A luxury cruise ship, Crown Princess, carrying passengers through Milford Sound near New Zealand, encountered turbulent waters on February 25, leaving 16 people injured. The vessel tilted 14 degrees, causing chaos as passengers and crew were tossed around, the New York Post reported. Dramatic footage showed kitchen staff clinging to counters for balance as equipment crashed to the floor, food spilt everywhere, and broken dishes littered the ground.
Watch the video here:
Cruise Ship The Crown Princess “tilts” after being hit by strong winds Milford Sound New Zealand pic.twitter.com/q5UWOE6Zhk
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One passenger recounted her terrifying experience, saying she was lying in bed when sudden “chaos” erupted on the ship. Another said, “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.”
A third passenger said he had to physically “hang on” to maintain his balance while doing his daily exercise routine on the ship as it tilted violently. “Walking along doing my lap and all of a sudden the boat was on an angle. The tables and chairs went sliding across the room, and a girl went sliding on her chair over towards the pool,” he said.
Thirteen passengers and three crew members sustained minor injuries in the chaos.
Princess Cruises issued a statement addressing the incident: “Crown Princess encountered strong winds during a course change, causing the ship to briefly tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilizing. Water from the Lido Deck pool flooded a dining area but was quickly cleaned up, and some of the shops and galleys had items coming off the shelves. “
They added that the ship suffered no structural damage, and the crew swiftly responded to stabilise it. The company assured that passenger safety was never at risk and announced that the voyage would proceed as scheduled.
The Crown Princess, capable of accommodating 3090 guests, remained on course and continued its voyage as planned. At the time of the incident, it was on day three of its 14-day round-trip voyage from Sydney, which is scheduled to conclude on March 8. According to CruiseMapper, the ship will circumnavigate New Zealand before returning to the Australian city.
