas rail travelers in parts of Germany faced disruption. National railway operator Deutsche Bahn said Friday there were cancellations on routes from Hamburg and Hannover to Frankfurt and Munich, while long-distance services from Hamburg northward to Kiel and Flensburg weren't running, among other disruptions.

The company said that falling trees damaged overhead electric wires or blocked tracks largely in northern Germany, but also in the central state of Hesse.

In Hamburg, the Elbe River flooded streets around the city's fish market, with water waist-high in places. German authorities warned of a storm surge of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) or more above mean high tide on parts of the North Sea coast on Friday.

Streets around harbors flooded overnight in some Dutch North Sea towns including Scheveningen, the seaside suburb of The Hague.

The huge Maeslantkering storm barrier that protects Rotterdam from high sea levels automatically closed for the first time because of high water levels - meaning that all six major storm barriers that protect the low-lying Netherlands were closed at the same time. The nation's water and infrastructure authority said that was also a first. By Friday morning, all six barriers were open again as winds eased.

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How Cruise Lines Handle Storms, Fog, Bomb Cyclones, and More

Water sloshing across the deck, waves lapping at cabin windows, furniture flying, dishes smashing. We’ve all seen terrifying videos of what happens when a cruise ship gets caught in a major storm. But the toughest reality might be this: generally, it looks worse than it is. Though we can’t control Mother Nature, when bad weather strikes, cruise lines are prepared. Want to know their strategies—how they handle it, and what that means for when you cruise? We talked to the cruise lines directly to find out.

Ships are made for moving

When in the throes of a storm—whether in a plane, a car, or a ship—it’s easy to get nervous about the turbulence and forget that today’s methods of transportation are fairly capable of enduring bouts of bad weather. “Ships can go through rough seas,” says captain Ben Lyons, who helmed small ships for Lindblad Expeditions for years, and is now CEO of Expedition Voyage Consultants, which advises cruise lines on best practices for planning and executing expedition sailings. “It’s more uncomfortable for the guests, but ships can take it.”

Cruise ships are made of heavy steel that’s even heavier with a full load of passengers and crew onboard. With all that weight, they can roll with the waves. In the roughest seas a ship may list, or tilt to one side, but even that’s unlikely—shipbuilders test things such as buoyancy and center of gravity during construction, which includes putting scale models of ships through all sorts of storm simulations. In short, those ships are built to handle storms, even in hurricane season.

Monitoring the weather

Take heed, budding armchair meteorologists: Modern cruise ships have the latest and greatest weather forecasting equipment—far beyond what you can look up on your phone. The bridge (the command center where the captain works) has an entire arsenal of weather maps, satellite images of storms, even computer models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and third-party meteorologists. The crew and officers monitor it all constantly.

Safety is a priority for all cruise lines, and even with these on-ship set-ups, many companies add additional layers of precaution. In January 2017, Royal Caribbean hired James Van Fleet as the first-in-the-industry dedicated cruise line meteorologist; he previously worked as a TV meteorologist for more than 20 years. During the hurricane and typhoon season, which is June to November, he’s in the Miami headquarters monitoring a 25-foot wall of weather screens and sharing information with the company’s 26 ships and the executive team.

In most cases, he says, he can see storms seven to 10 days out, and advise ships on avoidance strategies. “I know what the models are suggesting, and they [the crews] are getting the word sooner so they don’t have to scramble,” Van Fleet says. “If there is a typhoon in the western Pacific and we may need to reroute a couple of ships, I can be talking to them two or three times a day.”

Carnival Cruise Line , meanwhile, monitors weather from a multi-million-dollar command center that it opened last year. “One of the many ways that we keep our guests, crew, and vessels safe is through our new state-of-the-art Fleet Operations Center (FOC) at our Miami headquarters,” says Lars Ljoen, executive vice president of marine operations for Carnival Cruise Line.

The first facility of its kind in Southern Florida, the 35,000-square-foot operations center is staffed 24/7 and has a 74-foot-long video wall with 57 LED screens that shows the status of all the line’s 27 ships, including weather, itinerary, and safety updates—some captured by a software called Argos, a management tool developed in-house.

“During hurricane season, our Fleet Operations Center is an invaluable tool as it provides a comprehensive, at-a-glance look at the exact locations of our ships, allowing us to closely monitor their position in relation to the path of the storm and ultimately deploy vessels elsewhere,” says its director, John Rowley.

When to reroute a ship

Cruise ships tend to stick to destinations where they can avoid bad weather, such as the Caribbean in winter and Alaska’s inside passage and the Mediterranean in summer, but there are exceptions: cruising in the Caribbean in summer when the kids are out of school has become popular for families, for example, even though it’s during hurricane season. At any time of year, too, the weather can be unpredictable.

When seas get rough, modern cruise ships have onboard technology that helps stabilize them. But if it looks like a more serious storm is in their path, cruise ships generally try to outrun or avoid them.

“We’ve steered our ships around typhoons, hurricanes, fog, massive storms with rapid intensification—which gets the term ‘bomb cyclones,’” Van Fleet says. “But we’ve moved. If you are on our ship and there’s a hurricane out there, I can move you. I can get you to better weather,” he adds, noting that land-based hotels and resorts don’t have that option.

There are situations where a ship may have no choice other than encountering some weather, such as during a North Atlantic crossing in the fall. But even in these cases ships try to find the calmest patch of sea. If adverse weather is unavoidable, the cruise line may change your itinerary , possibly switching your Bermuda cruise with one along the coast of New England and Canada, or shortening or lengthening your cruise by a day or two.

Those decisions are made collaboratively with captains, with guest comfort in mind, Van Fleet says. For instance, to avoid heavy rain, he might suggest a ship stay at sea and arrive at a port a few hours later than planned. By contrast, a port may be skipped altogether if seas are too rough—especially if the port doesn’t have a deep-water dock, meaning passengers have to board tenders, or small boats to get to shore, which is a difficult and dangerous operation in windy conditions.

In those cases, the ship may dock at an alternative port, possibly one you didn’t expect to visit; change the order of the ports that are on the itinerary; or seek a sunny spot at sea. Cruise lines are adept at handling these situations and outline this possibility for guests, along with their policies for how they handle them. If this happens to you, talk to the cruise line directly about refunds or other means of recompense—especially if your ship’s return to its homeport needs to be delayed and affects your flights home.

What to expect if your ship hits bad weather

If you’re already on a ship and meet rough conditions, listen to the instructions of the captain and crew. It’s common for the crew to put down non-slip mats and add signage reminding you to exercise caution when walking. Van Fleet says part of his job is communicating with the crew when such procedures may be necessary.

Every day, listen to the captain’s report from the bridge, which includes a description of sea conditions, to decide what preparations you may need to make for the day. If you get seasick , be prepared with over-the-counter motion sickness medications, homeopathic remedies, or a prescription patch from your doctor.

Note that attractions such as the pool and waterslides may shut down, or the outdoor decks may be closed altogether. In very rare situations, the Captain may require all passengers stay in their cabins. In general, you’ll likely feel some rolling—but that goes for the entirety of your trip, too. “You’re on a ship on the ocean; you’re signing on for some movement,” Van Fleet says. “But my job is to make sure it’s an acceptable, safe amount that you can enjoy your vacation with.”

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Bonus vacation or choppy nightmare? Here's what it's like on a cruise ship stuck at sea during a hurricane

There's always a possibility of bad weather and rough seas when you go on a cruise, but cruise lines are well prepared to change course if an approaching storm could be too dangerous to navigate. There are also contingencies if they are unable to return to port as scheduled. Right now, all those playbooks have been dusted off and are in use.

On Monday, Sept. 26, as Hurricane Ian was closing in on Florida, Disney Wish left Port Canaveral for a four-night Bahamas cruise with planned stops at Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line's private island, before a planned return to Port Canaveral on Friday, Sept. 30.

But with Hurricane Ian a dangerous Category 4 storm making landfall in Central Florida, Port Canaveral closed and has ceased all operations until further notice.

Without the option to return to Florida as originally scheduled, Disney Wish — along with other cruise ships — is (temporarily) "stuck" at sea.

While staying at sea and away from the storm is the safest decision, travelers still have a lot of questions, concerns and general curiosity about the change of course. The Points Guy spoke with passengers currently on board Disney Wish to learn what it's like being out at sea for a few extra days during a hurricane.

You'll get frequent updates from the captain

When Disney Wish set sail on Sept. 26, the captain made an announcement that the ship might return to Port Canaveral later in the day than originally planned based on the projected forecast at that time. Matt Roseboom, editor and publisher at Attractions Magazine , is on board the sailing and captured video footage of the initial announcement.

The captain notified guests with flights leaving before 3 p.m. on Sept. 30 to contact their airline to depart later in the day, if possible. He also advised that they were watching Hurricane Ian carefully and would continue to keep passengers updated on the weather throughout the voyage.

Lizzie Meeks, a Disney travel advisor in Nashville, is also on the sailing and explained to TPG that the captain told guests "the port authority will need to assess any damage before giving the ship the green light to move into port and the cruise terminal."

Your itinerary might be adjusted

A cruise ship's schedule of port visits and sea days can be adjusted midcruise for a number of reasons. The weather is certainly one of those reasons — even absent a full-fledged hurricane. But when a hurricane is churning, it is very possible that the ship's itinerary will change.

Related: When will cruise ports in Florida reopen?

For Disney Wish, a port change announcement came on the morning of Sept. 28 when the ship was scheduled to dock at Castaway Cay for the day. Rather than head toward Disney's private island, and toward the storm, the ship turned toward the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean where seas would be calmer.

Meeks shared that the winds near Castaway Cay were too strong, with little hope for improvement, so the captain made the decision to sail away from the area.

A day at port became a day at sea, but Disney conjured a bit of its famous "Disney magic" and added more activities throughout the day, according to Roseboom. "They made an announcement and told us to close out of the Disney Cruise app and reopen it to see the new schedule of activities," he said. Mickey and his friends still wore their island outfits to greet guests, even if everyone had to stay on board.

"They've really made an effort to make it a special day," Meeks said. "There have been a ton of new character meet and greets throughout the day, including Marvel, 'Star Wars' and Halloween characters that are typically reserved for special event cruises. New group games and trivia themes have been added, as well as additional times for drink tastings like Champagne, bourbon, gin and more," she added.

Related: What happens when a hurricane hits Disney World

Your cruise might be extended

If a hurricane strikes while you are at sea, it's also possible that you may end up with an extended sailing and extra days on the ship.

That's currently the situation for Carnival Paradise, Carnival Elation, Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Getaway, MSC Cruise's MSC Divina and Disney Wish. With several Florida ports closed due to the storm, the ships cannot return to disembark passengers on schedule.

In such cases, cruise lines have two options: head to a different port up or down the coast to disembark passengers or remain at sea until the ship's home port reopens. Docking at a different port creates a whole new set of issues for passengers who need to return to cars, homes or airports near the originally scheduled port — so that option is rarely used.

Related: At least 5 cruise ships stuck at sea as Hurricane Ian closes Florida ports

In the case of Disney Wish, the first announcement came on the evening of Sept. 27 as the storm moved closer to shore. Based on updated forecasts, the captain announced the ship would not return to port until Saturday or Sunday, after the storm had passed and they could better assess the situation at Port Canaveral. That meant passengers would remain on board one or two days longer than expected.

Before he could even complete the announcement, cheers erupted through the ship, as seen in the below video.

In a subsequent announcement on the afternoon of Sept. 28, the captain updated guests that Disney Wish would return to Port Canaveral on Sunday instead of Friday and that the ship should be able to dock at Castaway Cay on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Even before the extension of this sailing was formally announced, Disney Cruise Line canceled the upcoming Disney Wish sailing that was set to depart Port Canaveral on Friday, Sept. 30, as a safety precaution.

Extra days are generally a good thing

As that announcement was made, audible cheers confirmed that most guests were thrilled that their vacation was just extended indefinitely. "The general sentiment is that people are content and happy about the extra day(s)," Roseboom said.

Cruise ships can easily avoid storms by sailing away from them and chasing better weather. For Disney Wish, at least, the weather has been fairly calm. "The current weather is sunshine with some humidity. We had choppier waves this morning [when the ship was closer to the storm], but from where we are now, you wouldn't even know there was a hurricane in the distance," Meeks said.

Plus, the crew is prepared to innovate to accommodate the extra days. The entertainment staff will schedule more sea-day activities, just as they did when Castaway Cay got canceled.

Guests don't need to worry about running out of food, as cruise ships carry more than just one sailing's worth of food on board. In a pinch, the cruise ship can find a way of picking up provisions in the islands. With two extra days at sea, the ship might run out of specific perishables, like berries, but passengers will still have plenty of choices at every meal.

Because Disney Wish employs a rotational dining schedule, in which passengers are assigned nights at each of the ship's main restaurants, guests must now wait to be told which restaurants they should dine in on the additional nights of the sailing. "Since Disney Cruise Line uses rotational dining, they simply assigned us two more nights of a restaurant. It's really operating like normal in many ways," Meeks said.

You'll have to rearrange travel plans

Roseboom, who resides in Central Florida, is enjoying the extra day or two of vacation, but is equally worried about his house and friends and family back home in the wake of Hurricane Ian. "For cruisers who live outside of Florida, they seem to be mostly happy, but they do have to figure out how to change their flights," he shared.

For Meeks, reality set in as the cheers subsided.

"Some people, including myself, found the news concerning because of travel logistics — changing transfers and flights, booking a hotel room just in case our flights are canceled and communicating with family back home are all stressful and you could feel the tension late last night," she said.

Not only is Port Canaveral closed until Hurricane Ian passes and the wind calms, but Orlando International Airport (MCO) has also shuttered during the storm .

Even once the airport reopens after the storm has passed, it will take some time for planes and crews to get back into position, and longer still to accommodate all of the passengers who have been temporarily stranded in the Central Florida area.

This is one of the reasons why when cruising during hurricane season, it's very important to seriously consider travel insurance, or at least book your trip using a credit card that conveys some built-in trip protections to help minimize the financial impact.

Bottom line

"There are certainly worse places to be 'stuck,'" Meeks told us. "A lot of people have the perspective that we are safe and have much to be thankful for," she added. Crew and passenger safety is the reason cruise lines make the decision to stay at sea past the end of their scheduled itinerary. Yes, it can be inconvenient, but cruise lines do go out of their way to make the most of the experience for their guests, and safety is always the top priority.

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Cruise lines changing itineraries as Hurricane Beryl charges through Caribbean

With ports on both sides of the state, Florida is a popular destination for those planning a cruise.

Those plans are being disrupted this week after Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Carriacou Island Monday as a powerful Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds.

➤  Track Hurricane Beryl

The hurricane has grown since then, and is now at Category 5 hurricane with 165-mph winds as it moves west across the Caribbean Sea . Life-threatening winds and storm surge are expected to impact Jamaica by Wednesday.

Here's what you should know if you're scheduled to take a cruise.

Cruisemapper shows few cruise ships in Caribbean as Hurricane Beryl continues westward path

There were a few cruise ships in the Caribbean Sea early Tuesday, with most only going as far south as Jamaica and most concentrated along the Mexican coast, according to cruisemapper.com.

➤ Interactive map : See the latest on cruise ship locations

A few ships were shown in Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands.

Most ships were concentrated around the Bahamas and off the east coast of Florida.

Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica Wednesday as it moves quickly west across the Caribbean.

How strong is Hurricane Beryl and where is it going?

Spaghetti models: where will hurricane beryl go next.

Special note about spaghetti models:  Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts. 

Royal Caribbean Blog announces changes to itineraries because of Hurricane Beryl

▶  Royal Caribbean had three ships in the southeastern Caribbean as of July 1 and announced it was changing cruise ship itineraries because of Hurricane Beryl, according to Royal Caribbean Blog.

Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas have all changed itineraries due to the hurricane, according to the website.

Royal Caribbean's newest and largest ship — Icon of the Seas — departed from Miami, June 29, days before Beryl hit the eastern Caribbean. The ship was scheduled to visit St. Maarten and St. Thomas, among other locations in the eastern Caribbean. Instead it will visit Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Cruisemapper.com showed the ship off Cozumel Tuesday morning.

Royal Caribbean notified passengers via email of the itinerary change intended to avoid strong winds and high waves on the sea.

Wonder of the Seas, which left Port Canaveral June 30, will skip two ports and call on Nassau, Bahamas, the blog announced. Tuesday morning, cruisemapper showed the ship between Key West and Cuba.

“We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather, your safety is our top priority," the letter read.

"Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because we are faster and can move out of the way of any inclement weather."

Norwegian Cruise Line changes stops to avoid eastern Caribbean

▶  Norwegian Cruise Line  altered nearly the entire itinerary for a week-long sailing on its Norwegian Breakaway ship that departed from Miami on Sunday. The line canceled stops in Honduras, Harvest Caye in Belize, and Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, according to a letter sent to guests the line shared with USA TODAY. The ship will instead visit Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas instead.

“While we share your disappointment, these modifications were made with great consideration as your safety, and that of our crew, is always our number one priority,” the letter said.

The line similarly changed a week-long sailing aboard Norwegian Jade that left Port Canaveral on Saturday, replacing planned calls in Falmouth, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel with San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tortola and Puerto Plata.

Was your cruise itinerary changed? Here's what to do next

Carnival Cruise Line bumps up stops to Mexico

▶  Carnival Cruise Line’s  Carnival Liberty ship moved a planned Friday stop in Cozumel up to Tuesday. The vessel departed on a week-long cruise from New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday,  according to CruiseMapper .

Carnival Horizon, which is sailing a  six-day itinerary  that left Miami on Sunday, will skip a visit to Grand Cayman on Wednesday.

“The safety of our guests and crew is paramount, and we are continuing to monitor forecasts and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard, and the local port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available,” spokesperson Matt Lupoli said via email.

Disney Cruise Line replaces Falmouth visit with sea day

▶  Disney Cruise Line’s  Disney Fantasy ship — which set sail on a  week-long cruise  from Port Canaveral on Saturday — will not visit Falmouth as planned on Wednesday. The stop will be replaced with a  sea day .

Cruisemapper showed the ship west of the Cayman Islands Tuesday morning.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Cruise lines changing itineraries as Hurricane Beryl charges through Caribbean

Disney to add new ship in Tokyo to expanding cruise business

• Medium Text

• New ship to be modeled after Disney Wish, operated by Oriental Land Company
• New ship will be ninth in Disney's fleet
• Disney's experiences business accounted for over one-third of revenue in March quarter

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Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles and Rocky Swift in Urayasu, Japan; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Matthew Lewis

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Thomson Reuters

Reports mainly on pharma, retail and breaking news in Japan. Previously worked at U.S. Department of State and Bloomberg News before that. New College of Florida and University of Hawaii alum. Former Poynter and JAIMS fellow.

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