Norwegian Cruise Line passengers on ship that sailed through 'bomb cyclone' describe 'nightmare' ride

close

Video

Millions impacted by deep freeze caused by 'bomb cyclone'

Bryan Llenas reports from frigid New York City.

Passengers on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship that sailed through the thick of the “bomb cyclone” described the “nightmare” two-day ride that left them “traumatized” after sailing through 30-feet waves in the Atlantic Ocean to New York City.

The Norwegian Breakaway docked in New York City on Friday after the winter storm system wreaked havoc along the East Coast. Karoline Ross, who was with 20 other family members onboard the cruise to the Bahamas, told CBS New York water was pouring down the stairs in the cruise.

“When you’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean and water is pouring down the stairs, you’re thinking ‘this is not going to end well,” Ross said.

Another family member, Del Ross, described water dripping from the ship’s ceiling, elevator shafts, and at least two inches of water filling her room while showers were “exploding.”

“There were people crying, everyone was throwing up. It was a nightmare,” Olivia Ross described to CBS2. “It was so tilted I was shaking.”

Passenger Emma Franzese said she was “completely traumatized” by the experience and will “never go on any type of boat again.” Conor Vogt said he was “holding on for dear life,” adding, “I honestly wasn’t sure we were going to make it through the night. The boat was tilted like crazy.”

“I flew across the room, landed in the bathroom, and then I got up, I got into my bed and said a prayer. That’s how I felt that night,” Elizabeth Vogt said, but added that the crew “put on a really happy face” throughout the ordeal.

Brenda Wriedt said the ship’s captain provided little information to passengers besides described the sailing conditions as “rough seas.”

“The captain should’ve told us a little more. He kept saying, ‘we’re in rough seas.’ Well no crap we’re in rough seas,” she said.

Norwegian said in a statement the ship “encountered stronger than forecasted weather conditions” due to the “bomb cyclone” on Wednesday and Thursday and apologized to its passengers.