US SENATOR CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION Should Anthem of the Seas have sailed

Posted on 02/10/2016

Florida Senator Bill Nelson has called for the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the voyage of the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas that ran into high winds and rough seas in the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend.

Frightened passengers were told to stay in their cabins overnight Sunday as their belongings flew about, waves rose as high as 30 feet, and winds howled outside. “The thing about this storm was that it was forecast for days. So why in the world would a cruise ship with thousands of passengers go sailing right into it?” Nelson said Monday on the Senate floor, according to a news release from his office. The National Weather Service's Ocean Prediction Center had issued an alert for a strong storm four days in advance, Susan Buchanan with the weather service said. The first warning was issued Saturday for possible hurricane-force winds in the area the ship was scheduled to sail through.

Royal Caribbean announced Monday that the ship was turning around and sailing back to its home port in New Jersey. No injuries were reported, and the ship suffered only minor damage. The ship - with more than 4,500 guests and 1,600 crew members - sailed Saturday from Cape Liberty, New Jersey. It was scheduled to arrive for a stop at Port Canaveral, Florida, at noon Monday, then move on to other stops in the Caribbean. But Royal Caribbean said on its corporate Twitter account that the ship would turn around and sail back to Cape Liberty. “This decision was made for guests' comfort due to weather forecasts'' that would continue to affect the ship's itinerary,” Royal Caribbean tweeted.

Guests will get a full refund and a certificate toward a future cruise. Royal Caribbean also gave guests free Internet access and a complimentary cocktail hour, spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said in an email.