A cruise ship experienced a harrowing ordeal when it encountered a violent storm in the Bay of Biscay last weekend. According to reports, terrified passengers described massive waves and strong winds that caused the ship to shake. The BBC reported that approximately 100 people were injured, although the cruise company described the injuries as “minor.”
The Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, was carrying around 1,000 passengers on a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands. However, due to the worsening weather conditions, the ship decided to return to the UK earlier than planned. As it made its way back, the vessel encountered a storm in the Bay of Biscay, an area notorious for rough seas off the coast of Spain and France.
During the intense storm, the ship’s automatic safety system was activated, causing the boat to veer and come to a halt. According to a spokesperson for Saga, most of the injuries among passengers occurred during this incident, with the majority categorized as “minor.” However, one unnamed passenger expressed dissatisfaction with this description, stating that it undermined the severity of the injuries sustained by the older passengers on board.
The ship remained stationary until the weather improved. Videos from the voyage depicted enormous waves crashing against the ship’s windows. Jan Bendall, a 75-year-old passenger, recounted the terrifying experience, mentioning that the vessel remained motionless for 15 hours as the storm raged around them. She described the situation as “frightening” and “dramatic.”
Richard Reynolds, a passenger onboard with his wife and elderly parents, shared that his mother was injured when she was thrown to the floor during the ship’s rocking. Passengers were confined to their cabins and wore life vests for two consecutive days, fearing that the ship might capsize. Reynolds emphasized the panic and chaos on board, with people screaming for their lives as objects crashed and banged around them.
After enduring the storm, the ship finally docked in Portsmouth on Monday. Five individuals were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. The incident turned what was supposed to be a dream vacation into a maritime nightmare for those on board the Spirit of Discovery.
