Inside storm-hit cruise ship in North Sea: British couple tell of terrifying moment 70ft waves smashed into UK-bound vessel with 400 on board as vessel lost power and was left stranded

British grandparents are trapped in the middle of the North Sea after huge waves hit their cruise ship.

Brian Launder, 75, was aboard MS Maud with his wife Carol to celebrate her 70th birthday with his first cruise.

The vessel was a Norwegian ship that took tourists to parts of the coastline that larger traditional boats couldn’t reach.

Now a couple fear they won’t make it home in time for Christmas after 70ft waves caused by Storm Pia caused the boat to malfunction and left passengers stranded.

MS Maud left Tilbury Docks on 9 December but ran into rough waters on 21 December and lost engine power along with all navigational equipment.

Scenes of damage inside the cruise ship MS Maud after it was hit by a storm on December 21.

Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carol, 70, aboard the Maude near the Christmas display before the storm hit.

Mr Launder, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, said he saw waves reaching their cabin window despite being on the fifth deck and that water was flowing down the corridors.

He said: “We thought we were coming here for Christmas. At some stage they were preparing lifeboats.

“We sailed on December 9th. They were supposed to finish on December 23rd.

“We spent many hours moving without electricity.

“We spoke to officers and they estimated the wave height to be between 15 and 20 metres.

MS Maud left Tilbury Docks on 9 December but ran into rough water and lost engine power along with all navigational equipment.

Passengers wearing life jackets sit in seats aboard the MS Maud. Mr Launder said lifeboats were being prepared at one point.

“The waves were approaching our window on deck five. We became concerned when water came into the door.”

The tour was cut short to avoid a storm, but strong winds overtook them, causing high waves to sap the ship’s power.

Mr Launder added: “My wife was so calm about helping this woman.

– She figured it out. We were worried we would be here for Christmas and didn’t know what would happen. Our engines lost power.

“We’ve lost all communication and navigation.”

“A fishing boat approached the shore and tried to help with communications.

“The gingerbread house collapsed there. There was a broken table there. The chairs were damaged and the tables were on the floor.”

More scenes of the cruise ship being damaged after the storm. Ship stuck at sea due to extreme weather conditions

The waves were estimated to be 65 feet high and reached the fifth floor deck.

Mr Launder said despite the treacherous conditions, fortunately only one person was injured.

He continued: “She had a baby in her arms, but she flew away.

“The captain had to move the bridge to the passenger compartment because three windows were broken by the wave.

“The ship was controlled from the engine room. There was a rescue ship nearby providing navigation.”

The cruise ship was towed back to Bremerhaven. Brian and Carol had to return to Hamburg at 3am today for an early morning flight to Frankfurt and then finally back to the UK.

The couple will land at Heathrow at 3.45pm but are worried they won’t be able to get back to their son’s home before Christmas.

The grandfather-of-four added: “Apart from the drama, we really enjoyed it.

“We’ve never been on a cruise ship before. I would definitely go again, the team were fantastic.

“It went around all the passages of Norway and all the little places that big cruise ships can’t go.

“Tomorrow at 10 am we need to fly out of Hamburg. Then from Frankfurt to Heathrow at 15:45, then to Tilbury by car and then to Worcestershire.

“We knew the storm was coming, but we didn’t know it would be this strong.”