Rusty and Cherry Jakes’ fourth anniversary trip on the Carnival Sunshine might be their last.
The couple was among thousands of frightened passengers who survived terrifyingly rough seas on the cruise ship’s return to Charleston over Memorial Day weekend.
The cruise ship passengers took to social media to post video of water pouring through a flooded hallway on a cabin level and pictures of onboard stores in shambles, with merchandise strewn about on the floor as large waves swelled on the sea.
“They had to close the casino because all the liquor bottles fell and all the glasses,” Cherry Jakes said.
Rusty said they spoke with a group of women who were in the casino when a massive wave hit the ship around 11 p.m., knocking everything to the floor.
The Jakes, describing the night like a scene out of “Titanic,” said their stuff also fell off counters when the wave struck the ship. They said their mattress was sliding around and they know some cabins had television and balcony doors fall off
“It was dangerous to get up to even try to go to the bathroom,” Cherry said.
The Jakes said it was clear the cruise line had underestimated how bad the storm would be.
“To put 5,000 people through a storm like that, I just can’t believe they did it,” Cherry Jakes said. “We live at the beach. We know what storms are like. It was like going through a hurricane.”
The powerful storm hammered the ship in 60- to 70-mph winds, according to passengers.
“The noise, that’s what was astonishing to me is how much banging -- the ship was rocking,” Cherry said. “We talked to a crew member who said the crew’s quarters got flooded and they had to spend the night in one of the theaters.”
Staying dry was also a concern for the Jakes, even though they were higher up on the 11th deck of the 14-story cruise ship. They got their paperwork, passports and medication into plastic bags -- in case they needed to board a lifeboat.
“We were at the point where we were about ready to get the life jackets ready just in case,” Rusty said. “I don’t think they could have deployed the lifeboats, as rough as it was.”
The couple said they were disappointed in how the company handled the situation and that they feel the cruise line put the lives of everyone aboard the ship in danger.
RELATED: Cruise ship passengers left terrified after ship sails through rough seas on return to Charleston
Passenger Daniel Taylor was also frustrated, saying the crew “left us blind, not reassuring us what was going on, where we were heading to, what the plan was,” WCIV-TV reported.
"They could have updated us and let us know something,” he said.
The Carnival Sunshine’s return to Charleston, South Carolina, from the Bahamas on Saturday was delayed by prolonged bad weather and rough seas in the area, the Miami-based company said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday. The vessel’s next cruise scheduled to leave Charleston this weekend was delayed, but is now sailing, the statement said.
Carnival temporarily closed some rooms because of water damage, but fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
Carnival released a statement:
Carnival Sunshine’s return to Charleston was impacted by the weather and rough seas on Saturday. The weather’s prolonged impact on the Charleston area delayed the ship’s arrival on Sunday and as a result, the next voyage’s embarkation was also delayed. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests. Carnival Sunshine is now sailing on its next cruise.
The Jakes said they haven’t heard anything personally from Carnival since the incident.