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Brits stuck on cruise might miss Christmas after storm hits boat with 20m waves | UK News


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A couple are worried they won’t be home in time for Christmas with their children and grandchildren after their cruise ship got stranded in the North Sea.

Carole Launder was celebrating her 70th birthday with husband Brian, 75, with their first ever cruise when 20 metre tall waves started to batter the ship.

They were left stranded aboard the MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship, when Storm Pia hit the ship and left it without engine power or functioning navigational equipment.

The Launders departed from Tilbury Docks on December 9 and were due to return on December 23 – but it’s now not known if they will make it home in time for Christmas Day.

The MS Maud had cut its tour short to avoid the storm but strong winds caught up, causing tall waves to wipe out the ships power.

The couple are still aboard the cruise ship but are being towed back to Bremerhaven where they’ll aim to get fly back to the UK in time for Christmas.

Stormy weather left furniture strewn around the cruise ship (Picture: SWNS)

Passengers in life-jackets brace in chairs on board the MS Maud as a rough storm at sea battered the cruise ship on December 21 2023. Release date December 24 2023. See SWNS story SWSYcruise. A British couple feared they'd miss Christmas after Storm Pia battered their Norwegian cruise ship and left them stranded in the middle of the North Sea. Grandad Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carole's birthday were celebrating her 70th birthday with their first ever cruise when 20 metre tall giant waves smashed into the ship and left them stranded. The couple are aboard the MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship which takes tourists along stretches of the coastline where larger, traditional boats can't reach. The boat had departed from Tilbury Docks on December 9 but ran into rough waters and lost its engine power, along with all navigational equipment, on December 21.

Passengers in life jackets braced themselves (Picture: SWNS)

Scenes of damage inside the MS Maud cruise ship after it was struck by a storm on December 21 2023. Release date December 24 2023. See SWNS story SWSYcruise. A British couple feared they'd miss Christmas after Storm Pia battered their Norwegian cruise ship and left them stranded in the middle of the North Sea. Grandad Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carole's birthday were celebrating her 70th birthday with their first ever cruise when 20 metre tall giant waves smashed into the ship and left them stranded. The couple are aboard the MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship which takes tourists along stretches of the coastline where larger, traditional boats can't reach. The boat had departed from Tilbury Docks on December 9 but ran into rough waters and lost its engine power, along with all navigational equipment, on December 21.

Products in the cruise’s shops were thrown across the floor (Picture: SWNS)

Brian, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, said: ‘We thought we’d be out here for Christmas. At the one stage they were getting the lifeboats ready.

‘The cruise had to be cut short as they had to cut through the storm. We spent lots of hours not moving with no power.

‘We were talking to the officers and they estimated the waves were 15 to 20 metres.

‘The waves were coming up to our window on deck five. We were worried when the water came through the door.

‘We were worried we’d be here for Christmas, we didn’t know what would happen. We lost power on the engines.

‘We lost all the communications and navigation. The captain’s in the lounge. A fishing boat came on side and was trying to help with communication.

‘There was a gingerbread house knocked over. There was a table smashed. There was chairs damaged and tables on the floors; general bent things.

“The captain had to move the bridge to the passenger lounge due to three windows being blown out by wave.

Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carole, 70, on board the MS Maud beside a Christmas display before the ship was hit by a storm. Release date December 24 2023. See SWNS story SWSYcruise. A British couple feared they'd miss Christmas after Storm Pia battered their Norwegian cruise ship and left them stranded in the middle of the North Sea. Grandad Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carole's birthday were celebrating her 70th birthday with their first ever cruise when 20 metre tall giant waves smashed into the ship and left them stranded. The couple are aboard the MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship which takes tourists along stretches of the coastline where larger, traditional boats can't reach. The boat had departed from Tilbury Docks on December 9 but ran into rough waters and lost its engine power, along with all navigational equipment, on December 21.

Brian and Carolewere on their first ever cruise when the storm struck (Picture: SWNS)

Great waves seen from the MS Maud's windows which left the ship stranded. Release date December 24 2023. See SWNS story SWSYcruise. A British couple feared they'd miss Christmas after Storm Pia battered their Norwegian cruise ship and left them stranded in the middle of the North Sea. Grandad Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carole's birthday were celebrating her 70th birthday with their first ever cruise when 20 metre tall giant waves smashed into the ship and left them stranded. The couple are aboard the MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship which takes tourists along stretches of the coastline where larger, traditional boats can't reach. The boat had departed from Tilbury Docks on December 9 but ran into rough waters and lost its engine power, along with all navigational equipment, on December 21.

Waves reached up to 20 metres in height (Picture: SWNS)

Scenes of damage inside the MS Maud cruise ship after it was struck by a storm on December 21 2023. Release date December 24 2023. See SWNS story SWSYcruise. A British couple feared they'd miss Christmas after Storm Pia battered their Norwegian cruise ship and left them stranded in the middle of the North Sea. Grandad Brian Launder, 75, and his wife Carole's birthday were celebrating her 70th birthday with their first ever cruise when 20 metre tall giant waves smashed into the ship and left them stranded. The couple are aboard the MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise ship which takes tourists along stretches of the coastline where larger, traditional boats can't reach. The boat had departed from Tilbury Docks on December 9 but ran into rough waters and lost its engine power, along with all navigational equipment, on December 21.

Gingerbread houses were broken during the storm (Picture: SWNS)

‘The ship is being steered from the engine room. There’s a rescue ship alongside providing navigation.’

Brian and Carole had to travel back to Hamburg at 3am on Christmas Eve for an early morning flight to Frankfurt, and then finally back to the UK.

The couple will land at Heathrow at 3.45pm today but worry they won’t get back to their son’s home in time before Christmas Day.

The grandad-of-four added: ‘Apart from the drama we’ve actually quite enjoyed it.

‘We’ve never been on a cruise ship before. I’d definitely go on one again, the crew have been fantastic.

‘It went in and around all the passages in Norway and all the small places where big cruise ships can’t go.

‘We knew there was a storm coming, we just didn’t know it would be that bad.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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