Passengers aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander experienced an unusual and unsettling event Monday afternoon when a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the western coast of Cuba, causing noticeable shaking throughout the cruise ship.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at approximately 2:00 p.m. EDT on June 8, 2026. The quake was centered about 104 kilometers west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba, at a depth of 10 kilometers. No tsunami warning was issued.
While earthquakes are occasionally felt across Florida, passengers aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander may have been among the closest people to the epicenter at the time of the event.
One of those passengers was meteorologist Mike Boylan, founder of Mike’s Weather Page, a popular Florida-based weather website and social media platform that provides hurricane tracking, tropical weather updates, and forecast information to hundreds of thousands of followers.
Shortly after the earthquake, Boylan shared his experience on social media.
“Holy crap, we just did on our ship,” he wrote. “Literally we were on top of this earthquake just now. Everything shook. Panic definitely was in the air. Thought we lost a motor.”
Passengers initially thought something was wrong with the ship
During an interview with Fox Weather, Boylan explained that he was sitting at a bar aboard the ship when the shaking began.
“We’re sitting at the bar enjoying our beverage package, and the chips started shaking,” Boylan said. “We all kind of looked at each other. The crew kind of looked at each other. Chandeliers started shaking, and it went on for about a minute.”
Because weather conditions were calm and sunny, nobody immediately understood what was happening.
“It was beautiful sunshine out here and the seas were calm,” Boylan said. “I had no idea what it was. I thought, it can’t be a sandbar.”
The uncertainty quickly spread throughout the ship. “Nobody knew what it was,” he said. “There was definitely a panic in the air.”
According to Boylan, many passengers initially believed the vessel had experienced a mechanical problem. “We didn’t know if we lost an engine, hit a propeller, or lost power,” he said. “Nobody knew what was going on.”
Other passengers shared similar accounts on social media. One guest aboard Islander commented that it was the “loudest vibration ever” and said he thought the ceiling of his cabin was going to collapse before running onto his balcony to see what was happening.
Another passenger said he was preparing for a slot tournament when “all of a sudden, the boat started to shake.”
Captain of Margaritaville at Sea Islander quickly addressed passengers
Boylan credited the ship’s bridge team for responding quickly and communicating with guests almost immediately after the shaking stopped.
“The captain came on right away, which was amazing,” Boylan told Fox Weather. “They let everybody know that we had just experienced an earthquake and that the ship was fine.”
That announcement helped calm passengers who had spent the previous minute wondering whether the ship had suffered a serious mechanical failure.
Although Islander did not appear to suffer any significant damage, Boylan said the shaking was strong enough to move items around the ship. “You know how they have the art galleries in the hallways?” he said. “Some of those fell off the wall.”
He also reported that some tiles shifted and plates moved in dining areas during the event. The experience surprised not only passengers but crew members as well.
“Talking to the captain and the crew, this does not happen,” Boylan said. “It’s very rare to have an actual cruise ship on top of an earthquake.”
How can you feel an earthquake while at sea?
Although uncommon, it is possible for ships to feel earthquakes when they are located close enough to the epicenter.
Earthquakes generate seismic waves that travel through the Earth’s crust and ocean floor. Depending on a vessel’s location and the characteristics of the quake, passengers may experience unusual vibrations, shaking, or rumbling sensations throughout the ship.
In this case, publicly shared maps from Boylan showed Islander sailing in waters north of Cuba and relatively close to the earthquake’s epicenter when the event occurred.
The proximity likely explains why passengers reported such intense shaking despite being at sea.
Passengers say it’s a memory they won’t forget
While the earthquake briefly interrupted the vacation, Boylan said the experience quickly became the talk of the ship. “Everybody’s talking about it now,” he said. “We got a memory.”
Despite the unexpected excitement, he praised Margaritaville at Sea for how the situation was handled.
“They did an amazing job. We love this cruise line,” Boylan said. “They handled it amazing, and life goes on. We’re back to party mode.”
Most cruise passengers expect to enjoy sunshine, sea days, and tropical ports during their vacation. Feeling a 6.1-magnitude earthquake while sailing near Cuba is a much rarer addition to the itinerary.
For those aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander on Monday afternoon, it’s likely to be a cruise story they’ll be telling for years!
