Terrified cruise passengers wrote good-bye texts to their families as their ship was battered by a giant storm in the Bay of Biscay

08.11.2023 - 04:35 / insider.com

A dream vacation became a maritime nightmare for those onboard a cruise ship caught in a fierce storm in the Bay of Biscay that left 100 people injured over the weekend, according to media reports.

"People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized," an unnamed passenger told BBC News of the chaotic voyage.

The Spirit of Discovery, a vessel run by Saga Cruises, was carrying about 1,000 people on what was supposed to be a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands, the outlet reported.

But when the weather turned, the ship decided to return to the UK earlier than expected amid a coming storm. As it was making its return voyage, the vessel ran into a storm in the Bay of Biscay, an area off the coast of Spain and France known for its rough seas.

Amid slamming waves and howling winds, the ship's automatic safety system kicked in which caused the boat to veer and stop, the BBC reported. A spokesperson for Saga told the outlet that most of the injuries among passengers occurred at this moment and described most of them as "minor."

A representative for Saga did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"To say 'minor injuries' is an insult to the many horrific broken bones, pelvises, lacerations, stitches, etc. that were caused [to] a very old passenger clientele," the same unnamed passenger told the BBC.

The ship stayed put until the weather cleared up, the outlet reported. Video from the voyage shows huge swells outside the ship's windows.

WATCH: BBC reports "tables were flying" as waves threw people "all up and down the place", say passengers on UK cruise ship 'Spirit of discovery' caught in storm. 100 people got injured as 30ft waves battered the ship windows. pic.twitter.com/NWZh2tL2ff

Jan Bendall, 75, a passenger onboard the cruise, told the BBC that the vessel didn't move for 15 hours as the storm raged on around them.

"It was quite frightening," she told the outlet. "I'm not somebody who frightens easily, it was quite dramatic."

Bendall said a section of the dining room was turned into a makeshift medical center.

Richard Reynolds, 60, told The Daily Mail he and his wife were passengers onboard along with his elderly parents. Reynolds said his mom was injured after being thrown to the floor when the boat rocked.

Reynolds said passengers were confined to their cabins and wore life vests for two straight days as they rode out the storm, afraid the ship might capsize.

"People were screaming for their lives, things were banging and crashing around us and they thought they were going to die," he told the outlet.

Five people were taken to the hospital when the ship was finally able to dock in Portsmouth on Monday, according to the BBC.