‘Craziest cruise experience’ — ship from NJ battered by wild storm (PHOTOS)

A cruise ship that left Cape Liberty in Bayonne on Saturday for the Bahamas encountered a strong storm off the coast of South Carolina, causing damage to the ship and confining passengers to their cabins.

In a statement, Royal Carribean said the 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."

It continued: "The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest staterooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship."

There were also members of the Connecticut-based group Autism on the Seas on board the cruise. A representative of the organization, however, did not know about the conditions of anyone on board.

Passengers used social media to take pictures of the damage and get word out about conditions on board.

Passenger Leanna Petrone tweeted that winds gusted at 150 mph.

"Trapped in our rooms. Can't leave," she said in a video, calling it "the craziest cruise experience. Ready for this to be over already."

Another passenger tweeted pictures of damage around the ship. "Not a great cruise day but thankful to sleep in a bed instead of being pulled out of the Atlantic by the Coast Guard," tweeted @flatgreg.

"Hungry, tired and seeking prayer from all of you tonight," tweeted @jaybrag. "The #anthemoftheseas has been rocking with no end in sight."

The Coast Guard told CBS News they were tracking the ship but that the ship "diverted course (to Port Canaveral in Florida) as a precautionary measure" but was not in distress."

The Anthem of the Seas is a newer cruise ship that first sail in April, 2015. It has 18 decks, a crew of 1,500 and can accommodate over 4,900 guests according to the cruise line.