A mega cruise ship bound for Florida was forced to turn around and return to New Jersey Monday after running into hurricane-force winds and sustaining minor
damage a day earlier, The Orlando Sentinel reported.
The Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas was slammed by a winter storm off the
southeast coast, and the U.S. Coast Guard told CBS News it was forced to divert "course as a precautionary measure." The Coast Guard said, though, that the ship was not in distress.
"On Sunday, Feb. 7, while sailing to Port Canaveral, Florida, Anthem of the Seas experienced extreme wind and sea conditions, with wind speeds higher than what was forecasted," Royal Caribbean spokeswoman
Cynthia Martinez said in a statement on the company's blog.
"In an abundance of caution, the captain asked all guests to stay in their stateroom until the weather improved. At this time there have not been any serious injuries reported. The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest staterooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship," the statement continued.
Martinez said on the blog that the ship with slammed with 30-foot waves and hurricane-strength winds during the storm.
The Orlando Sentinel said
weather forecasters reported winds of up to 100 miles per hour about 100 miles off the North Carolina shore. The ship was supposed to stop at Port Canaveral on Monday.
All passengers will receive a refund for the cruise, as well as a discount voucher for a future trip, the newspaper said.
Many passengers posted online about the damage the cruiser sustained.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.