Norwegian cruise ship passengers injured as ship tilts in extreme wind

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USA TODAY

Several passengers aboard the Norwegian Escape cruise ship were injured Sunday after what cruise officials described as a “sudden, extreme gust of wind” caused the ship to suddenly list on its return trip to Port Canaveral.

In a series of Tweets Monday morning, Norwegian cruise officials said the ship suddenly tilted under the force of an unexpected gale topping 100 knots, or about 115 mph.

“Several injuries were reported and those guests and crew received immediate attention or are being treated by the ship’s medical staff,” officials wrote. “There was no damage to the ship; she remains fully operational and continues her scheduled itinerary.”

The ship was heading back to Port Canaveral for an estimated early arrival Tuesday, officials said. Neither the current itinerary nor the next departure were affected.

The response was prompted by the report of a passenger on social media, who Tweeted: “The scariest (expletive) just happened on this cruise. Chairs, tables, glass, people went flying to one side of the ship.”

The Norwegian Escape can carry up to 4,266 guests and a crew of 1,733. The cruise ship is expected to return to the Jetty Park area about 10:45 a.m., then dock at Terminal 10 about 11:30.