The Monarch of the Seas Disaster

[@kdoherty80]

I was on this cruise. I will never forget it. While traumatic, I also remember how professional and helpful the crew were throughout the process of abandoning ship. They also stayed in contact and helped us the entire following week that we were stranded on St Martin and then in Miami. Definitely not a trip I’ll ever forget.

[@aaronsand]

Did you ever get your stuff back? I’ve always wondered if passengers are able to retrieve the belongings they left in the cabin, in instances where the ship is saved after abandoning ship.

[@kdoherty80]

@@aaronsand​​⁠yes we received all of our belongings about 2 weeks later, literally in giant black garbage bags. Never expected to get them back but grateful the staff stayed behind and did that. They stayed on the ship for days with no power to do this from what I was told.

[@aaronsand]

@@kdoherty80 That’s amazing!! It also speaks volumes about how much Royal Caribbean cares about their passengers. I’m glad you got your stuff back, and much respect to Royal Caribbean and the ships crew!! 💙

[@cjmarren86]

Did you go on cruises after that experience, @kdoherty80?

[@kdoherty80]

@@cjmarren86yes we went back the next year on the same ship. My parents had all of us (family group of like 6 people) wear shirts they had made that said “Monarch IN the Seas” with a picture of a sinking cruise ship. My dad thought it was hilarious--the crew not so much. There were lots of the same crew members still working on the ship then and they kindly asked us not to wear the shirts bc it was worrying other passengers 😂

[@tired_and_stressed]

Always nice to hear about a successful failure where crew preformed admirably despite the initial error.

[@Rootiga]

the sad thing is that stories like this are almost always 100x more common than the disasters, but for a variety of reasons people generally dont care when something goes right, only when it goes poorly

[@davidjones341]

@@Rootiga As the Song Dirty laundry said. "It's interesting when people die give us dirty laundry."

[@TillyOrifice]

Everybody screws up. An awful lot rests on how you deal with the aftermath.

[@LuxPerp]

Compare and contrast with the Costa Concordia.

[@tuunaes]

Sinking of MS Estonia with ~850 out of ~990 people (no, that wasn't third world disaster but in Europe) four years earlier had likely boosted training for fast reaction to incidents and taking evacuation instantly into consideration.

[@Dargesh890]

This could easily have gone the way of the Costa Concordia, but this captain cared more about the safety of the passengers.

[@PinkPoodlePupOfficial]

Right! I was just thinking about how this is how the Costa Concordia *should* have gone

[@Frenchiesonthego]

@@PinkPoodlePupOfficial If I remember well, the Costa Concordia experimented a total loss of power rather early after the initial fault. So beaching it was impossible. it was a lucky event that the current brought her back along the shore and not at large where she would have sunk entirely.

[@jandedick7519]

I was thinking the same thing. What a difference with a captain that cared about the passengers. Unlike the Captain Coward of the Costa Concordia.

[@zombieshoot4318]

@@Frenchiesonthego You remember correctly. Concordia lost power and it was sheer luck the wind pushed the ship into it's final resting place. Had the ship been pushed out to sea instead it would have sunk in deep waters and hundreds of people probably would have died.

[@chuckaddison5134]

Despite the cowardice of the Condordia's Captain, he did run the ship aground, though not so expertly as the Captain here as the Concordia did capsize.

[@dededavis3751]

The gentleman that had the heart attack on the ship was my cousin (and my best friend) He died 20 minutes after getting to the clinic. He was only 30y/o and was celebrating his 10 yr anniversary. The staff never left his wife’s side during the rest of the trip and subsequent disaster. Several cruise staff members came to his funeral.

[@annelbeab8124]

So sad to hear, but soothing that she was cared for.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I am sorry for your loss. 💔

[@IAmChoyle]

I’m sorry for your loss ❤

[@jorgecruzseda7551]

😢

[@jflow08]

​@Almond-tw3nrty

[@J_LorraineK]

One of the things I like about being an oceanliner nerd is that, if you close your eyes, and ignore a little techno jargon, the story Mike is telling could be 1998 or 1898. The sea is always the sea, and ships and crews are always the creatures trying to tame it.

[@goaway152]

Any true sailor can tell you that you'll never tame the sea. All you can do is try to work with her as best you can and hope that she is merciful.

[@revvyhevvy]

So true!

[@Slightly_harmful]

We got all these new fancy ships but the sea doesn't care for our toys

[@KR-ll4dj]

A sailor here: Nobody beats the sea; the best you can do is survive it, if you're very attentive and reasonably lucky. No matter how close to port you are, there is always some sequence of events that can put you in a bad way. Hence one sailor's aphorism: "The time to do something is when you first think about it." Because when you really need to, you may not be able to.

[@Superogobongo]

Excellent observation

[@devon4246]

It’s unfortunate that the reason it should be remembered is likely actually the reason it isn’t remembered so much. Humans love disaster, destruction, and death, so the ship servicing by quick thinking and great decisions, made after the incident, saving many lives and the ship, resulted in little of those things so many forget about it. Great video.

[@MrGoesBoom]

Sad but true. Same reason good news barely gets a blurb from news outlets, but the slightest hint of bad news get hyped up and focused on to the point that it seems like civilization is on the brink of ending. Gotta get those ratings and clicks dontcha know?

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

Amen.❤.

[@des_smith7658]

Ukraine is sinking

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

@@des_smith7658 As are you too?

[@blueocean2510]

​@@des_smith7658 Europe will rise and lead the world to freedom. The Court in the Hague will issue arrest warrants for CEO of Tech & Arm companies who support the Holocaust in Gaza.

[@n7qx]

I worked at the shipyard that got the contract to fix that disaster. When they pulled up on the blocks and dry docked, the amazing amount of sea life that that gash in the hull had sucked up was amazing. By the way, the cruise line was fined PER METER for the damage to the reef. It was in the millions. Excellent video!

[@xbear7473]

this is an amazing comment

[@tundrawomansays694]

Thank you for that info, much appreciated!

[@DavidBcc]

I can only guess what happened with those millions.

[@jamesrobinson6382]

I worked at the shipyard where the repairs were made. It was one of the largest jobs we had ever done.

[@mnxs]

​@@DavidBccI mean, it's a _fine._ It's meant to be punitive, not restitutional. Besides, beyond "re-planting" the reef, there's not much you can do. I don't know what you wished to insinuate with your comment, but it sounds like you accuse the government of St. Maarten of corruption, and that's a pretty harsh accusation to drop out of nowhere.

[@matthewcreelman1347]

I suspect that the reason it's forgotten is because the cruise industry really, really wants it to be forgotten. It's probably better for the cruise industry if people think "Titanic, over a century ago" when they think "passenger ship disaster."

[@--enyo--]

Agreed

[@gate7clamp]

Really I think of costa Concordia or Andrea Dorea

[@zoomedcheese]

@@gate7clampbut majority of people think of titanic. I mean the ship is 100% the most famous ship in history

[@Frenchiesonthego]

@@zoomedcheese Costa Concordia left rather deep memories here in Europe. People on their first cruise often quote it as the main reason they hesitate to board.

[@zoomedcheese]

@@Frenchiesonthego yea but titanic is definitely more known

[@Cheka__]

Mike is so friendly and polite. His voice makes me feel at ease.

[@michaelreid2329]

Should the cruise ship industry engage Mike to do pre-recorded emergency announcements. His calming voice would be a definite assett 😊

[@andyc280081973]

I've led a few teams and used the phrase "Don't build a team that'll follow you off a cliff, build one that'll stop you going over in the first place" many times. Would've helped here too I think.

[@dougle03]

Hindsight clarity is usually absent when it's kicking off though... that's the problem with investigations, people have had time to think about what happened, and even if they tried, they are incapable of recalling exactly the moment, it's always embellished for the tape/statement...

[@norseman5041]

Friend of mine was Chief Engineer onboard, he had not left the Engine Control room yet after the departure, when he felt that the ship shook and all the bilge alarms from forward to aft started alarming, HE called the bridge and told them you must turn around and beach the vessel, we are taking water in several compartments, he understood immediately she was not salvageable.

[@frankart59]

That is actually completly true.

[@tundrawomansays694]

Thanks for this info, much appreciated.

[@samholdsworth420]

Doubtful

[@frankart59]

@@samholdsworth420 What is?

[@OfficialpKIndustries]

​@@frankart59I don't know guy maybe he is referring to the comment he replied to.

[@yeeebayeeba4268]

Fun fact. I worked with Harbor Pilots for 15 years. I brought this ship in its home port, Port Canaveral, more than 100 times. Monarch and the Sovereign of the Seas were both home ported in Canaveral for many years. Now we have the big boys. 150k+ GRT ships. Worlds second largest cruise ship port. We inky take in Oasis class RC ships now. Lol. Jk. They do like port canaveral, though. It's a very convenient port to enter and exit. Along with cheap pilot rates, compared to Lauderdale and Miami. That being said, the rates were just increased by 400%. Still cheaoer than the rest of Florida. You cant say that enough! Complacency kills. Not just on the high seas, but in every aspect. Id always have mates that woukd walk away from the bridge while on auto pilot saying, "were in the middle of the ocean, not a vessel in sight. What can happen"?. Well, most of the time, he wouod be right. It would be a very rare accident to take place, but you would be surprised how quickly vessles can come out of nowhere. Even if youve scanned the radar, seen theres nothing sround for 12nm, walk away eneough times and yiull eventually hear the 5 short horn blasts you never want to hear when in the middle of the ocean. I graduated the maritime academy in 2003. Ive been in the water my entire working life. I know that feeling because ive done it. Not once, but sveral times. Then i finally woke up. Im now a very cautious captain. My "cowboy" days are over. All the things my elder colleagues told me come to fruition.

[@yeeebayeeba4268]

@SewingandCaring yeah. I 🤔

[@yeeebayeeba4268]

@SewingandCaring I'm jk. For sure. Complacency involves ALL aspects of life. Why do a vast majority of vehicle accidents happen within a mile of the residents? Complacency.

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

Amen.❤.

[@steeltrap3800]

@@yeeebayeeba4268 The most likely explanation is that by definition within a mile of home is where the vehicle is driven most frequently, unless it is only driven to and from a single destination at all times. Having said that, "familiarity breeds contempt" certainly is a thing. Cheers

[@steeltrap3800]

Thanks for sharing your interesting experience; it's always great having experts in something specifically relevant chime in.

[@Hellokasper]

I remember going to school as a kid and seeing the Monarch of the Seas stranded on the sand bank in front of the Great Bay resort, I can still picture it today. Thanks for the technical explanation to this event, I remember the Monarch being stuck on the bank for weeks as a crew of underwater welders patched her temporarily so she could be floated and fixed in a shipyard. The effect on the reef should not be underestimaed, the reef never fully recovered, and sadly due to bleeching of the corals I dont think they ever will.

[@frankart59]

It was only banked for 4 or 5 days, then it sailed to Mobile, Alabama in dry dock, it was docked there dec. 28.

[@thunderkrux7745]

I gotta say as far as maritime disasters are concerned, this is probably the best possible outcome. Despite the human errors that led to the disaster, the crew and captain immediately made plans to make this as safe as possible and succeeded.

[@sglazekkg6875]

If Costa Concordia is a “what not to do after you f*ck up” this is the “what to do after you f*ck up” version.

[@thunderkrux7745]

@ what does that make the Sewol Ferry Disaster?

[@Realistic_Secret]

Our friend Mike Brady, coming in clutch for lunch break.

[@the_uglysteve6933]

What does clutch mean?

[@DustinKillyact]

Tacos!!!

[@revvyhevvy]

​@@DustinKillyact will you share?

[@steeliewheelies]

@@backonpro5679mixed nuts, dates, roast beef and pepper jack cheese (and water)

[@literally_fin]

@@backonpro5679burger king lol

[@fireyjrfan1]

You know it’s a good day when our friend, mike releases on a documentary on a disaster!

[@peterhogben3304]

Yes Costa Concordia could be another ship to talk about.

[@grondhero]

"It's a good day for a disaster!"- Firey

[@fireyjrfan1]

@@grondhero You are no longer safe.

[@flaneur5560]

Our friend Mike Brady did that standing on his head.

[@BlancoIncognito]

That intro though.. Remember in the 90s and early 00s when we had cable and these kind of shows were on tv and you kind of were at the mercy of the tv schedule and release dates. It’s crazy that we have that quality of editing and content just available anytime on KZbin. I love this channel. I feel like the quality is on or beyond par with those big budget discovery channel shows of yesterday

[@tyreni]

It's nice to hear about the crew and equipment being dialed in for a quick evacuation. Mike has told us so many stories about older ships and the disastrous, days-long evacs that ended up being worse than the initial accident.

[@jazdragen]

Short of enormous dereliction of duty like the Costa Concordia, things really are well organized and very safe these days on any major western cruise line

[@alensufli]

I am not a math person. In fact I didn’t even like ships before I encountered this channel. Not only the quality of the presentation but this young gentleman’s speech, manners got my interest hooked with these marvellous vessels. I almost thought these kind of gentlemen don’t exist anymore. Cheer to your parents for raising you appropriately.

[@bassethound1]

And handsome as can be.

[@watsonvisions911]

I really love Mike Brady. One of the most respectful and brilliant men of our time.

[@isabellind1292]

Here, here! I second that!

[@steverogers2603]

Yeah, I guess, but Peter and Bobby are pretty good too.

[@annabellesnightmares]

With not knowing any thing about boats/ships and never being on a cruise, these stories fascinate me. I love this channel🥰

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thank you!

[@two_tier_gary_rumain]

Well, it's not about the Titanic but you can't have everything.

[@Flirri]

It's great to have a channel like this to open up a whole new world.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

As an avid cruiser, this class of cruise ship (Sovereign class) is my absolute favorite. They're big enough to have multiple bars, clubs, theaters, and dining rooms - but small enough where you could still get to know the fellow passengers and crew (which really adds to the experience). The new ships are just too massive and crazy. It doesn't feel exiting but luxurious.

[@scotpens]

Not just massive, but butt-ugly. Modern cruise vessels are designed for maximum interior space with no regard for grace, proportion or symmetry. They look like floating hotels because that's essentially what they are.

[@PatrickBaptist]

Back in 98 or 99 I was on the majesty of the seas, only one I've been on, but they are some nice ships, best time I had in my life.

[@oaker55]

We were on every Sovereign class ship and Sovereign itself many times. As a matter of fact, I ruptured my right Achilles tendon on the Sovereign's basketball court in June of '91. They were great ships! I remember this incident from the news but like a lot of incidents like this, they weren't as widely know in detail because of the lack of internet coverage that exists today.

[@richard--s]

The big ships feel like shopping malls. Oh, we are at sea, nice, but it still feels like a giant shopping mall.

[@robertbarnier45]

Agree. Smaller is better 😅

[@f1watcher445]

My wife and I were on the ship when this happened. Good times : ) Luckily we were the first lifeboat off the ship. We took a bus to the French side of St. Martin, to a nice hotel and then spent 2 or 3 days there before they flew us back to Miami. Where we waited for our bags. They had to go into every cabin and pack everyone's belongings, then send them to Miami. We got everything back; including a diamond tennis bracelet my wife had purchased that day in St. Thomas. So hat's off to the ship's crew for that. They did a great job. The only thing we didn't get back was the booze i had in the room (They must of had one heck of a party). So all in all pretty painless....and made for many good stories later on : ) I work offshore in the North Sea on the drilling rigs. So I am very used to boat drills and rescue procedures. I remember my wife waiting at the door to our cabin urging me to hurry up as we were to muster at our lifebaot....as I calmly got dressed and grabbed my wallet....which came in handy in the coming days....as many people had no money. Once I arrived at my lifeboat station; and could see we were in a bay...I was relieved. I figured I could swim from there if needed. Because we were supposed to be far out at sea; and not arriving into Martinique until the following day. So I was happy to be close to land. Needless to say our friends were leary to go on cruises after that one. We got our money back and a free cruise out of it. On the free cruise we hit hurricane Lenny.....but that's a story for a different youtube video 🤣

[@fazbearanimations2622]

What ship were you on during the storm?

[@AdvanturesOver50]

I was on it, also. What an experience. It was the first time I had gone to a nude beach . . . we were at the hotel on the island staying in the conference room. I think we got luckier than others who were dispersed throughout the island. I remember warm ham and mayonnaise sandwiches we got to eat. We couldn't find our luggage but it was flown to us later on to MN. I remember when they flew us to Florida getting t-shirts and toothbrushes. For what happened, everyone was really great and helpful which made it better. Yes, great story to have to tell! I always use it when I play three truths and a lie! No one would believe it.

[@T.Media1199]

This is a gripping account of the Monarch of the Seas' near disaster. The bravery and quick actions of the captain and crew are commendable. It's fascinating to see how the design and engineering of such vessels play a crucial role in emergency situations. Great storytelling by Michael Brady! 🚢⏳

[@SpleenathonOfficial]

This was the ship my parents went on their honeymoon on. Not the same voyage as the disaster of course.

[@Jupa]

You were basically invented on that ship

[@SpleenathonOfficial]

@@Jupa much as I appreciate the concept they waited 5 years

[@ReturnOfJackDawson]

Mike Brady is so classy and always well-dressed for his KZbin videos that even his ships want to swap their anchors for cufflinks

[@davepowell7168]

A blatant insurance fraud is not guaranteed

[@thatoneannoyingtornadosire8755]

The warning about complacency is also very, very true for aviation! There's a good bit of incidents that been been caused by that very reason.

[@brendashelonko2149]

Most recently due to cost cutting in design and production by Boeing. They ignored their own safety culture in the 737, and now they stranded 2 astronauts at the Soviet space station. Why didn’t they have a backup shuttle just in case?

[@JeremySmith-k6n]

Fascinating story. Sounds like, at the time, the bridge crews needed the same type of resource management training that airline crews now get as a result of past accidents.

[@mbvoelker8448]

That was my thought too when the second in command didn't question the risky course.

[@DebraJean196]

@@mbvoelker8448agreed. Pilot training now includes the training to question superior officers when they make seemingly potentially dangerous decisions. But training for Ocean Liner Captains is done a whole different way.

[@MmntechCa]

MentourPilot talks about crew resource management (CRM) quite a bit. Particularly empowering subordinates to question and openly discuss actions by superiors that go outside normal procedures, or anything they feel uncomfortable with. Applies just as much with ships as it does commercial airliners.

[@DebraJean196]

I love Petter and MentourPilot as well! Just found this channel, but think I’ll be hanging around a bit lol. You are 100% correct about CRM principles applying here (or lack of them I guess 🙁)

[@gomezgomezian3236]

Time and time again, aircraft investigations show CRM to be a critical strategy in effective, safe operation. I would be disappointed (although not at all surprised) to find that the maritime world would not 'lower itself' to look at the lessons of its 'younger transport sibling' (you know, the 'senior service' bit), but rather wait for the accident to happen before (hopefully) learning the lesson.

[@Tobelia]

Watching this, in my head I kept hearing Mentour Pilot saying “crew resource management” and “increase in workload” Great video!

[@MarinCipollina]

"What happens in the next 4 minutes will be critically important"

[@Kristina.Larson]

We rarely have such a good example of mistakes leading to an incident, yet still with a life preserving outcome.

[@BELCAN57]

Before accident: Sloppy work by Bridge Crew. After accident: Excellent work by Bridge Crew.

[@isabellind1292]

Yeah, what a bunch of gobbledygook!

[@gregorykayne6054]

Oddly, it seems it could have been "Britannic" in 1916. Excellent work as always, Mike!

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

Because it took on water??

[@gregorykayne6054]

@@WhatALoadOfTosca Because if they hadn't succeeded in beaching it, it would have sank, killing people.

[@cruises_arendelle]

@@WhatALoadOfToscabecause of the scenario she was in. Britannic could’ve been beached the same way Monarch of The Seas did if Britannic had the chance.

[@BDK86]

Britannic hit a mine and sank

[@cruises_arendelle]

@@BDK86 i’m talking about the attempted beaching.

[@BigDaddyLicious]

I had a classmate who was onboard when this happened. He came back to school the next week all exited telling us how the entire ordeal played out. The ship was repaired and returned to service. Then transferred to a Spanish company Pullmantur Cruises. Renamed Pullmantur Monarch and cruised mainly in the Caribbean until sold for scrap in 2020.

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

@@BigDaddyLicious Amen.

[@ericreese7792]

One of the many older cruise ships sent to the breakers as the cruise industry came to a standstill that year.

[@fazbearanimations2622]

It sucks they scrapped the ship. I've never been on it but I was on Majesty of the Seas.

[@patrickking9284]

Sailed this ship in 2002. We had no idea this had happened. We loved the ship and the cruise to Mexico..

[@thedoc01011]

I work onboard Monarch when was part of the Pullmantur Fleet, I love that vessel, the atmosphere was astonishing inside, I work for 6 consecutive contracts in the medical department. Thank you, you bring me back some memories.

[@jvk1770]

And now Royal Caribbean boasts ships that can carry 3 times that amount. It makes you wonder how well the next incident like this will go...

[@speed150mph]

I’d actually think very well. My wife and I took our first cruise last year on Quantum. We all had to learn our muster points and life boats, and I found the ship very accessible. I feel like as long as the passengers follow directions, an evacuation could be done relatively efficiently.

[@kosmas173]

yes but those ships probably have more people present on the bridge at all times

[@oneup12]

This man was made for this job. Much love to ocean-liner designs from Canada

[@TerryKeever]

Don't remember ever hearing of this almost disaster. A series of bad decisions, failure to delegate and not questioning the captain could have led to a much worse incident.

[@LuckyPierre789]

Living in Orlando i sailed on Monarch over 10 times. I never heard this story before. Amazing. Thanks!

[@jasonarcher7268]

Never been early. Glad to see my friend, mike brady in the morning.

[@ronjones1077]

A bit more info on the repairs and follow up events of both the ship and the officers would be appreciated. The story was only half told.

[@frankart59]

Dry docked in Mobile, Alabama, for 9 weeks i believe. 500 tons of steel replaced. Captain and staff captain fired. Duty officer was sent home and later to the Enchantment of the seas where the helmsman, now promoted to 2nd. officer, already was working. What happened to the other helmsman, I don't know.

[@WaddlesIcyPercy]

*“Its your friend mike Brady from ocean liner designs”* makes a bad day into a legendary time

[@CobraDBlade]

I'd just like to point out that the image you used to represent the ship's announcement system at 6:29 is in fact an air conditioning vent. Not a huge deal but I found it amusing.

[@RedCoalsSweatSouls]

Really old style of PA ;)

[@Zee06]

I worked on board the Monarch in theatre. I was 1 of the crew members who stayed on the ship until it was sold to Pullmantuer. It was a fun time.

[@soundwavesuperior7522]

You know what's awful? Right as the video ended I got an ad for a cruise

[@NorseNerdleMeister]

I sailed on the Monarch in 2010 Beautiful ship! Always thought the Sovereign class had great lines. The stern design reminds me of the SS Normandie’s.

[@williamlloyd3769]

No updated port charts, night time hours, sloppy navigation party procedures, failure to follow checklists, plotting error, Captain stomach illness. Recipe to a disaster. Luckily weather gods weren’t against them and ship had time to ground itself on a soft bottom.

[@IAimToMisbehave]

Perfect video for my lunch break. Thanks for all the work you put in your channel.

[@azimuth361]

One of the things I love about your videos is that you personally narrate and make appearances in them. More and more "creators" are using AI and avatars. They suck. You rock! Their videos? "Not interested". "Do not recommend channel". Your videos? Liked, subscribed, left comments." Thank you for your creations.

[@garyallsebrook3493]

Ive cruised on the Monarch. Best cruise ever! I hate the new cruise ships too many people.

[@chocolatechip12]

Apparently I'm too old-fashioned, but I think cruise ships should look like ships, not like Kowloon Walled City on water.

[@neildecker3061]

Try the Celebrity ships. Much similar feel & size, but more upscale.

[@sweaspurdoddd5466]

It's nice to hear things go relatively well with the crew being competent and not putting the passengers at risk.

[@randomguyorsmth420]

It's our friend Mike Brady from Ocean Liner Designs

[@snorlax4021]

facts

[@Drew791]

P3n15 popped up when the video did!

[@alexmckay28]

Never heard of this story before. Beautiful ship yet tragic ending. Thank you for sharing Mike!

[@BHuang92]

I've never heard of this incident until now! It's amazing how forgotten it is even though it's been several decades which is not too long ago!

[@JounLord1]

Its interesting the response between this and the Costa Concordia, both disasters caused by mistakes but with wildly different endings. The Monarch's crew seemed very professional, told the truth of what was happening to the passengers, apparently got in fast contact with the shore for help, and had a well ordered evacuation. The captain stayed at the bridge directing the effort. Compare that to the Costa Concordia where the crew seemed like amateurs at best, lied to passengers about what was going on, lied to the shore authority, and had a disorderly evacuation. The captain most certainly didn't stay with the ship but saved his own skin leaving passengers behind. The Monarch crew still messed up to the point of getting them in the mess just as the Costa crew did but their response to their own failings couldn't be more different, one had zero loss of lives and the other had dozens.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

That's the difference between Royal Caribbean and Carnival (who owned and operated Costa Concordia). Royal Caribbean has one of the best safety records, while Carnival has one of the worst. No company is perfect, but if you look at major cruise ship incidents, the majority are Carnival or tiny companies. Royal Caribbean also owns Celebrity and Azimara, for reference.

[@joãoAlberto-k9x]

Amen.❤.

[@dfuher968]

While human errors led to the ship hitting the reef, can we all just appreciate, how well the emergency was handled, once it happened? Thats certainly not, how these stories usually go!

I was working as a video programmer on the Monarch when this happened. I remember how strangely calm everyone was. I believe the direct communication and honesty of the bridge really reached the passengers. We all knew what was going on and acted so. I spent my first night on the beach in St. Maarten, then back to the ship in the morning. All non essential crew then left the next day.I had the job of tuning the satellites so I stuck around. It was Christmas so the ship was decorated. I walked though the centrum admiring the huge tree, yet no noise, no people. I felt frozen in time. The crew packed up the passengers belongings, I videoed the removal of the safety deposit boxes to show integrity to the passengers should there be a problem. A few days later there was concern the ship might flip, so we were immediately guided to a tender and left. Home for Christmas. I miss the Monarch.

[@RedCoalsSweatSouls]

Neat memories you have now: )

[@KF-viking]

0:04 I was onboard as a crew member at this time and a part of the senior emergency management crew and was involved first hand with the flooding and water coming in, there are several gaps in this story like the water tight doors not beeing closed and etc, the decitiont making process and what we actually did at the time before and during beaching the ship? It was a true act of training and crew expertise that saved the ship, for the position tracking and deifring you forgot to mention the missing buoy 😐

[@frankart59]

The buoy on Proslyte reef wasn't missing when this accident happened. It had been moved a little bit but that had not been corrected in the ship's charts.

[@OriginalFrozenJoe]

1995… my family went on our first cruise, happened to be Monarch of the Seas. I was 10. Loved it and have been cruising almost yearly since.

[@vacationcruiser1899]

I’ve been on Monarch of the seas she was a great ship for the time

[@kats9755]

We love an "everybody was safe and sound" story 🎉

[@Saber721]

I actually went on a cruise on that very ship in 2006. Had no idea it was involved in such a high profile incident

[@jeebusk]

they hid the damage under the water line :)

[@JonS-TX]

Same!! I went in Dec 2001, had to look up the photos to verify ... crazyyyyyy!

[@turdferguson4124]

I took a cruise on this ship in summer 2001. I vaguely remember hearing about this accident, but had forgotten.

[@joshfox4479]

I went on it in 2007! Never knew about this either

[@sysbofh]

Accident aside, errors aside, it's truly beautiful to see a well oiled machine in operation: the actions to mitigate damage and the evacuation of the ship. It really is a sight to behold, when everyone does his part. Yes, yes. I know, it shouldn't happen. I'm not talking about it, but the actions after the disaster, and how to deal with it.

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

CRM is perhaps the single most common cause of accidents in ships and aircraft today. Nearly any emergency can be dealt with, given the proper procedures are followed- nevermind prevention of accidents in the first place. The terrible is that modern vessels (and airliners) are so complex that it's very difficult to manage all the relevant systems in a timely manner. Back to Crew Resource Management; this is the only hope we have of staying ahead of situations in such complex machines. Teamwork is key.

[@FT56777]

I really appreciate a person who takes the time to look professional and tidy. Thank you! Also, great show!

[@carlosc3768]

You made a great point at the end of the video: "Complacency kills"

[@estherlwhittle7568]

I have been reading Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. His story about leaving his family behind in Boston and "sailing" south to Pennsylvania was amazing! Troubles at sea left him fighting for his life on more than one occasion. He was fortunate to live to be a young man of 18 after the various mishaps in small vessels. 😊 The crew and passengers were much safer on this ship.

[@LilDiabloRob]

Wow that looks so close to the cruise I went on with Royal Caribbean. I was on Enchantment of the Seas two years ago.

[@lindajarvis4919]

I was on the monarch of the seas in 1994 for my honeymoon. It was with Rccl. Beautiful Set the standard for other ships to come along.

[@nyotamwuaji6484]

The ships who survive, their stories disappear. Its the Titanics and Lusitanias that people remember.

[@GravesRWFiA]

this has been 'forgotten' because once things went wrong-the crew made it a text book example of how to handle the mess. crew and passenger's stayed calm, the captain had a realistic plan and carried it out and no life was .lost.

[@dytile1603]

Really fun you posted this video, as I had just gained an interest in this incident when you spoke about it in your 5 more ship design flaws video

[@mpeterll]

I didn't know about the construction fire, although I knew of a smaller fire in the laundry while the ship was in service (I was the photographer summoned by the staff-captain to photograph it).

[@RobertCraft-re5sf]

Really like the way you cover maritime stories. Would be great to see more. Awesome content. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@SunnnyDay]

I sailed on my first cruise on this ship. The trip went perfectly and the crew and staff were FANTASTIC !

[@neildecker3061]

Me as well, probably a year before this incident. Was a nice ship.

[@JeffPedlow]

Wow! I was in this voyage! I must have been 14ish - just came back from the “teen disco”. Sounded like we were inside a tin can being ripped apart. We stood on deck for hours and hours, st Martin had very little room for people and RCL was ofcourse scrambling to put people wherever they could… churches, resorts being renovated etc as it was Christmas time and everything was full. We got put up on the French side of the island, and I slept for what seemed like an eternity. The next day they attempted to get us out via the airport but it was waved off for the following day. When we arrived at the airport the following day, all of the luggage was in a gigantic pile, I’d estimate a 15-20ft high cone and RCL staff basically said “good luck”, being 14ish I found one of ours after some looking and managed to find the others nearby. Sadly all of the valuables had disappeared as the bags were packed. I remember flying out to Puerto Rico as we were back-ending our cruise for an additional week there, it was a Miami air charter and people were cheering and crying as soon as we were wheels up. Crazy crazy experience.

[@gerrycorbino66]

A ton of information presented in an easily understandable way. These are also life lessons about never becoming complacent and being willing to ask questions when something does not appear to be correct.

[@roadweary5252]

Love hearing about lesser known incidents. Thanks, Mike!

[@nickma71]

I love that our host is always dressed professionally for his presentation. Now that I watched...it sure beats the north Atlantic ocean.

[@wuntbinx]

I’ve been waiting n praying for to cover this incident ❤. Thank you Mike Brady !!!! 😊😊😊😊

[@Whookieee]

It's lovely to hear about correct procedures and successful evacuation.

[@jacklempke7779]

My friend Mike Brady putting a video out early enough so I can watch it on my lunch break…best Wednesday ever.

[@chilipeprsandi]

I also cruised on the Monarch of the Seas many times. Was such a relaxing and peaceful cruise back in the day ….now not so much 😂 💕💃🏻

[@mburns75]

The mention of the Costa Concordia makes me ask if you have plans to do an episode about the ship. Hopefully you do 😉

[@jazzmodern]

Though you're on holiday, you still were our friend by granting this video ❤

[@brianhamel493]

thanks for the lesson! clear and concise as always. had a good cruise on Monarch many years after this incident

[@Archeantusable]

Me: ugh, I've had a hard day. There's nothing that could make me feel better Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs: now hold on just a minute

[@louiswrede4177]

That was a New story. Never heard abt that. Thank you for a good resume of that accident. 😀

[@OzikoStoreAus]

Tea finished, video completed and enjoyed now back to work. Thanks friend! 😊

[@dez1989]

Very good episode, Mike! Thank you once again!

[@kdproductions2008]

I have been on this ship may times growing up in the 90’s I was on it a couple months before this happened it’s safe to say Monarch had been through quite a few ordeals in her royal Caribbean career but she was a beautiful ship and it’s good to share the stories of accidents that have a good outcome with no loss of life that lessons were learnt from. I must say you done a great video here going into fine detail on the events that took place as I have vast knowledge on the history of sovereign class and done a few videos on these ships myself and you got the details so on point. Thank you 😁

[@patriley9449]

I sailed on this ship twice many years ago. Once to Alaska and once to Mexico. A lovely ship that had all the amenities that you need. It looked like a ship, unlike the monstrous floating hotels they have now. I enjoyed both trips immensely but had no idea that this had happened.

[@elpatudo3670]

Glad to hear that coach!

[@Uniquely-Unoriginal]

Except Titanic and minimal to medium info on the Queen Mary, anything I learn about all these ships has been because of you and Tom (Part-time Explorer). Until I watched then binged both your and Tom's channels, I didn't even know I had an interest on ships and their stories. Thanks! to my friend, Mike Brady!

[@randolphstephenson]

Friends,Romans, Countryman! Say hello to our friend Mike Brady. Yet again bringing us a video par excellence!📽️🙏🤗👑 Thank you Mike. FOMBS🏆

[@G60syncro]

The KZbin ad algorithm is on point.... I got an ad for a cruise right before this video!!!

[@koini11]

Interesting one. Reading the report got me thinking. I think the video answered my question on crew resource management coming in after this. It's a major thing in aviation but I didn't know if it was introduced in the maritime world. Trusting your superiors even when you think something is wrong like in this case is what for me wondering.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Thank you for the video. I thought of the Costa Concordia while watching this!

[@awkc63]

Hi friend Mike Brady... I got to tell you, I'm not really all that interested in ships. They're cool, (especially the gigantic ones) but they just aren't my thing. HOWEVER... I love watching your videos. You're very educational, but most importantly, you have a passion and it comes across so well. Because you love it so much it comes across to me. You don't sound like you're reading a script. I'm sure there is scripts, because you can't retain everything you want to say, but it doesn't sound like you're reading line-by-line, and it sounds like you're speaking directly to me. Love your work.

[@LanceCampeau]

I did 2 six month contracts on the Monarch in 2002 / 2003. This event was extensively referenced in the safety training.