Would you dare to hit the open seas and experience some of the worst ship disasters of all time?
From explosions to icebergs and massive storms to the infamous “poop cruise,” we’ll take you around the world on this once-in-a-lifetime voyage.
6. Crown Princess, Florida
In July 2006, about an hour after departing from Florida, the Crown Princess’s navigation system began taking the ship off the intended course. The second officer’s steering errors caused the vessel to tip at a steep angle.
When the ship began a sudden roll, water from the pool flooded its upper decks. People and furniture got thrown around, causing 14 serious and 284 minor injuries.
5. Carnival Splendor, Pacific Ocean
Now, the once-in-a-lifetime-o-meter advances to 6.5. On November 8, 2010 the Carnival Splendor suffered a mechanical failure that led to a major fire, and the 4,200 passengers were stranded on the Pacific Ocean for five days with no power. Fortunately, there were no fatalities or injuries.
4. Eastern Star, China
One of the biggest ship disasters in China’s history takes the once-in-a-lifetime-o-meter to 7/10. On June 1, 2015. The Eastern Star was cruising the Yangtze River near Wuhan when it got caught in a storm.
Facing winds up to 118 km/h (73 mph), possibly caused by a tornado, the ship capsized within seconds, killing 442 passengers. Only 12 were rescued.
3. Al-Salam Boccaccio 98, Red Sea
On February 2, 2006, 1,418 people boarded the Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 ferry in Saudi Arabia and headed toward Egypt. Midway through the journey, a fire and an explosion triggered a chain reaction that eventually sank the ship, killing 1,031 people with another 710 missing and presumed dead.
An investigation reports that the captain did not order passengers and crew to evacuate the sinking ship.
2. Titanic, Atlantic Ocean
The most famous ship disaster took place on April 15, 1912 when the Titanic collided with an iceberg 740 km (460 mi) off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
The collision caused a 91 m (300 ft) gash in the hull, and the Titanic only remained afloat for 90 minutes before sinking. There were only enough lifeboats for 1,178 of the 3,300 passengers. Over 1,500 people died.
1. MV Joola, Africa
This September 26, 2002 disaster is often called Africa’s Titanic. The MV Le Joola was built to hold 580 people but had over three times that many on board. Amid extreme weather and incredibly overcrowded, the MV Joola capsized, taking an estimated 1,863 lives with her. That makes this the worst ship disaster of all time.
