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Anthem of the Seas back in service after storm damage repairs

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Anthem of the Seas - resumed cruising from Cape Liberty Saturday evening
Anthem of the Seas sailed from Bayonne, New Jersey's Cape Liberty on Saturday evening following repairs to storm damage sustained six days earlier.

'The ship passed all safety tests and inspections and is safe and seaworthy,' the company's corporate account tweeted.

Anthem of the Seas had cut short its previous Bahamas cruise after getting caught in a severe storm off Cape Hatteras on Feb. 7. Four people sustained minor injuries, and there was damage to public areas and staterooms. The ship returned to Cape Liberty the night of Feb. 10.

Citing the US Coast Guard, gcaptain.com reported the storm had burned out all four clutches on the port Azipod. Those were replaced, gcaptain said, along with the clutches on the starboard Azipod, as a precautionary measure. Minor damage to lifeboats reportedly was addressed, as well.

Royal Caribbean has faced harsh criticism about sailing into the path of a known storm. The company has apologized 'for exposing our guests and crew to the weather they faced, and for what they went through,' adding that 'what happened this week showed that we need to do better.'

Royal Caribbean also stated Anthem of the Seas had remained seaworthy throughout the incident.

The US Coast Guard and ship's flag-state, the Bahamas, are investigating what happened to learn how safety procedures might be improved.