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WATCH: Cruise Passengers Share Terrifying Videos from 'Nightmare' Storm at Sea

The Carnival Sunshine cruise ship made it back to port safely on Saturday after being stuck in a storm between the Bahamas and Charleston, S.C. for 15 hours

brad morrell/storyful

The Carnival Sunshine cruise ship made it back to port nine hours later than planned after sailing through a terrifying storm on Friday night.

The ship was on its way to Charleston, S.C. from the Bahamas when it got caught in severe weather, including nearly 80 mph winds. Passengers on board shared details and footage of the chaos and destruction caused by the storm on social media. Thankfully, Carnival told PEOPLE in a statement provided below that "no one was seriously injured."

Crew Center, a cruise ship information site, posted a video on Twitter showing a flooded hallway, torn-off doors and other debris and destruction on board.

"The aftermath aboard Carnival Sunshine after a severe storm," the post read. "The crew from Deck 0-4 evacuated to the theater, and anywhere they could rest… the crew bar destroyed."

Passenger Daniel Taylor told Newsweek that the captain made an announcement around 4:45 p.m. saying that they would be experiencing a delay due to "adverse weather conditions," expressing that they "would do everything they could to minimize discomfort.

By dinner time, public decks had been closed off, and plates and cups were flying off the buffet areas, he recalled.

Related: 479 Cruise Passengers Airlifted to Safety After Mayday as 'Chaos' Aboard Ship Goes Viral Online

By the early hours of Saturday morning, he said, "We were no longer able to see where we were going, how fast we were going, what the wind speed was, or anything. We were blind to what was going on." Swells were hitting the ship "over and over," said Taylor, who also recalled seeing crew members wearing life vests.

At that point, the internet was also out, so those on board couldn't get any additional information or reach loved ones.

Matthew Branham, who was also on board, told The Washington Post , that "waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor."

TVs were falling off walls and glasses shattering. “You could not stand up in your room,” he said. “You could be thrown from the bed."

Another passenger, RJ Whited, wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post cited by Newsweek , "Our cruise ship last night was literally sideways and slung everything in our room breaking, people in the hallways throwing up and sleeping on the stairs."

Added Whited, "We also found out that they knew about the storm and instead of us staying back to ride it out a few hours they hit it head-on so we could make it back for the other cruise to be on time."

Finally, the ship made it back to Charleston around 7:30 a.m., though it couldn't immediately dock due to continuing rough weather.

Related: Viking Cruise Ship Begins Evacuating 1,300 Passengers by Helicopter After Sending Mayday in Storm

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, the ship was able to dock.

Summing up the "nightmare" experience, passenger Christa Seifert-Alicea told NBC News 4 : "What we endured is indescribable, not only to feel it yourself but to hear and see it set in on every single person around you from adult, child and the elderly is something I will never forget."

In a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, Carnival said: "Carnival Sunshine's return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday. The weather's prolonged impact on the Charleston area delayed the ship's arrival and as a result, the next voyage's embarkation was also delayed. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests." The statement claims that "the ship's crew followed our protocols for rough weather" noting, "thankfully, no one was seriously injured."

"The weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecasted," the statement continues. "Given the circumstances as they were, the ship's officers and our Fleet Operations Center team using real time meteorology data coordinated to keep the ship in its safest location. Attempting to sail out of the large front could have been dangerous. The ship proceeded to the port as soon as the weather began to clear." The cruise line's statement also said that the captain "made several announcements about the weather and the delay" but noted "some of the worst weather occurred in the overnight hours when announcements are not typically made."

The Carnival Sunshine is already on its next voyage, the cruise line confirmed.

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Read the original article on People .

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Watch CBS News

Carnival cruise ship battered by waves in storm off Charleston

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: May 29, 2023 / 4:16 PM EDT / CBS News

A storm off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, battered a Carnival cruise ship for hours late Friday night before it docked, leaving passengers terrified.

Passengers aboard the Carnival Sunshine described shattered glass, water pouring into rooms and hallways, the ship pitching about and a lack of communication from cruise staff. Some passengers and crew members needed "minor assistance" from medical staff, a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News. "Guests on board the ship were safe," the spokesman added. 

Carnival Sunshine, which was headed from the Bahamas to South Carolina, arrived in Charleston behind schedule, according to the spokesman. Some crew cabins needed to be temporarily taken out of service because of water damage. The ship's next voyage, on which it has since embarked, was also delayed.

The National Hurricane Center on Friday warned of a non-tropical area of low pressure off Florida that was set to move northward and inland over the Carolinas during the weekend. Forecasters said there would be gusty winds, dangerous surf and rip current conditions along portions of the U.S.'s southeastern coast through Sunday.

Passenger Sharon Tutrone, a professor at Coastal Carolina University, tweeted Friday that the ship was rocking. She said that the only time passengers heard from the captain was in the afternoon, when he told them he had an experienced crew and would do everything he could to minimize discomfort as the ship encountered the storm. 

"They said it will get worse as we get closer to the storm," she tweeted. "@CarnivalCruise  is doing an EXCELLENT job!"

She tweeted again on Saturday afternoon, describing " 14 hours of high winds, rain and massive waves ." 

"We were surrounded by lightning and the ship took a huge hit by a wave and sounded like it split in two," Tutrone tweeted.

Several passengers, including Brenda Goodwin Sherbert, posted on social media about broken glass on the ship . They also wrote about water coming in through balcony doors.

"We had a 40 foot wave hit our side of the ship,.. we almost fell out the bed.. things were crashing all around us and the carpet on my side of the bed was soaked bc water came in thru our balcony door," Goodwin Sherbert wrote.

Passenger Reid Overcash, who was on the cruise with his wife, said televisions on the ship displayed a message during the storm: "Public address announcement please standby." 

He said it was when winds had reached between 70-90 mph and the ship was tilting left that he truly feared for his life.

"Myself being in emergency services and retired, I knew nobody was going to come and rescue us with winds over 40 knots," Overcash said.

The trip marked Overcash's seventh cruise. He said he's not going to let the frightening experience stop him from going on more cruises in the future. 

"It's just one of them unlucky experiences that occurs once in a while," he said.

• South Carolina
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Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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Carnival passengers recount ‘nightmare’ cruise as storm floods ship

Videos showed the Carnival Sunshine cabins and hallways flooding and ceilings leaking

Matthew Branham and his fiancée, Madison Davis, were lying by a Carnival Sunshine pool on Friday aboard a cruise returning to Charleston, S.C., from the Bahamas when an announcement came over the loudspeaker. The captain was expecting rougher weather that evening, but there was nothing to worry about. So Branham and Davis didn’t worry.

As the day went on, “We noticed it started getting cooler in the afternoon — much, much cooler,” said Branham, 25, of Castlewood, Va. “And then it was like a switch was flipped, and it literally turned into a nightmare.”

En route back to Charleston Friday night into Saturday, the Carnival Sunshine navigated into a strong storm system that battered the southeast over the holiday weekend. Videos emerged on social media showing cabins and hallways flooding, shop floors littered with destroyed merchandise and leaking ceilings . Passenger Brad Morrell snapped a photo of an automated instrument map reporting a 69 knot, or 79 mph, wind.

#CarnivalSunshine : Due to return to Charleston, South Carolina this Saturday, May 27, 2023, has been delayed due to severe weather. The ship is currently off the South Carolina coast and holding position, unable to return to the port because of high winds & rough seas. #cruise 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/2B6HlAn2yD — ∼Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) May 28, 2023

Carnival said in a statement that the weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecast, but that its fleet operations center team, which relies on outside meteorology resources for itinerary planning, “coordinated to keep the ship in its safest location.”

“Attempting to sail out of the large front could have been dangerous,” the statement continued. “The ship proceeded to the port as soon as the weather began to clear.”

Strong Southeast storm slams Carolinas

Carnival said the captain made “several announcements about the weather and the delay it caused in returning to Charleston, asking guests to use extra precaution while walking around the ship.” Additionally, “some of the worst weather occurred in the overnight hours when announcements are not typically made, but guests and crew were safe.”

The ship’s medical staff did help a “small number” of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance following the storm. Despite the significant damage and a delay in schedule, Carnival Sunshine embarked on its next five-day Bahama sailing on Saturday.

From their sea-view room, Branham and Davis watched as waves surged over their window and braced themselves as the 892-foot-long ship lurched in the storm.

“Waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor,” Branham said.

They were told to stay in their cabins. Meanwhile, Branham said, TVs were falling off walls, and glassware was sliding off shelves and shattering on the floor. “You could not stand up in your room,” he said. “You could be thrown from the bed.”

They packed up their belongings when their floor started to flood and took shelter in a main lobby area.

“All of the employees were sprinting downstairs with life vests,” Branham said. “There were little kids besides us screaming and crying and throwing fits.”

Throughout the storm, Branham wondered why there weren’t more announcements from Carnival staff. Besides the warning of rougher seas earlier Friday and one Saturday morning after they’d weathered the storm, Branham said they weren’t given any official updates on their situation. When he asked workers what was going on, they told him not to worry.

⁦⁦ @CarnivalCruise ⁩ #carnivalsunshine still 75mph winds at 9:25am. Sitting and spinning in the Atlantic. pic.twitter.com/NITCO2l9Ss — FlyersCaptain™®© (@flyerscaptain) May 29, 2023

“But you see rooms flooded, and you can pick up a handful of sand and you’re kind of like, ‘What in the world? Why is nobody telling us anything?’” Branham said.

Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer and cruise industry legal expert, says his firm has been contacted by some Carnival Sunshine passengers who were injured during the storm, including a man who says he was struck by a door and broke his foot. Others have asked him about the potential for a class-action lawsuit.

While Walker said passengers should make their complaints known to Carnival, he doesn’t believe filing a lawsuit would be an efficient next step. Instead, impacted passengers can ask Carnival for a refund or a credit for another cruise, although there’s no guarantee the cruise line will grant such requests.

Pete Peterson, owner of Storybook Cruises , which is affiliated with Cruise Planners, said cruise ships keep a close eye on weather developments and will adjust their itinerary depending on the severity of the storm.

“Cruise lines monitor the weather all the time. They’re not going to put their passengers in harm’s way,” said Peterson, who has been a cruise adviser for more than 20 years and has sailed on nearly 60 cruises. “Obviously, some cruise lines are better at doing this than others.”

In 2016, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas returned to port after cruising into a “bomb cyclone,” which damaged the ship amid winds gusting to 100 mph. The ship sailed into the remnants of Hurricane Hermine seven months later, causing additional problems.

To ensure the safety and comfort of its passengers, a cruise ship can alter its course and circumvent the rough weather system. In stormy conditions, the crew can deploy the stabilizers, which will prevent the ship from rolling and bucking.

“You don’t experience the up and down,” Peterson said. “It’s not as rough a ride.”

Both approaches can add to a cruise line’s expenditures, Peterson said. Stabilizers slow the vessel, thereby consuming more fuel. Sailing around the storm can take longer than the original route and disrupt the company’s cruise schedule, leading to delays or cancellations. The cruise line may have to reimburse passengers or provide them with future credits because of the inconvenience.

“When they do something like that, it’s going to cost them money,” Peterson said.

Craig Setzer , a meteorologist and hurricane preparedness specialist, said that even with the hurricane-like conditions and flooding, “I would never be in doubt of the vessel’s integrity,” he said. “Cruise ships are structurally very, very sound and can survive a lot. They’re really rugged.”

Matthew Cappucci contributed to this report.

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Dramatic video captured the moment panicked passengers ran for their lives aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship hit by a freak storm — which sent deck furniture flying as the vessel prepared to leave a Florida port.

The Independence of the Seas was about to embark on a voyage from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas about 4 p.m. June 16 when heavy rain and violent winds slammed the 15-deck, 1,112-foot-long vessel.

“Just a fun evening leaving Port Canaveral this past Friday. No announcement from the captain before or after, also no mention of what happened. Just pretend like it didn’t happen I guess,” TikTok user Lucassparrow1110 posted .

Sparrow also posted harrowing footage on Twitter of chairs and umbrellas flying on the ship as screaming passengers seek cover from the storm — and several people are seen sliding across a windswept walkway.

“Instead of telling people to come up to the top deck when we have a severe thunderstorm warning, maybe you should be more worried about your guests and employees and tell them to get inside,” he wrote.

At one point, a lounge chair narrowly misses a woman carrying a child.

Jenn Stancil, who captured footage of the storm moving in, told Fox 35 Orlando : “It just turned crazy. It looked like a scene from the movie ‘Twister’ is exactly what I thought, because you see these chairs flying up in the air.”

Jerry Pike, a local photographer who was sitting in his vehicle in Jetty Park during the outburst, also posted video of the storm.

“This is my view of Independence of the Seas as she started to get battered by the heavy winds whilst mid-spin attempting to turn around to leave the port,” Pike said in a tweet .

“You can see the rain line pushing towards us, and the Indy was completely gone from view due to the rain shortly after this,” he added.

A meteorologist for Fox 35 reported that winds reached from 55 to 60 mph at the height of the storm.

“The Independence was just getting battered by winds as it was trying to push off the dock,” Pike told Insider . “Then [it] was covered by the gray cloud of rain and we couldn’t see more than 20 yards out the window.”  

Kyleigh Cole, an agent with Boardwalk Travel Agency, expressed concerns about how Royal Caribbean handled the incident.

“There’s always something you can do, other than just letting the guests and the travelers getting poured on, rained down on and being in the middle of a storm,” Cole told Fox 35 .

“This could have ruined somebody’s cruise experience where they’ll never take another cruise again,” the travel agent added.

In a statement sent to the news outlet, the company said the “Independence of the seas encountered a sudden gust of high winds. This lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew…”

The ship reportedly arrived safely at Coco Cay, an island used by Royal Caribbean about 55 miles north of Nassau.

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Terrified cruise passengers wrote good-bye texts to their families as their ship was battered by a giant storm in the Bay of Biscay

• A cruise ship was caught in a brutal storm in the Bay of Biscay over the weekend.
• Terrified passengers described massive swells and howling winds that sent the ship shaking.
• One hundred people were injured, the BBC reported, citing the cruise company, which described the injuries as "minor."

A dream vacation became a maritime nightmare for those onboard a cruise ship caught in a fierce storm in the Bay of Biscay that left 100 people injured over the weekend, according to media reports.

"People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized," an unnamed passenger told BBC News of the chaotic voyage.

The Spirit of Discovery, a vessel run by Saga Cruises, was carrying about 1,000 people on what was supposed to be a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands, the outlet reported.

But when the weather turned, the ship decided to return to the UK earlier than expected amid a coming storm. As it was making its return voyage, the vessel ran into a storm in the Bay of Biscay, an area off the coast of Spain and France known for its rough seas.

Amid slamming waves and howling winds, the ship's automatic safety system kicked in which caused the boat to veer and stop, the BBC reported. A spokesperson for Saga told the outlet that most of the injuries among passengers occurred at this moment and described most of them as "minor."

A representative for Saga did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"To say 'minor injuries' is an insult to the many horrific broken bones, pelvises, lacerations, stitches, etc. that were caused [to] a very old passenger clientele," the same unnamed passenger told the BBC.

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The ship stayed put until the weather cleared up, the outlet reported. Video from the voyage shows huge swells outside the ship's windows.

WATCH: BBC reports "tables were flying" as waves threw people "all up and down the place", say passengers on UK cruise ship 'Spirit of discovery' caught in storm. 100 people got injured as 30ft waves battered the ship windows. pic.twitter.com/NWZh2tL2ff — Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 7, 2023

Jan Bendall, 75, a passenger onboard the cruise, told the BBC that the vessel didn't move for 15 hours as the storm raged on around them.

"It was quite frightening," she told the outlet. "I'm not somebody who frightens easily, it was quite dramatic."

Bendall said a section of the dining room was turned into a makeshift medical center.

Richard Reynolds, 60, told The Daily Mail he and his wife were passengers onboard along with his elderly parents. Reynolds said his mom was injured after being thrown to the floor when the boat rocked.

Reynolds said passengers were confined to their cabins and wore life vests for two straight days as they rode out the storm, afraid the ship might capsize.

"People were screaming for their lives, things were banging and crashing around us and they thought they were going to die," he told the outlet.

Five people were taken to the hospital when the ship was finally able to dock in Portsmouth on Monday, according to the BBC.

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Watch: Massive rogue wave batters cruise ship in North Sea

A deadly storm in northern europe churned up a massive rogue wave which terrified cruise ship passengers on one vessel and disabled another ship. the cruise line initially reported no serious injuries, but german media reported that three passengers were taken to a hospital upon disembarking. passengers reported broken bones, scrapes and bruises..

Cruise ship rocked by massive rogue wave in the North Sea

Rough weather in the North Sea churned up massive waves which battered a cruise ship in the North Sea.  "I love it," said the tour operator. "However, a few of my guests are not so happy." 

A rogue wave terrified cruise ship passengers on the North Sea on Thursday as it towered over and tossed the ship, Tour Operator Thorsten Hansen told TMX.

"I love it," posted Hansen on social media . "However, a few of my guests are not so happy."

The video shows the rogue wave ahead of the Otto Sverdrup off the coast of Germany on Friday. The ship is over 450 feet long, 70 feet wide, almost 16,000 tons, and has eight decks, and still, the freak wave dwarfed the ship. The Otto Sverdrup can hold up to 500 passengers.

WHAT IS A ROGUE WAVE? THOSE MONSTERS OF THE OCEAN ARE MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK

The rogue wave that tossed a Norwegian cruise ship.

(Credit: Thorsten Hansen/Tour operator and HX Hurtigruten Expeditions Agency /TMX / FOX Weather)

Storm Pia's hurricane-force winds punished the North Sea and much of Europe Thursday and Friday, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. The rough seas interacting with the ocean floor and coasts built up the rogue wave, which can be twice the size of surrounding waves, according to NOAA.

Hansen said the wave was the same one that hit a nearby cruise ship, the Maud, at about the same time. The wave smashed at least two windows on the bridge of the more than 16,000-ton ship, and the incoming seawater knocked out the navigation system and radar . It threw the ship with 266 passengers and 131 crew into darkness as the power failed, according to local media and the cruise line HX .

The crew was able to restart one motor, according to a trade paper .

WATCH: PLANES ABORT HARROWING LANDINGS IN ENGLAND AS STORM PIA RAKES US WITH 50-80 MPH GUSTS

File: A photo of the Maud at port before the accident.

(Refinitive Eikon, Magnus Thor Hafsteinsson / FOX Weather)

"Spent 4 hours in survival suits and life vests while the Danish Coastguard and local oil rigs sent out rescue boats to escort us and provide navigation as the crew manually steered the boat from the engine room," one passenger wrote on Facebook. "Hands down, one of the scariest nights of my life in gale force winds and 11 meter (36 feet) waves."

The ship was about 125 miles off the coast of Denmark on a trip from Norway to England.

PASSENGER KILLED AFTER ROGUE WAVE SMASHES INTO CRUISE SHIP

The purple shows the path of the ship from Norway to 120 miles off the coast of Denmark. The United Kingdom is to the west.

"There were about 20 minutes in which I thought the ship might capsize, it was rocking so much and we had no idea what had happened," an American passenger posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The cruise line initially reported no serious injuries, but German media reported that three passengers were taken to a hospital upon disembarking. Passengers reported broken bones, scrapes and bruises.

Storm Pia altered the course of the ship. Local media reported that about 200 people disembarked in Norway due to the bad weather before the accident. 

The ship limped to Bremerhaven, Germany, where many passengers had to stay aboard due to limited flights out of the area. 

VACATION TURNS INTO NIGHTMARE FOR A SEATTLE MAN AFTER ‘ROGUE WAVE’ PARALYZES HIM

Pia churned up huge surf swamping coastal towns. People walk on the pier in Hammerhavn near Sandvig on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, Denmark, on December 22, 2023, after storm Pia hit the country.

(PELLE RINK/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP / Getty Images)

HX reported that the ship is not expected to return to service until February after repairs.

Passengers and crew on the Otto Sverdrup were rushed off the vessel because Storm Pia flooding closed the harbor, according to Hansen.

High seas knocked containers from cargo ships as well. On Saturday, beaches in Norway were littered with goods.

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Several containers stranded between Tranum and Slette beach, northern Norway, on December 23, 2023 after being lost in the North Sea during storm Pia. 

(CLAUS BJOERN LARSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP / Getty Images)

Elsewhere, Storm Pia blew over a 65-foot Christmas tree onto a woman, killing her, in Belgium, according to AP . Another person was killed by another falling tree in the Netherlands.

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Cruise Ship Likely Killed Endangered Whale Before Dragging Carcass To New York

A 1,036-foot-long cruise ship sailed into New York Harbor last Saturday with a dead endangered whale pinned to the ship’s bow. While a cause of death hasn’t been officially determined, investigators’ initial findings point toward a ship strike killing the 44-foot-long sei whale. Yet another incident to encourage sea creatures to attack pleasure crafts.

The MSC Meraviglia was returning to the Big Apple after a cruise to Bermuda. One wonders how could the ship’s crew not realize that they were dragging a massive whale, however while the Sei whales can weigh up to 50 tons, the Meraviglia weighs over 171,000 tons. It’s no contest. NOAA is examining the whale’s carcass to determine if the whale was dead before it ended up on the bow or killed by it. The New York Times reports:

“The investigation is continuing, but preliminary results — broken bones in the whale’s right flipper; tissue trauma along its right shoulder blade; a full stomach and decent layer of blubber — all pointed toward the animal having been in otherwise good health when it was likely struck and killed by the ship, said Robert A. DiGiovanni, the chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, which is leading the investigation.”

Sei whales are an endangered species with an estimated population of at most 80,000. NOAA estimates that commercial whaling operations killed 300,000 sei whales for their meat and oil during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since whaling has been completely outlawed in the 1980s, ship strikes have been the most significant threat to whales. MSC Cruises told USA Today:

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life. We have comprehensive measures in place to help avoid collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life. This includes altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities.”

According to the International Whaling Commission , large vessels striking whales often go unnoticed and unreported as a result. The change in mortality rate caused by ship strikes is significant enough to be the difference between a species’ extinction and survival.

Massacring marine wildlife makes it even more difficult to stomach the notion of spending a vacation on a cruise ship. This is on top of cruise lines covering up sexual assault , having ships burst into flames and pumping out carbon dioxide on a scale comparable to a small industrialized nation.

For the latest news, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Cruise ship docks with dead endangered whale stuck on its bow

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A cruise ship arrived at a port in New York City with a 44-foot-long endangered whale caught on its bow dead.

The MSC Meraviglia arrived with the whale stuck at the Port of Brooklyn, before continuing on its route.

‘We can confirm with deep regret that on Saturday a whale was discovered on the bow of our ship as the vessel approached the port of New York,’ MSC Cruises spokesperson Sidney Sterling told Fox News Digital . ‘We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale.’

The whale was identified as a female Sei whale, which is an endangered species and typically lives in deeper waters far from the coastline, wrote the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society on Facebook on Wednesday.

Videos shared on YouTube zoomed in on the large whale floating at the bow of the ship and showed the Statue of Liberty farther away in the background.

The whale towed to shore at Sandy Hook in New Jersey ‘to allow for better access to heavy equipment and resources to conduct a necropsy’, said the conservation society.

An autopsy showed the whale had trauma along its right shoulder blade and had a fractured right flipper. It was still filled with food. Tissue and bone samples will be used to determine if its interaction with the ship was pre or post mortem, according to the organization.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.

Sterling said the cruise line is ‘deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life’.

‘We have comprehensive measures in place to help avoid collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life,’ stated Sterling

‘This includes altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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Port Milwaukee welcomes 1st cruise ship of 2024 season

Port milwaukee welcomes 1st cruise ship of season.

Port Milwaukee welcomed the Viking Octantis on Wednesday, May 1 – the first cruise ship to call on the city for the 2024 season.

MILWAUKEE - Port Milwaukee welcomed the Viking Octantis on Wednesday, May 1 – the first cruise ship to call on the city for the 2024 season.

This marks the third consecutive year that Octantis has arrived as the inaugural cruise ship. Port Milwaukee expects another strong cruising season in 2024, with 27 visits from seven vessels between early May and mid-October. Port officials estimate over 12,000 global passengers will visit Milwaukee this season.

Viking Octantis, its sister Viking Polaris, and the Pearl Seas vessel Pearl Mist will account for Milwaukee ’s early summer cruise visits, Port Milwaukee said. The port expects a significant increase in cruise vessel traffic in September as passengers set their sights on the region’s fall colors and fair weather.

Viking Octantis

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"The Great Lakes cruise industry is a big contributor to our region’s tourism," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement. "Cruise passengers continue to see why Milwaukee is a highly desirable destination."

Milwaukee earned a place on National Geographic's Best of the World list for 2023, the city said, an honor that strengthened the excitement for the cruising season and set the stage for another successful year.

Port Milwaukee carried the momentum from a record-breaking 2022 into the 2023 cruise season by welcoming the inaugural visits of the Hanseatic Inspiration and Viking Polaris. The number of unique cruise vessels that visited Milwaukee climbed to nine, the highest in any season.

"Today marks the official start of the 2024 cruise season and a great day for tourism in Milwaukee," Jackie Carter, Port Milwaukee's director, said in a statement. "Each cruise visit results from the hard work between the Port and our local, regional, and global partners. We look forward to warmly welcoming thousands of passengers who will visit our community throughout the season."

Viking Octantis arrives on May 1, first cruise ship of 2024 season (Courtesy: Port Milwaukee)

The public is encouraged to stay up-to-date on cruise ship arrivals and departures throughout the 2024 season by using Port Milwaukee’s virtual vessel tracker .

Gov. DeSantis declares storm emergency following destructive front

At least 1 dead after possible florida tornadoes.

At least one person was killed Friday morning when an intense squall line of thunderstorms brought damaging wind gusts across the South and multiple Tornado Warnings to the Tallahassee, Florida area.

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 12 North Florida counties on Friday after a powerful storm left tens of thousands of residents and businesses without electricity.

The morning storm ripped through Tallahassee, downing trees, ripping roofs off buildings, knocking over a construction crane, and significantly damaging Florida State University’s baseball stadium and the school’s iconic circus tent.

According to a city website, as of shortly before 5 p.m., nearly 80,000 customers of the Tallahassee municipal utility did not have electricity. The Florida Municipal Electric Association said crews were coming from other states to help restore power.

"In response to the extreme storm system that has impacted Tallahassee, causing widespread and extensive damage, the Florida Municipal Electric Association has called on its national mutual aid network to bring in more than 215 personnel from 20 utilities in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina to assist with power restoration efforts in the capital city," Amy Zubaly, the association’s executive director, said in a prepared statement.

The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper, citing information from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, reported that at least one person was killed in the storm. It said a 47-year-old woman died after a tree fell on her home.

DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Baker, Columbia, Gadsden, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla counties. DeSantis’ executive order said, in part, that "numerous tornadoes and strong wind gusts caused significant damage to critical state infrastructure, including wind and tree fall damage to residences, businesses, power lines and other infrastructure across North Florida."

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Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Tallahassee Community College closed their campuses on Friday due to the storm.

"The windows were shaking a little bit, and the wind was howling," FSU student Kylie Robinson told The News Service of Florida. "You could hear it. I knew it was close, so I went into my bathroom. I watched the lights slowly start to flicker, and then they finally went out."

The damaged tent was part of FSU’s "Flying High Circus," which its website says has been a tradition for over 75 years.

"This is our home," FSU student Giana Leto said. "At this university, once you’re a Nole, you’re always a Nole. The circus is so unique to this university, so seeing it almost completely destroyed is pretty devastating."

DeSantis’ emergency declaration authorized state Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to take several steps to help oversee the storm's response and recovery. It also made money from the state Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund available.

Rafah suffering will be 'unbearable'

Thousands flee Rafah as Israeli tanks gather on the edge of the city. At least three people were killed when severe storms ripped through the Southeast. And Stormy Daniels wrapped up her testimony.

👋 Hey, Thursday! Laura Davis here. It’s time to get caught up on the news!

But first: A pricy pineapple! 🍍 A limited number of these rare Rubyglow pineapples will be sold this year – and you can snag one for yourself for just $400. 

'Nowhere is safe': Dire warnings for people in Rafah

Thousands flee rafah as invasion nears.

About 80,000 people have fled the southern Gaza city of Rafah this week as Israeli tanks gather on the edge of the city and humanitarian aid is choked off by border closures, U.N. agencies said Thursday. "The toll on these families is unbearable," the U.N. Relief and Works Agency said. "Nowhere is safe."

What's going on with the cease-fire? Talks in Cairo were paused Thursday as hopes dimmed for a cease-fire agreement. No aid has entered through southern border crossings in two days because of the increasing intensity of Israel's military operations, which have also severed access to fuel, threatening hospitals, water wells and sewage pumps, which could run out of fuel within days, if not hours. 📍 Here's a look at the latest.

Storms tear through Southeast, leaving 3 people dead

A slew of hulking storms again began unleashing severe weather conditions across the Southeast on Thursday after storm systems inflicted widespread damage and left three people dead. 

Widespread damage: Strong wind gusts toppled trees and snapped utility poles throughout Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, the National Weather Service said. More than 120,000 were without power on Thursday in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Advisories left and right: In Tennessee, where nearly 8 inches of rain fell since Wednesday, flood advisories were in effect, and tornado advisories were active across southeastern Alabama, southern Georgia, parts of South Carolina and northern Florida. ⛈️ Here's the latest forecast.

• Bad news for hurricane season: La Niña looking more likely.

📸 See photos + video: Destruction after tornadoes, severe storms.

• Zombie colleges? Universities are rising from the dead online.
• Why do these generations worry they could become homeless.
• Dead whale found caught on the bow of a cruise ship.
• Aldi is lowering prices on over 250 items this summer.
• People with disabilities scramble after losing Medicaid benefits.
• They found new relatives on 23andMe. Then, the nightmare began.

Support the Short List and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Testimony concludes for Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels finished hours of combative cross-examination by Donald Trump's lawyer Thursday in the former president's New York hush money trial.

What happened today? Trump attorney Susan Necheles raised minor inconsistencies in how Daniels has told the story of her alleged sexual encounter with Trump over the years and pressed Daniels on the ways she has profited from telling her story. Daniels' story of that 2006 evening formed the basis for a $130,000 hush money payment she got from Trump lawyer Michael Cohen less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors allege the payment violated federal campaign finance laws and that Trump falsified records to cover it up. 👉 More from the courtroom.

• Tiny cell in a 'rabbit warren:' What Trump faces if jailed.
• Barron Trump makes political debut as GOP convention delegate.

🍎📚 Saluting our teachers!

Call me a teacher’s pet. I’ll take it. Whether they were my own incredible teachers (even those who fought tooth and nail to try and teach me math), those I’ve met over the years, or even my closest friends (shout out to Ms. Gill and Mrs. Hart!), I've always been a huge fan of educators. We wouldn’t be anywhere without these incredible, caring, smarty-pants humans! We asked you to shout out your favorites for Teacher Appreciation Week this week. Here’s what you said:

• Joyce H., Kansas: Margaret Callen, a business teacher in the '70s, always took the time to "encourage students to pursue their dreams."
• Rebecca S., Florida: Mrs. Erwin, a fifth grade teacher in W.V., nurtured a love of reading by sharing her massive book collection. "Needless to say, in my 70s, I'm still an avid reader."
• Haley W., Indiana: Mrs. Flynn, an eighth grade math teacher and basketball coach, spent her entire career putting her students first to make learning enjoyable and help them succeed. "To this day, she is a close mentor and friend in my life."
• Everybody at USA TODAY: Spencer Elliott, Short List editor and adjunct journalism professor. Don't you dare edit this out! The true brains behind The Short List. From helping me with math to jazzing up subject lines, he's the one who keeps this ship sailing smoothly. I learn something from Spencer every single day!

A break from the news

• 💐 Make Mother's Day brunch extra special.
• 👀 Beware of creeps! How to spot hidden cameras.
• 🛳️ Lose the crowds: Hop on a European river cruise.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi: [email protected]. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.