Terrified Cruise Passengers Flee as Storm Batters Ship and Sends Chairs Flying Before They Even Set Sail

It all happened on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas in Port Canaveral while guests were still boarding the ship.

A sudden storm battered a cruise ship in Florida over the weekend.

It all happened on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas in Port Canaveral.

Video shows the chaotic moment the storm takes hold of the ship, sending anything on the deck that has not been tied down flying through the air.

Passengers can be seen scrambling to find cover and get off the deck due to the very sudden nature of the storm.

The wind gusts became so strong at one point that some passengers were forced to drop to all fours and crawl after being struck down by the wind.

Jenn Stancill shot one video showing the wind and intense rain, a less than ideal way to kick off her girls' trip to the Bahamas.

She tells Inside Edition that initially the weather was beautiful but then changed in an instant.

"Chairs started flying, umbrellas were being tossed, people were abandoning their strollers and running to get under the cover."

When asked if passengers got any warning, Jenn tells Inside Edition: "It came so quick I'm not sure they had enough time."

The storm eventually passed and made it safe to travel, at which point the cruise got underway

In the end, there were no injuries as the ship left port and headed out to the open seas.

Royal Caribbean tells Inside Edition Digital that after the storm the ship "continued on its regularly-scheduled three-night itinerary."

 

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