Is our planets changing climate making cruising a more hazardous pursuit?
Recently there have been a long line of problems being faced by cruise lines due to the weather.
This year alone has had its fair share of issues.
7th January 2014
Queen Mary is snowbound in New York
23rd January 2014
A storm hit Royal Caribbean’s Splendor of the Seas, breaking plates, bottles and glasses and causing concern among the passengers. Passengers who were aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship reported “moments of panic and tension” after the ship faced a storm between Argentina and Uruguay. The newspapers said that the cruise ship tilted 7 to 10 degrees, permitting water to enter parts of the ship. The captain of the cruise ship had warned the passengers earlier in the afternoon that the ship would be encountering rough weather, but it was so rough “Many people shouted that the ship would sink, and all were going to die,” said one passenger. Others screamed and some laughed nervously about the effects of the storm on the ship.
15th February 2014
An 85 year old man dies on board Marco polo as a wave crashes through a window in stormy seas as the ship is en-route from the Azores to Tilbury following a 42 night voyage.
4th March 2014
Two cruise ships have been forced to cancel calls to a New Zealand port due to high winds and heavy rain currently affecting the region.
Sea Princess and Oceania’s Marina were both due to call in , New Zealand, but had to change their plans as the area was hit by wind gusts topping 80 mph. Sea Princess missed a port of call on Monday 3rd March 2014 and Marina has cancelled a call scheduled for Wednesday 5th March and is said to be sheltering in Wellington from where it will sail straight for Picton. Oceania Marina is on a 16-night South Pacific cruise that departed Sydney on February 23. Sea Princess is on a 14- night Australia & New Zealand cruise that departed Brisbane on February 27.
What can be done to ensure that ships are safe and that they can deal with incidents of rough weather without passengers being harmed?
I would love to hear your views on this.
Have you been on a ship in rough seas and if so what information were you given?