Elderly passengers “feared for their lives” when Saga’s Spirit of Discovery lurched dangerously to one side in the Bay of Biscay.
Witnesses claimed some of the 1,000 guests suffered broken bones when the drama unfolded during a 14-day trip to the Canary Islands.
They said people and furniture were hurled around when the 60-ton ship was held in position for 15 hours until the weather improved.
One guest said: “People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized. The tone of voice in our captain – he was physically scared.”
“We had crew crying. We had many passengers in awful states of fear.” He claimed many elderly travellers suffered “horrific” injuries, including broken pelvises, and cuts requiring stitches.
Jan Bendall, 75, on the cruise with her husband, told how part of the dining room was converted into “a makeshift medical area” as passengers were confined to their rooms on Saturday and Sunday.
The ship ran into bad weather over the weekend, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas, then was denied entry to La Coruna due to the storm. The captain abandoned the cruise and the ship returned to Portsmouth on Monday.
Saga said: “The ship remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some guests sustained injuries. While the weather is beyond our control, we offer sincere apologies.”
