News & Expert Advice

Have you ever seen a volcano from a cruise ship?

What unusual things have you seen from the deck of a cruise ship? Has a captain ever made you feel you saw something special? Comment below!

As you’re likely aware, Mark and Dale have just returned from a cruise around the Mediterranean onboard the Norwegian Cruise Lines Jade. You can read about many of their adventures on the Muster Station. And did you know, you could post your own cruise memories and experiences there, too?

Hearing of Mark’s cruise brings back Mediterranean memories of my own.

Azamara Club Cruises Quest anchored off Sorrento, Italy, the morning after the ship took us past Mount Stromboli during magnificent eruption. Photo © Randall Shirley

Seeing a volcano erupt from the deck of a cruise ship was hardly what Denni and I expected when we booked our Mediterranean cruise onboard Azamara Club Cruises Quest. But that was one of the “extras” that Captain Carl Smith helped happen for us and our 700-ish shipmates last fall.

Late in the evening as Azamara Quest sailed between Taormina, Sicily, and Sorrento on the Italian mainland, we passed by the volcano island of Stromboli. Captain Carl chose to navigate around the dark side of the island, keeping the ship at a safe distance, with the hopes that if the volcano was erupting we’d be able to see it better.

Just as the show was ending in the main theatre, passengers clamored to the decks and we all watched in awe as Stromboli put on quite a show, spewing several plumes of lava high into the Italian night sky. The orange-glowing lava continued to be visible as it rolled down the side of the volcano to the sea.

Captain Carl was on the bridge wings watching the show, and said in all his times passing Stromboli, he’d never seen such a magnificent performance by the volcano. Someone on the main deck hollered at the captain, “We love you Captain Carl!”

Smith shouted back, “And I love my job!”

Seeing Stromboli erupt was just one special moment on that cruise. Going hiking with the ship’s captain was another. Read about that here.

Moments like this are why I love to cruise. You never know where you’ll find them, but I’m certainly planning to cruise Azamara again. And Mark & Dale seem to have had a particularly wonderful experience on the Norwegian Jade.

What unusual things have you seen from the deck of a cruise ship? Has a captain ever made you feel you saw something special? Comment below!

*Note: as is customary in the professional travel writing industry, the author received complimentary travel on Azamara Club Cruises. The author strives to remain unbiased in his reviews. Please see our full disclosure statement here.