Giant Royal Caribbean ship damaged in 'extreme' storm

[jpak]

Source: USA Today

One of the world's newest and biggest cruise ships on Sunday was caught in a storm so powerful that the captain ordered passengers confined to their cabins for safety.

Royal Caribbean's 168,666-on Anthem of the Seas experienced "extreme wind and sea conditions" that were not expected as it was sailing south from the New York area to Port Canaveral, Fla., according to a Royal Caribbean statement sent to USA TODAY.

Passengers tweeting from Anthem describe hurricane-force winds and giant waves that rocked the vessel, overturning furniture, smashing glassware and collapsing part of a ceiling in a public corridor. Photos posted by passengers show damage to several areas.

In its statement, Royal Caribbean said there had been no reports of serious injuries, and the damage to public areas and cabins "in no way affect the sea worthiness of the ship."

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Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/02/08/anthem-cruise-ship-storm/79997114/

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Why oh why did they sail into a well forecast "meteorological bomb"?

[mnhtnbb]

1. We flew to London from Raleigh on 1/27 right after the colossal snow/ice storm

We had such huge tail winds that we arrived almost 90 minutes early--too early to even
land at Heathrow because of noise abatement--and had to circle southern England for
half an hour before they would let us land just after 6 am.

If we had winds like that at 35,000 feet, can you imagine what it looked like on the ocean?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. 30ft wave height? Pah. They just had 38ft, about 15 miles off Cornwall

http://magicseaweed.com/Sevenstones-Lightship-Wave-Buoy/61774/

and 53 ft, about 100 miles off Ireland:

http://magicseaweed.com/K2-Buoy-Wave-Buoy/61765/

Ships are taking shelter, though: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/storm-imogen-heavy-seas-and-high-winds-force-dublinbound-ferry-to-take-shelter-off-uk-coast-34434019.html

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

13. Here in Port Orford Oregon

We have had 25 to 35 foot waves about 10 times this last month. People come here to storm watch

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. F*** that.

I'll stay on dry land, thanks.

[katmondoo]

4. Those huge ships scare me

I went to Alaska on a small ship and loved it. No way would I go on a cruise with 5000 people. That alone would keep me home

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. The thing looks so top heavy.

Probably very safe, but it sure looks like it could catch some wind.

[Marty McGraw]

17. Hope a plane don't hit it

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Floating Hotels are not Ocean Liners

http://misunderstoodmariner.blogspot.com/2009/07/ocean-liners-vs-cruise-ships.html

It's important we all remember. Some ships are designed to get thru the weather and sea to their destination. Others are designed to accomodate as many paying customers as possible. The two goals are usually at odd with one another.

[Old Crow]

7. Interesting info; thanks. (N/T)

[jtuck004]

6. They got to go to their cabins a keep warm? Drag their asses up on the upper deck,

give them a raincoat that guarantees to hold the cold ass rain that leaks in next to your skin for hours...

btw - it's much colder in the dark in the middle of the ocean...

along with a big, heavy pair of binoculars, which you have to look through even though you can't see anything in the rain.

I think they got the easy duty.

Happy Cruisin' fellow sailors.

[haele]

8. I remember I checked out a safety harness and attached myself to the guardrail one night's watch.

25 degree rolls in the dark with 45 mph gusts full of rain and sea-spray for two and a half hours in early November Gulf of Alaska - that's an e-ticket ride for sure...

Haele

[jtuck004]

10. People need to experience some of these things, to know they are fully human. n/t

[NCjack]

20. A ship in a storm -- I regret that experience has passed me by. The best that I can hope for now

is a Canadian hotel in winter on a high cliff with an expansive view of the ocean and a raging hurricane. With an observation deck and safety tethers. Somewhere between Halifax and St. John's.

[jtuck004]

21. Sounds like you can relate. n/t

[KatyMan]

11. Why be a smart ass?

People go on cruises to enjoy themselves, have a vacation. Maybe a once in a lifetime vacation for some. So you've been on deck in the middle of the ocean at night? Do you want a medal or a chest to pin it on?

[jtuck004]

18. I can't help their lack of education. Mother Nature doesn't give a flying rat's ass about how

comfortable they want to be.

If they want comfort they should go get a warm drink and curl up around a fire, not get on a boat and sail out into the ocean where they could drown in minutes with a simple failure of the protective cocoon they have around them.

If they didn't get what they thought they were paying for they can thank their lack of knowledge and a cruise line that will lie to them for profit, not whine about how everyone else is responsible because they weren't taken care of in the style to which they were accustomed.

They got an education - the price was tuition. lol.

[KatyMan]

19. I'm not understanding your hostility to the passengers

They paid for a cruise and got on a boat. A storm came up that was stronger than expected, things were shaky, then they went home; I didn't read anything in the article or hear anything in the video that said the passengers expected to sail on a sea of glass and be cocooned. You can gripe about the cruise line being negligent about sailing into the storm, but the passengers aren't sailors.

Would you blame hotel guests shaken up by an earthquake in San Francisco? If you're on an airplane that experiences extreme turbulence, can we laugh at you like it's your fault? Where's your empathy for hard working people that spent their money on a vacation?

[jtuck004]

22. I don't fly. I don't whine either. Ymmv. n/t

[KatyMan]

23. Who was whining? Seriously.

Did you read the link at the OP? I thought the tweets passengers posted were kind of funny, like it was being taken in stride.

On edit, you sound like a person who if you worked at a restaurant would spit in customers' food if they complained about something because "they deserve it".

[chapdrum]

16. With you on this, jt

Eat and drink yourself into a stupor, every day.

And - per one of cruise line ads now on TV, one of the sights you can witness (if you're lucky, armchair traveler) is
an iceberg calving (ooh look, it's real-time climate change!).

[valerief]

9. Your last question is spot on. It makes no sense to endanger passengers like that. nt

[jpak]

12. CNBC just reported the ship is returning to it home port in NJ

What a waste...

[chapdrum]

15. I hope that this is the beginning of the end

for the entire cruise industry.