Dream Bahamas cruise becomes nightmare as storm leaves passengers vomiting

A dreamy vacation turned into a nightmare for people travelling on the Carnival Sunshine when the ship was struck by a storm over the weekend.

Returning to Charleston on Saturday after a six-day Bahamas cruise, Carnival Sunshine was flooded with hammering rains storming into the hallways and stairwells and the rough sea conditions made some passengers nauseous.

Storm strikes Carnival Sunshine

When the storm set upon the ship off the southeast coast near South Carolina, dark clouds appeared to cover the sky and large whitecaps raged in the surrounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean. High waves battered the vessel, while there was also reported water damage, broken glass, and ripped doors off the hinges. The torrential rains also destroyed the onboard shops on the ship.

The situation got so out of hand that at one point the ship's crew members were forced to evacuate their flooded quarters, according to a video shared on social media that shows the area in disorder. Throughout the storm, several passengers also complained they were starting to feel sick due to the boat's rough movements and some even vomited.

A passenger on board the cruise shared a video of the interior of a cabin on social media, showing how 30 liquor bottles fell off the bar, forcing guests to leave from there.

"This was on Deck 12 at 11:38 pm. We were in the piano bar right before when 30+ bottles of liquor jumped off of the bar and broke. We were told to leave the piano bar as there was liquor running across the floor," the passenger tweeted.

Carnival Cruise Line's statement

Carnival Cruise Line released a statement on Monday morning, confirming that all the passengers were safe after the incident, which reportedly occurred on Saturday.

"Carnival Sunshine's return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday. Guests on board the ship were safe. Our medical staff helped a small number of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance. The weather's prolonged impact on the Charleston area delayed the ship's arrival on Sunday, and as a result, the next voyage's embarkation was also delayed. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests," read Carnival Cruise's statement.

"The weather and rough surf led to some crew cabins being temporarily taken out of service while we clean up water damage. All the public areas of the ship are open and in service and Carnival Sunshine is currently operating its next cruise, a five-day Bahamas sailing," the statement read further.

Passengers' complaints

Meanwhile, passengers have complained about a lack of communication from crew members or the captain after the storm. The passengers included Christa Seifert-Alicea and Daniel Taylor, who told WCIV-TV that they didn't receive communication or updates on the storm from the Sunshine's crew for over 12 hours.

"What we endured is indescribable, not only to feel it yourself but to hear and see it set in on every single person around you from an adult, child, and the elderly is something I will never forget," Seifert-Alicea told WCIV-TV, according to ABC News.

Taylor, on the other hand, said the crew left them blindsided. "They're not reassuring us, not telling us what was going on, they could've updated us and let us know something," he said.

It is understood that the low-pressure system responsible for the severe weather over the Memorial Day weekend was being supervised for tropical and subtropical development by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) last week, though it remained a non-tropical low throughout its duration.

Forecasters from the NHC even visited the Carnival Cruise Line headquarters in Miami two days before the ship got caught in the powerful storm.

The area of low pressure has now moved inland over North Carolina and will slowly deteriorate in the coming days. But the harsh weather is expected to dampen more holiday beach plans in parts across the mid-Atlantic and produce dangerous rip currents along the East Coast.