Hudson Reporter Archive

Royal Caribbean ship returns back to Bayonne

BAYONNE – Anthem of the Seas, the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship that turned around after a forecast of bad weather off the North Carolina coast, arrived back at its homeport of Bayonne Wednesday morning, March 2.
Passengers disembarking told the Bayonne Community News that the cruise line was right in ending the trip a couple of days early.
“The captain made a great call,” said Babe Valero of San Diego, Calif. “It’s better to be safe. We’re glad he made that call. Valero was on the cruise with her mother.
The Anthem of the Seas captain was criticized earlier this month for setting sail following a forecast of a strong storm at sea, which damaged the ship and injured four people.
Barry and Cheryl Harmon of Nottinghamshire, England agreed with Valero.
“It was for the safety of the passengers,” Cheryl Harmon said. “It was the right decision.”
Valero said that the cruise line also took great care to stem the outbreak of a norovirus on board, setting up hand washing sinks at the entry to the buffet restaurant and disinfectant stations elsewhere on the ship.
“There were a few people who were sick, but you get that on any ship,” Harmon said. “When you consider how many people were on board, it was not a lot of people who were ill.”
Anthem is the third largest cruise ship in the world, and has called Bayonne home since November. –Joseph Passantino

Exit mobile version