Bad-Luck Cruise Ship Can’t Catch a Break, Cuts Another Trip Short

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I just want to be a real boat! Photo: Ander Gillenea/AFP/Getty Images

Is the Anthem of the Seas the unluckiest cruise ship that has not actually sunk? Last month, the 1,000-foot liner had to cancel its voyage and return to its home port (Bayonne, New Jersey) after getting caught in a huge storm during the Super Bowl. Now, the 6,000-passenger monster, run by Royal Caribbean, is cutting another trip short, this time over fears of an approaching storm and concerns of a reported norovirus outbreak.

The ship’s infirmary has seen nine or ten cases of norovirus — which causes severe gastric distress and diarrhea — over the past seven days, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told NBC 4 New York, although she adds that the outbreak is not why the trip was cut short. Instead, she says, it was the risk of more bad weather: “On a recent sailing, Anthem of the Seas experienced bad weather that was much worse than forecast; therefore, we want to be extra cautious about our [guests’] safety and comfort when it comes to weather in the area,” she told NBC 4. “That is why we have decided to head back to Cape Liberty immediately, so that we can stay a safe distance from the storm.” Royal Caribbean is currently being sued by passengers from the earlier failed ride because the captain reportedly decided to sail through a storm that produced 30-foot waves, which kind of put a damper on the buffet.

Anthem of the Seas Can’t Catch a Break