Royal Caribbean has announced on its official Twitter account that Anthem of the Seas will cut short its 12-night southern Caribbean cruise due to a severe forecast storm, returning immediately to its homeport of Cape Liberty, NJ.
Royal Caribbean said that the decision was made in accordance with the line's new storm avoidance policy, which was put in place after a February 7 incident in which Anthem of the Seas sailed through rough weather off the coast of North Carolina for approximately 12 hours while en route to the Bahamas. At the time the ship reportedly encountered hurricane-force winds of more than 100 mph and waves at least 30 feet tall.
On its Twitter account Royal Caribbean also said that some Anthem of the Seas guests experienced norovirus symptoms -- about 10 per day out of a total guest population of 6,000 -- although this did not affect the ship's decision to return.
Refund Policy
According to Cruise Hive, guests will receive a refund for the two lost days of the cruise -- which included calls at Barbados on February 28 and St. Kitts on February 29 -- and 50 percent of their ticket price toward a future cruise.
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