WATCH: Scary scene on board ill-fated cruise ship Spirit of Discovery amid "Titanic" fears
The News broke the story on Monday evening of the nightmare “cruise” that descended into utter chaos amid fears the ship would sink after it was caught in a devastating storm in the Bay of Biscay off the French coast.
READ NOW: Cruise ship chaos
People on board Saga’s Spirit of Discovery said it was “absolute pandemonium” as people and furniture were flung across the ship while it got battered by giant waves for 18 hours on Saturday. Others wrote farewell messages to loved ones in the event they did not make it back to shore.
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Hide AdThere were reports of people being left with broken bones and even one person being resuscitated. Eight ambulances were waiting for passengers at Portsmouth International Port on Monday evening following the traumatic incident before four people were taken to hospital. Around 100 people of the 1,000 passengers on the 14-day Canary cruise were injured, though many on board have said the number was higher.
The video shows large menacing waves from a cabin as passengers feared for their lives – with even Saga Cruises CEO Nigel Blanks admitting it was an “extremely frightening” ordeal. The video post on social media was accompanied by the mocking caption: “Saga Cruise weathering the storm – an exhilarating journey of survival.”
Passengers said they were “terrified”. One woman said: “Things were flying everywhere. People were being thrown all over the place. The medics were overrun. My mum saw someone being resuscitated, there were broken bones, people on stretchers and people crying including the crew, who were running around frantically trying to help everyone. It was petrifying.”
Another said: “It was horrible. I thought we were going to be the next Titanic.”