Spirit of Discovery: Government confirms it is investigating horror cruise as passengers offered compensation

The nightmare Saga “cruise” 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 last Saturday, as first reported by The News on Monday evening.

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A week on from the ordeal that left four passengers seriously injured and needing hospital treatment, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch confirmed to The News they are looking into the “incident”.

It comes as travellers finally have some good news after their harrowing journey as Saga told guests it would be reimbursing them the cost of the ill-fated voyage, The News has learnt.

As reported, 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. Others wrote farewell messages to loved ones in the event they did not make it back to shore.

There 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.

Passengers said they were “terrified”. One woman told The News: “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.”

Now, a spokeswoman for the MAIB said they are and looking into the disastrous cruise. “We are aware of an incident involving Spirit of Discovery and are making preliminary enquiries,” she told The News.

The MAIB investigates marine accidents involving UK vessels worldwide and all vessels in UK territorial waters. The MAIB works with the Department for Transport over incidents.