A Norwegian cruise ship is being towed to Bremerhaven in Germany after it suffered a power outage while it was sailing in the North Sea, Danish authorities said on Friday.
A spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said all 226 passengers and 131 crew members on board the MS Maud are safe.
“An Esvagt ship is towing it slowly towards Bremerhafen in Germany at around 8-9 knots," the spokesperson told Reuters.
The MS Maud lost power on Thursday while it was sailing 260 kilometres (162 miles) off Denmark’s west coast and about 350 kilometres (217 miles) off Britain’s east coast, when storm winds shattered the windows on the bridge, allowing water to enter.
The cruise ship was kept stable by two support vessels from civil rescue firm Esvagt. It left Florø in Norway on Thursday and was due to arrive in Tilbury in the UK on Friday.
A video originally posted on Facebook shows the ship rocking up and down in the storm waves. One passenger commented: "We're watching films in our room. Every time we move we nearly go flying."
MS Maud #hurtigruten now pic.twitter.com/i5m2qSJIrr
— Sea & son (@OnDeepWater) December 22, 2023
The cruise company HX, part of Norway’s Hurtigruten Group, confirmed the MS Maud was now being towed to safety in Germany.
A statement from Hurtigruten said the ship suffered “a temporary loss of power" on Thursday and the crew and passengers were safe.
They said: “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 ship is currently sailing to Bremerhaven, Germany for disembarkation. Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard.”
Last month around 100 passengers on the Spirit of Discovery cruise ship were injured after the ship encountered a severe storm in the Bay of Biscay.
