Rogue waves, explained: A look at history, science and climate change

Table Of Content

• Coast Guard rescues sick Carnival Cruise passenger
• News
• news Alerts
• Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud loses power in North Sea during storm
• Norwegian Cruise Ship Loses Navigation Ability After 'Rogue Wave' Smashes Control Bridge Windows
• Terrifying videos show Norwegian cruise ship rocked by massive waves ahead of power outage that knocked out navigation
• More from CBS News

The ship, operated by HX, a cruise company owned by Norway's Hurtigruten Group, was about 120 miles from Denmark's west coast when the wave struck, Reuters reported. The wave's force shattered some of the ship's windows and caused it to tilt "pretty violently," passenger Elizabeth Lawrence told Business Insider. A Norwegian cruise ship sailing in the North Sea on Thursday lost its ability to navigate after it was hit by a rogue wave during a storm.

Coast Guard rescues sick Carnival Cruise passenger

Several containers stranded between Tranum and Slette beach, northern Norway, on December 23, 2023 after being lost in the North Sea during storm Pia. HX reported that the ship is not expected to return to service until February after repairs. The ship limped to Bremerhaven, Germany, where many passengers had to stay aboard due to limited flights out of the area. The purple shows the path of the ship from Norway to 120 miles off the coast of Denmark.

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Those on board the ship, which belongs to cruise company HX, a unit of Norway's Hurtigruten Group, said a big clean-up operation was underway today. Pictures shared with MailOnline show the destruction caused by the wave, including a shop where the windows had been smashed in and products were left strewn across the floor. They also added that their team is arranging the travel for guests onboard to return home. On Sunday, he said, a rescue ship was alongside the Maud to provide navigation aid after the ship was diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany. Among the passengers were Brian Launder, 75, and his wife, Carole, who was celebrating her 70th birthday with their first-ever cruise, according to the outlet.

Norwegian cruise ship loses power after it was hit by rogue wave in North Sea - Yahoo News

Norwegian cruise ship loses power after it was hit by rogue wave in North Sea.

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

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Tour operator Thorsten Hansen shared a video of the foamy waves battering the hull of the MS Maud, which made headlines Thursday when its electricity failed mid-voyage. The boat has now been diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany, and was around 230 nautical miles out as of 10 a.m. EST, the boat is passing by Denmark at eight knots and facing 14.5 mph winds. All the while, the boat had lost electricity mid-voyage and had no navigation capabilities for several hours. Crew members had to “manually steer the boat from the engine room” MacRae wrote on Facebook.

The ship was currently being steered manually from the engine room but cannot navigate. Esvagt support vessels had arrived to help the ship navigate until the ship could be towed to port. “Earlier this afternoon, December 21, MS Maud reported a temporary loss of power after encountering a rogue wave,” Hurtigruten said in an emailed statement.

Passengers are “anxious to get to port” and injuries were “minimal,” the British woman said. MacRae said the cruise line would be providing flights to London — where it was originally supposed to end its journey. Lawrence told BI that while she probably won't head to the North Sea in the winter again, she would still cruise with HX in the future. Rogue waves typically "come unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing wind and waves," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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

The MS Maud, which is run by the cruise company HX, a unit of Norway’s Hurtigruten Group, left Floroe in Norway on Thursday and was scheduled to arrive in Tilbury in Great Britain on Friday. “I’ll be honest, there was about 20 minutes yesterday where I thought the ship might capsize, it was rolling so heavily and we didn’t have any idea what had happened,” she said. Everyone on board was marked safe, and the ship is being towed to Bremerhaven in Germany, officials with the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said. Every time we move we nearly go flying,” one passenger commented under Hansen’s post.

The area was hit by a storm late on Thursday with hurricane-force gusts blowing from the north-west that were forecast to continue on Friday, the Danish Meteorological Institute said. “It really hit home when they started handing out orange survival suits to everyone,” Lawrence explained. Catriona MacRae, 43, and father, Ken, 79, were traveling through rough seas on the MS Maud when a tall, powerful wave came crashing down on the vessel. Lawrence, who had picked the cruise to see the Northern Lights, said the day started out with fairly big waves but that the captain had let passengers know to expect that. But as the day went on, the waves got bigger until they were large enough to spray her window on the sixth deck, she said. Support vessels are working with the ship as it continues to head toward the port city in northern Germany, according to the company.

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.

The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud, carrying 266 passengers and 131 crew members, suffered a power outage. HX said after following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, the company amended the ship's planned route to sail to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation. The MS Maud sustained a temporary loss of power while sailing to Tilbury, England, from Florø, Norway, HX said in a statement to NBC News. No serious injuries were reported among the 266 passengers and 131 crew members, according to HX. A Norwegian cruise liner carrying hundreds of passengers weathered a “terrifying” storm before a rogue wave temporarily took out its power, stomach-churning footage showed. Lawrence added that while in their muster stations, passengers were given "survival suits" — or suits that "dramatically extend survival times" with insulation, per the Coast Guard.

Per NBC News, the ship is being aided to port by two civilian support vessels and is currently traveling to Bremerhaven, Germany. He shared a video of a woman displaying a smiling elf puppet as she sat on the floor on the debris-strewn deck, where she was surrounded by other passengers wearing orange survival gear. The MS Maud isn't the first ship to encounter rough seas in the North Sea — dramatic videos of huge waves crashing in the area have become a source of fascination on TikTok.

The ship was in the North Sea at the time, in an area hit by a storm late Thursday with hurricane-force gusts forecast to continue Friday, the Danish Meteorological Institute said according to Reuters. Local media reported that about 200 people disembarked in Norway due to the bad weather before the accident. The area was hit by a storm late on Thursday with hurricane-force gusts blowing from the northwest, and they are forecast to continue on Friday, the Danish Meteorological Institute said. Another passenger, Betty Little, was on the trip with her 96-year-old mother Jessie when the wave struck. She praised the crew for their response as they are both disabled and needed extra support amid the panic.

"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.

Reuters reported earlier Friday, citing a Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre official, that another ship had assisted with a tow. "Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard," the statement added. The ship, traveling under its own power, is currently sailing to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation, HX said in an updated statement Friday.