Storm Forces Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship to Return and Dock in New Jersey
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship "Anthem of the Seas" was forced to head back to New Jersey after it was hit by a storm on Monday. According to Yahoo News, with around 4,000 passengers on board, the ship was expected to arrive in Port Canaveral, Florida today after it left Cape Liberty in New Jersey on Saturday.
Passengers are supposed to experience the seven-night cruise to Bahamas when officials of the ship decided to turn back after experiencing an unstable and rocky journey. As objects inside the ship started to fall and tumble, officers of the cruise ship instantly knew it was worse than they expected.
The company has since released a statement saying, "We know it was a tough day last Sunday and apologized for their discomfort. We also thank our captain and crew for guiding the ship safely back to better weather. Safety is our highest priority, and ships are designed to withstand even more extreme circumstances than Anthem of the Seas encountered."
Currently, the company has not reported any serious injuries caused by the unfortunate voyage, as approximately 4,000 passengers were ordered to stay in their cabins during the turbulence. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) on the other hand was prompted to make an inspection after the incident was widely talked about on different social media platforms.
The company, in their statement, also said, "In an abundance of caution, the Captain asked all guests to stay in their stateroom until the weather improved. At this time, there have not been any serious injuries reported."
Worries began to settle when some passengers noticed how the ship started to tilt at around 45 degrees. The ship has encountered approximately 76 miles per hour of wind gusts.
Spokesman Mark Barney, however, made a reassuring comment by stating that everything is fine inside the ship and that there was no record of distress calls from the captain. According to USA Today, the strength of the wind and the distressful condition of the sea caused the "Anthem of the Sea" to head back. The situation has been unexpected, with winds surpassing the expected forecast according to the cruise line.
At least four passengers were reported to suffer minor injuries. Some passengers were able to update their situation through message boards saying waves as high as the Deck 5 of the Promenade was spotted.
According to Yahoo News, the U.S. Coast Guard said they are aware of the situation and will continue to do some close monitoring.
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