Passengers evacuated as cruise ship 'shakes so violently' in 11 hour storm
Passengers were forced to evacuate a cruise ship as it was "shaking so violently" - just moments after crashing into a storm.
Crew members and passengers onboard the Carnival Sunshine in South Carolina, US, had to leave their rooms while several people complained they felt sick during the "nightmare" voyage.
The ship, which was returning from the Bahamas, was attempting to dock in Charleston when the hallways became flooded, and doors were falling off after crashing into the storm.
Minor injuries were reported with one person saying "you could smell people being sick down the halls" as passengers battled with seasickness.
The hallways were flooded (@CrewCenter/twitter)
Doors were falling off (@CrewCenter/twitter)Passengers captured the terrifying moment the ship sailed into the storm - just days after the National Weather Service warned of "treacherous" boating conditions as a low-pressure system moved up the Atlantic coast.
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People onboard the ship said conditions started to worsen overnight on Friday and into Saturday.
Daniel Taylor, who was onboard, said the trip became scary when the ship approached choppy waters at around 4.30pm on Friday.
The captain made an announcement that due to adverse weather conditions, the ship may arrive back in Charleston later than expected.
He told the Daily Mail: "He said that the staff would do everything they could to minimize discomfort."
Even the pool table was flooded (@CrewCenter/twitter)But just minutes later sick bags were put out on all the elevators and by 7pm the ship started to hit choppy waters.
Mr Taylor had visited a Liquid Lounge at the front of the ship during this time when he could hear the sound of waves crashing over the music.
He revealed stage lights mounted on the ceiling began to shake, the disco ball started swinging and the LED wall on the stage began rolling side by side on its own.
Passengers claimed the ship sailed right into the storm (@CrewCenter/twitter)At around 8pm, the staff closed off the parts of the ship and evacuated all the public deck areas when, just an hour later, plates and cups were heard crashing near the buffet.
Mr Taylor returned to his room on the second level where he watched objects crash and break as wind speeds began hitting the ship at around 80mph.
At this point, he said, the captain turned the ship from sailing northwest towards Charleston to now northeast, which made it head directly into the eye of the storm.
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In addition, cabins from across his room started to leak from the ceiling, but there were limited announcements from staff to inform passengers on what was happening, according to Mr Taylor.
The television screens were turned to standby at around 2am, which wiped off how fast the ship was travelling and its direction.
The Carnival Sunshine was struggling to dock (R G Williamson/REX/Shutterstock)"We were no longer able to see where we were going, how fast we were going, what the wind speed was or anything,' Mr Taylor said. "We were blind to what was going on — especially with no weather or course update since 4.45pm the previous day."
He said crew members were wearing life jackets and it wasn't until 7.30am, cruise staff announced they were outside Charleston harbour but could not dock.
Eventually, the ship arrived at the port at around 5.30pm on Saturday night - nine hours after it was due to dock.
Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, said the captain sailed "right into" the storm, and they "spent 11 hours pitching, diving and rolling."
"We were surrounded by lightning and the ship took a huge hit by a wave and sounded like it split in two."
Passengers RJ Whited and his fiancée, who had to stay in their rooms for two days after getting sick, said they were starting to feel better until the storm hit.
RJ said: "It was shaking us so violently."
A spokesperson for Carnival confirmed the ship was impacted by the rough seas but everyone was safe.
It said: "Carnival Sunshine's return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday.
"Guests on board the ship were safe. Our medical staff helped a small number of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance.
"The weather's prolonged impact on the Charleston area delayed the ship's arrival on Sunday, and as a result, the next voyage's embarkation was also delayed.
'"We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests."
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