Caught on the warm side
of a swirling Winter
Storm Mars, passengers aboard one of the largest cruise ships in the
world had their vacations turned upside down off the Southeastern coast over
the weekend. Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas fought through 30-foot waves
and wind
gusts as high as 125 mph for several hours Sunday, according to
passengers aboard the ship who posted to the Cruise Critic message boards. The
ship was tossed from side to side, scattering chairs and tables in dining rooms
and lounges all across the liner. "I was shaking all over," passenger
Shara Strand of New York City told the Associated Press via Facebook.
"Panic attack, things like that ... I've been on over 20 cruises, I've
been through a hurricane, it was never like this. Never. Everyone is saying
they never saw anything like last night."
In a statement to USA
Today, Royal Caribbean said there were no major injuries, and any damage
caused by the storm did not affect the ship's ability to stay afloat. "The
ship encountered the waves and strong winds associated with the rapidly strengthening
area of low pressure associated with Winter Storm Mars on Sunday," said
weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "Numerous gale, storm and
hurricane-force wind warnings had been issued in advance of this developing
storm by the National Weather Service." Anthem of the Seas was in the
middle of a trip from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, to the Bahamas when it
encountered the storm, according to CBS News, and it veered
off-course in an attempt to stay as far as possible from the center of Mars.
Anthem of the Seas was east of the South Carolina coast when it was battered by
the storm for hours on Sunday.
Instead of making the
planned trip to the Bahamas, Anthem of the Seas will turn around and head home
to Cape Liberty, the AP said. It was originally scheduled to dock in Port
Canaveral, Florida, on Monday before continuing on to the Bahamas, but the
itinerary was changed after the incident. Despite the uneasy hours aboard the
ship during the stormy weather, passenger Gabriella Lairson told the AP that
the crew and captain did everything they could to ensure the safety and comfort
of the guests. She expressed disappointment that the ship was turning around,
but added it was "the best thing for the safety of everyone." Anthem
of the Seas, which first set sail in 2015, is the third largest cruise ship in the world in
terms of tonnage, according to a separate Cruise Critic report. The ship can
hold 4,180 passengers and 1,500 crew members in a total of 2,090 cabins, Cruise
Critic also said.
