Passengers onboard Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas were told to brace for strong swells as the ship encountered increasingly rough seas during its transatlantic voyage.
The Captain of the 169,300 gross registered ton ship told guests they were going to change directions because of a powerful storm front, which brought 6-7 meter waves and 50-knot winds. He advised passengers to remain seated, as the ship would be changing course and there was a possibility it could list.
Videos taken from the 14-night transatlantic cruise show powerful waves crashing over the windows of the ship’s lower decks.
Photo stills from Deborah Sahli
Other images reveal that the Crown & Pub Compass, one of the ship’s popular gathering spots for live music, had suffered significant damage, with alcohol bottles and broken glassware shattered across the floor.
CruiseMapper shows Odyssey of the Seas' navigational path, including an obvious course diversion resulting from the sudden storm.
Guests onboard took to Facebook to share their experiences.
"There's no way we could've avoid[ed] this storm, it's just too big," wrote Michael Ducharme.
David Naputi added, "You can definitely feel the movement. I’m not the best gauge, but at its worst maybe around a 20-30 degree tilt? (Imagine walking up a [20-degree] slope sideways and then it reverses - [that's] pretty much the intermittent worst of the rocking)."
Overall, the vibe remains positive, with passengers spending the day indoors gambling or grabbing a drink at Playmakers, indicating the incident wasn't as scary as it might have seemed at first.
"Perfect day for eating and napping! No complaints from me," said Ja Narke.
Still, some guests aren't enjoying the excessive motion, highlighting the importance of coming prepared with seasickness remedies, including over-the-counter medication like Bonine/Dramamine or acupressure bands.
Second transatlantic cruise to be hit with adverse weather
Last week, a powerful squall struck Explorer of the Seas en route to Miami, Florida, injuring several passengers onboard.
The vessel was roughly 750 miles off the coast of Morocco during the incident. Ron Warren, a guest onboard, shared that the ship listed severely for "somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes." Afterward, Explorer was left in shambles, with furniture overturned and glass and merchandise scattered across the floors.
Guests were ordered to remain in their stateroom while crew accounted for all guests. Medical announcements were also made for passengers who were injured during the list.
The squall delayed Explorer's return to Florida. Due to a medical emergency, the ship was diverted to the Canary Islands, where it also refueled. The vessel is now expected to arrive in Miami on Nov. 17, rather than the 14th as scheduled.
Odyssey departed from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, on Nov. 3
The Quantum-Ultra Class ship is slated to arrive in New Jersey on Nov. 17 to begin a seasonal stint offering cruises to Florida and The Bahamas.
This transatlantic repositioning voyage comes as the ship transitions following the conclusion of the European ship's deployment. Odyssey will return to Europe in May, sailing from Civitavecchia to Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
With a packed itinerary, the ship is set to continue providing guests with signature experiences, such as the RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, SeaPlex multi-purpose venue, FlowRider surf simulator, and North Star observation capsule, while sailing to stunning European destinations.
