Patricia and Don Hoffman thought their March cruise on the Norwegian Escape to the Bahamas was going to be like any of the other trips they’ve taken, but their first night out at sea, Patricia felt something going wrong.

“I’m sitting on the stool at the slot machine, and I felt like someone was pushing on my chair and I turned around and didn’t see anyone. And next thing I was pushed forward up against the slot machine,” Patricia said.

Furniture started sliding, glass shattered on the floor, leaving passengers in a panic as the ship started to tilt.

“I turned to the lady next to me, and I said my feet arent touching the floor. I said this ship must really be tilted, and I took her hand and said I am really scared,” Patrica recounted.

After a security guard helped Patricia back to her room, the ship’s captain came on the speaker to explain what happened: a strong blast of wind, 115 miles per hour to be exact, forced the boat to tilt almost 45 degrees. 

“It was a relief to hear the captain come on and say that things are okay,” she said.

Patricia, still shaking, told her husband what happened to her. Don was in their cabin at the time, thinking the bed just collapsed. Soon, both of them saw the broken glass on the ground in front their cabinet.

“We’ve had rough seas. That happens, but really not that much. Most of the time you don’t even feel like you’re moving, but 115 mile an hour winds is pretty unbelievable,” Patricia said.

Although this trip left a lasting impression on the Hoffmans, they say it won’t stop them from getting back on the ship.

“You can’t stop doing things if there was one freak incident,” Patricia said.

Their next cruise is in two weeks, and they have several other cruises planned throughout this year.