Storm Stops Cruise Ship in Australia from Docking Amid 30 Foot Waves
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SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images(SYDNEY) — Thousands of people on vacation are stuck at sea as 30-foot waves are preventing them from entering Sydney Harbor.
The Carnival Spirit cruise ship was caught in the storm on Monday night and barred from docking Tuesday morning when the entire port was closed.
The ship had 2,500 passengers on board along with 1,500 crew members, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, which was getting reports from an Austrailian reporter who happened to be on the ship with her family.
“It was horrific,” Fairfax Media reporter Rachel Browne told the paper. “You couldn’t hear a thing anyone said, the noise was so loud and the rain was blowing sideways.”
“The glasses and teacups in my room smashed — they just blew off the table and hit the wall,” she told the paper.
According to Browne, the crew is saying that the ship will be able to withstand the storm but there is visible damage including shards of glass by the pool.
Carnival did not immediately respond to ABC News’ calls for comment.
Since the storm began on Monday, several inches of rain have fallen in parts of New South Wales. Strong winds have also been reported.
The storm’s reach has stretched along the coast, and one town even floated away in the town of Dungog, which is approximately 125 miles north of Sydney. So far, three deaths have been reported.
There is no set arrival time for the cruise ship as the entire port has been closed to commercial traffic until further notice, but the weather is expected to calm on Wednesday.
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