Princess Cruises' ship tilts in rough seas; crew member overboard
Although choppy waters don't typically have a big impact on large cruise ships, in rare cases, sudden wind gusts can send rogue waves into the path of a ship.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line gives hurricane season update for cruisers
Cruise ship captains are very capable of handling severe weather and typically can steer their ships away from it, but sometimes, an unexpected weather incident just can't be avoided.
For example, during a transatlantic cruise in November, a huge wind gust took Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas by surprise off the coast of Spain, which caused the ship to tilt severely. The scary situation caused some damage and minor injuries onboard the vessel, but the captain's quick action prevented the incident from becoming much worse.
Now in June, a Princess Cruises sailing in another part of the world just encountered a similar sudden wind shift that was significant enough to cause the ship to list. Much like the captain of Explorer of the Seas, Crown Princess' captain swiftly pivoted to keep passengers safe.
Doug Parker shared details on the tilt of the Crown Princess and other cruise news, including a cruise ship crew member who was rescued after going overboard in Crete, on the June 9th edition of Cruise News Today.
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Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday, June 9th.
A crew member from a cruise ship docked in Crete was rescued after going overboard. Yeah, it happened last week while the ship was docked and passengers were ashore.
Fellow crew members threw her a life jacket and called the Coast Guard, who responded quickly. The 30-year-old Tunisian woman, a crew assistant, was pulled from the water, conscious and in good health.
The vessel involved hasn't been officially named, but tracking data from CruiseMapper.com points to the Costa Deliziosa as the only ship in port for that day.
Related: Royal Caribbean picks iconic godmother; Virgin Voyages faces issue
And Princess Cruises' Crown Princess hit rough seas off southern Australia, forcing a temporary shift in course during its 113-day world cruise. Now, winds up to 50 miles an hour came across the side of the ship, causing it to list or tilt about seven degrees.
Captain Christopher Lye assured guests that the situation was under control and rerouted the ship briefly before resuming course to Adelaide.
The list damaged onboard shops and led to cancellation of shows and activities, but no injuries were reported. Last November, a Royal Caribbean ship faced the same type of list during high winds over a transatlantic cruise.
Related: Princess Cruises making big casino change passengers demanded
And Carnival Cruise Line is celebrating 35 years of service, sailing from Port Canaveral with a ceremony held aboard Mardi Gras.
Carnival launched operations there in 1990 and now homeports more ships at that port than any other cruise line, carrying over 1.2 million guests annually. The celebration included Carnival executives, local leaders, and the Coast Guard.
Carnival also donated a hybrid pickup truck to Keep Brevard Beautiful, marking World Ocean Day.
Looking ahead, the new Carnival Festivale will debut from the port in 2027, and it'll feature the line's largest water park.
Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
And cruise stocks were up on Friday. Carnival Corporation: up 1%, 24.28. Royal Caribbean: up 1.8%, 276.34. Norwegian: up 1%, 19.56. And Viking: up 1.8%, 48.79. If you have a lead on a story, let us know. Tips@cruiseradio.net.
Here aboard Carnival Luminosa here in Skagway, Alaska, where it's 38 degrees Fahrenheit but below freezing with a wind chill. Chilly, chilly, chilly.
I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Monday.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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