THIS is the terrifying moment a cruise ship appeared to tilt 45 degrees to the side as it was battered by a crosswind swell.
Passengers feared they would “die like on the Titanic” as glasses smashed and people sent panicked text messages to loved ones.
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Dramatic footage shows objects sliding across decks and people struggling to keep their balance.
It happened after The Royal Caribbean cruise ship – heading from from Spain to Miami – was hit by freak weather and powerful 86mph winds off the coast of Africa on November 7.
The vessel was near Tenerife at the time.
There were 5,000 people on board, and the tilt held its terrifying angle for an agonising three minutes.
Passenger Dan, from Toronto, Canada, was left thinking he was going to die and even went as far as to send last messages.
He recalled: “When I left the pub I could hear screaming sounds, glasses were falling around and the cruise had started tilting.
“You can see a whole advertisement sign hit a guy and he saves himself and grabs his girlfriend. He was in a state of shock.
“I wondered if this was a normal thing but the more I heard people screaming that’s when I got scared and had to turn the video off.
“It wasn’t the full tilt you see in the video, but around half way. It was like the Titanic.
“Some people told me to come over to them so we held each other and the chairs around us.
“I had thought that this could be the end and the ship was going to fall into the water.
“I took out my phone and sent my colleagues a message that I don’t know what’s going to happen and to take care.
“I was writing my last message thinking that I would die.
“Usually waves make the ship wobbly but this was tilting for five minutes on one side. It held its position for around three minutes.”
Dan said it was a “big relief” when the ship went back into place.
He added: “Watching the video gives me shivers and now I feel like I’ve got a new life because we thought it had gone.”
A passenger known as “Pattycruise” was shocked that nobody ended up in the freezing water.
They said: “Spoke to a neighbour who stated she went to and opened her balcony during this listing and was surprised how close we were to the water.
“She’s lucky she didn’t go in. Her son is deck 2 and his window was in the ocean”.
The anonymous passenger also said that it took the cruise staff two and a half hours after the tilt to start checking if anyone was missing.
By that point, anybody that was would have been long dead if they had fallen in.
THE TERROR CONTINUED
Following the incident, passengers were requested to return to their cabins for a headcount and safety verification.
The Royal Caribbean confirmed one passenger was injured and required further medical attention.
The 12-night cruise was forced to stop off in Las Palmas, Spain, so the injured guest could be seen to.
Video of the traumatic minutes drew strong reaction on social media.
One commented: “Yeah, that’s why you will NEVER catch me on cruise.”
A second wondered: “I genuinely don’t understand why everything isn’t bolted to the floor/wall.”
A user responded: “It takes a lot for a boat to move stuff like that so they must really be rocking sideways.”
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: “During an unexpected wind gust near Tenerife, Spain, one of our sailings experienced sudden movement.
“One of our guests was injured and requires additional medical care, so the ship will make a call in Las Palmas, Spain for a medical disembarkation.
“We are communicating these changes directly with our guests.”
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