Passenger died after cruise ship hit by force 11 winds in 'horrendous' storm

By Emma Soteriou

A passenger died after a cruise ship was hit by force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay.

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More than 100 guests were injured in the storm on November 4, 2023, with eight being taken to hospital after arriving in Portsmouth, an incident report revealed.

One of the passengers later died from their injuries.

The Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands when it faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated 8 for very high.

It had previously been forced to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions.

There were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the bad weather hit.

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"At about 1230 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay," the report, from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), said.

"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."

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 on-board response, including analysis of the vessel's intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers."

The report said that the investigation is nearly complete, with a full report then set to be issued for consultation with the parties involved.

Taking to social media following the incident, one user wrote: “My in-laws are on Saga Spirit of discovery sounds like they’ve had an horrendous journey!”

Saga Cruises said in a statement at the time: "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 spokeswoman 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."