Reassuring that the boat did not turn over as in the
Posidon Adventure.

Earl

***


Seven-Story-High Wave Hits Cruise Ship


CHARLESTON, S.C. - A seven-story-high wave damaged a cruise ship returning
from the Bahamas over the weekend, smashing windows, flooding more than 60
cabins and injuring four passengers.

The Norwegian Dawn was diverted from its route when the ship ran into rough
weather on the way back to New York. The 965-foot-long vessel was docked in
the Charleston harbor by late Saturday afternoon for repairs, officials
said.

"The ship was hit by a freak wave that caused two windows to break in two
different cabins," Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement. It said 62
cabins flooded and four passengers had cuts and bruises. The wave reached as
high as deck 10 on the ship, company spokeswoman Susan Robison said Sunday.

The ship's hull was damaged but the vessel was not taking on water, said
Keith Moore of the Coast Guard Group Charleston.

"All the passengers had donned personal flotation devices as a precaution,"
Moore told The (Charleston) Post and Courier.

The cruise line said passengers whose cabins were flooded were being flown
home from Charleston and the safety of the ship "was in no way compromised
by this incident."

The ship left New York last Sunday with 2,500 passengers aboard. It was
expected to arrive in New York on Monday.

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