A severe storm forecast has prompted Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas to cut short another voyage.
It’s the same cruise ship that sailed into an Atlantic storm last month, forcing passengers to hunker down in their rooms for about 12 hours as the ship tossed and turned in rough seas and up to 125-mph winds off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Royal Caribbean announced Saturday via Twitter that the ship would return to port in Bayonne, New Jersey. “Captain followed our new storm avoidance policy and consulted with experts,” said another tweet posted Monday morning.
Anthem of the Seas’ “sail home (was) smooth,” the cruise company added in a subsequent tweet. And by Wednesday morning, it had made it to its home port just south of Jersey City and across the bay from New York City, according to CNN affiliate WABC.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our guests and crew,” Royal Caribbean said.
The cruise line amended its policy after the February 7 incident.
“That boat should have never gone out,” said passenger Maureen Peters after disembarking from the rough sailing.
The sentiment was widely echoed by passengers and experts.
Royal Caribbean also reported that about 10 passengers per day of the 6,000 on the latest voyage experienced norovirus symptoms. The gastrointestinal illness “didn’t affect (the) decision to return,” according to a cruise line tweet.
Royal Caribbean apologized to passengers on the early February sailing, saying “we have to do better.”
Passengers received a refund and a voucher for 50% of their cruise fare for use on a future sailing.