SAGA's vessel, Spirit of Discovery, encountered difficulties amid formidable maritime conditions characterized by "gale force winds and nine-meter high waves" around midday on November 6. This turbulent situation persisted for the ensuing 18 hours, prompting passengers aboard the ship to seek compensation.
Out of the ~1000 passengers on board, ~100 sustained injuries when the ship's propulsion safety system activated at 12:30 PM, causing the vessel to automatically change its course. Among the injured, 5 incurred more severe injuries that necessitated treatment at the Infirmary/ship's medical clinic. These passengers will be transferred to a hospital upon the arrival at Portsmouth International Port. Spirit of Discovery was scheduled to dock Monday evening, with passengers set to disembark the following day, while those requiring medical attention were transported to the hospital later the same day.
Subsequently, passengers endured an approximately 18-hour wait as the ship's Master (Captain Darin Bowland) opted to maintain the vessel's position until the storm and gales had abated.
Spirit of Discovery was on a 14-night "Canary Island Quintet Cruise" that commenced on October 24th. On the 10th day of the voyage, given worsening weather conditions, a decision was made to cancel Las Palmas and proceed directly to La Coruna to preempt an approaching storm, as stated by a Saga spokesperson.
While en route to La Coruna, the Master received information that the port would be closed due to adverse weather conditions. Consequently, a choice was made to return to the UK earlier than originally planned, in an effort to stay ahead of the impending storm. Shipping forecasts indicated that either retracing the route or opting for an alternative course would have resulted in a direct encounter with the storm, leading to even harsher conditions, according to a spokesperson from Saga. The firm also confirmed that preparations had been made to navigate through challenging conditions during the crossing of the Bay of Biscay.
A letter from Saga Cruises CEO Nigel Blanks to customers said: he appreciated it was an extremely frightening time but wanted to reassure them that the ship remained safe. He added there would be details over compensation in the coming days.
A Saga Cruises statement said that Spirit of Discovery had been "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 on their way home in calmer seas.”
For more Spirit of Discovery incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.