6 cruise ship disasters
While a cruise nowadays is a safe way to explore the world in consummate luxury, in the early days catching a cruise ship was by no means smooth sailing. Here are 6 cruise ship disaster stories.
1. The Titanic
After colliding into an iceberg somewhere in the North Atlantic the “unsinkable” Titanic sank two miles to the bottom of the ocean. More than 1,500 lives were lost, with the disaster continuing to intrigue.
2. S.S. Eastland
In 1915 Western Electric hosted an employee picnic aboard the S.S Eastland on the Chicago River which took an unfortunate turn when the ship tipped over (while still at the dock!).
3. The Norwegian Dawn
In a journey between New York City and the Bahamas, The Norwegian Dawn was hit by a 70-foot wave that ended up flooding 62 cabins. Thankfully only two people suffered minor injuries.
4. The Splendor
On a seven-day cruise to Mexico the engine room of the Splendor caught fire. The cruise was shortened to three days, and 3,299 passengers didn’t have access to toilets for 13 hours.
5. The Costa Concordia
The Costa Concordia unfortunately sank in 2012, after the ship hit shallow seas off the coast of Italy. Navy divers reportedly used explosives to access the inside of the ship, and managed to refloat the vessel to dismantle the wreckage. 32 lives were lost.
6. Carnival Conquest
Well, we’re just going to have to take their word for it, but apparently the Carnival Conquest ship is haunted by a tall man in a trench coat, who appears in the middle of the night.
Image credits: Getty Images