It was a terrifying sequence on Explorer of the Seas on Nov. 7 when the ship was hit by unexpected hurricane-force winds.
The squall caused the ship to list roughly 30 degrees, according to social-media reports from passengers on board.
That caused unsecured items to fall and created a few moments of panic for passengers and crew, who did not know whether the ship would right itself. The captain, by all accounts, reacted quickly, slowed the ship, and changed its direction.
Related: Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas rocked by unexpected wave
All decks on board were closed and passengers were ordered back to their cabins so everyone on Explorer of the Seas could be accounted for. As of last night, all passengers appeared to have been accounted for, but some injuries required medical attention.
One passenger shared a video on YouTube that captured how violent and scary the unexpected weather events was.
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Explorer of the Seas turns around
If you look on CruiseMapper, a website that shows the position of cruise ships, Explorer of the Seas has reversed direction.
The ship left Barcelona on Nov. 2 and planned to dock in Miami on Nov. 14. It has now reversed course and will make a stop in the Canary Islands, a Spanish territory off the coast of northwestern Africa, to drop off some injured passengers, according to multiple people on board the ship.
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Explorer of the Seas will also take on supplies and then resume the trip to Miami. It is now expected to arrive on Nov. 17.
"On Explorer of the Seas and the ship was hit by some crazy wind and tiled on its side. Now the ship has turned around headed back towards Africa and they haven’t even told the guests yet. The in-room screen doesn’t show the route anymore," one passenger reported on Facebook.
Another passenger said the captain had confirmed the change.
"Captain Frank just announced they turned back due to a medical emergency and they will refuel and get provisions in the Canary Islands. He also says that we won’t arrive in Miami until the 17th, NOT the 14th as scheduled," they wrote.
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Those on board have posted that once they woke up this morning the ship was "back to normal." The crew spent the night cleaning up the mess and resetting the ship.
Royal Caribbean (RCL) shared an official comment at the request of Come Cruise With Me.
“During an unexpected wind gust near Tenerife, Spain, one of our sailings experienced sudden movement," the cruise line wrote. "One of our guests was injured and requires additional medical care, so the ship will make a call in Las Palmas, Spain, for a medical disembarkation. We are communicating these changes directly with our guests."
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