Anthem of the Seas Forced to Turn Around Again
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Monday, February 29, 2016
Anthem of the Seas is forced to run around again after suffering a norovirus outbreak just weeks after being battered by 30-foot waves.
Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, is cutting another trip short and heading back to Bayonne early, according to reports.
Royal Caribbean tweeted that the ship is turning around to, "provide guests with a comfortable journey back home." The reason given for the return is a norovirus outbreak and possible severe storm, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press staffer aboard the ship said Sunday that the ship's captain and its cruise director have made announcements about the norovirus issues but it's not clear how many people have been affected by the illness.
One of the world's newest and biggest cruise ships, the 168,666-ton Anthem was damaged a day after it set sail on Feb. 6 when it encountered 30-foot waves and hurricane force winds. Its 4,500 passengers hunkered down for hours.
The Daily Mail reports that the Royal Caribbean seems to be taking precautions to ensure another major debacle like the destruction of the ship earlier this month when the captain sailed the ship into hurricane force winds which left the ship in shambles.
With the storm encounter fresh on their minds, Anthem of the Seas is turning back for Cape Liberty “immediately.”