It’s not exactly the kind of “high seas adventure” people signed up for. Tourists in Hawaii were left scrambling after cruise ships pulled anchor early, ditching hundreds of passengers at the dock as tsunami warnings rippled across the Pacific.
The panic followed an 8.8-magnitude earthquake—the strongest in over a decade—off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake triggered tsunami alerts from Japan to Colombia, with evacuation orders issued in Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. West Coast. Waves up to six feet struck parts of Hawaii, and in Japan, a five-foot surge prompted authorities to order millions to higher ground.
Cruise lines reacted quickly, perhaps too quickly. Ships docked in Hawaii reportedly left port to reach deeper water, a standard precaution against tsunamis. But in their rush, they left behind busloads of passengers, many of whom had no idea the ships were leaving.
“We made it to the port, but the ship is leaving,” said TikTok user @mandythecruiseplanner, filming herself and fellow stranded tourists as their ship disappeared in the distance. “Now we’re going to higher ground, and people are upset.”
Another video from user @demifreeman showed people sprinting down the dock, yelling as their cruise ship pulled away. “Actually insane,” the caption read.
Cruise Ships Abandon Passengers at Dock Following 8.8-Magnitude Earthquake
British tourist Rachel Burrows told BBC Breakfast that she and others received emergency alerts mid-tour on Hawaii’s Big Island. “All the sirens started going off,” she said. “We got off the bus, and everyone was just running, trying to get on the ship.” She and her group barely made it aboard. Others weren’t so lucky.
Around 600 people were left onshore, told to head uphill while their cruise ships floated off without them. The tsunami threat was later downgraded, but experts warned that the aftershocks could continue for weeks, which doesn’t exactly help when you’re stranded in your swimsuit, watching your floating hotel vanish.
Cruise lines are supposed to head for deeper water—at least 180 feet—to avoid getting slammed by incoming waves. That part makes sense. But for the people left behind, no amount of policy talk could soften the gut punch of being ditched during an actual evacuation.
Nobody was seriously hurt, but the news spread rapidly on social media. Tourists running down piers. Bus drivers who had no clue what was happening. People were crying while their ship pulled away in the background. What started as a standard port stop turned into something closer to a disaster movie, minus the CGI.
Of course, the ocean is unpredictable. But apparently, so is your cruise.
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