The one and only cruise I ever took occurred in the same waters as the ill-fated Louis Cruise Line, hit with rogue waves off the coast of Marseilles, France today. Two people seated near the front of the ship were killed and 14 other passengers were hospitalized after a series of waves estimated at 26 feet in height slammed into the liner. Can’t imagine a 26 foot wave? Think about standing on the roof of your house and seeing at eye level the white cap of water rising to meet you. Meteorologists blame the high winds for what happened.
Ironically, the cruise I took with my sister Susan and some advertisers with WTVH-TV in 1996 had historically bad weather, the “worst weather” in the 8 year history of the Italian cruise line, we were told.
Our ship, the Costa Romantica
We were on a new and ultra sleek liner with brushed stainless railings and glossy polished woodwork. As the cruise wore on, staff used those railings to drape plastic seasickness bags for anyone who might suddenly need one. As you can imagine, it rather detracted from the otherwise elegant decor.
We set sail from Genoa with stops in Naples, Palermo and Tunisia. That northern tip of Africa was the last time we saw sunshine. Things deteriorated from there.
Susan, and less than ideal weather
The itinerary called for an overnight voyage across the Mediterranean from Tunisia to Palma de Majorca, but all night long the boat rocked and slammed down on the diagonal like a bathtub hitting solid ground. I found it oddly thrilling, but the prefab walls separating our berth from the people next to us told me not everyone was enjoying it as I was. At first I subconsciously wondered why was the guy in the next room yelling? Oh. Ick. Poor guy.
Susan and I are the last ones standing, with seasickness bag "purses"
I fall asleep from the motion of the car. A gently rocking hammock is heaven on a summer day or maybe heaven is the little pull and tug of the lines connecting a small power boat to the dock.
So when the Captain announced on the intercom that seas were so high he would have to slow down that night, I put my head on the pillow to enjoy Mother Nature’s roller coaster. Perfect sleeping conditions.
Susan, however, is an accomplished sailor and she was on edge. She kept sitting up and looking out the porthole onto angry water partially illuminated by the ship’s running lights. We guessed how high were the seas. 15 feet seemed about right to me but the expert Susan said no, they were closer to 8 feet which were big enough, and cruise ships are not constructed for heavy seas like this. Indeed, every time the ship landed hard after a wave, I heard a hollow gong and I eventually caught Susan’s viral concern that all the rivets might not hold. Well they did. We survived and then took note of the rapidly dwindling percentage of people making it to the dining room each night for the remainder of the cruise.
Until today the worst thing you anticipated on a cruise was a stomach-churning norovirus which quarantines ships for bleaching. Once in awhile you hear the sad tale of a passenger taking a suicidal jump overboard. But waves that reach up to five decks and smash windows and kill people are not something you anticipate when you pack the sunscreen.
WTVH Photojournalist Joe Picciotto and Susan in Palma
We’ve figured out how to warn people of blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, even tsunamis. But the events of the last week remind us we have a ways to go to fully cracking nature’s code. Earthquakes and rogue waves. In the early part of the 21st century, they remain the bogeymen of natural phenomena.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, what an experience! Wish I could say I would have stayed as positive as you, but I wouldn’t be being honest if I did. Cruising was never high on my list, but it might have just gone down a notch
Seriously, though – I’d love to go on Alaskan cruise some day. THAT sounds like heaven to me
Cathy, I agree, cruising Alaska would be marvelous.
While in the Navy during the early 80s, my ship was returning to Norfolk fm the Caribbean, which takes us thru the Cape Hattaras area…seems that there is always rough waters there…a storm like what you described caught our ship, the USS Mississippi, a nice sized ship at 600 ft and displacing 11,000 tons. We had to tie ourselves into our bunks and non-essential movement on board was forbidden. Waves broke over the entire bow, submerging the frwd 150 ft. I saw it. Still can’t get over seeign the bow dive into those massive waves and the water break right at the bridge. The next day we found fish on the signalman’s bridge, about 65 ft abv the waterline.
Wow Mike, I’m terrified by reading this! Our little cruise was nothing like you described. Thank goodness. I don’t know enough about engineering and physics to know why boats can go under waves like that and still come back up and float! Thanks for sharing and for giving me nightmares.
Despite it all, it was still one of the best trips I ever took! We made a pretty good series of stories on the “church in crisis” while we were at it. I’ll have to find the pictures of you and sis by the pool!
Miss ya,
Yeah Joe, it was a blast, wasn’t it? I enjoyed seeing the photos of you in the ol’ album. And we pulled a pretty good series on the church out of our bum bums, didn’t we? Miss you back. M.