They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, and Royal Caribbean may soon find out whether or not the adage holds true thanks to yet another lawsuit involving Anthem of the Seas and their decision to cut short that ship’s current sailing.
It was only a few weeks ago that Anthem sailed into rough seas – both literally and metaphorically – by venturing into a storm which battered the ship and called into question the line’s decision-making process. And now, thanks to a storm brewing off the coast of North Carolina, Royal Caribbean has decided to cut short Anthem’s latest sailing, skipping port stops in Barbados and St. Kitts in favor of returning to Cape Liberty, New Jersey. Instead of returning to port on March 4, Anthem will now arrive on March 2.
The line’s corporate Twitter account (@RCLcorp) sent out a tweet on Saturday informing followers that Anthem “will head back to Cape Liberty immediately to avoid a severe storm and provide guests with a comfortable voyage home.”
This decision is not entirely surprising given the continuing fallout from the storm-ravaged February 6th sailing, including a class action lawsuit filed in Miami federal court on behalf of New Jersey resident Frank DeLuca. Because of the nature of a class action lawsuit, any passenger who was on board the sailing in question can be represented by the lawsuit, which is seeking punitive damages for “severe emotional, psychological and emotional stress endured by passengers.”
The Asbury Press quoted Fordham adjunct law professor Larry Brennan as saying the case was “ulikely to be the harbinger of many lawsuits unless there are compensable claims for actual bodily injury or to luggage or personal property,” adding that “settlement may be the parties’ preferred route.”
Earlier this week, we reported on a similar lawsuit filed against Royal Caribbean in relation to Anthem’s troubled voyage.
Should Royal Caribbean offer a settlement to the passengers who choose to take part in the class action lawsuit? If you had been on board, would you sign on to the lawsuit?
