Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board have arrived in New Jersey to inspect damage on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship that sailed right into the path of a dangerous storm over the weekend.
After the nightmare at sea, passengers of the Anthem of the Seas cruise ship are back on solid ground sharing tales of a dream Caribbean vacation gone wrong.
"The wind was coming through the doors. We thought it would break the glass. We slept on the sofa because we didn't think we were going to make it," says passenger David Link.
The 200,000-ton liner set sail for the Bahamas last weekend but got caught in a major winter storm in the Atlantic. The vessel was battered by 30-foot waves and hurricane force winds.
"I was on deck eight, and I could see the water coming up to our balcony," says passenger Dennis Maher.
Maher was on the cruise with his family. They spent hours on lockdown in their rooms while the ship's captain navigated out of the storm.
"My sister and my brother were pretty distraught. My mom was okay. The opened up the mini bar, so that was good for her," he says.
Royal Caribbean officials say they're reviewing the company's storm-avoidance policies to ensure an incident like this never happens again.
"We can't ask guests coming for a dream vacation to deal with those conditions," says Bill Baumgartner, SVP of Global Marine Operations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Some rattled passengers say they're done.
"I'm not going to hold it against them I'm just never going to cruise again," says passenger Frank McHugh.
The Coast Guard will inspect the ship before Royal Caribbean sails the ship out on its next voyage this weekend.
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