Passengers aboard a cruise ship navigating the Gulf of Mexico got an up-close encounter with Hurricane Milton's formidable winds as the storm approached Florida's west coast. The Royal Caribbean cruise liner, Harmony of the Seas, set sail from Galveston, Texas, last Saturday, with plans to visit Roatán, Honduras, and Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. However, Milton's approach thwarted those plans.
The Impact of Hurricane Milton
Due to the severe weather conditions, the crew was forced to cancel the first two stops and several onboard entertainment options for safety reasons, as reported by CNN. A video captured by a passenger aboard the Harmony of the Seas on Tuesday showed the powerful gusts and the choppy seas caused by Milton.
From one of the ship's deck corridors, protected by acrylic screens, passengers were seen struggling against the wind, trying hard to maintain their balance. Outside, the sea was turbulent, with massive, intimidating waves.
An Unforgettable Voyage
Theresa Perrin, who filmed the footage, mentioned that while the ship itself was not in danger, the journey was extremely rough, making it feel "like you were walking completely drunk." She admitted this was one of the most challenging travel experiences she had encountered.
Perrin also noted that, aside from skipping the stops at Roatán and Costa Maya, pools, hot tubs, and many entertainment shows were canceled. "It's not much fun being unable to visit our ports of call and being stuck on a ship without open pools or enough entertainment due to the weather conditions," she expressed.
Safety Concerns and Evacuations
As Milton moves through the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida, it has fluctuated in intensity, dropping from a Category 5 to a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). With sustained winds of 125 mph (200 km/h), it remains a formidable hurricane. Milton is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.
Thousands of residents along Florida's west coast have evacuated their homes, seeking refuge from the impending cyclone, leading to chaos on the state's highways. Authorities have repeatedly emphasized the storm's danger. Tampa police advised those opting not to evacuate to write their name and birthdate on their arm as a precaution.
“For those who choose not to evacuate voluntarily, I suggest taking a photo of yourself and your clothing to help identify you after the storm, which will be deadly,” warned Rose Angelakopoulos, a Tampa police officer. On the previous day, Tampa's mayor, Jane Castor, issued a stark warning to residents: “Helene was a wake-up call. This is literally catastrophic. I can say without exaggeration that if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you will die.”