A Carnival Cruise Line ship experienced interior flooding and damage to some staterooms after heavy rain and a pipe burst last weekend.
The flooding led to some of these staterooms being taken out of service for the next voyage. Carnival Sunrise was returning to Miami after a Caribbean sailing that had visited Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
Guests Evacuated from Cabins
On the final night of the cruise, some guests were woken up in the early morning hours and escorted to the main lounge.
One passenger posted on social media that water was several inches deep, flowing through corridors and cascading down a stairwell. TikTok videos showed guests in corridors standing in ankle-deep water.
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It is thought a burst pipe exacerbated the flooding impact. The cruise line returned to Miami and departed on its next voyage without significant delay. However, some booked guests were unable to take the cruise.
Some cabins impacted for next cruise
| “Some staterooms were taken out of service for the departure as our team completed clean up and replaced carpet,” Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli said. “Those guests who were not able to sail were provided full refunds, a future cruise credit and received overnight accommodations if they needed them.” |
Ship guest Rachel Cox described the scene after being evacuated from her stateroom. “We’re literally running down the stairwells, and as we are, on every single floor, water’s just coming out of the ceilings, it’s coming up through the floor,” she told USA Today.
The cruise line contacted Ms. Cox, offering a 25% future cruise credit and compensation for any water-damaged belongings.
Cruise ship floods
Though uncommon, flooding on cruise ships does happen. In 2018, the flooding of Carnival Dream impacted 50 staterooms.
Earlier this year, Serenade of the Seas encountered flooding during rough weather just three weeks after starting its Ultimate World Cruise. Luxury ship Seabourn Sojourn had a pipe burst earlier this month while sailing in the South China Sea.
Carnival Sunrise formerly sailed at Carnival Triumph. In 2019, she underwent a massive $200 million renovation to transform into Carnival Sunrise. The is the second of three ships in the Sunshine-class, alongside Carnival Sunshine (2013) and Carnival Radiance (2021).
