Passengers aboard Royal
Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas got an unexpected jolt recently when a rogue
wave struck the cruise ship on its return to Baltimore from Bermuda.
The incident caused the ship to rock sharply, sending dishes and glassware
tumbling across dining rooms and bars.
The
78,340-gross-ton vessel had set sail from Baltimore on September 20, 2025, for
a five-night roundtrip voyage to Bermuda. As it headed back to its Maryland
homeport, it was suddenly hit by an unusually large wave, which caused the ship
to tilt heavily for several minutes, Cruise
Hive reported.
Videos of the
episode, shared widely on social media, show diners clinging to tables and
chairs as carts of dishes slid across the floors. One passenger who posted a
clip to TikTok, @evanddddddddddd,
described the scene: “The ship hit some waves the wrong way and tipped for a
few minutes. Everyone was holding on as not to slip.”
The passenger
added, “The bar floor was the worst with glass and liquor everywhere,” noting
that crew members quickly cordoned off the slippery areas to protect guests. “They
are trained and experienced,” the poster said. “They are more worried about
safety rather than the mess.”
Despite the chaos,
no injuries were reported, though a few people lost their balance and some
children were understandably frightened.
The social media snippets
quickly went viral, with the main video amassing over 7.7 million views and a
follow-up clip attracting another 1.8 million views at press time. Commenters
weighed in with mixed reactions, with some seasoned cruisers shrugging it off
as part of the adventure, while others admitted that the unexpected jolt would
have unsettled them.
The Vision of the
Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s oldest vessels, is a Vision-class ship built in
1998 with capacity for more than 2,000 passengers. It is equipped with
stabilizers designed to smooth out rough seas, but rogue waves—sometimes more
than twice the height of surrounding swells—can overpower even modern cruise
technology.
Passenger reports
confirmed that the lurch lasted only a few minutes, but the impact was felt
throughout the ship. Dining and lounge areas were temporarily closed while
staff cleaned up broken glass and checked for hazards. Observers on social
media praised the crew’s calm and effective response.
The ship completed
its voyage safely and returned to Baltimore. Vision of the Seas has since
embarked on its next journey—a nine-night sailing to Canada
and New England that departed on September 25, 2025.
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