by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:30 PM ET, Mon February 8, 2016
Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International
On Sunday, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Anthem of the Seas was caught in a nasty storm off the coast of the Carolinas that produced hurricane-force winds and waves.
According to Kelly Stevenson of ABCNews.com, an estimated 4,000 passengers were told to stay inside their cabins while the ship navigated the rough waters. Some passengers reported that Anthem of the Seas was leaning as much as 45 degrees during the storm.
The Royal Caribbean ship was en route to the Bahamas after setting out from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, Saturday. The ship encountered the unexpected bad weather Sunday, and it was scheduled to dock in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Monday to thoroughly investigate the vessel for damage.
The United States Coast Guard said that it was aware of the situation and was in contact with the crew of the Anthem of the Seas during the storm.
U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Mark Barney told ABCNews.com, "After seeing pictures and people's comments on Twitter and other social media platforms, the USCG contacted the Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas to check in. The ship said that everything was fine, and no distress calls have been issued. The ship was caught in the storm off the shore of Charleston. There are 40 plus knot winds and large swells."
Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez released a statement on the company's official blog, saying, "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. In an abundance of caution, the Captain asked all guests to stay in their stateroom until the weather improved. At this time there have not been any serious injuries reported. The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest staterooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship."
On Twitter, Royal Caribbean, ABC New York and a passenger named Greg shared images from inside the Anthem of the Seas ship during and after the storm:
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