Saga cruise ship Spirit of Discovery in UK after Bay of Biscay storm

Saga cruise ship Spirit of Discovery in UK after Bay of Biscay storm
News Desk

By News Desk


Published: 07/11/2023

A cruise ship has returned to the UK after 100 passengers were injured in a storm off western France.

The Spirit of Discovery veered to one side during a safety manoeuvre on Saturday in the Bay of Biscay as bad weather hit.

Most of the injuries were minor but five people needed medical treatment, cruise company Saga said.

The ship docked in Portsmouth on Monday night, with passengers disembarking on Tuesday morning.

The ship departed for the Canary Islands on 24 October with about 1,000 people on board.

The first 10 days of the 14-day planned cruise ran smoothly, with Las Palmas scheduled as the final stop.

But the crew cancelled the visit and instead tried to head for A Coruña in north-west Spain after news of an imminent storm.

On the way to A Coruña the port was closed so a decision was made to return to the UK early, hoping to keep ahead of the weather.

However, while in the Bay of Biscay - a notoriously rough area for boats - the storm hit and the ship's safety system kicked in, causing it to veer suddenly to the left and effectively stop.

It was during this manoeuvre that most of the injuries were sustained, a Saga spokesperson said.

The ship remained stationary until conditions improved, and it returned to Portsmouth on Monday night.

The spokesperson said it would be mostly up to passengers to decide if they want to go to hospital to receive further treatment, with only two or three people expected to need it.

Saga said the ship "remained safe at all times".

"While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely on their way home in calmer seas," the spokesperson added.

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