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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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Storms, waves, and fires at sea: Scariest cruise ship videos

Yes, the ship is flooding and yes, that is also a fire. (YouTube/Cruise Law)

In between the opulent interiors, the amusement park amenities, the high-end restaurants (and modern-day stabilizers), it’s easy for people taking cruises to think they’re in a floating resort instead of on a boat in the middle of the ocean.

But every so often, Mother Nature decides to remind us — and, frankly, she can be really nasty about it. A big enough storm can toss around a 3,000-person vessel like it was a kayak. And while cruising is incredibly safe — with modern ships able to withstand all manner of bad weather — major storms can make for some really scary moments for passengers.

Fortunately for us, as passengers hold on for dear life as their ship lists to and fro during a storm, some of them also reach for a camera to record the mayhem, and much of it exists to scare cruisers and non-cruisers alike. Here are some of the scariest cruise videos we’ve seen on the high seas:

1. A violent ride

This footage from 2010 shows P&O’s Pacific Sun in the middle of a major storm about 400 miles north of New Zealand. This video, apparently taken by a closed-circuit TV camera, has been posted and reposted by fans who added music and comedic sound effects. But there’s nothing funny about this storm, which literally sent everything that wasn’t bolted down careening across the floor, with helpless passengers caught in the wake. Dozens of people were injured, many with broken bones and cuts. According to The Daily Telegraph, P&O offered the scared passengers 25% off their next cruise for their troubles.

2. A rude interruption

A similar scene on this unidentified ship, which was also listing heavily enough to fling furniture about. Watch at 1:43 as the flying furniture knocks away a table full of vacationers trying to relax. People seem rattled but OK; in fact, a woman gets up to take a picture of the carnage.

3. Deadly waves

This is easily one of the scariest cruise ship incidents in recent memory that didn’t involve a sinking. In 2010, gigantic waves slammed this Greek-based cruise ship, shattering glass in a number of public areas and sending passengers running for their lives (you can see one such breach at 0:26 in to the video). Two men died, and a little more than a dozen people were injured.

4. Is this a cruise or a James Cameron movie? 

According to CruiseLawNews.com, this footage is from a Carnival cruise ship back in 2011 that got hit by rough weather during a storm. On this video, you see water breaking the window and filling up an abandoned area.

5. Is this a cruise or a James Cameron movie? Part II

[youtube K-EmD7YKD4k]

Another video apparently from that same incident is even scarier. It shows water flooding a children’s play area and short-circuiting a wall-mounted TV. Over a couple of minutes, the short turns into a full-blown fire — a frightening prospect aboard a cruise ship at sea. A cruise ship employee wades through the room and tries to extinguish the fire by hand (which seems an incredibly dangerous thing to do during an electrical fire in a flooded room). Fortunately, other crew members come in and extinguish the blaze before it gets out of hand.

6. The sea was very angry that day, my friends.

Much less scary was this storm that hit the Queen Elizabeth en route to New York. It sent waves big enough to fully splash the windows of what appears to be an upper deck. Fortunately, the passengers appear more amused than frightened.

7. Shipboard entertainment

Sometimes, a big scary wave can intrude on your shipboard entertainment. During what appeared to be some kind of karaoke show aboard this P&O cruise fighting rough seas, a gigantic wave hit the ship, as amused passengers gasped. The emcee didn’t miss a beat and continued with the show. Too bad the video cuts out before someone gets up to sing “Father Figure."

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Cruise Ship Employees Reveal The Scariest Things That Ever Happened To Them At Sea

Out of all the places to spend your vacation, you could do worse than a cruise ship. For many vacationers, cruises are the pinnacle of luxury and relaxation - with endless music, food, and entertainment, how could you go wrong? These stories from cruise ship employees may be able to answer that question.

While cruises are usually very safe , sometimes things go pear-shaped. Any number of mishaps could turn a fun-loving sea voyage into a nightmare, and these scary cruise ship stories can prove it.

A Deceased Passenger Was In The Hot Tub For Hours

From Redditor /u/ Wolfgang7990 :

I was a passenger and was shooting the sh*t with one of the crew members late at night. He told me that on an earlier cruise, someone had died in a hot tub the first night out of port, and people didn’t know for hours. He managed to stay propped up, and his sunglasses helped hide it.

Several passengers entered the hot tub during the time and assumed he was antisocial for whatever reason. The crew discovered him when they were closing the pool area for the night. They moved the body downstairs to the morgue. None of the passengers except the guy’s family found out about it.

The Ship Was Stuck On Top Of An Old WWII Mine

From Redditor /u/ CrashTestAstronaut :

I have plenty of of "Oh sh*t" moments, but I'll give you my biggest [one]... so we were stuck in the [docks] of Amsterdam for over four hours [with] no indication of what's going on. After a few hours had passed, the captain came on the PA system, and the reason we didn't leave was because there was a live mine from WWII 1km from the front of the ship.

Two Passengers Fell Overboard In The Middle Of The Night

From Redditor /u/ DaniSeeh :

...A man and woman who were cheating on their wife and husband, respectively, got super drunk and fell over the edge of their balcony. From really high up. It was at night, too.

The whole cruise ship stopped once it was reported, and it took an entire day to search for them. Apparently, the man had his jeans or something because he had inflated them somehow, and they were floating holding them.

They reported that they were stung by multiple jellyfish and were super cold the whole time. That must have been the scariest, most terrible 18 hours of their lives.

The Ship Started Taking On Water

From Redditor /u/ redicrob2155 :

Used to work on cruise ships. Generally, we leave ports of call around 4 or 5 [pm], never really staying later than that due to port regulations.

One night, we had a surprise late-night at a port. All the passengers and most of the crew had a wonderful time. It was a Port of Call with a very active night life.

I was part of the last groups coming back to the ship and noticed a few men in scuba suits entering and leaving the water. Large machinery and the water off the stern of the ship sporadically lighting up. Almost like someone was welding underwater.

A few days later, I was in the mess hall and heard that the ship underwent heavy maintenance to repair an area taking on water.

Their Ship Was Prepared For Pirates

From Redditor /u/ CaptainJAmazing :

I never had to deal with it myself, but the ship I worked on actually had protocols in place if modern-day pirates attacked. We had some kind of sonic-noise weapon and could also use our firehoses. I was told that pirates were not unheard of in the area around Shanghai.

The Ship Was Stranded At Sea After All The Engines Gave Out

From Redditor /u/ Rally_Blue :

I provide software and services for most of the major cruise lines and spend a lot of time “cruising.” On the new builds is when you see a lot of crazy stuff happening.

One story that comes to mind with passengers (travel agents and family) was the first sailing out of the yard. The ship can hold about 4,500 passengers. She’s a big girl and has five or six massive engines to power [her]. About three hours into the sail away, I heard a loud thump and massive vibrations all around. I was in an empty restaurant and saw plates and cups crashing to the ground from the vibrations. My first thought is to always see how the crew reacts: If they are calm, you can stay calm... if they freak out, you better start moving. I could see some concern, but they continued on with their business, so I followed their lead and continued doing my work, too.

About [three or four] hours after that, another loud thump and even more vibrations... then silence. After speaking with a few crew members, [I] found out we lost two engines on the initial incident, and now we just lost the rest. Whatever the reason was, we lost complete propulsion, and this beast of a ship was going to go wherever the ocean wanted it to. Passengers were notified that we will be running late but to continue having fun and drinks were on the house. No other info was given (smart to avoid panic).

About 12 hours later, a helicopter was [seen] (early AM hours) above us dropping down crates of engine parts, and a short time after that, we had propulsion again... and passengers had no idea why we were delayed and didn’t seem to care.

A Scuffle Ensued After A Passenger Dropped Dead

From Redditor /u/ SchruteFarmsInc :

Ship just arrived in Whittier, Alaska ... and an elderly passenger dropped dead while walking down the gangway. A conflict ensues between the port security and the ship's medical team. The port security didn't want the ship's medical team to get involved because it technically happened off the ship, and the local authorities had jurisdiction. There really was no saving the guy, but the ship's medical team at least wanted to try. The local authorites wouldn't even allow the chief medical officer to start CPR.

The coroner had a [six-hour] ETA, so the port authorities bagged up the body and stuffed it in an x-ray machine storage container in port (guarded by local police) until the coroner could arrive to take the body to Anchorage.

The wife of the deceased continued on to finish the vacation for the seven-day rail trip to Denali... My understanding was the cruise line comped her entire vacation, arranged for the remains to be returned home at no cost to her, and provided a personal escort/assistant for the remainder of her vacation.

A Crew Member Got A Bullet In The Hand

From Redditor /u/ ElGofre :

Somebody shot at the navigation bridge of the ship from the shore on my last ship. The bullet bounced off and hit my colleague on the hand (no real damage but it [scared] the hell out of her, [and she] ended up going home for a few weeks).

While we waited for the local police to come on and investigate and take statements, guests were told we were delaying the departure to take on fresh water. I'm still shocked that never leaked out.

All The Spare Toilet Paper Got Soaked

From Redditor /u/ myjobisawesome :

Water pipe burst in a store room and soaked ALL of the spare toilet paper. This was on day two of a 14-day voyage to Antarctica. The cabin stewards had to swap around rolls of paper between "low use" and "high use" guest cabins, and it came right down [to] the wire.

None of the guests found out or realized. Now toilet paper is hidden in every cabin instead of a centralized location.

An Inebriated Passenger Danced Right Over The Railing

From Redditor /u/ too-tsunami :

Our ship officers got a call from a ship of a completely different cruise line off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. They found one of our passengers floating in the ocean. He wasn't even near the shore at all, just floating in open water. He was alive and perfectly fine.

They reviewed the security footage, and in the middle of the night, this guy was drunk on Deck 5 and could be seen holding his phone, dancing to music by himself. He then climbed onto one of the lifeboats and did a RUNNING JUMP into the ocean. He left his phone on top of the lifeboat. His body was so fluid from being drunk that he wasn't injured when he hit the water. The cruise ship spotted him and rescued him. His family didn't know he was missing because he had booked a separate room.

This guy told the news that a rogue wave pushed him off the side of the ship. He was on Deck 5, so the wave would have been over 40 feet tall...

Holes In The Hull And Fires Are Common

From Redditor /u/ Mr_Happy_80 :

All of the computer systems run on Windows 7, including all of the automation in the machinery space, security system, fire detection system, etc. When Windows updates, it will restart the computers, as it does with a normal desktop, [but] unfortunately it can also take out every computer at the same time, and we're flying blind until it finishes.

People may be more worried to hear that there is a hole in the hull, yet they're actually fairly common occurences in older ships and easily plugged.

Fires happen occasionally. The most terrifying was a crankcase explosion. The fire suppression systems are good at extinguishing them quickly enough, though, so they're not even a concern to the crew.

One Of The Passengers Got 'A Little Stabby'

From Redditor /u/ rothmaniac :

I worked on a ship almost 15 years ago. Many stories. This happened to a friend of mine: A family came on. They had a teenage son, who was not interested in the cruise. As soon as the family got to their room, he jumped off his balcony (which is insanely dangerous). They fished him out, and the family got kicked off the ship.

Another fact: There is a small, jail-like area called a brig. On my ship, it was on the crew floor, and it had a one-way mirror. Usually it was used for drunk or disruptive passengers. We once had an entertainer find out his ex was coming on the ship. That made him a little stabby, so they put him in the brig until the next port.

A Fellow Employee Jumped Ship After A Party

From Redditor /u/ rjdac :

I used to be a crew member, and one time a guy working at the front desk jumped overboard after a crew party. He was found a few hours later by the coast guard, and everybody was asked to be discrete in order to keep the cruise running smooth ... Everything was fine until the captain came on the PA and said we were delayed because a crew member jumped overboard. Then the madness [began] - rumors [appeared] out of nowhere, and the rest of the cruise was pretty much guests asking what happened the whole time...

[Another time,] a friend of mine got fired for getting wasted [and] peeing all over his cabin while the security guys were there to take care of him. He spent the night in the little jail onboard before being dumped the next day [on] whatever port we were [in].

Also, every time we had ice cream at the crew restaurant, people would say it was because they had to empty the freezer to [store human remains].

Elderly Passengers Spent Their Life Savings To Go Out In Style

From Redditor /u/ Crusha79 :

I was touring a ship for a future event. The ship was about to leave for a 100+ day cruise. I saw a lot of old people getting on with oxygen tanks. I asked him what happens if they die on board. [My guide] said it was very common for old people [to] blow their life savings to come spend their last days on this cruise. He also said they have a fully functional morgue.

They Replaced A Recently Deceased Employee

From Redditor /u/ trustustoo :

My "Oh Sh*t" moment was when I was hired for a ship on two-day notice (trombone player). When I got on the ship, I found out that I was replacing a guy who had just [passed] in a jet-skiing accident in Nicaragua.

Everyone in the crew knew it (and the last cruise's passenger knew it), and the entire band that I was joining was obviously traumatized. In the end, it ended up being my favorite contract, but the first few weeks were difficult for everyone.

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Couple recall ‘scary’ moment cruise caught fire after being struck by lightning

They described their cabin filling with smoke and crying kids searching for their parents.

Britt Jones

Picture the scene - you're kicking back and relaxing on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, perhaps sipping a pina colada, when all of a sudden a bolt of lightning crashes into the boat and a fire breaks out.

That's what happened to this couple who experienced a terrifying moment during their Carnival cruise trip on a Caribbean excursion.

You can see footage of thick black smoke billowing out of the ship's funnel below:

Florence Torchia recalled watching a bolt of lightning hit the Carnival Freedom ship during a thunderstorm , causing it to catch fire.

At the time, the ship was 20 miles off the coast of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas when it all went wrong on Saturday (23 March).

The couple explained to Fox Weather that moments after the bolt hit, crew reported a fire in the ship’s exhaust funnel.

Joe Torchia said the pair were watching the fire on the TV, and that ‘they had a [camera] set up’.

When witnessing the blaze, he recalled saying, ‘oh my God, this doesn’t look good’.

Even though crews quickly responded to the fire, the couple said their hoses ‘didn’t reach the funnel’.

In a frenzy, the Torchias were trying to follow the captain's order to walk to the muster station, but were faced with ‘kids crying’ who were attempting to find their parents.

“It was scary,” Joe said.

But the nightmare had only just begun.

It was moments later that the exhaust stack would fall onto the 10th deck, sending a cloud of smoke ‘in our cabin and everything’.

However, despite the severity of the situation, the pair praised the cruise line’s communication as they ‘notified us of everything’, but it put a strain on the Torchias' cruise endeavours.

“I’d rather go to the Caribbean to a single destination,” Florence, a third-time cruise enthusiast, said.

Joe said it was the couple's third cruise, 'but it might be our last'.

Speaking to Fox Weather, a Carnival spokesperson said last week: "While we continue to investigate multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike, our technical team completed a thorough assessment during the ship’s visit to Freeport on Sunday."

The company admitted that the damage caused by the fire would need to be repaired immediately in order to stabilise the funnel and that it was ‘more than we first thought’.

The damage caused many excited holidaymakers to lose out on their trip after the 25 and 29 March cruises out of Port Canaveral were cancelled, though they were thankfully refunded.

The cruise line added: "We greatly appreciate our terrific guests for their outstanding cooperation and support."

LADbible has contacted Carnival cruises for a comment.

Topics:  Cruise Ship , Travel

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Video shows scary moments after a cruise ship caught fire

Passengers aboard a cruise ship docked in Grand Turk Island got a surprise that wasn’t on the itinerary Thursday.

As photos and video taken aboard the Carnival Freedom illustrate, black smoke and flames poured out of the ship’s funnel as passengers donned life jackets and were evacuated from the vessel’s upper decks.

"On Thursday morning while in port at Grand Turk, Carnival Freedom’s emergency response team quickly activated and extinguished a fire inside the ship’s funnel," said the cruise line in a statement . "All guests and crew are safe, and all other ship, hotel, and guest services, along with safety equipment are fully functioning."

According to the statement, most of the ship's 2,504 passengers were ashore at the time the fire broke out.

Plans were soon made to get all guests back to Port Canaveral in Florida, where they originally set sail from Monday for what was meant to be a 5-day cruise. But since Freedom won't be seaworthy in time for an already delayed departure, those arrangements required the cancellation of another Carnival cruise.

"Carnival Conquest’s next cruise, departing May 27 from Miami has been cancelled and that ship will be deployed to Grand Turk to transport Freedom guests back to Port Canaveral," the company explained. "Carnival Conquest will arrive to Grand Turk on Saturday, May 28 and guests aboard Carnival Freedom will transfer to Carnival Conquest for the voyage back to Port Canaveral, arriving on Monday, May 30."

Carnival Freedom's next scheduled cruise, originally planned for Saturday, has also been cancelled.

Repairs are set to begin on the ship's funnel after all passengers are off the ship.

The statement closed, noting, "Carnival apologized to all those guests who are impacted and offered special thanks to the crew who handled the situation on the ship effectively and according to safety protocols."

It remains unclear what caused the fire.

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I've been on 108 cruises. Here are 5 of the wildest things I've seen at sea.

• At 95 years old, I've been on 108 cruises , and I've witnessed some pretty wild things on the ships.
• My wife and I once found a naked couple in our room, and a politician saved my life.
• One ship almost got stuck in ice, and other times helicopters needed to be sent in for emergencies.

After my time on boats in the Army, I swore I'd never take a cruise . Now I've boarded 108 ships , and most of the experiences were good.

But a few memorable exceptions stand out.

Here are some of the wildest things I've experienced on a cruise ship:

A politician saved my life in a Viking Sky dining room 

The scariest moment of any cruise was on the then-brand-new Viking Sky, sailing out of New York on October 29, 2018 — just one day after my 92nd birthday.

My wife, Donna, and I were at the buffet stuffing ourselves with delicious goodies, speaking with people from Arizona at a table nearby. All of a sudden, I tried to swallow a piece of roast beef and couldn't. 

It was stuck. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak to tell anyone I was in trouble.

My Arizona neighbor immediately jumped up and grabbed me from behind to try to perform the Heimlich. He tried once, twice, three times, and four with no results.

On the fifth, we both fell over. But he picked me right up, gave me a really painful hug, and out came the culprit, letting me breathe again.

Unsure of how to thank the stranger, I emailed an account of the incident to his local paper. Two days later, he came over to our table.

I was worried that maybe the newspaper article caused him a problem, but he laughed and said he was running for a state-senate seat and that kind of publicity was worth 100 ads. 

We once found a naked couple in our room 

When Donna and I boarded Norwegian Cruise Line's Sun in Port Canaveral, we found our cabin, dropped off our carry-ons , and went to relax on the rest of the ship. 

When we returned, I put the key in, opened the door, and promptly pushed Donna back into the hall.

She wasn't happy about it until I said, "Call security, and tell them there's a naked couple in our cabin!"

Before security arrived, the now fully clothed couple stepped out of the cabin and began simultaneously explaining why they were there. Turns out, a cabin steward helped them into the room — which they were convinced was theirs — after their key card didn't work.

The couple seemed embarrassed and contrite when they discovered that their actual cabin was down the hall.

We later had several meetings with the ship's officers, mostly to convince them not to fire the poor worried steward. Luckily he stayed on, and we got a special dinner in the Chop House.

But even though they changed the sheets, I have an unforgettable photograph seared in my memory.

I've seen helicopters impressively swoop in on moving ships for medical emergencies

The Costa Line Daphne was a smaller, older ship that seemed perfectly fit for the Alaskan Inside Passage trip we took in June 1984.

Sundown was late, probably 11 p.m. or so, and one night the speaker came on requesting everyone to leave the pool deck for a medical emergency.

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The chief steward had a heart attack , and the Coast Guard was going to hoist him aboard a helicopter and fly him to Anchorage for treatment. We were able to watch everything from our deck and see the chopper fly safely away — the Daphne never even slowed or hesitated.

The very next day, the scene was repeated when a passenger fell ill and required medical help. Same procedure, same efficiency, and no loss of time for the ship.

Later information reported that the steward did not survive. The passenger did.

Although it was very sad, I thought it was a remarkable performance by both land and sea forces. It was also reassuring to see that, even on board, help is often available.

On the way to Russia, our ship almost got entirely stuck in ice

The Titanic's sinking was brought vividly to mind on a Holland America Zaandam cruise we took in 2012.

On April 25, 2012, we woke up to total silence. On a ship, there are always sounds of engines and activity, but that morning there was no background noise.

We were practically stopped — our cabin TV said we were moving at 1 ½ knots (less than 2 miles per hour).

When I got up, I looked out and all I could see was ice. We sat, virtually immobile, in its midst.

Word began to circulate, from some unknown source, that this was almost exactly 100 years after the Titanic sank in an ice-related collision between April 14 and 15, 1912.

For some hours we lined the rails, watching the ice field, waiting for something to happen. Eventually, much to our relief, the captain reversed course, sailed back the way we came, and rerouted. 

My bank account was mysteriously closed, which nearly left us stranded 

Our worst experience came on our way home from a cruise on Thanksgiving in 2005. 

We'd just disembarked the Holland America Prinsendam after a trans-Atlantic crossing from Lisbon, Portugal. 

I couldn't call the rental-car company to get a ride home because my phone was dead, so we took a taxi. On the way, I took out my wallet to get my credit card and driver's license along with the cab fare.

When we got to the dealership, I was told my credit card was denied. I reached for my wallet, but it wasn't there — I must have left it in the cab.

I didn't have a coin for the payphone (I still had only foreign currency), but I found a compassionate bathroom attendant to lend me one. 

Unfortunately, the bank only told me that my account had been closed. But the agent was able to authorize the rental-car charge, and we made the three-hour trip home, where our family was waiting with Thanksgiving dinner.

As we drove in, everyone rushed out. They'd been receiving calls about my card and wallet all morning from the bank and a Mr. Moses in New York. 

Trying to return calls on Thanksgiving Day wasn't very rewarding, so we started opening our two-week-old mail. A recent letter from the bank addressed to Donna stated, "We are saddened by the recent death of your husband, Robert L. Willett, and send our deepest condolences."

So that was the cause of all the confusion — I was dead. 

It also reminded Donna that there was a balance of $175 on the card, and they were certain, in the midst of her grief, she'd want that taken care of. 

It took a few days to convince everybody I was alive and well, during which the missing wallet was returned from New York by the honorable Mr. Moses.

But I enjoyed the affection and respect usually held for those who had passed, it was kind of fun. 

Watch: Robot bartenders mix drinks aboard Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas cruise ship

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Last week's brutal winter storm battered the East Coast, but imagine riding it out on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

More than 20 members of the Ross family detailed their horrific ride to CBS New York.

The group was cruising to the Bahamas for an 80th birthday celebration, but they returned Friday after a "nightmare" aboard the Norwegian Breakaway.

“I thought I’d never be in a situation where I would say that’s the scariest moment of my life. This was the worst moment of my life,” said Karoline Ross.

Ross said the 4,000 passenger ship sailed straight into the storm Tuesday night and endured two long days of ocean swells reaching 30 feet.

“When you’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean and water is pouring down the stairs, you’re thinking ‘this is not going to end well,” Ross said.

“Our room was full of two inches of water. The elevator shafts were dripping water everywhere,” Del Ross said.

Passengers said water poured from the ceiling and dozens gathered in the ship's atrium to sleep. Members of the Ross family added there was broken glass everywhere.

“I’m completely traumatized. I’ll never go on any type of boat again in my life after this,” passenger Emma Franzese agreed.

Another passenger said he didn't think he "would make it through the night."

Asked why the decision was made to sail back to New York through such rough conditions, Norwegian Cruise Line released this statement:

“During the early morning hours of January 4, Norwegian Breakaway encountered stronger than forecasted weather conditions due to winter storm Grayson during the trip’s return to New York from the Bahamas. All guests and crew are safe. We sincerely apologize to our guests for these stronger than expected weather conditions and any resulting discomfort they may have experienced."

The Ross family said they will ask for a refund, but would appreciate more answers.

“He took all our lives in his hands, and we were really in a bad spot. It was really horrible,” Karoline Ross said.

“We were dead center of the storm, and I really think it was a poor decision,” Del Ross said.

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People 'terrified' after man drops GoPro under cruise ship and discovers what's underneath

The night footage might put you off ever swimming in the sea again.

Britt Jones

Going on a cruise is the new craze this year, but let’s take a closer look at the giant luxury ships and you’ll see something you’d wished you hadn’t looked at.

A Greek photographer has gone on to disturb his viewers with a video of his deep-sea GoPro footage underneath and alongside a cruise ship .

Photographer Odysseas Froilan shared his clip to his YouTube channel in November 2021 and the footage went viral with millions of views.

Don’t watch this if you ever want to enter the ocean again:

Froilan hasn’t been forthcoming about the footage or where in the ocean he lowered his GoPro.

In the video, after lowering the camera in the water while the cruise ship is anchored, viewers were initially happy to see a school of fish perplexed at the foreign object that had dropped into their neck of the woods.

However, it wasn’t until things got dark that viewers were left feeling icky.

That was when out of nowhere, sharks came into view of the GoPro camera and one quickly darted into the camera night light, before swimming off quickly.

Then, moments later, a huge shark is seen coming out of the shadows to calmly swim unfazed out of view.

“The way I went from kicking my feet in the air at the cute fishies and thinking ‘maybe the ocean isn’t so scary after all’ in the day footage to blankly staring, terrified, at the night footage, further confirming my intense fear of the ocean,” one YouTube user commented.

“This was way more interesting than I thought it would be. Man there’s something primally terrifying about seeing a shark emerge from the darkness like that,” another agreed.

Other comments reinforced viewers’ intention to not swim in the ocean and stick strictly to man-made pools to avoid encountering sharks .

“For years I wondered why there were pools on a cruise ship when there was this great big body of water to swim in. It’s videos like this that make me realize the importance of swimming in chlorine water,” a third user commented.

“I would just like to point out the difference in marine life depending on the time of day. If you ever find yourself on a cruise, do not take a bet and jump into the ocean at night, most sharks are nocturnal hunters and they are basically just waiting for you,” a fourth warned.

Last year, viral footage showed the moment a young man jumped off a cruise ship in the Bahamas for a dare before and was allegedly preyed upon by sharks.

Cameron Robbins, 18, was never seen again and the footage was viewed more than 10 million times on X in June.

Some who watched it claimed the footage showed the moment he was pulled underneath by sharks.

It happened on May 24 2023 at around 11.30pm near Nassau, Bahamas off the Blackbeard’s Revenge sunset cruise ship and on May 27, the United States Coast Guard, who was assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in the search, confirmed the search had been concluded, though his body was never found.

Topics:  Shark , Travel , Cruise ship , YouTube

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‘Top Chef’ Finalists Talk Cruise-Ship Cooking, Learning From Tom Colicchio and Their Toughest Challenge: ‘The Cooking Is the Easy Part’

By Alison Herman

Alison Herman

• ‘Top Chef’ Season 21 Winner on Looking ‘Ridiculous’ and Their Plans for the Prize Money 3 days ago
• ‘Top Chef’ Finalists Talk Cruise-Ship Cooking, Learning From Tom Colicchio and Their Toughest Challenge: ‘The Cooking Is the Easy Part’ 4 days ago
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Season 21 of “ Top Chef ” was the venerated food competition’s first without longtime host Padma Lakshmi. Nevertheless, the show adapted without her , and will culminate on June 19 with a finale set aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Out of 16 chefs who competed in Wisconsin, judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Kristen Kish — a former winner who stepped into Lakshmi’s role — have narrowed the field to just three contenders: Dan Jacobs, Savannah Miller and Danny Garcia.

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How did you spend the break between filming in Wisconsin and that final stretch of episodes in the Caribbean?

Dan Jacobs: I mean, I have two businesses, so I was trying to just concentrate on playing around with ideas, and using Caribbean ingredients. But then the restaurant happens, and suddenly you’re back into the daily grind of doing things. It was weird, because I couldn’t fully get back involved in the restaurants, because I knew I had to leave again in six weeks.

Danny Garcia: I was kind of in the same boat. I came home, and I got lucky enough to be in New York, where there’s a huge Caribbean population and community. I spent most of my time in Little Haiti and Little Havana, just going to different grocery stores and different farmers markets that import ingredients from the Caribbean, and really learning as much as I could about the different ingredients that I wasn’t already familiar with — getting my hands on as much seafood that’s specific to that region that I wasn’t really familiar with. I really gave myself a crash course on Caribbean food, and specifically the cuisine in Curaçao. Using as much time in our kitchen to be able to practice on food, really dialing in dishes and dialing in that final menu.

While all of this is going on, I assume you’re also not really allowed to say to people around you, “By the way, I was just on ‘Top Chef’ and I’m going back to ‘Top Chef.’” How was that handled?

Jacobs: I told people I was on “Naked and Afraid.”

Did they buy it?

Jacobs: No!

Miller: I was not in the restaurants every day, so it was pretty easy to hide. But I had told people months earlier that I was going “up north.” I just kept it really vague — to go work with a mentor. So they thought that I was, like, in Vermont somewhere. It was pretty easy.

Garcia: People thought all sorts of things. I think people thought I went to jail for a little bit. It was funny. Most of the team was just thinking that I was incredibly psychotic, just prepping or creating dishes for the new restaurant that we were opening. They were like, “Wow, you’re really taking this seriously! You have a lot of time before then, but you’re really diving into these specific dishes.” But no one really knew what was going on. It was kind of funny to be able to bounce around them and have been thinking one thing while doing the other thing.

What’s it like to cook on a cruise ship? Because that seems to be a very specific kitchen experience.

Garcia: You’re used to being in kitchens that are our own, and then we got used to being in the “Top Chef” kitchen. Being in a kitchen that moves is quite challenging. Using a scale in a kitchen that’s rocking back and forth is pretty impossible. The little things that you take advantage of, just being in a regular kitchen — it’s pretty daunting.

Jacobs: Everything’s induction, even though we broke the rules right away and started fires. So that was something you had really had to get used to. The constant movement of the ship — the whole ship was moving from side to side. And like Danny said, you tried to scale something and it went from 70 grams to 180 grams and 240 grams to four grams. It was like one last “Top Chef” twist.

Miller: I feel like that was a once in a lifetime experience. One of the great things about “Top Chef” is that you get to come across these people. I still can’t believe that he cooked for us. He said something along the lines of, “Only this one time.” Meaning, if I serve you the same meal, even tomorrow, it won’t be the same as right now. For me, I was like, “OK, I’m gonna take this day and this moment and make it the best that I possibly can.” Because it won’t be happening again, just like it is right now.

Jacobs: I as well took a lot of inspiration from that, from what he said. I had to pivot quite a bit on my final meal, just out of necessity. And it was one of those things where it was like, “All right, this is who I am right now, in this place in time.” It was really funny too, because [production]] wanted us to talk about stuff. And I was like, “No! I want to enjoy this meal with Morimoto cooking! This is the only time Morimoto’s gonna cook for me and three of my friends.”

That’ll never happen again, probably. It was one of the coolest experiences I think I’ve ever had in my life.

Garcia: It was an incredible experience to have that moment with him, and to have him take the time and give us his insight on the way he sees food, understand the way he sees life: to live in that moment and then not take those moments for granted, but rather really be in those moments and embrace them.

The alumni pool of the show at this point is obviously quite large. Had any of you talked to other people who’ve gone through this process? What did they tell you to expect out of it?

Garcia: I myself know a handful of previous cheftestants, and people who have been on the show. Everyone prepares differently, but everyone across the board said it’s a mental game. As much as it is a physical cooking competition, it’s very much a mental game.

That was very much at the forefront of what everyone was saying, to be prepared for and be able to wrap your head around long days being away from your family, not being able to speak to them. I think for us as chefs, it’s almost like the cooking is the easy part.

Jacobs: I was lucky enough to have a handful of friends who had been through this process. It was encouraging. It’s funny, because I think only people that went through this really, truly understand it, what it was like. I’d gotten advice before the show a little bit, but definitely after the show, how to navigate things. I think Tom said you’ve just got to learn to say no to some things. That’s something I’m still learning. But it’s definitely a process.

Miller: I didn’t really know anybody, so I don’t have a good answer for this one. [laughs]

Is there any aspect of the competition that caught you particularly off guard?

Miller: There’s always going to be some things that are surprising if you’re doing something that you haven’t done before. I’ve watched the show for a long time. For me and a lot of other people, “Top Chef” is the show for chefs. You always hope that it’s all as authentic as it seems when you’re watching it at home. And for me, it was really nice to confirm that. They put a lot of hard work into making sure that everything is extremely fair, and done right.

The judges are always eating your food at the prime time. They really take a lot of time to deliberate, and do their judging. They really care, and they want to mentor us as much as they want to run this production. For me, it was a really nice surprise to go in and realize that everything that I had hoped it was, it truly was.

Was there a particular piece of feedback you got throughout production that helped you move your craft forward?

Garcia: Tom’s advice: Everything that Tom said was really helpful and always thoughtful, but him telling us to have fun and not to take it so seriously. Not to take our food so seriously, and not to take ourselves too seriously.

Jacobs: I think you saw our best cooks were always when we were having a good time. Anytime that I feel like I cooked poorly was definitely when I was tight. Tom’s honest, like 100%. He said that the day that he can’t be honest with us is the day that he’s not going to do this anymore. You just knew when he was giving you feedback, when he was saying he liked it, you did good. If it was salty, it was salty. Tom doesn’t pull any punches.

Was there a particular challenge that, looking back, was the hardest for you?

Miller: The fish boil was difficult, I think, for obvious reasons. But also, even just going into it, I’m not the person who tends the fire on the beach. Just getting to a point where you’re realizing that like, “Oh, I’m gonna literally have to keep this thing going,” and there’s all these elements . Then I stabbed myself like an idiot. So I’m just dealing with all of that.

Jacobs: I’ll second Savannah. The fish boil, for sure. That was the most physically demanding challenge I think we had. I’m already kind of handicapped when it comes to physical stuff, and then having to run back and forth and tend your fire in the sand — you’re getting blasted with smoke the whole time. And then on top of it, I don’t really like fish boils! I really had to kind of get my attitude right. Instead of being negative about it, be like, “All right, I’m gonna try and make this different,” and be positive.

Dan, you’re obviously from Wisconsin, so maybe this question applies less to you. But I feel like the rest of the country isn’t necessarily as knowledgeable about Wisconsin food. Savannah and Danny, was there anything that you learned about Wisconsin cuisine that surprised you in a pleasant way?

Miller: It kind of reminded me of North Carolina, in a way. I have never really had positive or negative thoughts about Wisconsin. It’s just not something I’ve thought about in my life. But whenever I found out we were going, I think there were a lot of people who were like, “Wisconsin? What!” I remember doing the research and then showing up and doing these challenges.

I just felt like, this feels like home to me, in a way that some people might gloss over it. Maybe they don’t believe it to be a crazy culinary destination. But it’s just not true. As far as the agriculture and, obviously, the dairy, there’s just so much that it has to offer. We really got to see that. The Dane County Farmers Market in Madison was a huge eye-opening experience for me. I just think it’s beautiful, and has a lot to offer.

Garcia: I feel the same way. I didn’t necessarily have any feelings towards Wisconsin prior to going. It definitely wasn’t something that was on my radar. But once we got there, it was amazing. It was a beautiful place. The people were incredibly hospitable and kind and welcoming. The food was definitely more than just cheese. Cheese and beer is kind of like that surface level. But once you dive a little deeper, you’re able to see this really big bounty of delicious.

Jacobs: Guys, that’s so nice. It makes me feel real cool.

Dan, did you feel any hometown advantage? Or was there pressure to live up to the label?

Jacobs: There’s a hometown advantage. I knew cranberries were coming up. I knew there’s gonna be a sausage challenge. Dairy cheese. You kind of know what to expect just from being here. But the expectation, and the fact that I was the only Wisconsin chef that was there, really put a bit of pressure on me to make sure that I was going to excel in the competition. I wanted to do it in a way that showcased who we are as people here, and do it in a way that was fun and funny. I had a good time with it. So yeah, a little bit of both.

You know going in that, best case, you get carte blanche to cook your best in the finale. To what extent throughout the competition are you thinking about that final dinner? Are you holding anything in your back pocket, or is it more spontaneous?

Garcia: I think it’s more of what feels good in the moment, not forcing anything. Trying to fit a round peg in a square hole doesn’t feel good. I think the same is true in cooking. It’s just what feels good in that moment. 

Miller: Long before I ever started thinking about what I would cook, I’d started just thinking about how I could best tell the story that I was trying to convey. For me, every challenge was just, like: I want to make it to next week. So I think it took a long time for me to actually be like, “Oh, wow, I need to start figuring this out.” Because I was just so stoked every week to be like, “Oh, I get to do it again!”

This interview has been edited and condensed.

The season finale of “Top Chef” Season 21 will air on Bravo on June 19 at 9pm ET, then stream on Peacock the next day.

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28 people left dangling, stuck upside down on ride at Oaks Amusement Park: Video

Atmosfear, a ride at the oaks amusement park in portland, oregon, will be closed until further notice after the scary encounter..

A ride at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon took a horrible turn on Friday after it left 28 riders stuck upside down.

Around 2:55 p.m. on June 14 thrill seekers found themselves in a fearful position. While on board the AtmosFEAR ride, it stopped in midair in a 360-degree setting leaving 28 riders suspended midair. The parks' personnel contacted 911 emergency responders, the park's press release said.

First responders were dispatched and arrived at the scene around 3:20 p.m. When the responders arrived, the Oaks Park Maintenance were able to return the riders safely to the unloading position. The paramedics from the Portland Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response were then able to give assistance to the riders in need, the release said.

A rider with a pre-existing medical condition was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The people that were on the ride were then released and sent home, the release said.

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Oaks Amusement Park releases statement, offers refunds

"We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome (on Friday), and to the rest of the park guests who swiftly followed directions to vacate the park to make way for the emergency responders to attend to the situation," the parks spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Most of all, we are thankful that the riders are safe and with their families."

Any park guest who had their visit cut short on Friday will be a given refund or opportunity to reschedule their visit. If you were at the park when the incident occurred, please keep your ride bracelet to help expedite the refund or rescheduling process. Please reach out to Oaks Park's Administration office Monday through Friday at 503-233-5777 or email [email protected].

Amusement park goers react to the AtmosFEAR ride getting stuck

One amusement park goer captured the moment that riders got stuck in midair while on the AtmosFEAR ride on TikTok.

"This isn't supposed to be upside down like this. It's been like that for like already two to three minutes," Chris Ryan said in the post. "I feel bad for them because all the power is shut off on it too right now. It's scary."

"Update they're still up there. It's been about five minutes maybe a little bit more and they've just been hanging up there this whole time," Ryan said. "We just asked the lady at the bottom of the Ferris wheel if this has ever happened before and she said 'no' and she said she's 'actually concerned for them.' Oh, they just said the park is closed."

Ryan also adds that he was spending the day at the park with his wife for his birthday. He said the people on the ride were stuck in that position for a half an hour.

Oaks Amusement Park closes ride for further investigation

In the press release the park said, that the AtmosFEAR has operated smoothly since it opened in 2021, but the ride will be closed until further notice.

In addition, the park plans to conduct an investigation into what happen to the ride prior to to the incident before issuing repairs and reopening the ride.

"Oaks Park Management was in immediate contact with the manufacturer and will work with both the manufacturer and state inspectors to identify the cause of the stoppage," the spokesperson said.

The park hasn't specified when the AtmosFEAR will reopen.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at  [email protected] . Follow her on  Instagram ,  Threads  and  X (Twitter)