CHARLESTON, S.C. — A storm off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina left passengers terrified after it caused flooding on a Carnival cruise ship, CBS reports.
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Passengers aboard the Carnival Sunrise described water pouring into their rooms and hallways, shattered glass, the ship bouncing about and a lack of communication from cruise ship staff.
Some passengers and crew members needed “minor assistance” from medical staff, a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News.
“Guests on board the ship were safe,” the spokesman added.
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Carnival Sunshine, which was headed to Charleston from the Bahamas, arrived behind schedule, according to the spokesperson. The ship needed to suspend service in several of the crew cabins due to water damage, and the ship’s next voyage was also delayed. CBS News said it has since embarked.
The National Hurricane Center warned of a non-tropical area of low pressure off the Florida coast of Friday that was expected to head toward the Carolinas over the weekend. Meteorologists said that there would be gusty winds, dangerous surf and strong rip currents along portions of the U.S.’s southeastern coast through Sunday.
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Cruise passenger Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, tweeted Friday that the ship was rocking. She went on to say that the only time passengers heard from the captain was in the afternoon, when he told them the crew was experienced and would do everything they could to minimize discomfort.
“They said it will get worse as we get closer to the storm,” she tweeted. “@CarnivalCruise is doing an EXCELLENT job!”
She tweeted again on Saturday afternoon, describing “14 hours of high winds, rain and massive waves.”
After 14 hours of high winds, rain and massive waves. The ship took a hit from a wave that sounded like the ship split in two. The @Carnival Sunshine is finally in Charleston. @Carnival maybe you should have a pilot onboard so we didn’t have to sit and drift for 6 hours waiting.
— Sharon Tutrone (@SHARONTUTRONE) May 27, 2023
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Several other passengers, including Brenda Goodwin Sherbert, posted on social media about broken glass all over the ship and about water coming through their balcony doors.
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CBS News spoke with passenger Reid Overcash, who was on the cruise with his wife. He said that televisions on the ship displayed a message during the storm: “Public address announcement please standby.”
Overcash also told CBS News that when winds reached between 70 to 90 mph and the ship was tilting left, he truly feared for his life.
“Myself being in emergency services and retired, I knew nobody was going to come rescue us with winds over 40 knots,” he told CBS News.
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The trip was Overcash’s seventh cruise. He said he’s not going to let this experience stop him from going on future cruises.
“It’s just one of them unlucky experiences that occurs once in a while,” he told CBS News.
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