The winter storm that struck Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas as it cruised off the coast of the Carolinas this weekend also set off a storm on Twitter. Passengers and crew tweeted photos and video of overturned furniture, damaged rails, and reported large waves and winds of 100-150 MPH. No one was reported to be have been injured.
As reported by the Mirror, the passenger and crew tweets ranged from fearful to humorous. One traveler posted a photo of smashed crockery with the message, “Lord, please help us.”
Passenger Jacob Ibrag tweeted, “Hungry, tired and seeking prayer from all of you tonight. The #anthemoftheseas has been rocking with no end in sight,” he wrote.
“Don’t think I’ve ever missed land this much. In other news, wish I took those swimming lessons…
“Mother nature decided to take us all for a ride. Just wonder if this storm system could’ve been avoided.”
Maggie Kulbokas, on the other hand, tweeted “To avoid cannibalism, cabin minibars are free during 100mph+ wind storm.”
Greg was low key, posting a photo of dozens of overturned tables and chairs with the caption, “Things are a little out of place” and of sections of damaged overhead panels, with the comment, “Deck 14 needs some work.”
The ship never sent a distress call, but was contacted by the Coast Guard after it observed the Twitter storm.
“After seeing pictures and people’s comments on Twitter and other social media platforms, the U.S. Coast Guard contacted the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas to check in. The ship said that everything was fine, and no distress calls have been issued. The ship was caught in the storm off the shore of Charleston. There are 40 plus knot winds and large swells. The USCG will continue to monitor the situation,” said U.S. Coast Guard Southeast representative Mark Barney.
Royal Caribbean released this statement Monday morning: “On Sunday, February 7, while sailing to Port Canaveral, Florida, Anthem of the Seas experienced extreme wind and sea conditions, with wind speeds higher than what was forecasted. 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. The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest staterooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship.”
The Anthem of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, with a passenger capacity of over 4,000, left from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ on a cruise to the Bahamas. The ship was diverted to Port Canaveral, FL where it is expected to arrive Monday morning.
The weather service had issued a hurricane force wind warning for the seas off Cape Fear, N.C. Nevertheless, the passenger reports of extreme winds above 100 knots are probably exaggerated.
One has to wonder why Royal Caribbean has decided to run winter cruises from Bayonne in New York harbor to the Bahamas, which involves passing near Cape Hatteras and Cape Fear. The area, often called the “Graveyard of Ships” is notorious for bad weather, particularly in the winter. The Labrador Current carries cold water to the south while the Gulf Stream travels north carrying warmer water. The confluence of these currents off the Carolina coast can result in extremely severe conditions particularly when winter storms blow against the currents. Not a place one might choose to be on a cruise ship.
Anthem of the Seas-Watch passengers terror as cruiseliner hit 30ft waves and 150mph wind hurricane
“Nevertheless, the passenger reports of extreme winds above 100 knots are probably exaggerated” WRONG. The captain stated over the PA system around midnight that the current wind speed was 140 knots. This was confirmed on the weather map @ the same time. As for wave height- guests on deck 12 were getting water on their balconies. That’s at least 125 feet up from the water line. The media DOWNPLAYED THE SEVERITY.