[shut the front door]

I just got back today because I was on a back to back.
When it happened, I was in the casino on Deck 2. At first it was just big shuddering feeling and I hollered out "We're running out of gas!' Then I saw the faces on the employees and it hit hard. They were looking at each other with fear and I noticed and got scared. Glasses were broken and drinks were "shaken, not stirred".
The wonderful Captain Christos let us know quickly that it was an earthquake and that the ship was fine. I'm wondering "how do you know?". I really expected to see divers checking the ship out at port, but nope!
It was really surreal being a part of "first time history", but we didn't know it until a couple days later when we realized that passengers were literally calling news outlets from the ship to get on the news! There were new outlets at the port the day of disembark, but I was staying for B2B.
It was a scary thing that turned out to be a "first time in history".
I'm good now. Don't care to be a part of another!
Was anyone else here on board?

[Altavia]

A passenger aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander reported that the ship suddenly began shaking, items fell from shelves, and passengers grabbed railings to steady themselves. The ship was estimated to be only 20–25 miles from the epicenter.

https://people.com/cruise-passenger-...cuba-11993790?

Apparently there was another today.

[raananh]

How can a ship, in water, shake due to an earthquake?

I assume that an earthquake in the ocean ground, also under the ship, at best, causes waves, up and down or sideways, and this won't be much different than encountering rough seas.

I also understand the issue when a calm ocean suddenly becomes very wavy due to an earthquake under.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by raananh

How can a ship, in water, shake due to an earthquake?

I assume that an earthquake in the ocean ground, also under the ship, at best, causes waves, up and down or sideways, and this won't be much different than encountering rough seas.

I also understand the issue when a calm ocean suddenly becomes very wavy due to an earthquake under.

People who were on deck said the water was very calm.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Altavia

A passenger aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander reported that the ship suddenly began shaking, items fell from shelves, and passengers grabbed railings to steady themselves. The ship was estimated to be only 20–25 miles from the epicenter.

https://people.com/cruise-passenger-...cuba-11993790?

Apparently there was another today.

We had a second one the day after. A lot of people didn't notice because it was only a 4.2.

[SoxOfRed]

Originally Posted by raananh

How can a ship, in water, shake due to an earthquake?

I assume that an earthquake in the ocean ground, also under the ship, at best, causes waves, up and down or sideways, and this won't be much different than encountering rough seas.

I also understand the issue when a calm ocean suddenly becomes very wavy due to an earthquake under.

A great question. Seems to me you would feel it if the ship is in fairly shallow water or pierside. Not sure how it would happen in deep water.
This does make me curious though... any submariners out there who have experience with an earthquake while submerged?

[Altavia]

A large cruise ship is a flexible structure. Possibly certain frequencies from the earthquake shock wave can resonate/excite the hull and superstructure, causing rattling, vibration, and objects to fall even though the ship itself is not in danger.

Sort of like ringing a bell.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by raananh

How can a ship, in water, shake due to an earthquake?

Per the U.S. Geological Survey: “Deep at sea, it would be unlikely that a cruise ship would notice anything out of the ordinary from an earthquake. The depth of the water attenuates the shaking."

In shallow water, any attenuation would be reduced, but I suspect the motion felt would be very different from that on land - less side-to-side?

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Per the U.S. Geological Survey: “Deep at sea, it would be unlikely that a cruise ship would notice anything out of the ordinary from an earthquake. The depth of the water attenuates the shaking."

In shallow water, any attenuation would be reduced, but I suspect the motion felt would be very different from that on land - less side-to-side?

It's weird you say that. When people ask me and I say shaking and shuddering, they ask for details. When you're in this situation, you really don't know if it up and down, side to side, or what! I will say that the first part was more shuddering like a car that's running out of gas, hence the comment...

[Babbs1957]

Nothing worse than looking at the crew of a ship or a plane and you see they are scared. Then you go from "oh no" to prayer.

[Rocksnap]

There were several ships and divers in the water when the huge earthquake hit just off the coast Indonesia.
No boat/diver felt any vibrations, but the divers did feel the waves generated while underwater.

[dtennent]

We were on a small ship on the Amazon in Peru. We woke up in the middle of the night to a violent vibration. Ship was okay but most of the buildings on shore were flattened.

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by rocksnap

there were several ships and divers in the water when the huge earthquake hit just off the coast indonesia.
No boat/diver felt any vibrations, but the divers did feel the waves generated while underwater.

i've seen videos of divers flipped over a few times from an earthquake/tsunami event.

[GWilliams]

Originally Posted by shut the front door

I just got back today because I was on a back to back.
When it happened, I was in the casino on Deck 2. At first it was just big shuddering feeling and I hollered out "We're running out of gas!' Then I saw the faces on the employees and it hit hard. They were looking at each other with fear and I noticed and got scared. Glasses were broken and drinks were "shaken, not stirred".
The wonderful Captain Christos let us know quickly that it was an earthquake and that the ship was fine. I'm wondering "how do you know?". I really expected to see divers checking the ship out at port, but nope!
It was really surreal being a part of "first time history", but we didn't know it until a couple days later when we realized that passengers were literally calling news outlets from the ship to get on the news! There were new outlets at the port the day of disembark, but I was staying for B2B.
It was a scary thing that turned out to be a "first time in history".
I'm good now. Don't care to be a part of another!
Was anyone else here on board?

Fake news. Water does not shake in the ocean like Jello. One big Tsunami. Just like airplanes don't shake in the sky.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by GWilliams

Fake news. Water does not shake in the ocean like Jello. One big Tsunami. Just like airplanes don't shake in the sky.