A cruise ship off the coast of Florida has turned around, with hundreds of passengers on board, to avoid Hurricane Milton.
The Sun Princess was due to dock in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, yesterday but after increasing warnings for Hurricane Milton across Florida, the ship stayed off the coast.
Ports in South Florida, including Tampa and Sarasota, were closed yesterday ahead of the hurricane as thousands race to evacuate the area.
Ezra Freeman, who works aboard the ship, posted an update on Facebook sharing the status of the cruise, she said: ‘We were meant to arrive in Ft Lauderdale today to round out our transatlantic crossing, but due to these devastating hurricanes, all ports in South Florida have been closed until further notice.’
The Sun Princess cruise ship left Southampton, UK, Monday evening for the 16-day transatlantic crossing
The ship was eight miles off the coast to medically evacuate passengers on a helicopter after ports in South Florida have restricted access
Ezra Freeman posted onboard the ship, saying she was ‘safe on board’ and that the ship was remaining out at sea and sailing down to Cuba until they were allowed to depart
Sick passengers were airlifted from the luxury cruise ship as it lies stranded off the coast of Florida
Freeman said: ‘Morale on board is high, and I’m praying for all of those who are in line of the hurricanes and the devastation, as well as the guests who evacuated today’
The ship pulled up just eight miles next to the port in order to medically disembark three guests onboard by helicopter, according to Freeman. After the first helicopter evacuation, emergency services switched to tender boat transportation, she added.
The Sun Princess was on track to finish their first transatlantic crossing after her debut in February 2024.
Through X on Monday evening, Princess Cruises said: ‘Due to the Hurricane Milton’s approach to Florida, the U.S Coast Guard has restricted ship access to all ports in South Florida effective at midnight tonight including Fort Lauderdale, where we were scheduled to disembark on Tuesday.’
The cruise ship was intending to port in Fort Lauderdale, but stayed off the coast and redirected to Cuba to avoid Hurricane Milton
Princess Cruises said: ‘Due to the Hurricane Milton’s approach to Florida, the U.S Coast Guard has restricted ship access to all ports in South Florida effective at midnight tonight including Fort Lauderdale, where we were scheduled to disembark on Tuesday’
Hurricane Milton is an ongoing crisis in Florida as thousands race to evacuate after the storm was upgraded from a category one to a category five storm
Hurricane Milton was originally a category one storm, but after the storm surged through Mexico officials have now declared it a category five ‘that could see potential wind speeds up to a stunning 165mph wreak havoc in Tampa Bay’, reported Daily Mail.
The cruise ship departed from Southampton, UK, on Monday September 23 for a 16-night transatlantic crossing.
The Sun Princess, at 177,882 tons, can host up to 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew members.
Freeman said: ‘Morale on board is high, and I’m praying for all of those who are in line of the hurricanes and the devastation, as well as the guests who evacuated today.’
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) described Milton as a ‘catastrophic’ and ‘dangerous’ event, putting it at the highest level on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.
Police Chief William Tokajer said: ‘Take a pen and write your name and social security number on your leg so that we have a contact if we find you, because this is not going to end well’
Millions of Florida residents are racing to evacuate before the ‘storm of the century’ and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has warned those who stay that their homes will become their coffins
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) described Milton as a ‘catastrophic’ and ‘dangerous’ event
Milton has come just two weeks after Florida felt the effects of Hurricane Helene, a category four storm that killed an estimated 230 people.
Helene was reported as the deadliest natural disaster to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but now Milton is feared to be much more destructive.
Florida residents who are refusing to evacuate have been warned by Police Chief William Tokajer that ‘if you don’t, leave, you’re on your own’.
He told CNN: ‘Take a pen and write your name and social security number on your leg so that we have a contact if we find you, because this is not going to end well.’
Millions of Florida residents are racing to evacuate before the ‘storm of the century’ and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has warned those who stay that their homes will become their coffins.
Terrifying animated footage revealed the horrifying destruction Milton could wreak with as much as 15 feet of water predicted in some areas.
Weather Channel presenter Stephanie Abrams said: ‘At this level the first floors of structures are completely flooded and there are few places that it is safe when the water rises this high.’
The storm center is expected to come ashore Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.