More Details Emerge about NCL Tilting Incident that Injured Several Passengers

The Washington Post is providing more details about this week’s dangerous cruise ship tilting incident that left several passengers injured.

On Sunday night, as the 20-story Norwegian Escape cruise ship set sail from New York toward Cape Canaveral, Florida, the ship was struck by a severe gust of wind as it traveled northeast of the Delmarva Peninsula. The gust was so strong, estimated at up to 115 miles per hour, that it caused the 1,070 foot vessel to list suddenly on its side. 

The listing caused dishes to go flying and furniture to overturn. There are reports that several people were injured, with one witness saying that a lotto machine fell on a woman.  

An expert meteorologist told the Washington Post that the weather system in the area at the time of the gust did not indicate that such strong winds were in the offing. 

As the Post report notes, this is not the first time that Norwegian Cruise Line passengers have been put at risk when one of its ships sailed through a storm. In early 2018 one of the company’s ships sailed through a so-called “bomb cyclone,” causing a severe hazard for passengers. The post reports that NCL is currently being sued because of that incident.