Crown Princess cruise ship tilts in violent winds, injuring 16 passengers

02 March 2025 , 19:04

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Crown Princess cruise ship tilts in violent winds, injuring 16 passengers

The footage from inside the huge Crown Princess cruise ship - with capacity to hold 3090 people - showed the chaos that ensued on board as the ship began to tilt

This is the horrifying moment a cruise ship tilted while at sea - injuring 16 people and sending objects flying.

The Crown Princess was near Milford Sound, south-west New Zealand, when it sailed into violent winds and began to lean. The gale tilted the enormous cruiser over by 14 degrees, with 13 passengers and three crew members sustaining minor injuries.

The footage from inside the huge ship - with a capacity for 3,090 people - showed the chaos that ensued on board as the ship began to tilt. Crockery, utensils and furniture littered the floor - which was also covered with a brown liquid that flooded throughout the room.

One passenger says he had to “hang on” during his daily exercise around the ship. “Walking along doing my lap and all of a sudden the boat was on an angle,” the man told 9 News. “The tables and chairs went sliding across the room, and a girl went sliding on her chair over towards the pool,” another passenger said.

The captain reportedly told those onboard the boat had been rocked by a 75 knot wind, which briefly boosted the vessel’s speed and titled the boat by 14 degrees. In a statement to website Cruise Hive, Princess Cruises said: "On February 25, while in Fiordland, New Zealand, Crown Princess encountered strong winds during a course change, causing the ship to briefly tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilising.

"Our crew responded quickly to correct the situation, and at no point was the safety of the ship compromised. Additionally, a small amount of water from the Lido Deck pool briefly entered the Horizons food court, but the area was quickly cleaned and reopened. There was no structural damage to the ship."

The boat had been hit by a 75 knot wind ( Image: 9 News Australia)

Martin Wise was on board the boat when it hit strong winds earlier this week. At the time, Wise was in the sixth floor dining room. He said: "I felt the boat starting to slant and tip. Then it lent over quite a bit and really started moving along at a high speed and we could see the sea looking very high out of the restaurant windows," he told Stuff.

Then cups, glasses and plates "went flying" around the room, he said. "And crashing could be heard around the area and a huge crash from the kitchen." Martin added: "Crashing could be heard around the area and a huge crash from the kitchen."

Emily Hughes