“Thought We Hit Something”: Cruise Passengers Describe Shaking From 6.1 Earthquake

Cruise passengers on Margaritaville at Sea’s 2,210-capacity Islander got a unique experience while sailing off the coast of Cuba yesterday.

A powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Cuba, and the quake was strong enough to startle some guests on the nearby 85,619 gross ton cruise ship.

The cruise ship was sailing on a 5-night itinerary from Tampa to Key West and Cozumel when the earthquake happened on the seafloor just after 2:00 PM Eastern time.

The epicenter was located roughly 65 miles west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba. While the National Weather Service immediately confirmed there was no tsunami threat, the underwater tremor created “acoustic pressure waves” that caused vibrations in nearby ships. 

Residents in Florida, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, also reported some rattling in buildings and shaking.

“Thought We Hit Something”

An earthquake at sea doesn’t feel like the rolling waves of a storm.  It’s much different than the small movements a ship will see on a typical sailing.

For cruise passengers on Islander it felt more like a sudden physical impact.

When the vibrations hit the ship, there was a bit of confusion among passengers who wondered what just happened. Some took to Facebook to share their immediate reactions.

One passenger recalled the feeling on the ship through a Facebook comment:

“Yep it was crazy. Was on the ship when it happened. Thought we hit something. Captain came over the intercom about 10 mins later to inform us what had happened.”

Shaking and “Grind-y” Noises

For those on the lower decks, the sudden sensation was even stronger, and it came along with the eerie sound of the ship flexing against the pressure waves.

One passenger reported:

“I’m on the Islander now, and was on deck two in the casino when it happened. It was a good two minutes of shaking and grind-y noises. I thought maybe we were going a ground! lol.”

Another passenger on board said, “It am on the islander rn! I was onboard with 14 friends and family! It was wild!”

Passengers Never Lost Sense of Humor

Because the cruise line is all about the tropical, laid-back branding of the late Jimmy Buffett, some passengers gave a not-so-subtle reference to the ship’s heritage.

“It was interesting. Was carrying my Cheeseburger in Paradise and froze, scared to move. Had no idea you could feel earthquakes on ships,” a passenger on board stated.

Others also made references to Buffet’s lyrics with one joking that “Jimmy had us covered for volcanos but not earthquakes at sea”.

It’s good to see that none of the passengers lost their sense of humor in all of this.

One comment on Facebook simply stated that the earthquake left them “shaken, not stirred.”

Things Falling off Shelves

According to news reports from WCTV, a Tallahassee man on board the ship described the unsettling sensations of experiencing an earthquake while out at sea as well.

Joe Millender was taking a nap on the ship when the earthquake took place.

He said, “The ship started shaking and things falling off the shelves and people kind of grabbing hold of things trying to hold on.”

According to Millender, the captain said the earthquake took place just 20-25 miles from the ship’s location.

A Rare Event?

While the shaking was a surprise to those on vacation at sea, it was also surprising to scientists. Seismologists said that a 6.1-magnitude earthquake is pretty rare for that specific area of the Caribbean.

Despite the two minutes of grinding noises and general confusion as to what was actually happening, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander sustained absolutely no damage whatsoever. The captain kept passengers informed, the crew kept serving, and the ship safely continued its voyage. And on top of all that, passengers have a very cool story to tell back home.