Powerful wind gust rocks Norwegian cruise ship, passengers hurt

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A powerful wind gust knocked a massive cruise ship off its axis, shattering glasses and injuring several passengers and crew members over the weekend.

The Norwegian Escape, heading from New York City to Florida, encountered strong winds with gusts estimated at 115 mph just before midnight Sunday, the cruise line said. The force of one gust tilted the ship on its left side.

Several passengers shared photos and video online showing toppled chairs, tables, and shop displays and travelers slipping and swaying.

"The ship tilted and damage was everywhere. Crazy!" Michael Patterson (@michaelpNYC) tweeted.

Heather Day, who is pregnant with her first child, said she was so scared for herself, her boyfriend, and her parents.

"Glasses were falling and shattering, end tables were sliding across the room, it was nerve-wracking. But, this incident won't stop me from going on another cruise," she wrote to FOX 5 NY in a Facebook message. "I'm thankful that nobody died, and thankful that the captain wasn't a rookie LOL!"

Another passenger tweeted that the staff and crew were "terrific" about what happened.

"[T]he captain and cruise director were quick with transparent updates and everything was quickly brought back in order," AJ Black (@aaronjosef) wrote.

The cruise company said that medical staff tended to the people who were hurt.

The ship pulled into Port Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. It is expected to

"Neither the current itinerary, nor the next sailing are expected to be impacted," Norwegian said.

In service since 2015, the Norwegian Escape, is the cruise line's largest vessel. It accommodates more than 4,200 passengers.

NCL STATEMENT (via Twitter)

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