By A Princess Cruises ship hit rough waters in New Zealand last week, dramatically tilting the ship and leaving 16 people with minor injuries.
Strong winds hit the Crown Princess in Fiordland, New Zealand, forcing the ship to “tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilizing,” Princess Cruises said in a statement to Cruise Hive. “Our crew responded quickly to correct the situation, and at no point was the safety of the ship compromised.
“Additionally, a small amount of water from the Lido Deck pool briefly entered the Horizons food court, but the area was quickly cleaned and reopened. There was no structural damage to the ship,” the cruise line added.
Martin Wise was a passenger on the Crown Princess, which has a 3,090-guest capacity, when the strong winds hit. Wise shared what he witnessed from the sixth-floor dining room with the New Zealand publication Stuff.
“I felt the boat starting to slant and tip. Then it lent over quite a bit and really started moving along at a high speed and we could see the sea looking very high out of the restaurant windows,” Wise told Stuff.
Cups, glasses and plates “went flying” around the room and crashing sounds could be heard from the kitchen, Wise said. He estimated the incident lasted 40 seconds.
Wise said the captain informed passengers that the ship had been hit by a 75-knot wind, which is roughly 86 mph. The winds increased the ship’s speed and tilted it about 14 degrees. Wise said parts of the carpet of a restaurant on a higher deck was still drying out days later.
Despite the not-so-smooth sailing, Wise is not deterred from cruises.
“On a frightening scale, I’d put it at 8.5 to 10,” he said. “This is our seventh Princess cruise and nothing’s ever happened like this before.”
“It’s not put us off cruises,” he added.
Video posted to Facebook shows a swimming pool emptying onto the deck and a kitchen with spilled food and damaged kitchenware strewn about as a result.
Princess Cruises did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
