A cruise ship was towed back to Germany after being pounded by a “rogue wave” that knocked its power out as a storm hit the North Sea. The Norwegian cruise ship that was carrying 400 passengers and crew was set to come to the UK when waves shattered the windows on the bridge.
A unit of Norway’s Hurtigruten Group was sailing 162 miles off Denmark’s west coast and around 217 miles off Britain’s east coast when the storm hit.
The ship was on a 14-day expedition to see the Northern Lights when it set off from Tilbury on December 9. It was due to return on December 23 to the Essex port but is now being redirected to Germany.
Hundreds of Brits are expected to be on board the vessel and will need to find an alternative way home ahead of Christmas. The footage, shared on social media platform X, showed waves battering the vessel as passengers onboard hid away in their rooms.
One passenger wrote: “We’re watching films in our room. Every time we move we nearly go flying.” The ship was carrying 266 passengers in total, as well as 131 crew members who have all been reported as being safe.
A spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (DJRC) said: “An Esvagt ship is towing it slowly towards Bremerhafen in Germany at around 8-9 knots.”
The power outage caused the ship to lose navigation, leaving crew steering the boat manually.
A spokesperson for cruise company HX said: “Yesterday afternoon, December 21, MS Maud reported a temporary loss of power after encountering a rogue wave. The ship was sailing towards Tilbury, UK from Florø, Norway when the incident occurred.
“At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious guest or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident. The condition of the ship remains stable and the crew are able to sail under their own power.
“Following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, given the weather conditions, we decided to amend the planned sailing route. Across the fleet, there are thorough operational protocols in place and we always prioritise the safety of those onboard.
“The ship is currently sailing to Bremerhaven, Germany for disembarkation. Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard.”
