Those big floating resorts keep
very tight schedules, published months in advance and all cabins booked at sequential ports months in advance. Millions of $$ at stake.
My guess is that the company told the captain that if he did not get to his next port of call within XX hours he's out of a job. :0
There is zero chance that the ship or the owners did not know the strength and track of any and all storms affecting the routing of their vessel. They just looked at the potential $$ loss if the vessel did not keep its schedule and rolled the dice.
Skipper had only the choice of going or quitting.
Then, they lost their gamble and have refunded passengers' money and taken a big PR hit, plus now they have to inspect and repair their vessel.....
it's not a company I would want to book a cruise with.
Loren