Rough Seas, Minor Injuries: Crown Princess Passengers Brace for Impact!
Hold onto your cocktails, folks! The Crown Princess cruise ship experienced a seriously wild ride on February 25 while sailing in New Zealand, leaving at least 16 passengers and crew members nursing minor injuries. This ship, part of Princess Cruises’ fleet, was mid-journey on a 14-day round trip from Sydney when it found itself battling some fierce winds near Milford Sound. Talk about a “pinball machine on water!”
Reports indicate that strong gusts prompted a dramatic tilt, sending travelers scrambling for anything stable—tables, chairs, you name it. Footage captured aboard showed the canteen transforming into a scene from a disaster movie, with patrons literally holding on for dear life while water sloshed inside the vessel, causing quite the ruckus. To add to the pandemonium, items from shops ended up rolling around as if they were on a wild shopping spree. A passenger recounted his experience, saying, “I had to hang on!” while another described chairs sliding across the deck—sounds like quite the cruise spectacle, right?
But don’t worry; the ship didn’t sustain damage (thank goodness!), and it was quick to get back on course after the storm calmed. In fact, the 3,090-passenger-capacity liner continued on its journey, proving that modern engineering can withstand quite a bit of chaos. The crew handled the situation like pros, ensuring everyone remained safe through this unexpected nautical twist. According to Crown Princess’s statement, the situation was stabilized quickly and the safety of everyone on board was never in jeopardy. Phew!
Whether you’re a cruise enthusiast or a land lover, incidents like these remind us that the ocean can be unpredictable. Just last year, cruise ship incidents involving severe weather left many passengers shaken, prompting discussion about safety regulations in turbulent waters. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), cruise ships are built to endure extreme conditions—still, I’d bet many guests would prefer to keep their meals in their stomachs rather than on the floor!
So, if you’re planning to hop on a ship soon, may I suggest packing a good set of sea legs and maybe a life jacket? You never know when Mother Nature might decide to join the party!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, 9 News Australia, 7 News Australia, Cruise Passenger
Image Credit: Title: Untitled, Author: No author info, License: [‘cc_nonderived’, ‘cc_attribute’, ‘cc_publicdomain’]
