A meteorologist has sharply criticized the decision by Royal Caribbean to allow the 4,000-passenger ship the Anthem of the Seas to sail into the path of a powerful storm in the Atlantic.
Ryan Maue of WeatherBell Analytics says he finds it hard to comprehend the cruise line was unaware of the severity of the storm after the National Weather Service posted advisories several days ago.
The cruise line said four passengers sustained injuries and damage was reported in cabins and public areas.
"We appreciate our guests’ patience and cooperation. We know it was tough day on Sunday and apologize for their discomfort," Royal Caribbean said.
It confirmed all passengers will get a full refund and 50% off a future cruise after it made the decision to cut short the cruise and return to New Jersey.
Maue earlier posted on Twitter: "Sailing a billion dollar boat with 4,000 passengers into a well-forecast hurricane-force cyclone is negligent and Royal Caribbean should admit it."
"The storm was well forecast by many different weather models from every agency. This was not a surprise to anyone watching the weather on a daily basis," Maue said, as reported by NJ.com
"The impacts were the same or worse than a Category 1 hurricane at sea. Waves of 30-feet-plus and wind gusts above 80 knots were experienced over a very large area."
"This situation is no different in practice to purposely sailing a vessel into the path of a rapidly developing Category 1 or 2 hurricane," Maue added.
Sen. Bill Nelson yesterday called for an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board to ascertain why the ship sailed directly into the storm.
