At least 16 people have been injured after a cruise ship hit rough waters while sailing in New Zealand, according to reports.
Passengers on board the cruise ship Crown Princess were traveling on a 14-day round trip from Sydney, Australia, when they suffered minor injuries as the liner was battered by strong winds on Feb. 25, Come Cruise With Me and 9 News Australia reported.
Those on board were left holding on to what they could when the cruise ship tilted as it got caught in severe weather after changing course near Milford Sound, according to reports.
Among the injured were 13 passengers and three crew members, 7 News Australia reported.
Footage posted on Facebook from the incident showed passengers in the canteen of the cruise ship grabbing onto tables as it leaned from side to side and water rushing inside the ship as panic ensued. Bags and perfumes in the shops were also strewn out on the floor.
In other images, the ship’s kitchen was in disarray with broken plates, food and drink spilled and tray towers fallen over. Footage also showed the kitchen staff bracing themselves for another big lean from the boat, per 9 News.
One passenger told the outlet he was “walking along doing my lap [when] all of a sudden the boat I realized the boat was on an angle.”
“I had to hang on!” he added. A second passenger said, “The tables and chairs went sliding across the room, and a girl went sliding on her chair over towards the pool.”
A third wrote of the incident on Facebook, per 7 News, “I had to roll out John’s side to get out of bed. And of course we are on the starboard side. The buffet level was flooded from the pools so a bit soggy under foot for breakfast.”
The cruise ship, which holds 3090 passengers, did not suffer any damage and continued sailing to its destination following the shake-up, 7 News Australia reported.
Crown Princess said in a statement, per Cruise Passenger, “Crown Princess encountered strong winds during a course change, causing the ship to briefly tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilizing.”
“Our crew responded quickly to correct the situation, and at no point was the safety of the ship compromised.”
