A freak wave, as high as 70 feet, slammed into Norwegian Dawn as she was returning to New York on a scheduled seven-day Bahamas/Florida voyage.

In the wee morning hours of April 16, the wave reached as high as the ship's 10th deck. The 91,740-ton vessel, dubbed the "The Perfect Ship'' in Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) brochures, has 14 decks.

The sheer force of the wave broke two stateroom windows and flooded some 60 cabins, according to NCL spokesman Susan Robison. Four passengers were slightly injured with minor cuts and bruises, according to the spokeswoman.

While certainly a traumatic experience for the 2,000 passengers on board, post-cruise remarks by passengers to reporters that they were glad to get off the "Titanic" is an absurd comparison.

According to NCL, at no time was the ship in distress ­ no distress calls were made ­ and the safety and integrity of the ship was not compromised by the rogue wave.

It's a testament to modern ship-building techniques, coupled with rigid maritime safety protocols, that result in ships like Norwegian Dawn being able to withstand such a horrible natural impact with virtually no structural damage and no serious injuries to passengers or crew.

In fact, after repairs in Charleston and a U.S. Coast Guard inspection, Norwegian Dawn was fit to sail and continued its voyage to New York, arriving a day late on April 18. The ship has resumed its schedule, although no word yet from NCL as to how long additional repairs may take to some of the flooded cabins and public areas.

For passengers to remotely compare their experience ­ as terrifying as it was ­ to that of passengers on the ill-fated Titanic, and for media outlets including The Associated Press to print/broadcast such remarks verbatim, without adding factual content, is wrong.

It's not fair to NCL, the industry, or the millions of cruise travelers who embark on voyages daily, secure in the knowledge that today's major cruise lines operate at the highest levels of safety standards and protocols.

True, there are risks in all forms of travel and on rare occasions accidents ­ or in this case a freak wave ­ happen. But, please, stop the unchecked comparisons.

For the record, 93 years ago this month the R.M.S. Titanic, a White Star Line steamship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank on her maiden voyage.

Over 1,500 lives were lost.

 

Cruise Guide columnist Michael Coleman was a newspaper editor and also a public relations executive for major cruise lines in Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles. He now lives on Marco Island. He welcomes your feedback at cruiseguide@hotmail.com.