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- Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas encountered a rogue wave on its return to Baltimore, causing the ship to rock heavily and sending dishes and glassware flying.
Passengers onboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas experienced a dramatic moment at sea when the vessel encountered a rogue wave on its return leg from Bermuda.
The incident, captured in a viral video now circulating across multiple social media platforms, shows the 78,340-gross-ton cruise ship rocking violently as carts of plates slid across dining room floors and glassware shattered.
The ship had departed Baltimore on September 20, 2025, for a 5-night roundtrip voyage to Bermuda. It was sailing back toward its Maryland homeport when the unexpected wave struck, causing the vessel to list heavily for several minutes.
In the TikTok video posted by @evanddddddddddd, crew members can be seen bracing themselves while attempting to stabilize service carts, while diners clutched onto tables and chairs to avoid falling.
The passenger said the ship “hit some waves the wrong way and tipped for a few minutes. Everyone was holding on as not to slip.”
They described the scene of dishes and glassware crashing to the floor in restaurants and lounges throughout the vessel.
“The bar floor was the worst with glass and liquor everywhere,” they explained, adding that the crew quickly cordoned off slippery areas to protect guests.
Despite the chaos, no injuries were reported. The same passenger noted that a few guests lost their balance during the rocking and that some children were frightened, but crew training and swift action kept the situation under control.
“They are trained and experienced,” the passenger said. “They are more worried about safety rather than the mess.”
The clip has drawn significant attention online, with more than 5.4 million views and a follow-up clip receiving over 1.3 million views at press time.
Hundreds of viewers weighed in. Some seasoned cruisers remarked that rough seas are part of the experience, while others admitted they would have been unnerved by the sudden motion.
Crew Response Praised
Vision of the Seas, one of the oldest ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, is a Vision-class vessel built in 1998 that can carry more than 2,000 passengers.
While the ship is equipped with stabilizers designed to minimize movement, rogue waves can overwhelm even modern cruise technology.
These rare waves, sometimes defined as more than twice the height of surrounding seas, have been known to catch vessels off guard.
In this case, the incident occurred near the end of the voyage. Passengers reported that the sudden lurch lasted only minutes, but the effects were widespread. Broken glass and toppled dishes left dining areas temporarily unusable until staff completed cleanup and safety checks.
Read Also: Can a Rogue Wave Sink a Cruise Ship?
Commenters on social media praised the crew for keeping their composure while chaos unfolded around them. One user described the steady handling of a sliding cart as “a very impressive catch,” while another remarked that the cleanup must have been daunting.
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Some even noted the swaying reminded them of why they enjoy cruising. One frequent cruiser said the rocking felt like “being rocked to sleep like a baby.”
Vision of the Seas safely returned to Baltimore and is currently on its subsequent voyage, a 9-night sailing to Canada and New England, which departed on September 25, 2025.
