Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers scramble as freak storm tosses furniture: video
Independence of the Seas cruise ship was embarking on voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Bahamas when storm hit
Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers scramble during freak storm
Royal Caribbean passengers speak with Fox 35 Orlando and recount the scary scene as a storm hit the Independence of the Seas cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean cruise passengers scrambled for shelter as a freak storm sent furniture flying across the deck, social media videos show.
"It just turned crazy, like a scene from the movie Twister is exactly what I thought because you see these chairs flying up in the air," passenger Jenn Stancil told Fox 35 Orlando of the scene.
The Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas was ready to embark on its voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Bahamas on June 16 when a storm hit the port. One video shows passengers crawling on the deck to safety as heavy winds and rain slam the ship's deck, with chairs flying overhead.
"Oh my God, that guy fell!" a woman is heard yelling in the back.
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Stancil took a video from inside the ship as heavy winds slammed the deck, showing crowds of people running for shelter and grabbing onto the railing.
Passenger Jenn Stancil took a video from inside the ship as the heavy winds slammed the deck, showing crowds of people running for shelter and grabbing onto the railing. (Jenn Stancil / Fox News)
Passenger Lucas Sparrow told Fox 35 he was onboard with his family when the storm hit, claiming there was no storm warning by the cruise line beforehand.
"People were getting blown… losing their hats, towels," Sparrow told Fox 35.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCL | ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP | 246.41 | +2.35 | +0.96% |
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He told the outlet he saw staff tying down lounge chairs later that day as well as posting "Closed due to weather" signage. He noted the cruise line did notify passengers of incoming dangerous weather later in the trip.
Passenger Jenn Stancil took a video from inside the ship as the heavy winds slammed the deck, showing crowds of people running for shelter and grabbing onto the railing. (Jenn Stancil / Fox News)
"A day or two later, we had another storm and, you know, they were more prepared," Sparrow told Fox 35 of the cruise staff. "They made an announcement over the speaker that there's a storm coming, they're prepared for this, stay inside, don't go outside."
Stancil caught video of the aftermath of the storm, showing umbrellas and lawn chairs strewn across the deck.
Royal Caribbean passengers rush to shelter as heavy winds, rain slam ship
Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship were slammed with a freak storm ahead of their departure, forcing them to rush for cover as deck furniture was blown into the air. (Jenn Stancil)
"I've never seen anything like that on a cruise ship or really anywhere," Stancil told Fox 35.
Royal Caribbean noted the Independence of the Seas did experience a "sudden gust of high winds" while departing the port in a statement to FOX Business, saying it "lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew."
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"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," the statement continued.
Passenger Lucas Sparrow told Fox 35 he saw staff tying down lounge chairs later that day as well as posting "Closed due to weather" signage. He noted the cruise line did notify passengers of incoming dangerous weather later in the trip. | Fox News
A Carnival Cruise Line ship saw a similar scene in early May, with the passengers experiencing a rough return to port in South Carolina amid stormy weather brought on by heavy seas.
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Social media videos posted after the fact pictured high waves and large white caps rocking the ship to and fro as it made its way into the port in Charleston, South Carolina. Others shared photos and videos of broken glass, doors knocked out of their frames, and water damage in certain corridors of the ship.
FOX Business' Eric Revell and Peter Petroff contributed to this report.