Two cruise ships had been stranded in Elliott Bay exterior of Seattle on the morning of June 3, 2024, resulting from excessive winds. Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas and Hurtigruten Expeditions’ ms Roald Amundsen couldn’t make port and had been stranded ready for tugboats to help.
As Quantum of the Seas approached its berth on the Port of Seattle for its 6 a.m. arrival, sturdy winds pressured the ship to attend till extra tugboats may help. Usually, two tugboats are used to herald cruise ships, however with sturdy winds, the ship required further warning to dock at Pier 91 and selected to anchor in Elliott Bay because it waited.
Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier mentioned to Cruise Hive: “The excessive winds affecting the Seattle space did impression 1 cruise ship immediately. The pilot aboard the Royal Caribbean ‘Quantum of the Seas’ requested an anchorage spot in Elliott Bay to attend for tugs to help them into their berth at Pier 91. A small craft advisory exists for your complete Puget Sound space.“
“Two tugs from the Foss company had been in a position to help the cruise ship round midday on Monday to get to Pier 91,” Strohmaier added.
A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean informed native information, “Attributable to excessive winds, Quantum of the Seas is delayed in returning to port. We’re intently monitoring the climate and are speaking updates on to our visitors.”
The ship, which holds over 4,900 passengers and measures greater than 1,100 ft lengthy, is homeported in Seattle for the summer time, taking passengers on week-long journeys to Alaska. Quantum of the Seas was coming back from a voyage that departed Seattle on Might 27 and journeyed to Ketchikan, Sitka, Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm, and Juneau, Alaska, together with Victoria, British Columbia.
On the identical day, the Nationwide Climate Service (NWS) issued a wind advisory for western Washington, together with Elliott Bay, forecasting gusts as much as 40 miles per hour till 11 a.m. June 4.
Norwegian expedition cruise line Hurtigruten Expeditions’ 1,018-passenger ms Roald Amundsen, which is simply 460 ft lengthy, was additionally stranded within the sound, requiring extra tugs. The ship can also be at present spending the summer time exploring Alaska.
Quantum of the Seas arrived in Elliott Bay shortly after 5 a.m., based on cruise monitoring knowledge, and didn’t dock till after 1 p.m. Pacific Time (PT). The delay had vital implications for passengers with early morning or afternoon flights as they missed their connections. These with flights later within the day had been nonetheless in danger as disembarkation on mega ships as massive as Quantum of the Seas can take as much as 4 hours to finish.
Quantum of the Seas was additionally scheduled to embark on one other Alaskan voyage at 4 p.m. (PT).
Passengers ready to board that 7-night roundtrip journey, which additionally included journeys to Sitka, Skagway, Tracy Arm, Juneau, and Victoria, had been anticipated to expertise delays in embarkation and departure as a result of late arrival.
Following disembarkation, the ship’s crew wants time to scrub and put together the ship between the sailings, additional delaying the method. Excessive winds are anticipated to proceed till the next day, which may probably require extra tugboat help leaving the cruise terminal.
At press time, Royal Caribbean had not launched an announcement concerning additional delays or attainable compensation provided to both itinerary’s passengers who had been inconvenienced.
Royal Caribbean is prone to face the problem of coordinating with passengers to regulate their journey schedules. Nonetheless, weather-related delays don’t warrant compensation from cruise strains. Cruise strains additionally warn passengers to not guide early morning flights to permit time for potential arrival delays. Any extra charges incurred for lacking a flight will doubtless be on the expense of the passenger.
The predicament highlights the benefits of having journey insurance coverage, which generally covers unexpected occasions equivalent to journey delays, cancellations, and interruptions. Within the case of Quantum of the Seas, passengers with journey insurance coverage could possibly declare bills for rebooking flights, lodging, and meals.
