Tag Archives: Cape Liberty

Storm that rocked Anthem of the Seas called a ‘weather bomb’

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Weather Bomb

ABOARD THE AZAMARA JOURNEY — The Feb. 7 storm that rocked Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas and forced it back to Cape Liberty in New Jersey 10 days ago was likened to a “weather bomb” by a captain on Royal’s sister line, Azamara Club Cruises.

Magnus Davidson, captain of the Azamara Journey, said that based on what he’d heard from headquarters in the days after the storm, winds of 75 knots were forecasted but Anthem actually encountered gales of twice that velocity.

“The storm intensified very rapidly,” Davidson told a group of journalists on one of the Journey’s first cruises after an extensive drydock. But, he added, at no time was the ship in danger or unsafe.

The storm, off the coast of North Carolina, battered cabins and public areas and frightened guests. After assessing the damage and the likelihood that further bad weather was waiting as the ship continued on its planned itinerary, Royal Caribbean decided to abort the cruise and return to Anthem’s homeport.

Davidson said captains consult a variety of standard weather sources used by mariners, such as Passageweather.com, to decide how to proceed when storm conditions threaten.

Decisions are made in consultation with weather experts at the Miami headquarters of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the parent of both Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises.

In the case of the Carolina storm, Davidson said it was several hundred miles wide so it was not possible to simply go around it, as he said some Internet commenters had suggested.

However, he said that Anthem’s captain did make a course adjustment intended to take it more toward the edge of the storm.

Anthem of the Seas christened in England

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Anthem of the Seas godmother Emma Wilby performed with the Only Boys Aloud choir.

British travel agent Emma Wilby on Monday named Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, the 4,200-passenger Anthem of the Seas, in Southampton, England.

The naming took place in the ship’s Royal Theater, where Wilby, a 27-year-old travel agent from Sunderland, U.K., performed onstage with the Welsh choir Only Boys Aloud for more than 1,300 invited guests, dignitaries and media.

The Anthem, the second ship in Royal’s Quantum class, will sail from the U.K. on various European itineraries this summer and fall. In November, it will arrive in New York Harbor to dock at its permanent home port of Cape Liberty, N.J.

Wilby, an agent at Thomson Holidays, is a military wife and budding singer who performs in the Military Wives Choir in Kinloss, Scotland, where she is based with her husband, a Royal Engineer for the British Army. She was picked from a large group of agents who applied for the honor.

Royal Caribbean takes delivery of Anthem of the Seas

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A signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany, made the Anthem delivery official.

Meyer Werft shipyard formally turned over Anthem of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International on Friday, 10 days ahead of the ship’s naming ceremony in Southampton, England.

The 4,200-passenger Anthem, the second ship in Royal’s Quantum class, will sail from the U.K. on various European itineraries this summer and fall. In November, it will arrive in New York Harbor to dock at its permanent home port of Cape Liberty, N.J.

Unique features of the Quantum-class ships include the North Star aerial observatory, the SeaPlex bumper car arena and the RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator.