A few days after the Anthem of the Seas was forced to return to port after being caught in 120 knot winds off Cape Hatteras, Bill Baumgartner, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president of Global Marine Operations, told The Jersey Journal that predictions of the storm had forecast wind speeds of 55 to 65 knots, or around 63 to 74 miles per hour, which “these ships are made to withstand without any significant issue.”
I read that sentence several times. That is apparently what he said. A senior executive at Royal Caribbean appears to suggest that the company knowingly sent one of their ships with 4,500 passengers into a violent winter storm with possible hurricane force winds.
On the Beauford scale, 55 to 65 knots is between Force 11 and Force 12. Force 11 is a Violent Storm, described as “exceptionally high (37-52 ft) waves, foam patches cover the sea, visibility more reduced.” Sixty-four knots and above is Force 12, a Hurricane. That was the forecast for the storm around the time that the ship sailed.
It appears that the captain of the Anthem of the Seas thought that he could skirt the storm. One has to presume, or at least, to hope, that Baumgartner was not really suggesting that it is OK to send a ship with a full cargo of vacationers into a storm with near-hurricane force winds. Regardless, Royal Caribbean is indeed scheduling winter cruises out of Cape Liberty in New York harbor bound for Florida and the Bahamas past the stormy waters off Cape Hatteras, the area known as the “graveyard of ships.”
In a week where the US Coast Guard is investigating the tragic loss of the ro/ro El Faro with 34 aboard in a hurricane in October, the routing of ships in storms is a topic to taken especially seriously.
One revelation on the arrival of Anthem of the Seas back in port also raised a serious question about RCL’s credibility. The cruise lines had reiterated its commitment to the safety of its guests, crew, and ship, saying that “safety is our highest priority and the ships are designed to withstand even more extreme circumstances than Anthem of the Seas encountered. While the weather was unpleasant, the ship remained seaworthy at all times.”
It turns out that one of the two azipods, the pods below the ship which provide both propulsion and steering, had burned out four steering clutches. This is the equivalent on a conventional ship to losing one of two rudders. The ship returned to port on a single azipod. So, the statement that the ship “remained seaworthy at all times” may be technically accurate but the ship did sustain serious damage in the storm despite RCL’s spin. Likewise, the claim that “the ships are designed to withstand even more extreme circumstances than Anthem of the Seas encountered” sounds like a dangerous exaggeration, at best.
Nevertheless, under the watchful eye of the US Coast Guard, RCL replaced the steering clutches on both azipods and the Anthem of the Seas departed as scheduled for her next winter cruise. So far no reports of extreme storms or azipod failures. There have, however, been reports that heat is lacking. Marcin Tauter tweets: @RoyalCaribbean #anthemoftheseas freezing. Ship not fully repaired afterall.
A chilling and excellent article. There were also 1500 crew bringing the total on board to 6000. Of the 1500 crew, a small proportion would have been seamen of a calibre to be useful to themselves and others in such severe conditions. I personally feel that this was a near miss about which Royal Caribbean’s attitude is flippant.
If the clutches burned out with the Azipod at an angle to the centreline could this be corrected manually or could this lead to the loss of a rudder and a propellor with the remaining unit under increased pressure? Would the bow thrusters be of any use in such conditions to maintain head to wind with aeration no doubt being encountered under the bow?
I wonder if Baumgartner could answer that question?
The clutches are in the engine room and accessible, unlike the thrust bearing which has been the biggest problem with the pods. The ABB literature refers to the clutch as a “self-arming torque overload clutch.” I wonder if the steering motors are appropriately sized. The Anthem of the Seas does have four 4,700 hp bow thrusters, which collectively is almost the horsepower of one of the pods. If hove to they might be useful although aeration might be a problem.
https://library.e.abb.com/public/6c1b0250efd18e73c1257a530040dcf2/XO2100_XO2300_Product_Intro_lowres.pdf
Thanks for posting this, Rick. Cruise ships are part of the seascape of our Harbor, but too few pay attention to what happens once they clear the Ambrose Channel . . . unless something like the Anthem incident happens.
It seems that RCL could use a real mariner as their spokesperson. That VP should be “sent to sea” for the remainder of the winter, so he can see the real weather conditions for himself.
FWIW, Anthem of the Seas had a couple of tugboats
coaxing her back into the MSC Bayonne pier upon the return
from her storm shortened voyage.
“…Bill Baumgartner, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president of Global Marine Operations…”. Could he be related to this guy? Kinda puts things into perspective…