Over 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members were on their way from New York to Florida and the Bahamas when their ship got tossed around like a rag doll and was forced to turn back, the Detroit Free Press reports. Four people were injured in what can only be described as a vacation from hell.
The Royal Caribbean only recently put their new ship Anthem Of The Seas into service. But the 168,666 ton, 1,141 foot long rookie hasn’t had it easy, as yesterday the ship was bombarded with enormous swells off the coast of Cape Hatteras, prompting the ship’s captain to send all passengers back into their cabins to take cover.
Sight of the waves alone would have had me cowering in the fetal position in my cabin:
Those waves were about 30 feet tall and produced by winds of over 70 mph, said the Detroit Free Press. The storm beat up the Anthem Of The Seas, sending furniture all over the place and tearing down ceiling tiles.
Executive Editor of the Detroit Free Press said of the ordeal: “I’m not going to lie: It was truly terrifying.”
That terrifying storm injured four people, though none were seriously hurt.
Due to further inclement weather, the captain decided to turn the ship around and head back to New York. But all is not lost, as passengers will receive full refunds and 50% off a future cruise.
Not a bad deal, but boy that cruise must have left some stains in some trousers.
Here are some photos of the wreckage, which was mostly superficial:
Photo Credit: El Coleccionista de Instantes/Flickr