Larger families and groups often choose adjoining staterooms on a cruise ship so they can maximize their space and stay connected. When those staterooms include balconies, partitions between the balconies can also be opened for an expanded verandah space.
One guest recently aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine, however, wasn’t planning on an adjoining balcony. When they returned to their Deck 10 stateroom on the last night of their cruise, however, they discovered the balcony partition had collapsed onto the outdoor furniture.
A photo posted to a Facebook page for the ship’s sailing shows the collapsed partition, with some furniture pushed out of the way by the weight of it and even one piece upended.
“So, this happened,” the original poster said with the photo. “I’ve been on lots of cruises. This was a first.”
The sky is overcast when the photo was taken, and rough waters are visible in the background. It is possible that high winds played a role in the partition’s collapse. Guests onboard the sailing did note a lot of rocking and motion at the time, along with strong winds.
Some travelers also noted that many of the ship’s partitions, while more secure than this one, did rattle and make a lot of noise in the rough conditions.
Another commenter said the ship’s balconies had been cleaned that day, so it is possible the partition had not been fully refastened after cleaning, though such oversights are uncommon.
The incident happened on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, if the guest posted the photo the day it happened. Fortunately, no one appears to have been using the balcony at the time, or else the heavy partition would have been sure to cause injuries.
At the time, Carnival Sunshine was enjoying a 5-night Bahamas itinerary that departed Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday, October 12 with visits to both Nassau and Princess Cays. Wednesday, October 16 was a day at sea while the ship return to Charleston.
The 102,853-gross-ton ship, formerly Carnival Destiny, can welcome 3,758 travelers and is also home to more than 900 international crew members. Currently homeported from Charleston, the ship offers 4- and 5-night Bahamas itineraries, with a special 10-night Eastern Caribbean sailing departing on December 2, 2024.
In February 2025, the ship will reposition to Norfolk, Virginia to continue offering Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean sailings, as well as Bermuda cruises.
Unique Weather Cruise Mishaps
While cruise lines take all possible precautions to ensure ships steer clear of bad weather, it isn’t always possible to avoid every storm or rough weather conditions.
Occasionally, this can lead to unusual incidents – floods, flying deck chairs, or inadvertent wave pools on the Lido Deck.
One of the more unusual incidents onboard a Carnival ship recently occurred when guests opened their balcony door, only to have their stateroom invaded by a flock of birds. This was likely due to poor weather that forced the birds to seek unusual shelter.
Flooding on Carnival Sunrise
Carnival Sunshine’s sister ship, Carnival Sunrise, had severe weather-related flooding in March, which impacted multiple staterooms, corridors, and even stairwells. In that incident, it is possible that rough weather ruptured pipes onboard the ship, which created the waterlogged scenario.
It should be noted that weather-related drama is certainly not confined to Carnival cruise ships. Every ship at sea is susceptible to rough seas and can experience strange and unsettling scenarios.
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
One of the more extreme deck chair incidents happened aboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas in June 2023 when a sudden squall hit Port Canaveral as the ship was preparing for departure. Strong winds sent deck chairs flying and pushed furniture all across the open decks in dramatic videos.
High winds can also push on cruise ships and cause them to break free of their mooring lines, setting these tremendous vessels partially or even fully adrift. This happened to Princes Cruises’ Caribbean Princess in Tromsø, Norway at the end of September.
Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported in any of these incidents, despite each unusual and potentially dangerous situation.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
