How safe is cruising

[olympic19]

Could really bad storms mean that we are all moving around like mad and things are falling on us? Has one of these ships ever tipped over or sunk?

[RetireeWannabee]

Generally storms mean rough seas with more pitching than many find comfortable. And that's about it.

 

It would be extremely rare to experience your worst fears. I would expect that no one on these boards has experienced what you're asking about.

 

If bad things did start to happen, you can be confident that the crew knows what to do. Pax safety is always of paramount concern.

[jst4fun715]

I don't know the statistics, but probably like flying...you have a much better chance getting hurt when you get in your car than you would on a cruise ship. Not much chance of them sinking and as far as beind in a storm and things falling, that can happen too....but that is not the norm! If you haven't cruised before, why don't you try a short 3 nighter to see if you would like it? That's what got many of us hooked!:o

[TBSCruiser]

there have been some "lists" but none has ever tipped over. They will not take the ship, crew and passengers anywhere that would be them in harms way.

[ChipLondon]

No not the modern day ships, they are very stable, anyway no captain would sail into a storm if it could be avoided. Sometimes routes are changed because of weather.

[newbiecruiser09]

We had some very (at least what I think) rough seas leaving Port Canaveral on our last april trip. Walking to the theater the first night actually saw folks in front of us list to one side then back again. Still, nothing came off any walls, fell from any shelves and no other effects. I think a really bad storm would be avoided (like they avoid hurricanes) and trust that the captain and crew have been trained how to handle weather. A cruise ship is HUGE and able to handle weather well-from what I understand. Don't think "The Perfect Storm" think "The Love Boat" and you'll be fine. :)

[WowItsMarissa]

Like everyone has said, cruising is safe because the crew would never let the ship sail if there were conditions (either with the ship itself, HORRIBLE weather, etc.) that would put the passengers in danger.

The worst I've seen on a cruise with rocky seas is women in really high heals tripping :D I've done that before...I could barely walk in my shoes on land, then to wear them on a cruise with bad weather, yeah, not good!

[cb at sea]

It's safer than driving your car to the grocery store....statistically speaking!

[Mack2]

The closest any cruise ship has gotten to capsizing was during WWII.

 

The RMS Queen Mary, loaded with 15,000 troops, was hit by a 95ft rogue wave and listed 52 degrees for several minutes before righting itself.

From Wikipedia:

In December 1942, the Queen Mary was carrying exactly 16,082 American troops from New York to Great Britain, a standing record for the most passengers ever transported on one vessel.[8] While 700 miles from Scotland during a gale, she was suddenly hit broadside by a rogue wave that may have reached a height of 28 metres (92 ft). An account of this crossing can be found in Walter Ford Carter's book, No Greater Sacrifice, No Greater Love. Carter's father, Dr. Norval Carter, part of the 110th Station Hospital on board at the time, wrote that at one point the Queen Mary "damned near capsized... One moment the top deck was at its usual height and then, swoom! Down, over, and forward she would pitch." It was calculated later that the ship would have capsized had she rolled another 20 cm.

 

 

More recently, the Queen Elizabeth II was hit by a 95 ft rogue wave in the middle of a hurricane in 2005.

 

From Wikipedia:

By the mid 1990's it was decided that QE2 was due for a new look and in 1994 the ship was given a multi-million pound refurbishment in Hamburg.[6] QE2 emerged from the refit having every major public room refurbished. She also appeared for the first time with a Royal Blue hull. In 1995, she encountered a freak wave, estimated at 90 ft (27 m), caused by Hurricane Luis in the North Atlantic Ocean.

 

 

Granted, these ships are much smaller that what's out there today.

I don't see any "Poseidon Adventure" scenarios happening anytime.

[Desert Cruizers]

On our cruises, we have experienced a gently rocking, actually quite fun, especially while walking and everyone starts drifting to the side. :D. As many have stated, these ships are so big, many times you won't even know your on a ship unless you look our unto the ocean. Its like walking around in your home. Cruising is fun and addicting.

[Mack2]

Roughest seas I ever experienced was aboard a Carnival ship... The Ecstacy.. which is half the tonnage of a ship like the Liberty of the Seas.

 

It was about 10 years ago... a short weekend cruise to Nassau... but we happened hit a Nor'Easter. Thirty to forty foot waves outside. Barf-bags by the elevators.

 

People were getting seasick... happens.

[BecciBoo]

I have always felt perfectly safe in spite of rough weather on several trips. As Nancy can atest there are exceptions like her tilt on I think Grand Princess which did cause minor injuries and scared a lot of people half to death. This incident was not caused by bad weather. But again, this was a major exception. On one of our cruises, there was a gale that sprang up one day and at lunch, they made everyone sit on port side in the MDR because the ship was healed over a couple degrees. But sea going vessels are made to heal, it's a given. Storms are dealth with swift dispatch even though you may get high seas as the master navigates around them, but I have never even gotten seasick so I can't speak for those who do. There is no reason to fear being in rough weather. If you are prone to motion sickness, take your meds and try to stay in the center of the ship.

[KuffMUp]

The worse I have encountered had nothing to do with a storm. We had to hold the handrails down the hallway and staggered like a drunk. Other than that, nothing falling off shelves, etc. On our cruise out of Miami, the bartender said that the previous week was rough enough that they had to remove the liquor bottles off the shelf. You can get rough seas even when there isn't a storm but there isn't any listing. During a storm, the Captain will steer you around it so that you aren't in the path of a storm.

[BecciBoo]

The closest any cruise ship has gotten to capsizing was during WWII.

 

.

 

Of course that was before the doplers were introduced to all the ships. Now they chart their own weather and know exactly where the storms are and how to navigate around them.

[EBFURR]

We have cruised a lot during the last week of August (including last week!) and have been on several cruises when there were one or more hurricanes in the Caribbean. One year the were three of at least category 2 on the day we sailed from Miami. without exception, we have had the best weather on those cruises. We were fortunate that none of the storms were ever near one of our port stops when we were scheduled to be there and we have never missed a port in August due to weather. My theory is that the hurricanes "suck up" all of the moisture and if you are not very near the storm, you will have good weather. The captain will NEVER sail you into a hurricane!

 

Minor storms are another story. sometimes storms that are nowhere near hurricane strength can stir up the seas. Back in 2005, we missed Grand Cayman one June 9-10 (or thereabouts) because of a very early tropical storm that was over the island. The weather was rainy in the AM, but by afternoon the captain had us in sunny weather. We never really felt any rough seas that day.

 

The worst seas we have experienced were either in 2005 (as above) or 2006 as we were leaving Cozumel on Friday. It was very rainy all day, but there was no wind to speak of. About an hour out of Cozumel we hit some very rough seas that lasted well into the night. We were up in the Viking Crown that evening and watched the water in the pools form big waves and splash from side to side out of the pools. It was very rocky through dinner and into the night. Nothing really broke and most people treated it as an adventure, as did we. We never felt in any danger. Actually, it was kind of fun to use, but those prone to seasickness may not have agreed.

 

I agree that cruising is one of the safest vacations that you can take. Nothing in life is zero risk (not even staying home), but a cruise vacation is about as close as you can get.

[ODECCIT]

Generally storms mean rough seas with more pitching than many find comfortable. And that's about it.

 

It would be extremely rare to experience your worst fears. I would expect that no one on these boards has experienced what you're asking about.

 

If bad things did start to happen, you can be confident that the crew knows what to do. Pax safety is always of paramount concern.

I survived Admiral Nakhimov tragedy back in 1986. It was nightmare and i wish nobody on this board will experience the same.

[John Henry on CC]

Could really bad storms mean that we are all moving around like mad and things are falling on us? Has one of these ships ever tipped over or sunk?

Cruise ships are built to safely withstand a 45 degree list. No worries. :)

[silentbob007]

Ships are much safer at sea during a hurricane than docked ... they will get damaged by being rammed into the pier or land and not riding the waves (assuming they would actually sail into one). I believe many of the new ships can list 40+ degrees without tipping where 3 degrees would feel very bad.

[John Henry on CC]

I survived Admiral Nakhimov tragedy back in 1986. It was nightmare and i wish nobody on this board will experience the same.

 

I had to google that, but OMG! What an incredible tale you must have to tell!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Admiral_Nakhimov

[Mlkkc]

I remember the Crown princess ship tilted 16-18 degrees after departing Port Canaveral it heeled to it's side shortly afterwards it was on a 9 day caribbean before returning to New York.More than 200 passengers were injured all 3100 pax and 1200 crew members were accounted for all pax recieved a full refund for the journey in July"06",also a similar incidence ocurred in Feb. on the Grand Princess that left the port of Galveston but soon made a emerrgency turn around because a passenger suffered a heart attack this ship tilted sharply on its side injuring 10 members and 27 passengers.

[Mlkkc]

I searched for tilted cruise ships. I remember when this happened and my facts are from an article I found don't know how to do a link so I gather information from the article.

[Desert Cruizers]

During a Capt Talk on the Brilliance of the Seas, he spoke of her Sea Trails. One was she put at a 45 degree list, now I am glad I wasn't going then. Coming off our 17 day Panama Cruise in the older Sun Princess, we hit 13' waves which are small compared to what others have experienced, but they shut down the pools and everyone stayed inside. She rode those beautifully.

[nutzo]

Don't worry, ships nowdays are safe and unsinkable, just like the Titanic.....

 

well, at least there's no iceburgs in the Caribbean :p

[ODECCIT]

I had to google that, but OMG! What an incredible tale you must have to tell!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Admiral_Nakhimov

 

No tales to tell :eek:, but remember people act differently when they panic and I skip master drills when I go on cruise.

[John Henry on CC]

I remember the Crown princess ship tilted 16-18 degrees after departing Port Canaveral it heeled to it's side shortly afterwards it was on a 9 day caribbean before returning to New York.More than 200 passengers were injured all 3100 pax and 1200 crew members were accounted for all pax recieved a full refund for the journey in July"06",also a similar incidence ocurred in Feb. on the Grand Princess that left the port of Galveston but soon made a emerrgency turn around because a passenger suffered a heart attack this ship tilted sharply on its side injuring 10 members and 27 passengers.

 

 

24 degrees. http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2008/MAR0801.htm