Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Cleared to Sail, Coast Guard Says, 1 Week After Terrifying Storm
Anthem of the Seas is expected to set sail at 3 p.m. ET today.
— -- The Royal Caribbean cruise ship that was rocked by terrifying, hurricane-force winds off the coast of the Carolinas six days ago was cleared to sail by the Coast Guard today.
Anthem of the Seas is expected to set sail at 3 p.m. ET on its originally scheduled cruise itinerary, traveling from New Jersey to Florida and the Bahamas.
The Coast Guard inspected the ship this morning. All ships are inspected before departures, but Anthem of the Seas needed to pass extra tests because of the damage it experienced in last week's storm, the Coast Guard said.
Anthem of the Seas originally left Cape Liberty, New Jersey, last Saturday for a seven-night cruise to the Bahamas. But Sunday, when the ship encountered a storm off the coast of the Carolinas, passengers and crew members endured wind gusts topping 76 miles per hour and waves nearly 40 feet high.
The weather toppled chairs, broke ceilings and shattered glasses. Passenger Jessica Sheridan, who was on the ship with her husband and 20-month-old son, told ABC News that she was afraid for her life as the boat tipped from side to side.
The 10-month-old ship has 2,090 staterooms and can hold over 4,000 guests.
No one was seriously injured, but the rough seas prompted the captain to turn the ship around and head back to New Jersey, where it's been since Wednesday.
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