Passenger killed by 30ft waves that battered Saga cruise ship

A report finds over 100 injured and eight treated in hospital after the vessel was caught in a violent storm

A passenger died and more than 100 people were injured when a Saga cruise ship was battered by 30ft waves.
The Spirit of Discovery was hit by gale force 11 (between 64 and 72 miles per hour) winds in the Bay of Biscay on Nov 4 2023, a report of the incident has revealed.
Eight passengers were taken to hospital when the ship arrived at Portsmouth in Hampshire, with one person later dying from their injuries.
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has found that the Saga cruise ship cancelled a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened before the storm.
It was instead heading towards La Corona when the port was closed because of the conditions.
The crew decided to return to the UK when the ship’s propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather, causing it to veer suddenly to the left and bringing the vessel to a sudden halt.
The MAIB report said there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, faced a sea state rate of eight, which is deemed very high.
It said: “At about 12.30 on Nov 4 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.”
The interim report stated that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved.
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 onboard response, including analysis of the vessel’s intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the onboard response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers.”
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Saga Cruises said: “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 spokesman 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.”
The £346 million cruise ship embarked on its maiden voyage in July 2019, after Queen Camilla christened it in Dover, Kent.