Dramatic video captured the panicked moment as passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship in the Caribbean ran for their lives when a freak storm hit, sending furniture flying on the deck of the prepared vessel leaving Port Florida.
The Independence of the Seas, a vessel that is 1,112 feet long and has 15 decks, was about to embark on a voyage from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas on June 16th at around 4 p.M., When it was hit by strong winds and heavy rain.
Lucassparrow1110 posted on TikTok, “I guess I just happened to pretend like it didn’t happen. There was no mention of what happened, also no announcement from the captain before or after. Just a fun evening leaving Port Canaveral this past Friday.”
Several people are seen walking across a windswept pathway, seeking cover from the storm as passengers on the ship. Harrowing footage of flying umbrellas and chairs was also posted by Sparrow.
He wrote, “Instead of telling people to come up to the top deck when we have a severe thunderstorm warning, you should maybe get inside and inform employees and guests about your concerns.”
At one moment, a reclining chair narrowly avoids hitting a woman who is carrying a child.
“I perceived precisely how the ‘Twister’ film resembled a scene from it. It simply became insane. Because you can see these chairs flying in the air,” Orlando 35 Fox said: “It was Jenn Stancil who captured the footage of the moving storm in the air.”
Jerry Pike, a resident photographer, captured a video of the storm while seated in his car at Jetty Park.
Pike stated in a tweet that Independence of the Seas began to get pummeled by the strong gusts of wind while in the middle of a maneuver to turn around and exit the harbor. This is the perspective I have.
He added, “Shortly after the rain, the view from Indy was completely gone and you can see the line of rain pushing towards us.”
A weather expert for Fox 35 stated that gusts peaked at 55 to 60 mph during the storm.
Pike informed Insider, “Our visibility was limited to a mere 20 yards through the window. Subsequently, the view was obstructed by a somber rain cloud, and The Independence was enduring harsh winds while attempting to disengage from the dock.”
Kyleigh Cole, a representative from Boardwalk Travel Agency, raised concerns about the way Royal Caribbean dealt with the incident.
According to Cole’s statement to Fox 35, when the guests and travelers are being drenched, showered, and caught in the midst of a storm, there are always alternative actions one can take, instead of doing nothing.
“This could have spoiled someone’s cruise experience, causing them to never book another cruise again,” the travel agent added.
“In a statement sent to the news outlet, the company stated that the Independence of the seas experienced an unexpected burst of strong winds. This occurrence was of short duration and there were no significant harm inflicted upon our guests or crew.”
The ship allegedly arrived without any problems at Coco Cay, an island used by Royal Caribbean about 55 miles north of Nassau.