High winds, rough seas rock Royal Caribbean cruise ship sailing to Miami

Cruise ship passengers sailing from Spain to Florida were jostled about in rough seas and winds, injuring at least one person onboard. 

Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas ship was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean near Spain on Nov. 7 when the wind gusts picked up, throwing items and people around the ship, according to passengers onboard. 

Video taken by passenger Jonathan Parrish showed damaged furniture, broken glass and food items in the dining area after the rough patch of weather. 

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told FOX Weather in a statement that the ship stopped in Las Palmas, Spain, to allow an injured passenger to receive medical care. 

“During an unexpected wind gust near Tenerife, Spain, one of our sailings experienced sudden movement,” the statement read. “One guest was injured and required additional medical care, resulting in the ship calling into Las Palmas, Spain for a medical disembarkation. We communicated these changes directly with our guests.”

Another passenger onboard the ship told FOX Weather that the stop and weather delayed the sailing by three days. The ship is on its way to PortMiami, sailing across the Atlantic on Tuesday and expected to arrive on Thursday. 

The passenger said the seas are still rough. According to the cruise tracking website Cruise Mapper, the winds are moderate breezy and the waves are about 9 feet.