Saga cruise passengers relive storm HELL with 700ft ship ‘swaying like a pendulum’ as they said their last goodbyes

SAGA cruise passengers have relived their storm hell and admitted they said their final goodbyes after the 700ft ship began "swaying like a pendulum".

Spirit of Discovery was on a 14-night voyage around the Canary Islands when it was smashed by 30ft waves and force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay on November 4, 2023.

The storm last year hospitalised eight people when the ship finally docked at Portsmouth - one of whom sadly died from their injuries.

Travellers onboard have since spoken out about the "nightmare" they lived through.

Carol Lake, 63, recalled thinking she "wasn't going to make it" as crews asked her to return to her cabin when towering waves started to batter the vessel.

She told : "I’d packed my bag early but realised no one in the Bay of Biscay was coming to rescue us if we went over and thought for the first time I wasn’t going to make it.

"I have had a good life and thought ‘this is it then’ as I could hear others in alarm around me.

“It was like a horror movie outside with the waves going up so high."

Jan Bendall, 75, who was on the cruise with her husband, told how the captain came over the boat's speaker and told guests to "remain seated or lie down".

She said the ship was halted and stationary for around 15 hours "in the middle of the storm".

She told : "[We were] holding on for dear life. It was quite frightening."

Mrs Bendall went on to say part of the dining room was converted into "a makeshift medical area" and passengers were told to stay in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday.

An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that shortly before the incident, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened.

It was instead heading towards La Corona where the port was closed because of the weather conditions.

Cruise crews then decided to return to the UK when the ship's propulsion safety system was activated - causing it to veer suddenly to the left and bring the vessel to a sudden halt.

The MAIB report states that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board at the time.

It said: "At about 12.30 on 4 November, 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay.

"This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel's propulsion.

"The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.

"During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries."

It continued: "The MAIB's investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery's loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessel's intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage and the medical treatment of injured passengers."

The investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued.

Saga Cruises said in a statement: "Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.

"The ship remained safe at all times but, due to the impact of the storm, some guests sustained injuries.

"All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.

"While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas."

A spokeswoman for Saga said all guests on the trip had been offered a full refund and added: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year.

"We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."

Spirit of Discovery was on a 14-night Canary Island Quintet cruise, which departed on 24 October last year.

However, after 10 days of smooth sailing, the crew decided to cancel its final call to Las Palmas and continue to La Coruna in northern Spain to get ahead of the approaching storm.