Saga cruise ship hit by massive storm in Bay of Biscay

Passengers on board The Spirit of Discovery cruise ship feared for their lives after it hit a violent storm while crossing the Bay of Biscay.

The ship set sail from the UK on October 24, but its two-week voyage was cut short on Saturday when it identified the approaching storm. Unfortunately, the terrible weather caught up and the ship was hit with 10m waves that shook the vessel and terrified passengers.

One man on board, a 60-year-old passenger called Richard Reynolds, told the Daily Mail the experience was one of the most traumatic he had ever experienced, despite having been in the military and fire service. At one point, passengers hid in their cabins and wrote messages to their loved ones out of fear they would not make it through the storm alive.

Reynolds said many people were screaming as waves battered the fifth-storey windows and rocked the vessel so hard that furniture, glass and crockery were thrown around the ship.

One passenger said “tables were flying”” and waves were ‘throwing people all up and down the place”, BBC reported.

The medical facilities were quickly filled with people who had suffered injuries, and a makeshift first aid spot was set up in the dining room and other areas. According to Reynolds, while 100 injuries were reported, he believed the number was closer to 150.

Saga, the cruise company, issued a statement of regret over the challenging weather and injuries caused. According to the company, it decided to return to the UK via the Bay of Biscay because that allowed it to avoid hitting the storm head on, and said the ship had been fully equipped for the emergency.

Reynolds said otherwise, telling the Daily Mail he felt Saga had prioritised getting back to the UK in time for its next sailing and did not wait for the storm to pass like other ships had done.

“The bottom line is we shouldn’t have been there, we were the only cruise ship that didn’t seek shelter,” he said.

“Three days before the storm hit, we were told we were trying to get ahead of it. All they cared about was getting back in time for the next cruise.”

However, other passengers were impressed with the attention and care shown by the crew.

Jan Bendall, 75, said she didn’t frighten easily but had been terrified by the ordeal. Bendall said the ship remained stationary for 15 hours while she and her husband held on for dear life in their rooms.

Fortunately, the pair safely disembarked the ship when it returned to the UK.