Video shows Princess Cruises ship tilting in high winds, injuring 16 and emptying pools
A Princess Cruises ship hit rough waters in New Zealand last week, dramatically tilting the ship and leaving sixteen people with minor injuries.
Strong winds hit the Crown Princess in Fiordland, New Zealand, forcing the ship to "tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilizing," Princess Cruises said in a statement to Cruise Hive. "Our crew responded quickly to correct the situation, and at no point was the safety of the ship compromised."
'Additionally, a small amount of water from the Lido Deck pool briefly entered the Horizons food court, but the area was quickly cleaned and reopened. There was no structural damage to the ship,' the cruise line added.
Martin Wise was a passenger on the ship, which has a 3,090 guest capacity, when the Crown Princess was hit with the strong winds. Wise shared what he witnessed from the sixth floor dining room with New Zealand publication Stuff.
'I felt the boat starting to slant and tip. Then it lent over quite a bit and really started moving along at a high speed and we could see the sea looking very high out of the restaurant windows,' Wise told Stuff.
Cups, glasses and plates "went flying" around the room and crashing sounds could be heard from the kitchen, according to Wise. He estimated the incident lasted for approximately 40 seconds.
Wise said the captain informed passengers that the ship was hit by a 75 knot wind, which is roughly 86 miles per hour. The winds increased the ship's speed and tilted it about 14 degrees. Wise said parts of a restaurant's carpet on a higher deck was still drying out days later.
Despite the not-so-smooth sailing, Wise is not deterred from cruises.
'On a frightening scale, I'd put it at 8.5 to 10,' Wise said. 'This is our seventh Princess cruise and nothing's ever happened like this before.'
'It's not put us off cruises,' he added.
swimming pool emptying onto the deck and a kitchen with spilled food and damaged kitchenware strewn about as a result.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Telegraph
Why a cruise is the best way to see off-the-beaten-path Japan
When I told friends I was going on a cruise in Japan, the response was mostly bemusement. 'Isn't it better to take the train?' they'd ask. It's a fair question. Japan's high-speed rail network is one of the best in the world, and the journey I'd be making – from Tokyo to Kagoshima in Kyushu, the country's most southerly island – takes just under seven hours. The cruise ship would take three days. But the point here is to travel slowly, experiencing towns and destinations off the well-trodden tourist trail, and to enjoy the ship in between. Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess was the vessel I boarded in Tokyo. Built in Japan specifically for cruises around the country, it boasts a traditional izumi Japanese baths, a high-grade sushi restaurant (where Japanese chefs carve up fresh, local fish and seafood), and even Tai Chi classes held daily on the pool deck. I arrived in Tokyo early, allowing myself time to explore this frenetic city at my own pace, wandering amongst its ultra-modern high rises and winding narrow back streets stuffed with hole-in-the-wall izakaya bars, and spending long lazy lunches at tiny ramen restaurants – where I was just one of a handful of diners seated at a counter – watching the chef working a cauldron of steaming hand-pulled noodles. On my final afternoon, I headed to Tokyo's Meiji Jingu Shrine to pull my ' omikuji ', or oracle, ahead of my voyage. These fortunes – which usually contain words of affirmation, thoughts about the world and ethical musings – come in the form of ' waka ' (traditional Japanese poems of 31 syllables), of which Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken (to whom the shrine is dedicated) were said to be prolific composers. To receive one, visitors shake a hexagonal box with a small hole until a single, numbered chopstick falls out. Each number corresponds to a numbered wooden box, and inside it is a waka, written on a thin strip of paper. It is hoped that the poem's message, based on the traditional Shinto ethics, will have particular meaning for the reader. I was pleased to see my oracle telling of success in health, wealth, love and family matters – and especially delighted when it declared that my travels would be 'pleasing'. A promising omen. The following day – waka safely tucked into my luggage – I boarded the ship and we headed for Miyazaki, Japan's warmest city. This was immediately evident in the change in the landscape: where Gingko, maple and candyfloss-pink puffballs of early cherry blossom had characterised the scene in Tokyo, here these were supplanted by palm trees, tangled jungle greenery and beaches – home to some of the best for surfing in all of Japan. We stopped at a viewpoint and, as I gazed out across the lush scenery, a peregrine falcon suddenly swooped menacingly towards me, its coal-black eyes fixed on the packet of wagyu-flavoured crisps in my hands. I lurched backwards but, at the last minute, it peeled away from me, talons retracted. A lucky escape, perhaps – or was my oracle looking out for me? From there, we made for Aoshima, a diminutive island with a circumference of just 1.5km, connected to the mainland by a slender footbridge and surrounded by curious rock formations known as 'the Devil's Washboard'. It was all too easy to imagine a giant dragging its claws through the ebony mudstone and watching as it hardened into lines. The bewitching Aoshima Shrine sits at the centre of the island, surrounded by more than 400 species of subtropical plants. At the temple's oracle zone, I tossed a clay disk into a ring and it shattered, giving me – the oracle there claimed – another dose of Japanese luck. Next was Kagoshima, known as the 'Naples of the Orient' due to its coastal location and active volcano, Sakura Jima, which puffs clouds of ash (grey safe; white danger) into the bay. We visited the popular Ibusuki spa resort on the outskirts of the city, where I was buried up to my neck in black volcanic sand, then feasted on steaming bowls of sabi-sabi hot pot. That afternoon, we travelled inland to the Chiran Samurai Houses, a village of well-preserved Samurai dwellings – some still inhabited by descendants of the Shimazu samurai. Their clan had once ruled the area, until – during the Meiji Restoration of 1868 – Kagoshima's Satsuma samurai led a battle that toppled the Shogun (local feudal commander) and restored power to the Emperor. But it was our arrival in Nagasaki which proved the most poignant. As the sun rose over the East China Sea, the city's iconic Hirado O-hashi suspension bridge (tomato red, often likened to San Francisco's Golden Gate) appeared to part the low-lying clouds. Our first stop was the Atomic Bomb Museum, which displays a sobering and comprehensive collection that recounts the devastation inflicted on the city and its residents in 1945. More moving still is the peace memorial, located in a tranquil park nearby. With much to process, we broke for lunch, feasting on delicate sashimi and bento served in beautiful lacquerware boxes decorated with traditional Maki-e patterns, a 1,200-year-old technique of painting motifs onto lacquer and sprinkling gold powder before the material hardens. But there is far more to Nagasaki than its tragedy – and our afternoon was dedicated to exploring other aspects of its fascinating past. A notable highlight was the city's Dejima district, a former island built first to contain Portuguese missionaries, and later Dutch traders, to keep them away from the city's Japanese population during Japan's two centuries of isolation. The reconstructed residences show how life was for the only Westerners permitted in the country during that time. On the last day of the cruise – bound for Tokyo once more – I stood on the deck of Diamond Princess, watching southern Japan's craggy mountains melting into the horizon. I looked again at my waka. 'Your request will be granted.' It read. 'The patient will get well. Building a new house will be well. Marriage of any kind and a new employment are both well.' The waka was as good as its word. That week, I returned home to find a job offer awaiting me, our application for a loft extension approved, and news that a family member, who had been waiting on hospital test results, had been declared healthy. Suffice to say, the Shinto oracles had worked their magic. Essentials Emilee Tombs was a guest of Princess Cruises, which offers the 10-night Japan Explorer sailing from £979 per person (based on two sharing an inside stateroom) or £2,219 per person (based on two sharing a balcony stateroom). Departs February 24, 2026.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- The Independent
Revealed: Princess Cruises to offer round-trip sailings from Southampton in 2027
UK passengers will have the choice of two Princess Cruises ships sailing from Southampton in 2027. The cruises are part of 86 itineraries in the UK and Europe, ranging from seven to 46 days and spanning 108 destinations. The cruises went on sale to loyal passengers with Captain's Circle membership status this week. Sky Princess and Majestic Princess will return to the UK in 2027 to sail round-trip itineraries from Southampton, with 45 departures across the season, compared to 32 in 2026. Sky Princess will operate northern European and Mediterranean itineraries from March to October 2027, including a 31-night 'Mediterranean Marvel,' which provides a month-long exploration of Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Malta. Fares start from £2,749 per person. Majestic Princess, which will sail its first-ever round-trip Southampton season in 2026, will return to the UK in March 2027 to sail the British Isles and northern Europe. Fares start from £1,104 per person for a 12-day British Isles sailing including stops in France and Belfast. You don't have to worry too much about the British weather either, as Majestic Princess is one of the few ships in the fleet that has an indoor pool. Beyond UK departures, Caribbean Princess will sail round-trip Copenhagen itineraries for the first time, taking guests to ports of call across the Baltic region, including Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki. The ship will offer nine 12-night itineraries from May through to August 2027, with fares starting from £1,064 per person. It will also make a maiden call for the Princess brand in Aberdeen, Scotland, as part of a 16-night 'British Isles and Canadian' transatlantic cruise from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Boston, United States. Guests can enjoy excursions, including spotting the bottlenose dolphins and exploring the Speyside Whiskey Trail. Princess will also offer two 'Total Solar Eclipse' voyages in 2027, providing the opportunity to view the eclipse from southern Spain during a 14-night Mediterranean cruise on either Enchanted Princess from Rome or Sky Princess from Southampton on August 2, 2027. Both cruises depart July 24, 2027, and fares start from £2,804 per person. When booking a UK and Europe 2027 voyage before June 30, guests can currently benefit from up to £500 off per cabin. In addition, Captain's Circle members, which includes anyone who has sailed with Princess at least once, will receive savings of up to £300 per stateroom when booking before June 17. The 2027 itineraries go on general sale from June 10. Eithne Williamson, vice president of Princess Cruises UK and Europe, said: 'From castles to coastlines, our 2027 UK and Europe cruise programme provides ample opportunities for guests to explore the continent's rich history and breathtaking landscapes. 'Guests can immerse themselves in thoughtful tourism experiences with our programme, including 100 Unesco World Heritage Sites, and overnight stays in iconic cities like Istanbul and Stockholm, providing even more time for exploration. 'We are delighted to offer Captain's Circle members exclusive savings when booking early, meaning that they can secure the cruise they desire and the stateroom of their choice at a fantastic price. "With an expansive selection of itineraries, ships and destinations, we're proud to offer something for every type of traveller – whether they're seeking cultural immersion, scenic beauty or relaxing escapes. Our commitment to great value ensures that guests enjoy unforgettable holiday happiness without compromise.'
Scotsman
01-06-2025
- Scotsman
Superb new spaces and fabulous food on board revamped Majestic Princess
My wife's favourite dessert is crème brûlée, so much so it was the crowning glory of our wedding breakfast. And she's mad on anything almondy - you know, cherry bakewell, marzipan and the like. So when an Amaretto Crème Brûlée was the pudding du jour in the Allegro restaurant on board the Majestic Princess, it was like Mars(ipan) had aligned with Venus as far as Karen was concerned, her eyes nearly as wide as the side plates when she excitedly pointed it out. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A twee intro I confess, but it just about sums up our experience on board this voluptuous vessel, just a couple of months out of dry dock after a major refurbishment. A brand spanking fresh look, sparkling new spaces, fabulous food and an amazing itinerary, all synergistically combined to make for us a fantastic week's foray into the Mediterranean. So, especially if you're new to cruising, let's first talk about what is included in the basic price of a cruise on board the Royal Class Majestic, a more than apt name for this sumptuous 3,560-guest, 18-deck, 143,700-tonner. Gleaming chrome and polished timbers abound, with elegant and contemporary decor, flooring and furnishings continually inspiring your awe and eliciting your gasps at every turn. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Majestic Princess has been refitted for 2025 | Princess All guests can expect a comfortable en-suite stateroom, complimentary dining venues including the three main waiter-service dining rooms Allegro, Symphony and Concerto, and the World Fresh Market place buffet, open from 6.30am until late for continuous consuming (note: take some elasticated trousers). Coffee, tea, tap water, lemonade, iced tea, and juices are also included. The fabled Princess entertainment, including daily activities and West End-quality stage shows in the Princess Theater, also form part of your fare, as is the MedallionClass experience, incorporating a wearable device. This ingenious little Medallion, supplied with a complimentary lanyard (or treat yourself to a watch/bangle from the ship's shop) is all you need to carry around while on board, serving as your room key (it unlocks the door as you near your room!), tallying up any bills or drinks allowances, and also acting as a 'finder' for AWOL co-cruisers. Via the OceanNow® delivery service, available with the Princess Plus and Premier packages, you can order a drink via the app (I'll get to this), go down a deck or five, and your waiter will still find you! The impressive Atrium and Piazza area | Princess Free to download from the Play /App Store is the Princess app, which as well as ordering your favourite cocktail while soaking up the sun, has everything else at the touch of a button, allowing users to access bookings, manage their cruise experiences, and interact with the MedallionClass digital features on board, including what's happening on board the ship, activity and entertainment-wise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If, like me, you also like a paper version of things, the daily Princess Patter pamphlet, detailing everything in print, is conveniently delivered to your stateroom the evening before. Of course, things like drinks are extra so there are various packages you can buy to suit all tastes. Princess Standard is included in the basic fare and covers the core Princess® MedallionClass® Experience, so you can purchase drinks individually at bars and restaurants on the ship and these are charged to your on-board account. The Hollywood indoor pool | Princess The Princess Plus package offers the MedallionNet® Max Wi-Fi (1 device per guest), crew appreciation and the Plus Beverage Package (15 drinks per day up to $15 each), unlimited juice bar, premium desserts (two per day), fitness classes (two per cruise), two casual dining meals per guest, OceanNow® delivery and room service delivery. This costs £50 pp/per day. For £75 pp/per day the Princess Premier Package offers the above plus Wi-Fi for up to four devices per guest, an unlimited Premier Beverage Package with drinks up to $20 each, unlimited premium desserts and fitness classes, a photo package of unlimited digital and three prints, unlimited speciality and casual dining meals and reserved theatre seating (for production shows only). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If you're not on the Princess Premier Package and wish to spoil yourselves, there are a la carte restaurant options onboard. These include The Crown Grill for a surf n turf experience par excellence, The Catch By Rudi, specialising in fine fish and succulent seafood, Alfredo's Pizzeria and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria, formerly Harmony Restaurant. A stateroom with balcony | Princess The latter is Princess' signature authentic Italian trattoria with a taste of Tuscany and beyond, featuring family recipes from handmade pastas to robust sauces and rich slow-braised meats. It's here we sampled the amazing Frescobaldi Grand Tuscan Dining Experience, a special evening dedicated to the heart of Italian hospitality, where we immersed ourselves into an exquisite six-course dining experience paired with Frescobaldi wines, designed to showcase the rich flavours of the Italian region. ($99pp) New spaces, I hear seasoned Majestic cruisers ask? I would first reassure them that the feel of the ship has not been compromised, rather an injection of appealing additions to complement the familiar features regulars look forward to year in year out. So, the former Vines Wines Bar has been given a Gaelic going over and is now O'Malley's pub, offering classic Irish comfort food paired with an extensive drinks choice including a curated selection of beers (including Guinness, obvs) and whiskey flights. Live music makes this place a great gathering place to enjoy the craic. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The clever Medallion! | Dean Mellor It's one of several 'open plan' bars in and around the glorious and ornate Piazza and, so to avoid clashes, when one live act finishes another one starts – a bit like the Jools Holland stages – giving the Piazza the air of a musical hub with many guests even happy to give the production shows a miss and just move their cocktails from bar to bar. The nearby Bellini's Cocktail Bar is another addition to Majestic's drinking venue line-up (10 in total). Inspired by the popular drink, bellinis and cocktails are served up and finessed with Italian flair by snazzily-suited staff. The Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar (extra cost applies) is also new, as are The Shops of Princess, Alfredo's Slice - a poolside pizza lover's paradise serving authentic Neapolitan pizza crafted from scratch and made to order, and the Salty Dog Cafe, a poolside grill serving cooked-to-order burgers, hot dogs, tacos, loaded fries and more. A fabulous fish dish in The Catch, by Rudi | Dean Mellor A unique feature on Majestic is the indoor Hollywood Pool Club. Covered by a glass dome, it provides a comfortable temperature regardless of the weather outside and ideal on cruises to cooler climes and for family swims. It gets its name courtesy of a Tinseltown-themed environment with luxurious loungers, sculptures, and topiaries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's so much more to talk about with excellent kids' and teens' clubs, the Grand Casino, Lotus Spa, Fitness Center - the list just goes on to keep everyone of any age entertained on this superb seafarer, but the final mention must go to the efficient, professional and ever-smiling staff who constantly strive for guest satisfaction - scratch that - guest delight. An amazing trip and ship, thoroughly did I mention that Majestic Princess will soon be sailing from Southampton? Keep on reading! One of the delicious desserts served on the Frescobaldi evening in Sabatini's | Dean Mellor So where did we go? We joined the cruise halfway during the voyage on this 10-day itinerary, the ship having already visited Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes and Kusadasi before we joined in Chania, Crete, then cruising on to Katakolon (for Olympia), Corfu, Naples and Civitavecchia (for Rome). There are myriad trips for each destination available from the Shore Excursions Desk, but we enjoyed the following. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Olympia & Archaeological Museum (from cruise port of Katakolon) We put on our walking shoes for a guided tour via headsets through ancient Olympia where the Olympics began over three millenniums ago. Our first destination was the Olympia Archaeological Site, home to the Temple of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Temple of Hera was also ours to explore, as was the stadium where the Olympics began nearly 1,500 years ago. Here's where more than 40,000 spectators would witness contests ranging from foot races to the pentathlon, and after nearly 1,500 years, the 2004 Olympic Games held the shot-put contest. A short walk away, the Archaeological Museum displays amazing artifacts from the site. Olympia, the original home of the Olympic games from 3,000 years ago | Dean Mellor Corfu Town & Cooking Demonstration A tour that wined and dined us! After a scenic 30-minute drive to the Corfu countryside, we arrived at a traditional restaurant, observing demonstrations of traditional Greek cooking before sitting down to a feast accompanied by wine. With a delicious meal behind us it was on to the island capital's Old Fortress, which stands guard over the harbour and Corfu and a guided tour of the town. Pompeii & Time On Your Own In Sorrento We spent a full day visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pompeii, marvelling at the archaeological excavations of a lost city buried beneath ashes from Mount Vesuvius's eruption in 79 AD. Our knowledgeable guide took us on a two-hour walking tour, pointing out the remains that hint at daily Roman life and how they entertained, decorated and lived. Highlights included stunning frescoes and mosaic-inlaid floors of wealthy homeowners' villas. We then travelled onto the beautiful city of Sorrento, where lemons abound! With 2.5 hours of free time there was plenty of opportunity to discover this charming place with splendid views of the sea and the colourful marina below, strolling the flower-filled main street, Corso Italia, lined with quaint boutiques and sidewalk cafes, and enjoying the must-have speciality - pizza! One of the quaint streets in Sorrento, Italy | Dean Mellor How to book Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As I mentioned Majestic Princess will be sailing from Southampton on a 12-night British Isles tour with France & Belfast. The cruise departs on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, calling at Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Invergordon, Edinburgh (South Queensferry) and Le Havre (for Paris/Normandy). Princess Standard fares start from £1,149pp*, based on two people sharing an inside stateroom. Princess Plus fares start from £2,049pp*, based on two people sharing a balcony stateroom. For more details, click here If you like the sound of the places we visited, sister ship Enchanted Princess will be sailing the Mediterranean next year on a similar itinerary. A 14-night Mediterranean, Aegean & Adriatic cruise, sailing roundtrip from Civitavecchia (for Rome), onboard Enchanted Princess. Cruise departs on Tuesday 26 May 2026, calling at Naples (for Capri & Pompeii), Santorini, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Katakolon (for Olympia), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Corfu, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Naples (for Capri & Pompeii). Princess Standard fares start from £1,249pp*, based on two people sharing an inside stateroom. Princess Plus fares start from £2,819pp*, based on two people sharing a balcony stateroom. For more details, click here *Correct at time of writing Holiday Extras Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Holiday Extras' is the UK market leader in airport parking, lounges, and hotels – and last year its customers saved an average of £196 per trip by booking their airport parking in advance. Booking an Airport Hotel with Parking means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle. Plus with Flextras, if you need to cancel, you can without charge. One night's accommodation in a Standard Room at the Premier Inn Heald Green with eight days' Meet & Greet Parking at Manchester Airport (T3) is available for £264.28. Based on arrival on Tuesday 8th July 2025. For more information and to book, visit Escape Lounge Manchester Airport's Escape Lounge is available in all three terminals and offers passengers to chance to put their feet up, catch up on last-minute business, or simply enjoy some peace and quiet as they enjoy the complimentary food and drink on offer. The lounge caters to passengers of all ages and offers fast unlimited Wi-Fi, flight information boards, bar service for complimentary alcoholic and soft drinks, along with buffet service for seasonal meals and snacks. Prices start from £33.99 when booked in advance. For more information or to book visit:
