rogue waves cruise ships

'Rogue wave' strikes Antarctic cruise ship, leaves 1 dead and 4 injured

The Viking Polaris ship was sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina, at the time.

An American passenger on an Antarctic cruise died and four other guests were injured after their Viking ship was struck by a "rogue wave," officials said.

The incident happened on Tuesday around 10:40 p.m. local time while the Viking Polaris ship was sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina, Viking said.

MORE: Carnival cruise passenger who went overboard was 'dead set' on surviving

A guest died following the incident, Viking said, though did not share further details on the cause of death. The victim's family has been notified, the company said.

The passenger killed was a U.S. citizen, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to ABC News Friday.

"We are offering all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment," the spokesperson said.

The victim was confirmed as Sheri Zhu, 62, by Secretary of the Ushuaia Federal Court Melina Rodriguez.

Four other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were treated by the ship's doctor and medical staff, Viking said.

"We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities," Viking said in a statement Thursday. "Our focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel."

The ship sustained "limited damage" from the rogue wave and arrived in Ushuaia on Wednesday "without further incident," Viking said. Images taken of the docked ship showed several damaged windows.

Passengers on board the ship described choppy conditions leading up to the incident.

Californian Beverly Spiker told ABC News that a "huge smash" against the window of her and her husband's cabin caused her window frame to break.

"Clearly something big had happened," she said. "A lot of water came shooting in."

"Luckily, our windows did hold," she added, though said other rooms on their side of the ship were "washed out."

Spiker's cousin, Suzie Gooding, of North Carolina, told ABC News that at the time, the ship was going through the Drake Passage, "which is well-known for having turbulent seas."

Gooding said despite the conditions outside looking "horrible," the inside was "like a normal cruise ship" leading up to the incident. She said she felt a "sudden shudder" that caused cabinets to open.

"It was just unbelievable," she said. "At the time that it happened, we personally wondered if, you know, we knew that we weren't by any icebergs, but it's like, did we hit an iceberg? It just was so sudden."

Spiker said she and other passengers were "shook up" afterward.

"No matter what side of the boat you're on, it was felt throughout the ship that clearly something bad had happened," she said. "So everybody was pretty shook up."

MORE: Passengers hurt aboard Norwegian cruise ship after unexpected wind strikes: I felt 'like we're going to die'

The ship is docked as passengers await further travel plans from Viking, according to Gooding, who said that two other ships in their bay in Ushuaia were also damaged, possibly by rogue waves.

The Viking Polaris ship's next departure for the Antarctic, scheduled for Dec. 5, has been canceled "after careful consideration," the cruise line said.

Rogue, or extreme storm, waves are "greater than twice the size of surrounding waves" and are "very unpredictable," according to the National Ocean Service .

Ushuaia, at the southernmost tip of South America, is a common starting point for cruises to Antarctica.

ABC News' Matthew Seyler contributed to this report.

Related Topics

Has a Rogue Wave Ever Hit a Cruise Ship? (Can it Survive?)

Rogue waves can be huge and appear out of nowhere.   If you are new to cruising or have any concerns after hearing about these freak waves, you may wonder if a rogue wave has ever hit a cruise ship.  And if so, what happened?  Did it survive or capsize?

We look at some of the most famous interactions between rogue waves and cruise ships, discover just how big they can be, and find out what happens if and when they ever hit a cruise ship.

What is a Rogue Wave?

A rogue wave is a rare extra-large wave appearing on the ocean surface without warning.  They are not restricted to the seas and can occur on large open-water bodies such as lakes.

Rogue waves are defined as waves that are at least two times the significant wave height of the area.

The significant wave height is the average of the largest third of waves over a given period.

This makes rogue waves significantly larger than other waves in the area.

Rogue waves can be extremely dangerous for small and large vessels such as cruise ships and even oil rigs.

Rogue waves are also known by many other names that signify huge waves, including:

• Abnormal waves
• Episodic waves
• Extreme waves
• Freak waves
• Killer waves
• Monster waves

If a rogue wave is seen on the coastline, they are sometimes called a “sneaker wave” or a “king wave” in Australia.

How Large Can Rogue Waves Be?

The rogue way that hit Queen Elizabeth 2 was estimated to be up to 96ft in height, possibly the largest rogue wave ever witnessed.

Beating that was when a fishing boat was hit in 1991, and a series of buoys in the area recorded a rogue wave at 100.7 feet .

Other accounts of rogue waves report them to be over 50ft to 70ft.

It’s quite possible more rogue ways have reached more than 100 ft in size but the odds of them ever being in the vicinity of a cruise ship are very low.

What Causes a Rogue Wave?

The causes of rogue waves are still largely unknown, but scientists believe they are caused by a combination of factors.

One theory is that rogue waves are created when two different ocean swells combine to create a larger wave. This can happen when two weather systems with different wind speeds and directions interact.

Another theory is that rogue waves can be created due to strong winds blowing over a long fetch of water. For example, if a low-pressure system moved across the ocean with high winds.  The long fetch of water will create large swells which can combine to form a rogue wave.

Rogue waves aren’t just found in rough seas, they have also been known to occur in relatively calm sea conditions.

Can a Rogue Wave Sink a Cruise Ship (Or Capsize)?

Given that we have highlighted rogue waves can reach 100ft, it is entirely plausible that a rogue wave could capsize or sink a cruise ship, although the likelihood of this happening is extremely small.

The force of the water hitting the ship’s side at high speed would be enough to cause the cruise ship to tip over .

The weight of the water would also cause the ship’s hull to buckle and possibly break apart.

The pressure from the rogue wave could also cause severe damage to any windows and external features of the ship.

Inside the ship, passengers could be injured or even killed if thrown around by the force of the wave and hit by any internal objects.

Has a Rogue Wave hit a Cruise Ship?

There have been five recorded instances of a rogue wave hitting cruise ships or passengers carrying ocean liners (QE2).  There were no reported casualties, and all five ships survived to sail for many more years after.

Viking Polaris 

In December 2022, an expedition cruise ship sailing on the Antarctic was hit by a rogue wave. Windows were smashed on deck 2 on the port side of the ship.

A 62-year-old passenger has died after sustaining injuries from the broken glass. 4 other passengers were treated for injuries sustained from the accident.

One of the passengers reported how the rogue wave hits the cruise ship and that it took the brunt of the wave without it rocking the ship back and forth. She was surprised at how stable it remained.

You can watch the NBC news report here:

Holland America’s MS Prinsendam 

In 2007 the Holland America cruise ship MS Prinsendam (now MS Amera ) was hit by a rogue wave estimated to be 39ft high .

The ship, which at the time had a capacity of 835, was struck by a freak wave in Cape Horn, Chile.  Approximately 40 people were injured, with some requiring hospitalization.

MS Bremen and MS Caledonian Star 

In 2001 Bahamian-registered cruise ships  MS Bremen and MS Caledonian Star were both caught in a rogue wave in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Both were hit by a rogue wave around 98 feet high .  Both ships suffered damage, including smashed bridge windows and destroyed navigation and communications equipment.

The Bremen was adrift for 2 hours with no propulsion, while the Caledonian Star had to be tugged by the Argentinian Navy at the Argentine port of Ushuaia.

Both ships served many more years as sea vessels, and the Bremen is still sailing.

Queen Elizabeth 2

In September of 1995, the Cunard line Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner was hit by an estimated 92 to 96-foot high rogue wave caused by Hurricane Luis while crossing North Atlantic Ocean.

Although not technically cruise ships, ocean liners like the Titanic was , are built even more robustly to cope with the roughest seas on transatlantic crossings.

The freak wave hit the ship in the early hours, 200 miles off Newfoundland, as it was carrying almost 3000 passengers.   The cruise captain had previously requested all passengers stay in their quarters due to the hurricane conditions, and many would have been in their beds.

The ship took an almighty hit over the bow and subsequent hits by two more large waves.  Amazingly no one was injured.

Some photos of the damage, as well as first-hand experiences, can be read here .

On the page, someone who claimed to be “Chief Cashier on that Voyage” stated:

” If you saw the film The Perfect Storm and the scene with the fishing boat climbing up this enormous wave then that was us. “

Here’s a clip of the Giant wave to give you an idea of the experience that he was referring to:

MV Explorer

On the 26th of January 2005, the cruise ship MV Explorer, part of the Semester at Sea program, was hit by a 50ft rogue wave that smashed windows on the bridge, shorted navigational systems, and resulted in two engines failing.

The mid-sized cruise ship had approximately 700 students onboard at the time.

You can see a video of the aftermath and an example in our post of how a cruise ship does not tip over. Let’s just say even the aftermath was a scary experience, let alone being hit by the freak wave.

Further below, we have a video with footage the students filmed while in the ship after being hit by the freak wave.

Has a Rogue Wave Sunk a Cruise Ship?

While rogue waves are undoubtedly responsible for the sinking of smaller ships over the years, it’s very hard to know for certain if a rogue wave was the cause in many cases.

There are many accounts of ships going missing in the past without a trace, and it’s possible that some of these were due to rogue waves.

However, there have been no recorded cases of a rogue wave sinking a cruise ship.

The most likely reason for this is that technology has improved greatly over the years, and we are now better able to forecast weather and wave conditions in a way that would enable the crew and captain to take appropriate action to position the ship.

This means that cruise ships can avoid ocean areas where rogue waves are more likely to occur.

Albeit the real danger of rogue waves is that they are such sudden and unpredictable events that can appear without warning, there is only so much action a crew can take to avoid them.

Remember, in the event of a ship being damaged by a hit, cruise ships are equipped with enough liferafts and lifeboats for everyone .

Rest assured, cruise ship captains are some of the best ship captains in the world and your safety is paramount.

What Would Happen if a Rogue Wave Hit a Large Cruise Ship?

Many people wonder what would happen if a cruise ship was hit by one of the largest ever rogue waves.

There are many videos online of large waves hitting cruise ships, but they are just that large waves, nothing like being hit by a true rogue wave.

While there is no video evidence of a rogue wave hitting a cruise ship, the scenario has been played out on the big screen with huge modern-day cruise ships like those built by Royal Caribbean, such as Wonder of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.

Rogue Waves Hitting Cruises Ships

For those curious this clip from the movie Poseidon shows a rogue wave hitting a cruise ship and causing it to capsize.

Although it’s worth noting, this is pure fiction, and the size of the rogue wave is highly exaggerated in relation to the size of the ship.  In reality, a rogue wave has never capsized a modern cruise ship.

A  huge rogue wave has hit a passenger ocean liner (Queen Elizabeth 2), which came away relatively unscathed.

What Happens After Being Hit By a Rogue Wave?

Although the video below doesn’t show the cruise ship being hit by the rogue wave, it does re-enact the moment and includes real video footage of passengers dealing with the aftermath.

How Big of a Wave can a Cruise Ship Handle?

Modern cruise ships typically handle waves of up to 50 feet.

Cruise ships typically encounter waves of 10 to 15ft without most passengers barely realizing it. 

What Are the Chances of a Rogue Wave Hitting a Ship 

There are typically over 310 cruise ships sailing at any given time, with an estimated 25 million people taking a cruise each year.

The odds of a rogue wave hitting a cruise ship are extremely low, which is why we never hear of the event occurring.

Rogue wave events are relatively rare given the size of the oceans combined, and when they do happen often, there are no ships within the vicinity, let alone a cruise ship.

Can a Cruise Ship Survive a Rogue Wave?

While it’s very unlikely a rogue wave will hit a cruise ship, if one did, the chances are that the ship would survive as has been the case in the real-life examples we covered above.

The design of the cruise ships keeps them afloat in the roughest of seas would see them through, although a rogue wave far exceeds the usual expectations a cruise ship is expected to encounter.

How to Survive a Rogue Wave on a Cruise Ship?

As a passenger on a cruise ship potentially being hit by a rogue wave, the safest place to be would be your stateroom, this will help protect you from being thrown around or hit by flying debris, falling decor, or sliding furniture.

Stairwells and hallways are also safer locations to gather as there is less chance of being thrown larger distances and being hit by falling or moving objects. This is where students were told to gather on the MV Explorer after it was hit by a rogue wave and the ship lost propulsion amidst very stormy seas.

If you are on deck, hold on to something sturdy and stay low to the ground.

Pay close attention to listening out for any instructions from the captain over the loudspeakers. Passengers may be asked to put on lifevests and possibly make their way to the deck with the lifeboats if abandoning the ship is a possibility.

What Size Rogue Wave can Sink a Cruise Ship?

Cruise ships come in all sizes, from carrying just a few hundred passengers to those that can accommodate over 6,000 guests.

The chance of a rogue wave sinking any size cruise ship is highly remote.  The size of the rogue wave would have to be more than 70-100ft and hit the cruise at precisely the right angle.  Even then, it’s possible the ship would remain afloat as they are designed to do so.

The larger the cruise ship, the more stable it is in the water and the less chance of it being sunk by a rogue wave.

The main cruise lines, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Norwegian, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, and even Disney, have never had a ship even hit by a rogue wave and are of such sizes they should cope well if ever they were to encounter one.

However, as we covered above, one of Holland America’s cruise ships, the MS Prinsendam, was hit in 2007.

How is a Rogue Wave Different from a Tsunami?

A rogue wave is a one-off, large ocean wave that is not caused by an earthquake like a tsunami.   They can appear out of nowhere and without warning but only last briefly.

Tsunamis are often caused by the movement of land, usually an ocean floor, that leads to a massive displacement of water and causes the seas to move at high speeds over a large area.

Unlike rogue waves, tsunamis can be barely noticeable on the surfaces of the seas.  This makes them no threat to ships out at sea but can cause devastation to coastal areas as the waves increase in size as they come ashore.

Any cruise ships in ports or harbors would be at risk of being damaged in the path of a tsunami reaching land.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do rogue waves occur most often.

Rogue waves are known to occur in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, and the southeast coast of South Africa.

How Many Ships Have Sunk Because of Rogue Waves?

While no cruise ships have been sunk by rogue waves, other types of ships have.

One of them was the Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald which is thought to have been hit by a rogues wave on Lake Superior, one of the more expensive Lakes cruises . Although thankfully, not caused any cruise ships to sink on the Great lakes.

This also highlights that rogue waves don’t just pose a risk at sea but on any open body of water.

The only other instance of a rogue wave sinking a ship was when the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat, sank on the coast of  Nova Scotia in 1991 where a series of buoys reported a wave 100.7 feet high !

You can find a full list of ship and rogue events here , the vast majority of which did not sink.

How Many Ships Have Capsized Due to Rogue Waves?

Since the year 2000, they have only been a couple of reports of boats and ships capsizing by rogue waves, and neither were cruise ships.

The only ship was in November 2000 when a 56ft research vessel, the R/V Ballena, was struck by a rogue wave near Point Conception off Santa Barbara, California.   The ship was destroyed, but all the crew managed to survive.

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While rogue waves are an interesting topic, the chance of one hitting a cruise ship is so remote it’s not something to be of concern.

Cruise ships are designed to withstand huge waves and the roughest seas in storms, so even if a rogue wave did hit, the ship would remain afloat, and damage would be minimal.

What is the Draft of a Cruise Ship? (and Why Does it Matter?)

How Many Doors on a Cruise Ship? (Yes, I Counted)

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Rogue Wave Strikes Cruise Ship, Killing a Passenger and Injuring 4 Others

The passengers were hurt after a large, unpredictable wave hit the ship, which was traveling toward the Antarctic, Viking Cruises said.

By Amanda Holpuch

A passenger died and four others were injured after a large, unexpected wave hit a cruise ship traveling toward a popular launching point for expeditions to Antarctica, Viking Cruises said.

The ship, the Viking Polaris, was struck by a “rogue wave” on Tuesday at 10:40 p.m. local time while traveling toward Ushuaia, Argentina, which is on the southern tip of South America, Viking Cruises said in a statement .

Viking Cruises did not say how the passenger was killed or provide the passenger’s name. The four passengers who were injured were treated by onboard medical staff and had non-life-threatening injuries, Viking Cruises said.

A State Department official said that a U.S. citizen died and that the department was offering consular assistance to the person’s family.

Rogue waves are unpredictable, typically twice the size of surrounding waves and often come from a different direction than the surrounding wind and waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Scientists are still trying to figure out how and when these uncommon waves form.

Ann Mah, of Topeka, Kan., told the news station WIBW that she and her husband were on the ship when it was hit by the wave and that it was “just like your whole house got shook really hard.”

“I mean, it was just a thud,” Ms. Mah said.

The Viking Polaris was launched this year and was designed for travel to remote destinations such as the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship is 665 feet long and can carry 378 passengers and 256 crew members.

The ship sustained “limited damage” from the wave and arrived in Ushuaia the day after it was struck, Viking Cruises said.

The cruise company canceled the Viking Polaris’s next scheduled trip, a 13-day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula.

“We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities,” the company said.

Tourism to the Antarctic has steadily increased in the last 30 years, with 74,401 people traveling there in the 2019-20 season, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Roughly 6,700 people traveled there in the 1992-93 season, according to the association.

In recent years, some observers have warned that the increase in tourism may not be sustainable and that it could threaten visitor safety or disrupt the fragile environment, which is already straining under the effects of climate change.

It is the beginning of the Antarctic tourism season, which coincides with its summer, beginning in late October or early November and usually lasting until March.

The death on the Viking Cruises ship this week comes after the death of two other cruise ship passengers in the Antarctic last month. Two Quark Expeditions cruise ship passengers died after one of the ship’s heavy duty inflatable Zodiac boats overturned near shore, Seatrade Cruise News reported .

Amanda Holpuch is a general assignment reporter. More about Amanda Holpuch

Watch CBS News

Rogue wave kills navigation system on cruise ship with nearly 400 on board as deadly storm hammers northern Europe

December 22, 2023 / 9:05 AM EST / CBS/AP

A cruise ship in the North Sea was hit by a massive rogue wave, causing a power outage and disabling the vessel's navigation system late on Thursday, Danish authorities said, as a deadly storm brought heavy rain and strong winds across northern Europe overnight and into Friday.

The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud temporarily lost power on Thursday after encountering the rogue wave. Its operator, Hurtigruten Expedition, said in a statement that the 266 guests and 131 crew were uninjured and that the vessel, initially headed for the English port of Tilbury, would be diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.

Danish Search and Rescue said the vessel could "maneuver via emergency systems, and it has two civilian support vessels close by."

Reuters reported that the ship was being towed to Bremerhafen in Germany after the power outage. A spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre told the news agency that a ship from civil rescue firm Esvagt had managed to connect a tow line to the MS Maud.

"An Esvagt ship is towing it slowly towards Bremerhafen in Germany at around 8-9 knots," the spokesperson told Reuters.

On Thursday, high winds also grounded flights in parts of the U.K., suspended train services and stopped Scottish ferries.

Women killed by falling trees

The storm also brought down trees and prompting warnings of flooding on the North Sea coast. A woman in Belgium was fatally injured by a falling Christmas tree, while another tree killed a person in the Netherlands.

The 65-foot Christmas tree collapsed onto three people at a busy market in Oudenaarde in western Belgium late Thursday, killing a 63-year-old woman and injuring two other people. The Christmas market was immediately canceled.

A woman who was struck by a falling tree on Thursday in the eastern Dutch town of Wilp later died of her injuries, her employer said.

Pre-Christmas rail travelers in parts of Germany faced disruption. National railway operator Deutsche Bahn said Friday there were cancellations on routes from Hamburg and Hannover to Frankfurt and Munich, while long-distance services from Hamburg northward to Kiel and Flensburg weren't running, among other disruptions.

The company said that falling trees damaged overhead electric wires or blocked tracks largely in northern Germany, but also in the central state of Hesse.

In Hamburg, the Elbe River flooded streets around the city's fish market, with water waist-high in places. German authorities warned of a storm surge of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) or more above mean high tide on parts of the North Sea coast on Friday.

Streets around harbors flooded overnight in some Dutch North Sea towns including Scheveningen, the seaside suburb of The Hague.

The huge Maeslantkering storm barrier that protects Rotterdam from high sea levels automatically closed for the first time because of high water levels - meaning that all six major storm barriers that protect the low-lying Netherlands were closed at the same time. The nation's water and infrastructure authority said that was also a first. By Friday morning, all six barriers were open again as winds eased.

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Deadly 'rogue wave' smashes into cruise ship near Antarctica — but where did it come from?

A suspected rogue wave recently crashed into a cruise ship near Antarctica killing one and injuring four others. Where did it come from?

A suspected "rogue wave" recently smashed into a cruise ship sailing from Antarctica to Argentina. The freak event killed one person and injured four others. But where do these freakishly tall waves come from? And is climate change expected to make them more common or extreme? 

On the night of Nov. 29, an unusually massive wave hit the cruise ship Viking Polaris as it was sailing through the Drake Passage in Antarctica's Southern Ocean toward Ushuaia, a port in Argentina where many Antarctic cruises start and end, French news agency AFP reported. 

The force of the massive wall of water sent passengers flying and smashed several exterior windows, which flooded some rooms and caused further structural damage inside. A 62-year-old American woman, Sheri Zhu, was killed by injuries sustained from the broken glass and four other people received non-life-threatening injuries, according to Australian news site ABC News . 

"This wave hit and came over and literally broke through windows and just washed into these rooms," Tom Trusdale, a passenger aboard the Viking Polaris when the incident happened, told ABC News. "Not only did it wash into the rooms, but it [also] broke walls down."

Related: What's the tallest wave ever recorded on Earth?

Viking, the travel company that owns the Viking Polaris, announced on Dec. 1 that the tragic event was a suspected "rogue wave incident." Upcoming cruises have been canceled until the ship can be fully repaired and a proper investigation into what happened has been carried out. 

What are rogue waves?

Rogue waves are freak waves that are at least twice as high as the surrounding sea state — the average height of the waves for a given area at a given time, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The massive walls of water come from seemingly out of nowhere and without warning.

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The exact mechanisms behind the rogue waves are still unknown, but researchers think the freakish crests are formed when smaller waves merge into larger ones, either due to high surface winds or changes in ocean currents caused by storms, according to NOAA. 

It is currently unclear if the wave that hit the Viking Polaris qualifies as an official rogue wave because there is no accurate data on the wave height or the surrounding sea state. A storm was raging when the wave hit, CNN reported, which could have provided the necessary conditions for a rogue wave to form. But the Drake Passage is also a notoriously treacherous part of the Southern Ocean, with deep waters that are fed by the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which makes it capable of producing very large non-rogue waves as well, according to Britannica . 

— Stunning satellite image shows immense power of monster 7-story waves in Portugal

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On Dec. 2, a passenger onboard another cruise ship in the Drake Passage shared a video of another massive, but less destructive, wave on Twitter .

The largest rogue wave ever recorded was the Draupner wave, an 84-foot-tall (25.6 meters) wave that was observed near Norway in 1995. However, the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded was the Ucluelet wave, a 58-foot-tall (17.7 m) wave that was detected by an ocean buoy off the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia in November 2020. The Ucluelet wave is regarded as the most extreme rogue wave because it was around three times higher than surrounding waves, while the Draupner wave was only around twice as tall compared with the surrounding sea state.

In 2019, a study published in the journal Scientific Reports predicted that rogue waves could become less frequent but more extreme in the future due to the effects of human-caused climate change. 

Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology. His feature on the upcoming solar maximum was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence in 2023. 

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'Rogue wave' hits Viking cruise ship, killing 1 passenger and injuring 4 others

One person died and four others were injured after a "rogue wave" hit the Viking Polaris cruise ship while it was sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina, on Tuesday night, officials said.

“It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident,” Viking said in a statement Thursday. “We have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest sympathies. We will continue to offer our full support to the family in the hours and days ahead.”

The name and hometown of the passenger was not released, but Argentine authorities identified her as a 62-year-old American who was hit by broken glass when the wave broke cabin windows, according to The Associated Press .

The four other guests had non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment from doctors and medical staff onboard.

Rogue waves, or extreme storm waves, are uncommon, unpredictable and "greater than twice the size of surrounding waves," according to the National Ocean Service . They are described as "walls of water" in most reports.

Suzie Gooding, who was on the ship when the incident happened, recalled feeling like they'd hit an iceberg, according to NBC affiliate WRAL of Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Everything was fine until the rogue wave hit, and it was just sudden. Shocking,” Gooding told the news station. “We didn’t know if we should get our gear ready for abandoning ship.”

The ship "sustained limited damage during the incident" and arrived in Ushuaia Wednesday afternoon, Viking said in its statement.

"We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities," the company said. "Our focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel."

The Viking Polaris’ next departure, the Antarctic Explorer cruise scheduled for Dec. 5-17, was canceled due to the incident.

Breaking news reporter

Rogue Waves: How Likely Are You To Encounter One On A Cruise?

Sudden freaks of nature in the sea can swallow helicopters and sink ships. These are rogue waves, but they're relatively rare — or are they?

Rogues waves, also referred to as "extreme storm waves", "freak waves", or "killer waves", maintained their place among marine folklore for hundreds of years. Although these tremendous titan tsunamis that swallow ships seemingly — and suddenly — have spooked seafarers for centuries, they were officially recorded for the first time in the 1990s.

Even since, a common denominator applies to numerous experts the world over: the study of these sudden swells. Some historians and scientists even attribute the demise of many sunken shipwrecks resting under the surface around the globe to such titanic waves, from the chilly seas of the Northern Hemisphere to the tropical waters of the Bermuda Triangle — where a graveyard of ghostly shipwrecks await .

To date, little is known about rogue waves, which are defined as waves twice as high as the background ocean. Some can even attain heights of over 30 meters — and, in their strongest, most catastrophic form, can sweep people out to sea and even sink an entire ship. Unsunk vessels, though, often don't escape unscathed. That's the case of a fated cruise ship, which, last November, was hit by one such suspected and destructive rogue swell in the sea.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise

What Happened To The Viking Cruise Ship Hit By A Rogue Wave?

It was the night of November 29, 2022, when the 202-meter (662 feet) cruise ship, the Viking Polaris , sailed through the Drake Passage in Antarctica's Southern Ocean toward Ushuaia port — the latter where many Antarctic cruises begin and end. While not one of the biggest cruise ships in the world , it covers long-haul ventures, catering to global passengers.

The ship, owned by travel company Viking , was on its way from Antarctica to Argentina; however, an abnormally huge wave struck the vessel as it voyaged through the said port, smashing a number of exterior windows, flooding several rooms, and causing internal structural damage.

The power of this kinetic wall of water also shook passengers, sending them flying into the air. Sadly, the event led to the death of a 62-year-old American woman who sustained serious injuries. Four other guests also suffered injuries, although not life-threatening. In the aftermath, Viking expressed its deepest sympathies and launched an investigation into the incident.

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Saddening it was — a bucket-list dream trip for the passengers on board that resulted in tragedy — but these gargantuan waves are somewhat rare. Or are they? There are questions to be asked. What are these huge-and-sudden sea swells, and how are they formed? And, perhaps more worryingly, does climate change affect their prevalence?

What Are Rogue Waves?

Rogue waves aren't like the swells that surfers seek at the various beaches where the world's biggest waves break . No, these gigantic watery walls are essentially "freak" waves. To qualify, they're at least twice as high as the surrounding sea; ergo, the average height of the waves for a given area at a given time, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains . It's not solely these swells' size that shivers the spine; it's that they seem to appear out of thin air — and typically without any warning.

Related: Not Just Waves: 10 Most Instagrammable Surfing Spots In The World

How Are Rogue Waves Formed?

How rogue waves are formed remains unknown, but scientists do have some valid explanations based on accrued findings from research over the years. When a storm develops waves in a water current that go against the usual wave direction, the movement shortens the wave frequency. In other words, according to the NOAA , it's thought that these powerful rogue crests are created when smaller waves blend into larger ones. This interaction between smaller and larger waves may occur due to high ocean surface winds or changes in currents — changes typically caused by storms.

At the moment, it's not yet confirmed if the Viking Polaris was indeed hit by a rogue wave due to a lack of data on the wave's height and the state of the surrounding sea. Various news outlets reported that a storm was happening when the suspected rogue wave stuck — a storm being a potentially necessary risk factor for this kind of freakish swell, which is believed to cultivate the required conditions for rogue wave formation.

At the same time, the area where the ship was sailing — Drake Passage — also comes into question. This part of the Southern Ocean is infamously perilous; the mighty Antarctic Circumpolar Current feeds its deep waters, fostering an environment below the surface that leads to big but not rogue waves, scientifically speaking.

Related: Praia do Norte, Portugal: Home to The Largest Waves Ever Surfed

What Is The Biggest Rogue Wave Ever Recorded?

The largest rogue wave ever documented was the Draupner wave. Recorded in Norway in 1995, the humongous freak wave reached 25.6 meters (84 feet) in height. It might have been the biggest, but it wasn't the most extreme of its kind ever recorded in terms of size difference between its height and the surrounding sea.

As Live Science reports, the most extreme rogue wave was the Ucluelet in November 2020. At 17.7 meters high (58 feet), it was clocked by an ocean buoy located off the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. To classify as "rogue", a wave must be at least twice as high as the surrounding water — but the Ucluelet was three times higher, whereas the Draupner was only twice as tall compared with the surrounding sea state.

Though ships are obviously most at risk of rogue waves, these biblical-like phenomena can even swallow rescue helicopters as they hover down toward the water. Still, what are the odds of a rogue wave, and seeing as they can and do strike ships, as evidenced in the case of the Viking Polaris , do cruise vacationists need to be concerned?

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What Are The Chances Of Getting Hit By A Rogue Wave?

Scientists estimate that only one in 10,000 waves is a rogue wave . ANU theoretical physicist Professor Nail Akhmediev, who has worked on predicting rogue waves via equations, said, "there would be at least 10 of them at any one time in the ocean", as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald .

Furthermore, a 2019 study published in Scientific Reports that utilized data from the US coast suggests that rogue waves might become less frequent but more extreme due to climate change. In the most significant rogue wave study undertaken to date, experts examined two decades of readings from buoys along the western seaboard of America. The buoys' findings indicated that from 1994 to 2016, the prevalence of rogue waves decreased; however, they did increase in height.

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Although the report's results suggest these waves may become less common but more extreme, the team of scientists said the study's findings could be geographically specific to the region of the ocean they studied. More data on a global scale is required to expand on the study.

Since experts expect climate change to influence rogue waves as the future unfolds, it's of little surprise they hope to learn more about these freaks of mother nature — to discover how and when they may appear. They're a growing threat to the worldwide shipping industry — yet also cruise ship tourism, it would seem. As many luxe cruise ships will sail in 2023 and beyond, the looming issue of rogue waves, albeit rare occurrence to some degree, has scientists', travel operators', and cruise enthusiasts' attention.

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Norwegian cruise ship loses power after it was hit by rogue wave in North Sea

A Norwegian cruise ship with more than 250 passengers on board lost power on Thursday, Dec. 21, after the vessel encountered a rogue wave during a storm, the cruise company HX said.

The MS Maud sustained a temporary loss of power while sailing to Tilbury, England, from Florø, Norway, HX said in a statement to NBC News. No serious injuries were reported among the 266 passengers and 131 crew members, according to HX.

"The condition of the ship remains stable and the crew are able to sail under their own power," a spokesperson for HX said.

The Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said in a statement to NBC News the ship's crew is navigating the vessel manually via emergency systems, and that two civilian support ships are helping to navigate the waters in the North Sea .

HX said after following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, the company amended the ship's planned route to sail to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.

"Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard," a spokesperson for the company said.

The storm's hurricane-force winds smashed windows on the MS Maud, and passengers aboard described the frightening situation.

Dorothy Hallam, a passenger on board, wrote on social media, "We've been sat on the floor in our muster stations for hours wearing our safety suits and life jackets and there's no sign of us being allowed up any time soon. We were thrown about a lot."

Ian Roberts, another passenger, wrote on Facebook about the unexpected change in holiday plans.

"Sorry for those whose Christmas treat has been spoiled. However, crew on board Maud have been exemplary in looking after us in what was initially quite a tricky situation," Roberts said.

The MS Maud isn't the first ship to encounter rough seas in the North Sea — dramatic videos of huge waves crashing in the area have become a source of fascination on TikTok.

While the waters of the North Sea can be turbulent, marine experts said it's generally safe for the hundreds of thousands of ships that pass through every year.

Anna Kaplan is a news and trending reporter for TODAY.com.

Do You Need to Worry About Rogue Waves on a Cruise?

There is a saving grace for cruise passengers

On Nov. 29, a suspected rogue wave slammed into the brand-new luxury expedition ship Viking Polaris on the Drake Passage, the infamously rough body of water separating South America and Antarctica. The wall of water blew out windows to cabins, unfortunately killing one passenger and injuring four others.

This is not the first time a cruise ship has been struck by a rogue wave. In 2005, Norwegian Dawn was hit by a rogue wave estimated to be 70 feet tall , flooding a number of cabins. In 1995 Queen Elizabeth 2 encountered a rogue wave estimated to be 95 feet tall . And many a ship is thought to have been sunk by rogue waves, including the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank during a storm on Lake Superior in 1975; all 29 crew perished.

So, are rogue waves something you need to be concerned about on your next cruise? 

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines rogues as "waves which are greater than twice the size of surrounding waves, are very unpredictable, and often come unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing wind and waves."

Seafarers have reported the phenomenon in their logs for centuries, but rogue waves were not studied in depth until 1995, when a measuring instrument on an oil rig near Norway recorded the first data-based evidence of a rogue wave. The Draupner wave, as it is called, reached a height of 85 feet—what science, at the time, deemed a "1-in-10,000-years" wave.

Since then, data show that rogue waves occur far more frequently than that. In 2004, two European Space Agency radar satellites identified 10 giant waves during a three-week period.

Despite continued research, we've learned very little about rogue waves, and they're still effectively impossible to predict. In a 2021 study, lead author Dion Häfner wrote, "By now, we know several ways to produce truly exceptional waves in wave tanks and simulations. However, things are more difficult in the real ocean, where theoretical assumptions (such as unidirectionality) break down. The causes of real-world rogue waves are therefore still unknown, and heavily debated."

Häfner did note that rogue waves "pose a substantial threat to seafaring vessels and offshore structures." 

The saving grace for cruise passengers, however, is that it's rare to encounter rogue waves at sea. In many cases, rogue waves are relatively short-lived, according to NOAA, unlike a tsunami that may travel around the world.

In fact, I happened to be on the Drake Passage at the same time as Viking Polaris, aboard Atlas Ocean Voyages' Atlas World Traveller. While we experienced a moderate swell of about 15 feet, which is a somewhat calm day on the Drake, we did not encounter the rogue wave.

For what it's worth—though this is no consolation to the loved ones of the deceased—cruising is one of the safest modes of transportation. Between 2009 and 2019, only 34 passengers and 31 crew died on cruise ships, per a report by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) . By comparison, 1.35 million people die in car accidents each year.

So while rogue waves are a dangerous and unpredictable force of nature that does threaten cruise ships, they don't need to be at the forefront of your mind when booking a voyage.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. "What Is A Rogue Wave?" Accessed December 9, 2022.

American Physical Society. "January 1, 1995: Confirmation of the Existence of Rogue Waves." Accessed December 9, 2022.

Scientific Reports. "Real-world Rogue Wave Probabililities." May 12, 2021.

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Cruise passenger describes the moment their ship was hit by a rogue wave: 'You could just see a wall of water, no sky or anything'

• A rogue wave smashed into a cruise ship on Thursday, causing it to lose power, Reuters reported .
• The wave struck the Norwegian ship, the MS Maud, and knocked out its navigation abilities.
• A passenger on board said that at one point, she could just see "a wall of water, no sky or anything."

The MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship, lost its ability to navigate after a rogue wave knocked out its power on Thursday.

The ship, operated by HX, a cruise company owned by Norway's Hurtigruten Group, was about 120 miles from Denmark's west coast when the wave struck, Reuters reported . The wave's force shattered some of the ship's windows and caused it to tilt "pretty violently," passenger Elizabeth Lawrence told Business Insider. She was one of 266 passengers and 131 crew members.

Lawrence, who had picked the cruise to see the Northern Lights, said the day started out with fairly big waves but that the captain had let passengers know to expect that. But as the day went on, the waves got bigger until they were large enough to spray her window on the sixth deck, she said.

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"The situation started with the ship's horn sounding for an extremely long time, then the PA system came on, and we just heard scuffling and general moving around noises," Lawrence said. Then, passengers heard the alarm that meant they should head to their muster stations — the place on board where guests gather in case of an emergency.

"I only had to go down a nearby flight of stairs to get to my muster station in the main restaurant, but the ship was tilting pretty violently. When it was all the way over to one side, you could just see a wall of water, no sky or anything," she told BI.

Even in moments of sheer fear, our fellow passengers found levity from the destruction of the Gingerbread Town that collapsed, fragmented & slid around us in Muster Station A Deck 5 18.19 21.12.23 #Hurtigruten #MSMaud whilst #StormPia raged around us. https://t.co/vBjwTDa3v1 pic.twitter.com/iqRkGdZGTG — Oscar Dog (@OscarWoofs) December 23, 2023

Lawrence added that while in their muster stations, passengers were given "survival suits" — or suits that "dramatically extend survival times" with insulation, per the Coast Guard .

She said they didn't get an update for about 20 minutes but that, during that time, crew members helped guests put on their suits, reassured nervous passengers, and brought out water and snacks once things had calmed down.

According to Reuters, a tow boat arrived to help the ship Thursday night. Hurtigruten told the outlet in a statement that no serious injuries resulted from the rogue wave.

"At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious passenger or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident and the condition of the ship remains stable," the statement said.

Lawrence told BI that while she probably won't head to the North Sea in the winter again, she would still cruise with HX in the future.

"The whole thing was very scary at the time, but I think everything was handled as well as possible, considering the circumstances," she said.

Watch: Cruise ship captain breaks down 8 cruise ship disasters in movies and TV

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FinanceBuzz

10 Types of People Who Should Never Go on a Cruise

Posted: November 7, 2023 | Last updated: February 7, 2024

Some people spend their entire lives dreaming about — and saving up for — their dream cruise vacation.  For other would-be vacationers, a cruise isn’t so much the perfect dream as the perfect nightmare.

No one wants to put a charge on their travel credit card or waste their paid time off on a vacation they end up hating, so it pays to figure out if you’re the cruising type or not before you book those tickets.

We describe the 10 types of people who should avoid a cruise at all costs. Read on to figure out if you’re one of them.

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People who worry about getting sick

Embarking on an adventure exposes you not just to new sights, sounds, and experiences but also to fun and exciting new diseases. 

Cruises in particular have a special reputation for spreading disease — specifically the norovirus, which causes acute gastrointestinal distress, and the flu. If you're worried, you can avoid the mistake of wasting money on something you won't enjoy.

The CDC also warns that diseases might spread faster on cruise ships because of their tight quarters. Flu outbreaks are a problem on cruise ships, which can deter retirees who want to take a cruise in their golden years.

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People who want an authentic cultural experience in another country

Even if you cruise around the Caribbean or Mediterranean, you shouldn’t count on having an immersive cultural experience in Greece or the Bahamas. 

Most ships only dock for a few hours before cruising to the next destination, so you won’t have time to explore. Plus, cruise ships are ocean-based resorts, and resorts aren’t built with the local population in mind. 

You’re walled off from the local culture and people, sometimes literally: Royal Caribbean, for instance, owns a private beach in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world.

People who don’t like enclosed spaces

Cruise ships are massive. With dozens of floors and amenities like pools and gyms. They can feel more like floating city blocks (or just plain cities) than what they really are: Enclosed spaces surrounded by nothing but the endless ocean.

Some people feel as free on a vast, entertainment-filled ship as they do on land. But if you tend to avoid small spaces and get panicky if you don’t have several obvious escape routes from any given room, avoid cruises too.

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People who care more about the destination than the journey

When you’re traveling by cruise ship, the journey is the entire point. You might stop at a few locations, but most of your time will be spent on the ship itself. 

If you’re more interested in exploring fascinating new locations than spending time in transit, or if you’re longing for a journey with more variation than different ship decks, skip the cruise.

Pro tip: No matter the vacation you go on, you could benefit from booking with a credit card that enables you to earn cash back so that your money can go further.

People who are afraid of the ocean

If your fear of the ocean stems from “Jaws” or “The Meg,” you could end up enjoying a cruise in spite of its watery locale. 

But if your ocean fears were inspired more by “Titanic” or “The Poseidon Adventure,” you may want to steer clear of a cruise. A rogue wave isn’t likely to capsize a cruise ship, and there have only been a handful of cruise-sinking incidents in the last 100 years. 

But if you aren’t reassured by the knowledge that cruise ships can roll 60 degrees to either side before capsizing or that most cruise ships were built to withstand 50-foot waves, we don’t blame you — and we don’t recommend that you take a cruise anytime soon.

People who tend to get motion sickness

Some passengers don’t notice the constant motion of the sea when they’re on a cruise ship. The ships themselves are built for maximum balance and stability, so if the seas aren’t choppy you shouldn’t feel much motion. 

However, some people are more prone to motion sickness than others. If you usually get queasy on small boats or during car rides, you could feel the same way on a cruise.

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People who don’t drink

Not every cruise has to be a booze cruise, but there’s no denying that alcohol is one of the main drivers of the cruise ship industry. 

One study found that cruise ship passengers typically have around five drinks a day, and the Carnival cruise line’s current alcohol policy lets passengers consume up to 15 drinks a day before cutting them off.

As any non-drinker knows, it’s not fun to be the only sober person in the room, much less on a massive cruise ship. 

Pro tip: If you're trying to keep more money in your wallet when booking your cruise, you'll want to ditch most of the alcohol purchases because it can get expensive fast. 

People who hate crowds

If alone time is your favorite thing about vacationing, skip the cruise. Depending on the ship, you’ll be spending your vacation with 3,000 to 6,000 fellow passengers plus thousands of crew members. 

You can escape the crowds for a bit by chilling in your cabin, but rooms on cruise ships aren’t large. The most wallet-friendly rooms can be as small as 85 to 100 square feet.

You won’t find a reprieve from the crowd at mealtime either. On most cruise ships, meals are served buffet-style in massive meal rooms that can accommodate hundreds of people.

People who want to save money

Drinks might be the priciest part of cruise life, but they’re definitely not the only expense. Cruise ships usually have their own mall areas with boutiques, gift shops, electronics stores, and (you guessed it) bars. 

Since you’re at sea, there’s nowhere to shop except the ship itself, so don't expect any bargains. It's better to  avoid throwing away money  by buying the products you want somewhere else for a much better price.

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People who hate waiting in lines

Not all of your 3,000 fellow passengers will disembark at a dock, but enough of them do that you could spend ages waiting in line to get off the ship, then ages waiting to get back on the ship.

For some people, waiting in line is a necessary but survivable evil. (Maybe a tolerance for long lines explains why Disney cruises are so popular.) 

For others, waiting in line is the worst form of torture and is a foolish mistake that needs avoiding . If that’s you, we can safely say you’re going to hate cruises unless you don't intend to get off at a port.

Bottom line

Some individuals love cruises so much that they live frugally, save plenty, and supplement their Social Security income so they can spend as much post-retirement time on the sea as possible. 

But if cruises don’t sound like your thing, don’t worry — and don’t listen to anyone who insists a cruise is crucial to your bucket list. 

You have infinite options for meaningful vacations, and you deserve to spend your money on a trip you’ll absolutely love.

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