Cruise Ship Damaged by Strong Storm, Terrifies Passengers

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“Deck 14 needs some work,” tweeted passenger @flatgreg. (Photo: Twitter)

A ship is turning around and sailing back to New Jersey after a rough night at sea.

On Sunday, 4,529 passengers aboard the Anthem of the Seas were instructed to stay in their cabins after the ship was hit by hurricane-force winds.

As 30-foot waves thrashed the vessel, furniture overturned, ceilings collapsed, glass shattered, and some passengers reported the ship was angled at 45 degrees.

The company reports that there were no serious injuries, but passengers were pretty shaken up.

“I’m not going to lie: It was truly terrifying,” passenger Robert Huschka, told USA Today. “A very nervous cruise director kept coming on. He didn’t sound very reassuring.”

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@RoyalCaribbean awww and that was a new giant egg/pot! #anthemoftheseas - @Flatgreg (Photo: Twitter)

Passenger Kori Deluca live-tweeted her experience and frustrations with the cruise line. “125mph winds on the Atlantic- not loving this birthday - wth?” she tweeted. “Why did you sail right in to this mess @AnthemoftheSeas.”

Why the ship’s operators decided to sail given the weather forecast is a question many are asking today.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez answered that question in a statement. “On Sunday, February 7, while sailing to Port Canaveral, Florida, Anthem of the Seas experienced extreme wind and sea conditions, with wind speeds higher than what was forecasted,” she said. “In an abundance of caution, the Captain asked all guests to stay in their stateroom until the weather improved.”

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Twitter user @flat​greg tweeted, “Things are a little out of place.” (Photo: Twitter)

The ship departed from Cape Liberty, N.J., on Saturday for a seven-night cruise to the Bahamas. However, the weather caused them to dock at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The ship is now headed back to New Jersey.

While many operations on the ship were halted until conditions improved, Huschka shared that he never lost the TV signal carrying the Super Bowl.

“It was a perfect picture during the height of the storm,” he told the USA Today. “That certainly improved my mood.”

WATCH: Strong Wings Aboard the Anthem of the Seas:

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