Severe weather shakes Carnival cruise ship, damaging interiors

Last weekend, the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship encountered severe weather off the coast of South Carolina on its return trip to Charleston from the Bahamas. The ship was hit by a strong coastal low with winds estimated to be up to 80 miles per hour, causing mild flooding and interior damage. Videos taken by passengers showed heavy waves and whitecaps. The crew reduced speed and turned the bow into the wind to minimize damage.

Crew quarters on Deck 0-4 were flooded, propelling the crew members on this deck to move to the hold. The crew’s bar was destroyed, and many crew members had to evacuate to the theater or any available space to rest. However, no casualties were reported, and the ship was back in port on Saturday night, nine hours behind schedule due to slight interior damages from the leaks.

The schedule was not affected, and the ship continued on its next voyage after embarking passengers. The Carnival Sunshine has a capacity of up to 3,000 passengers and was built in 1996. It was renamed in 2013 after a significant overhaul. Carnival revealed in a statement that the guests were safe on board the ship. Nevertheless, some passengers complained about an alleged lack of communication from the crew overnight.

The pole star AIS data revealed that the Carnival Sunshine reduced speed to five knots and turned the bow into the wind during the adverse weather. The ship’s crew managed to make it safe to shore despite the violent wave action caused by the 80mph winds. Although there was slight flooding and interior damage, it was not enough to derail the schedule. Carnival Sunshine had embarked on a six-day journey to the Bahamas and was on its return trip to Charleston when it was hit by the strong coastal low.

Tags: Carnival sunshine


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