The final night of our seven-day cruise aboard the new Disney Fantasy was certainly not magical. Many crew members, some with over ten years of experience on various ships, told us it was the worst night they have ever seen. The video below shows the storm picking up in the early evening hours on Friday followed by progressive rocking of the ship…as seen by the movement of water in the shallow end of the pool. By 12:00 AM Saturday, the ship was being tossed in every direction. The sliding doors to the bedroom in the suite began to quickly slam open and shut. Around 2 AM, there was a violent tossing of the ship from side-to-side and most of the furniture was overturned in our room. All of the glassware was shattered as it hit the ground. Elsewhere on the thirteen-story ship, store shelves were emptied by the increasing power of the storm (aftermath seen in the video).

Shortly after the most intense moments, the ship’s captain announced that all passengers should remain their rooms. Water in the pool shown in the video was emptied into the surrounding areas and into some hallways. The two upscale restaurants (Palo and Remy) had major damage. One exterior door was destroyed near our cabin. Our ship safely docked in Port Canaveral, FL several hours late…but intact.

The captain and crew were amazing despite the harrowing moments we experienced last night. The captain did mention to passengers that the power of the storm exceeded what had been forecast in the area.