FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida homeowners are questioning a cruise line's response after a Celebrity ship got too close for comfort to a portside home.
Yasmine and Bill Todhunter said they're used to seeing ships pass their waterfront home, but the Celebrity Equinox was getting too close to their patio on Friday, WSVN reported.
Bill Todhunter was seen in cellphone video trying to wave off the ship as Todhunter is heard yelling in the background.
"Never seen that close, you know. Yeah, we've seen them come what we call close, but never to where the ship has had to stop, put itself into reverse, back out into the channel and eventually go back to sea," Bill told WSVN.
Celebrity's parent company Royal Caribbean said the ship and the captain did nothing wrong.
In a statement, Royal Caribbean said: "As Equinox departed on Friday, March 3, she was in her assigned channel at all times under the guidance of specialized local port pilots. The ship operated safely and did not put guests or crew at risk. We can also confirm the ship did not touch bottom."
Bill Todhunter told WSVN that he doesn't believe the statement that the ship didn't ground itself.
The Coast Guard told the television station that there are no rules for how close a ship can get to a sea wall, but if it had run aground the ship's crew would have had to report the accident.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/JTVU2V6QZJDPJOFRLIAS3424MY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GRZGPKEIUVHVFAVEGSOJSRA6JQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/ZRBUBVWFNJFXJP6ZQG2ANEROVE.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GUAD4ABRCRB4LJ6TP72IOU75WI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/EPITFP4YHRHSDBGVLWFOVKARXE.jpeg)