The Royal Caribbean cruise liner Anthem of the Seas, the third-largest cruise ship in the world, is seen here during its inaugural voyage last April.
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The cruise ship is now headed back to its home port in Bayonne, New Jersey, and is expected to dock at around 9 p.m. Wednesday.
The Coast Guard will help determine if there are any contributing factors or lessons to be learned from this event that could help prevent injuries or damage in the future, the release said.
The ship was hit by nine-metre waves and 240-kilometre-an-hour winds. There was damage to the ship, but according to Royal Caribbean it didn’t compromise the sea-worthiness of it. There was damage to some public areas and guest rooms. Fours years ago, I said that these monster ships “look like condominiums ripped out of Collins Avenue on Miami Beach and placed on a barge”.
Cruise passengers reported that the waves crashed over the top of the lifeboats tethered along the side of the Anthem of the Seas as the ship listed heavily to one side.
The cruise ship was caught in a winter storm off the coast of the Carolinas.
Ms Demaret’s brother, Phil Partridge, said that when passengers were eventually allowed out on Monday morning, they saw damage including smashed glass, collapsed ceilings and balconies ripped apart. The Detroit Free Press reported the delay meant Anthem of the Seas didn’t return to port until January 25, which delayed the departure of the next cruise, a southern Caribbean trip that was forced into a change of itinerary.
“Even so, it is our responsibility to eliminate every surprise we possibly can”, Royal Caribbean said. But Royal Caribbean said on its corporate Twitter account that the ship would turn around and sail back to Cape Liberty.
After the storm, instead of continuing on its seven-day cruise, the Anthem turned around and returned to Cape Liberty on Wednesday.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) has called on the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate why the ship sailed into the storm despite the weather forecasts.
Passengers say the storm started mid-afternoon Sunday, and the captain of the ship Anthem of the Seas ordered them to their staterooms for their safety.
Bittar says, “You know what it makes you think though it really does”.
The captain of the ship while negotiating the surges and the stormy weather advised the passengers to remain inside the cabins. The ship can safely maneuver with one azipod, Rowe said.
Despite the voucher for another cruise, Donoghue says she’d rather take her chances on land the next time around.
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The nightmare included four hours when the 1,100-foot long ship was at a 45-degree angle, according to Justin Scerbo, another passenger who was leaving the ship.
