TO SAIL OR NOT TO SAIL Lawsuit alleges Royal Caribbean negligence

Posted on 02/26/2016

Earlier this month when Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas got rocked and rattled in the storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, passengers endured four hours of the ship tilting with what they say was a 45-degree angle. With 1,500 crew and 6,000 passengers on board only four people returned home with minor injuries. Last week the first lawsuit was filed against the cruise line over its decision to sail in spite of a predicted winter storm.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Miami where passenger Bruce Simpson alleges that the rocking of the ship caused him to be flung nearly 18 feet against his cabin door and knocked unconscious.Simpson says that when he attempted to seek medical attention he was told to wait in his cabin until the storm calmed down. He says he had injury to his face, torso and hands.The lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean was negligent when it let Anthem of the Seas sail off the east coast with knowledge of a storm approaching.  Simpson is seeking compensatory and punitive damages."They took a calculated risk when they sent their passengers into the storm, and we don't think the passengers should be the ones that pay for Royal Caribbean's lack of judgment," attorney Jason Itkin said in a written statement.Spokesperson Cynthia Martinez from Royal Caribbean said, "Until our legal department has an opportunity to review the filing, we will be unable to provide you with a response."Bill Baumgartner, the senior vice president of Global Marine Operations, Royal Caribbean said earlier, "If we knew that we were going to have those kinds of winds, the winds that we actually experienced with the ship, we would not have sailed into that. No. Absolutely we wouldn't have (left port)."The ship returned to sea after repairs to "superficial damage" in some public areas.The cruise line has said they would be "strengthening its storm avoidance policy."