What Cruisers Should Know About Tsunamis
In July, a strong earthquake in eastern Russia caused tsunami warnings to be issued across the Pacific, including popular cruise destinations like Japan, Alaska, Hawaii and New Zealand. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries to cruise passengers or crew. And, the event put a spotlight on what cruise ships do to maintain safety during tsunami warnings. Here’s what you should know.
A tsunami is a
series of powerful ocean waves that most often result from earthquakes and can
be strong enough to travel across an entire ocean basin. You may be surprised
that the open sea is actually the safest place for a cruise ship to be during a
tsunami; passengers may not even notice the waves, because they don’t have much
impact in deeper water. Tsunamis become much more dangerous in shallower water,
where they can compress and increase in height and power.
That’s why ships
that are docked when a tsunami warning is issued often move out to sea. If a
ship remains in port, anyone who is on board could be injured as the tsunami waves
come ashore. The ship could be damaged, too, by being pushed against the dock,
other ships, or nearby structures.
It’s a rare
occurrence, but when a ship must evacuate port due to a tsunami warning,
passengers may be left behind. This happened in July when Norwegian Cruise
Line’s Pride of America had to sail away from Hilo, Hawaii. Passengers
who were on shore excursions and couldn’t return to the ship quickly spent the
night safely at a local high school; the ship was able to return for them the
next day.
If you cruise
where tsunamis are possible, you can take a few simple precautions before you
leave the ship. Add the ship’s emergency number to your contacts so you can
quickly contact the ship (or make it possible for the ship to contact you) in
the case of an emergency. Also, be sure your phone is fully charged, and take a
portable phone charger with you.
If your ship ever
has to leave a port without you, stay calm and follow directions from local
authorities. And, remember that a tsunami is a series of waves that can last
for hours – don’t return to the dock until local authorities say it’s safe.
For more
information about how cruise ships prepare to handle tsunamis and other
emergencies, talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor.