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Which Carnival cruise ship recently flooded?

Video footage posted on social media showed flooding hallways and staterooms on Carnival Sunshine after the vessel hit rough weather in May.



The most significant recent flooding incident involved the Carnival Panorama in August 2025. While sailing in the Gulf of California, the ship encountered severe wind and rain that caused it to "list" (tilt) briefly for about 30 seconds. This sudden movement caused water from the pools to overflow, leading to minor flooding in the lobby, retail areas, and elevator banks. A few years prior, in May 2023, the Carnival Sunshine made headlines when a massive storm near South Carolina caused water to sluice through hallways on Deck 6, terrifying passengers. In 2026, cruise lines emphasize that while these events look dramatic on social media, the ships are designed to handle significant tilting and water ingress without sinking. However, these incidents often lead to temporary elevator outages and "biohazard" cleanups. It’s a grounded reminder that even the largest modern mega-ships are still at the mercy of the ocean’s "violent vibrations" and unpredictable weather patterns.

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A powerful storm hammered the cruise ship Carnival Sunshine over the weekend, leaving many passengers terrified as the rough seas rocked the ship and interior hallways began to flood. Bill Hassler, who was on the cruise, talks to CNN This Morning about what he saw.

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A powerful storm hammered the cruise ship Carnival Sunshine over the weekend, leaving many passengers terrified as the rough seas rocked the ship and interior hallways began to flood. Bill Hassler, who was on the cruise, talks to CNN This Morning about what he saw.

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It was a terrifying scene aboard a cruise ship late last week, when a huge storm rocked a Carnival Cruise Line vessel, delaying the ship's return to port and leaving passengers frightened for their lives. The boat, Carnival Sunshine, was returning to Charleston, S.C., on Friday, May 26, when it encountered a storm.

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Carnival Cruise Line told news.com.au the flooding was caused by “a burst water line” which affected “an area of the ship that accounts for less than two percent of its staterooms.” “The ship's team members cleaned the area and the pipe was fixed,” the spokeswoman said.

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The world's largest cruise line operator is trading 126% higher in 2023. It might not be too late to hop aboard. The waves keep rising for Carnival (CCL -6.60%). Shares of the world's largest cruise line operator have more than doubled this year, and the Wall Street accolades keep coming.

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Carnival is one world's largest cruise lines, but since it has existed, only one of its vessels has ever sunk, the Costa Concordia in 2012. Although Costa is an Italian cruise ship company, it is owned by Carnival Corporation. From its fleet of Carnival brand cruise ships, none have ever sunk or capsized.

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There were 3,328 guests and 1,159 crew members on board when it crashed, none of whom were injured and all safely disembarked, according to Princess Cruises. The Ruby Princess cruise ship hit Pier 27 while docking Thursday morning, July 6, 2023, in San Francisco.

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Passengers aboard the Carnival Sunshine described shattered glass, water pouring into rooms and hallways, the ship pitching about and a lack of communication from cruise staff. Some passengers and crew members needed minor assistance from medical staff, a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News.

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Costa Concordia disaster, the capsizing of an Italian cruise ship on January 13, 2012, after it struck rocks off the coast of Giglio Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. More than 4,200 people were rescued, though 32 people died in the disaster.

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Wet season and dry season are both good times to cruise the Caribbean. The worst time for a Caribbean cruise weather-wise is August to September, as it is peak hurricane season.

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The only way that it could happen is if the ship were in extreme weather and positioned sideways to a 70- to 100-foot wave that would have the potential of rolling it over, Bolton said. I guarantee you're never going to be in those kinds of waves anyway, he said.

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A rogue wave is usually defined as a wave that is two times the significant wave height of the area. The significant wave height is the average of the highest one-third of waves that occur over a given period. Rogue waves can disable and sink even the largest ships and oil rigs.

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What is the biggest Carnival ship? The biggest Carnival ships are Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival Jubilee, which will set sail for the line in late 2023. They're tied in terms of size, each coming in at 183,521 gross tons and carrying 5,374 passengers at capacity.

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All Carnival ships are designed and operated in compliance with strict requirements of international law, which ensure that they are able to remain safe under a variety of adverse conditions. All of our ships are equipped with the most advanced navigation technology, and our officers are expertly trained in its use.

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The Carnival Sunshine was returning to port in Charleston from the Bahamas when it was rocked by a coastal storm that generated damaging winds and high surf. A Myrtle Beach woman said she was “scared for her life” during the hours-long ordeal, which began around 8:00 p.m. on Friday.

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