High Winds Cause Seven-Hour Docking Delay for Cruise Ship in Seattle

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas docked in Seattle seven hours late on Monday due to high winds. The ship spent the morning anchored in Elliott Bay across Puget Sound, finally docking early Monday afternoon.

Why was the cruise ship delayed?

Local Puget Sound Pilots said when Quantum of the Seas came in to make its approach, strong winds forced the vessel to wait until available tugboats could help, KOMO TV reported. The ordered tugboats were not in the area, so they had to wait for their arrival.

On Monday morning, the winds in Puget Sound gusted up to 40 knots. A small craft advisory, which advises smaller boats to exercise caution, is also in effect until late Monday, with winds of 15 to 18 knots and gusts as high as 25. 

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time, the ship approached the dock with extra tug boats, and by 1:45, the vessel was securely tied up alongside

The second ship in anchorage, the MS Roald Amundsen, was a planned anchorage and was not impacted by the winds.

The surface area on the side of a cruise ship is like a giant sail. That’s why most ships can only handle a maximum crosswind of 30 knots while docking with thrusters. Winds any higher than that can put a ship’s captain in a position he doesn’t want to be in and potentially damage the vessel.

Quantum of the Seas typically leave Seattle at 4 p.m., but the departure will be delayed due to the late arrival.

Quantum of the Seas sails seven-night Southeast Alaska cruises from Seattle, Washington, throughout the summer. Before returning to Seattle, the ship calls at Sitka, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, and Victoria, British Columbia.