A powerful storm and hurricane-force winds caught a Royal Caribbean cruise, Anthem of the Seas, one of the biggest ships of the world, on Sunday.
The ship was sailing south from New York to Port Canaveral, Florida, and was carrying more than 6,000 people among passengers and crew.
At about 3:30 pm on Sunday, the captain made an announcement in which he ordered all passengers to go to their cabins and stay there for safety, also saying that “the strength of the storm had surprised everyone and that the ship would hold position and try to turn into it.”, as published in USA Today.
By 1:00 am on Monday, the situation began to improve and the ship continued sailing toward Florida. A statement of the Royal Caribbean sent to USA Today said that the ship experienced “extreme wind and sea conditions” that were “higher than what was forecasted.” But federal forecasters from NOAA’s Ocean Prediction Center had warned of a strong storm in the Atlantic for four days before Sunday.
Passengers spread the story around social media. They tweeted describing the situation and published photos and videos that featured all the damage: the strong winds and waves striking the ship, the fallen furniture, broken glassware and ornaments and collapsing part of a ceiling in a public corridor.
Luckily, there were no reports of serious injuries, and the damage to public areas and cabins “in no way affect the seaworthiness of the ship.”, according to the Royal Caribbean statement.
But ironically, the only thing that was not affected by the storm was the TV signal that could bring the Super Bowl to the frightened passengers. “It was perfect picture during the height of the storm. That certainly improved my mood.” said Robert Huschka, executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, who was on board the ship with his family.
Source: USA Today