A cruise ship has made its way back to the UK following an incident where 100 passengers sustained injuries in a storm off the western coast of France.

The Spirit of Discovery encountered turbulent weather in the Bay of Biscay, resulting in the ship veering to one side during a safety maneuver on Saturday. While most of the injuries were minor, five individuals required medical attention, according to cruise company Saga.

The ship docked in Portsmouth on Monday night, and passengers disembarked on Tuesday morning.

The cruise began its journey to the Canary Islands on October 24, with approximately 1,000 passengers on board. The initial ten days of the planned 14-day cruise proceeded without any issues, and the final destination was set to be Las Palmas. However, due to news of an approaching storm, the crew decided to skip Las Palmas and aimed for A Coruña in north-west Spain instead.

As they made their way to A Coruña, the port was closed, leading to an early return to the UK in an attempt to avoid the storm. Unfortunately, while traversing the notoriously rough waters of the Bay of Biscay, the storm hit the ship. The ship's safety system automatically initiated a sharp left turn, causing the majority of the injuries during the maneuver, according to a spokesperson from Saga.

The ship remained stationary until conditions improved and eventually returned to Portsmouth on Monday night. Saga emphasized that the ship remained safe throughout the ordeal.

The spokesperson added that the decision to seek further medical treatment would mostly be left to the passengers, with only two or three individuals expected to require hospitalization. Saga expressed its apologies to those affected by the incident and acknowledged the uncontrollable nature of the weather conditions. Photo by Bahnfrend, Wikimedia commons.