Md. Couple Recounts Terrifying Cruise Rocked By 30-Foot Waves

BALTIMORE (WJZ)--It was anything but smooth sailing for a Maryland couple on a Royal Caribbean Cruise that sailed into an intense winter storm.

Tonight, the Coast Guard is trying to determine whether the ship is safe to set sail this weekend, but a Frederick County couple says they don't plan on taking another cruise any time soon.

Jessica Kartalija has more.

Walkersville residents, Jason and Crystal Keckler, planned for a fantastic voyage at sea, but little did they know they were going right into a massive storm.

The Anthem of the Seas left its New Jersey port, heading south toward Florida and straight into the path of a storm off the coast of The Carolinas.

The captain soon ordered everyone to their rooms.

"A little nerve wracking because if they are sequestering everyone in there, we knew things were getting worse and were about to get worse than that," said Jason.

Over the next several hours, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, was rocked by massive 30-foot waves.

"You could hear glass breaking constantly all throughout the ship," Jason said. "The deck furniture out on the patio kept slamming into the window."

"There was one time where we were standing up against the balcony window and I was like, 'we are either sideways or the waves are coming over the ship and we were on the 12'th deck,'" said Crystal.

And hurricane force winds damaged the ships propeller.

Jason says, "It was easily 3 to 4 hours of the most deafening whistle that just from the air--was just blowing so hard.  That was really frightening."

The Coast Guard is inspecting the ship to determine whether it's safe to cruise again this weekend.

The Keckler say they won't be taking a trip on the water any time soon.