Royal Caribbean
International said that the Anthem of the Seas will return to Cape Liberty, N.J.,
following a severe storm off the Carolina cost, rather than completing a seven-day
Florida and Bahamas itinerary.
Four passengers
were injured and there was damage to cabins and public areas on the ship after
it sailed through hurricane-force winds Sunday night. During the
storm, the Anthem’s captain asked passengers to stay in their cabins until the
weather improved, Royal Caribbean said.
Photos
posted on RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, which is not an official company website,
show overturned furniture and a collapsed section of ceiling in one part of the
ship.
In a statement,
Royal Caribbean said the balance of the itinerary would likely have been affected by poor
weather.
"We appreciate our guests’ patience and
cooperation. We know it was tough day on Sunday and apologize for their
discomfort,” Royal Caribbean said.
Passengers
will get a full refund and 50% off a future cruise.
The Anthem was
on a cruise that departed Feb. 6 from Cape Liberty, N.J., and was scheduled to
stop at Port Canaveral, Fla., on Monday.