Royal Caribbean vows to improve weather avoidance after Anthem incident

Royal Caribbean International said it has taken steps to
strengthen its storm-avoidance policy after the Anthem of the Seas had to abort
a storm-battered cruise and return to port.

The storm, which Royal Caribbean said strengthened more
than expected, damaged cabins and public areas and led to four passenger
injuries. Winds reached hurricane strength, according to meteorologists.

The cruise line’s decision to sail through the storm has
drawn criticism, including from Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). In a speech on the Senate
floor, he compared the Royal Caribbean incident to the sinking of El Faro cargo
ship in a hurricane last summer, in which 33 seamen died.

“The very same thing almost was beginning to happen, only
this time, a 4,000-passenger cruise ship sailing from the New York area to Port
Canaveral, Florida, and then on to other destinations in the Caribbean, sailed
right into a hurricane that had winds topping 100 mph,” Nelson said, according
to a transcript of his remarks.

Nelson, the ranking Democrat on a Senate subcommittee
that oversees the cruise industry, called for the National Transportation
Safety Board to “come up with a quick report” on the incident.

After looking at the likely weather on the balance of
Anthem’s itinerary, Royal Caribbean decided to return to Cape Liberty, N.J.,
rather than continue the cruise.

In a statement after the ship arrived in New Jersey on
Thursday, Royal Caribbean said that it would add resources at the Miami
headquarters “to provide additional guidance to our ships’ captains,” and that
the storm exposed gaps in its planning system.

“Though that system has performed well through many
instances of severe weather around the world, what happened this week showed
that we need to do better,” the statement said.