Did the Norwegian Dawn encounter a rogue wave during its voyage on April 16, 2005?
Lee E. Branscome, Climatological Consulting Corporation, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; and M. N. Campbell The cruise ship Norwegian Dawn (ND) suffered damage during the last leg of a regularly scheduled cruise on April 16, 2005. The ND left Miami at approximately 1 AM Friday April 15, 2005 and was scheduled to arrive in New York around midnight Sunday April 17, 2005. The ND encountered heavy weather and seas about 120 miles off the South Carolina coast on Saturday April 16, 2005. The deck log indicates that a very large wave hit the bow of the vessel, causing heavy green seas to cascade over the bow and strike the forward part of the ship’s superstructure. Two of the forward cabins, on Decks 9 & 10 sustained major damage, 61 other cabins had water damage and 4 passengers required medical attention. The representatives of the cruise line contacted a meteorological consulting firm with CCMs to determine if the ND encountered conditions that exceeded the NWS forecasts and if a rogue wave struck
