The Spirit of Discovery cruise ship encountered a violent storm whilst in the Bay of Biscay causing a state of fear amongst passengers. The ship was carrying around 1,000 people and had departed for a 14-day cruise around the Canary Islands. Most of the injuries were minor, however, around 100 passengers were injured and five people were taken to the hospital when the ship docked in Portsmouth on Monday. The ship’s safety system kicked in, causing it to veer suddenly to the left and effectively stop. The ship was then held in position until weather conditions improved.
Richard, a passenger on the ship said that people were writing texts to their loved ones in case they capsized. One passenger said, “The tone of voice in our captain… he was physically scared. We had crew crying.” Passengers also claim that the injuries were not minor, as suggested by the cruise company and that passengers suffered from broken bones, pelvises, lacerations and stitches.
Jan Bendall, a passenger who was on the cruise with her husband, said that they were in their cabin when the captain’s voice over the speaker system told them to “remain seated or lie down.” Mrs Bendall said that part of the dining room was converted into “a makeshift medical area” and passengers were told to remain in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday. She was lucky and disembarked at 09:00 GMT on Tuesday.
The ship returned to the UK early due to worsening weather conditions. The crew gave regular updates and repeatedly reassured passengers that the ship is safe. Saga confirmed that there had been “very limited” damage to some fixtures inside the boat but said earlier that the ship “remained safe at all times”. They offered their sincere apologies to all those affected who are now “safely on their way home in calmer seas”.
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