Norwegian cruise ship loses ability to navigate after rogue wave hits

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• Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud loses power in North Sea during storm
• Terrifying videos show Norwegian cruise ship rocked by massive waves ahead of power outage that knocked out navigation
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• Cruise ship hit by rogue wave during storm, loses ability to navigate
• Norwegian cruise ship loses power after it was hit by rogue wave in North Sea
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Across the fleet, there are thorough operational protocols in place and we always prioritise the safety of those onboard. The rogue wave shattered windows on the ship's bridge, which caused water to enter the vessel and resulted in a power outage, Reuters reported. Terrifying footage has emerged of panicked passengers bracing aboard a Norwegian cruise ship that lost power when it was hit by a rogue wave in the North Sea. A Norwegian cruise ship with more than 250 passengers on board lost power on Thursday, Dec. 21, after the vessel encountered a rogue wave during a storm, the cruise company HX said. The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud temporarily lost power on Thursday after encountering the rogue wave. Its operator, Hurtigruten Expedition, said in a statement that the 266 guests and 131 crew were uninjured and that the vessel, initially headed for the English port of Tilbury, would be diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.

Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud loses power in North Sea during storm

The ship's 266 passengers and 131 crew members were safe, a spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (DJRC) confirmed, adding that a vessel from civil rescue firm Esvagt had managed to connect a tow line to the cruise ship. The luxury cruise ship, which was carrying 400 passengers and crew, had started a 14-day Northern Lights expedition sailing from Tilbury on December 9 and was due to return to the Essex port on December 23. According to multiple reports, rescue company Esvagt’s support vessels helped the ship navigate until it could be pulled to port. “Earlier this afternoon, December 21, MS Maud reported a temporary loss of power after encountering a rogue wave,” Hurtigruten, Norwegian coastal ferry service and cruise line, said in an emailed statement, per The Guardian.

Terrifying videos show Norwegian cruise ship rocked by massive waves ahead of power outage that knocked out navigation

Meanwhile, Danish Joint Rescue Coordination confirmed that no one was harmed and the passengers and crew members were safe. We were talking to the officers and they estimated the waves were 15 to 20 meters,” he said. "Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard," a spokesperson for the company said. The ship, owned by Hurtigruten Expeditions, had even left port early and skipped several stops to try and stay ahead of the storm. But they were in the middle of the North Sea when heart-stopping wave came crashing down around 4 p.m. Because of a lack of navigational abilities, the ship had to be steered manually from the engine room, per the news agency.

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"The situation started with the ship's horn sounding for an extremely long time, then the PA system came on, and we just heard scuffling and general moving around noises," Lawrence said. Then, passengers heard the alarm that meant they should head to their muster stations — the place on board where guests gather in case of an emergency. Rough weather in the North Sea churned up massive waves which battered a cruise ship in the North Sea.

According to Reuters, Danish authorities and the ship's owner revealed on Thursday that the Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud, carrying 266 passengers and 131 crew members, suffered a power outage. The Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said in a statement to NBC News the ship's crew is navigating the vessel manually via emergency systems, and that two civilian support ships are helping to navigate the waters in the North Sea. Reuters reported that the ship was being towed to Bremerhafen in Germany after the power outage. A spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre told the news agency that a ship from civil rescue firm Esvagt had managed to connect a tow line to the MS Maud. "At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious passenger or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident and the condition of the ship remains stable," the statement said. The MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship, lost its ability to navigate after a rogue wave knocked out its power on Thursday.

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The main engine is functioning but the navigation systems and radars are not,” a spokesperson for the centre, which is responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations, said. The vessel carrying 266 passengers and 131 crew suffered shattered windows on its bridge when it encountered a powerful storm in the North Sea late Thursday, Danish authorities said. “The captain came on immediately to let us know what had happened, that the boat was stable, we had coast guard support and that the chances of needing to evacuate were minimal,” she told The Post of the moment the ship regained power. “The wave essentially hit us side-on and just exploded up over the top of the ship,” MacRae told The Post Friday.

Norwegian cruise ship loses ability to navigate after rogue wave hits - NBC News

Norwegian cruise ship loses ability to navigate after rogue wave hits.

Posted: Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Cruise ship hit by rogue wave during storm, loses ability to navigate

Two civilian support vessels are aiding the ship in its journey to port, Danish rescue authorities said. A possible rogue wave sent headlines around the world last week after it broke windows on a cruise ship off the coast of Argentina, killing a woman and injuring four others. The cruise line initially reported no serious injuries, but German media reported that three passengers were taken to a hospital upon disembarking. Dramatic footage obtained by MailOnline shows the exact moment the freak wave hit, leaving the ship impossible to navigate and requiring a tow to Germany.

"The condition of the ship remains stable and the crew are able to sail under their own power," a spokesperson for HX said. Danish Search and Rescue said the vessel could "maneuver via emergency systems, and it has two civilian support vessels close by." Hurtigruten told the outlet in a statement that no serious injuries resulted from the rogue wave.

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While the waters of the North Sea can be turbulent, marine experts said it's generally safe for the hundreds of thousands of ships that pass through every year. If the captain thought so, he would have asked to be evacuated which he hasn’t,” the rescue centre spokesperson said. A towage vessel from the civil rescue company Esvagt was scheduled to arrive at the ship around 2230 GMT. The 266 passengers and 131 crew members were safe, according to the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. The nation's water and infrastructure authority said that was also a first.

The Spirit of Discovery cut short its two-week voyage and headed back to Portsmouth early to avoid the oncoming tempest when punishing winds and choppy waters caught up with it. 'An Esvagt ship is towing it slowly towards Bremerhafen in Germany at around 8-9 knots,' the spokesperson said. The couple planned to travel back to Hamburg for an early morning flight to Frankfurt and then finally back to the UK, where they expected to arrive in London on Christmas Eve. The company said that falling trees damaged overhead electric wires or blocked tracks largely in northern Germany, but also in the central state of Hesse. The MS Maud’s on-board technology makes her “exceptionally well-suited” to trips through Norway and the British Isles, the company boasted.

"At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious guest or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident," the spokesperson said. "The condition of the ship remains stable, and the crew are able to sail under their own power." "The situation is stable, the ship has propulsion and they are able to navigate the ship manually via emergency systems," the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said in a statement Friday local time.

"Across the fleet, there are thorough operational protocols in place and we always prioritize the safety of those on board." The MS Maud was en route to Tilbury, England, from Florø, Norway, when the wave hit, causing the vessel to temporarily lose power. “Following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, given the weather conditions, we decided to amend the planned sailing route. Across the fleet, there are thorough operational protocols in place and we always prioritize the safety of those onboard,” HX said. 'Following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, given the weather conditions, we decided to amend the planned sailing route.

Despite the power outage, the vessel's main engine was still functioning, enabling the ship to be steered manually from the engine room. The holidaymaker, who expected it was going to be a 'rough ride' after going over several other big waves, described how passengers, fixed tables and chairs were sent sliding across the floor. MS Maud was sailing some 162 miles off Denmark's west coast and about 217 miles off Britain's east coast when the monster wave shattered its windows on the bridge. “There is no power on the ship,” the center’s spokesperson told the outlet. “The main engine is functioning but the navigation systems and radars are not." A spokesperson for HX, a unit of Norway's Hurtigruten Group, told FOX Business that the ship is sailing to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.

In Hamburg, the Elbe River flooded streets around the city's fish market, with water waist-high in places. German authorities warned of a storm surge of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) or more above mean high tide on parts of the North Sea coast on Friday. The ship’s main engine is still functioning, so the vessel can be steered from the engine room. Another clip shared on X showed the view of the terrifying swells from the glamorous windows of an on-board suit, which tilted precariously toward the water between each wave.

A rogue wave terrified cruise ship passengers on the North Sea on Thursday as it towered over and tossed the ship, Tour Operator Thorsten Hansen told TMX. 'At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious guest or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident. The condition of the ship remains stable and the crew are able to sail under their own power. Other stomach-churning footage shared by passengers showed just how choppy the conditions were, with the ship seen aggressively rocking up and down as it was ravaged by huge waves. “At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious passenger or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident and the condition of the ship remains stable,” they added.