Australian tourists on-board the Viking Sky cruise ship as it was lashed with wild weather and massive waves have opened up about the harrowing experience after finally returning home.
More than 400 of the 1,373 passengers and crew were airlifted to safety from the stricken cruise ship after it suffered engine trouble off the Norwegian coast on March 23.
Nautical expert and former cruise captain Michael Lloyd said the emergency could have easily become one of the worst maritime disasters in history.
Australian tourists caught up in the Viking Sky cruise ship emergency have opened up about the harrowing experience after finally returning home
John Porter, who was on-board with is wife Jan Porter, (pictured together) spoke of powerful waves smashing through the ship's doors
Speaking with Sunday Night, a handful of Australian couples holidaying on the ship recalled the moment they knew they were in trouble.
Couple Steven and Judith Metcalf were hoping for an amazing getaway in the North Sea to enjoy the Northern Lights, but never expected they would find themselves in the midst of a potential nautical disaster.
'The swell started to increase Saturday morning, and very windy, we also had a lot of frozen rain and hail, we were really going up and riding the waves and then coming back down so it was very very wild choppy weather,' Mr Metcalf said.
Shocking videos filmed by passengers on-board show the ship rolling to an almost 45-degree angle, with plant pots and furniture sliding across the floor, plus water flowing through communal areas in the ship.
John Porter, who was on the cruise ship with is wife Jan Porter, said powerful waves smashed through the ship's doors as it sat broadside to the swell with all four engines out of power.
'There was a very large body of water which was sloshing backwards and forwards with the rolling of the ship and it eventually smashed a door in,' Mr Porter said.
He said the passengers had absolutely no control over the situation and were 'entitled to be very very frightened'.
As soon as everyone on-board was ordered to get their life jackets on and start the emergency protocols, Mr Porter said he knew things had become very serious.
John Porter, who was on the cruise ship with is wife Jan Porter, said powerful waves smashed through the ship's doors as it sat broadside to the swell with all four engines out of power (pictures is the ship)
Couple Steven and Judith Metcalf (pictured) spoke about the ordeal aboard the Viking Sky
