Weather expert slams Royal Caribbean’s decision to sail into monster storm
Sunday, 09 Feb, 2016
0
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.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers