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Passengers on the a storm-lashed Saga cruise have told of their horror as holiday-goers were were left strewn across the ship with broken bones and people being resuscitated in terrifying scenes as it was battered by 30 foot waves.

The Spirit of Discovery cut short its two-week voyage and was headed back to Portsmouth on Saturday as holiday-goers feared for their lives amidst the terrifying tempest in the Bay of Biscay.

Around 100 of the 1,000 people on board were injured, the majority of whom were hurt as the ship's safety system was activated, causing it to dramatically veer and shudder to a halt, according to Saga. 

But those on board who saw the carnage with their own eyes warn the number of wounded could be closer to 150. 

Witnesses claim one person was airlifted from the ship - while eight ambulances awaited the docking ship at Portsmouth International Port as four people were taken to hospital, The News reported.

As the cruise ship was relentlessly pummeled for 18 hours some desperate passengers wrote notes to loved ones in case they did not make it home - while other traumatised travellers wore lifejackets for two days straight.

One eye-witness to the horror, 58, told of the terrifying scenes on board as she rode out the carnage with her husband and parents.

'You could hear plates crashing and then there was an announcement from the captain who screamed over the tannoy system as the ship veered. The panic in his voice made everyone else panic,' she told The News.

'The medics were overrun. My mum saw someone being resuscitated, there were broken bones, people on stretchers and people crying including the crew, who were running around frantically trying to help everyone. It was petrifying.

'People were sleeping with life jackets on and writing messages home to loved ones in case we didn’t get back. We’re happy to be alive.' 

The ship was left stationary at the mercy of towering waves for 18 hours, with passengers claiming the waves were as high as 54 feet - taller than three double-decker buses.

And other passengers told of the chaos on board the ship as the crew attempted to wait the storm out.

'We couldn’t believe how high we were being thrown when the 54ft waves were hitting. People were being picked up off the floor,' Peter Sawyerl, 76, from Christchurch told the Portsmouth newspaper.

The majority of those injured on board were hurt as the ship's safety system was activated, causing it to dramatically veer and shudder to a halt, according to Saga.

The boss of the cruise company has admitted that the experience was 'extremely frightening' for passengers - as he insists they 'remained safe' while on board. 

In a letter to customers, Nigel Blanks said they would release details of compensation over the next few days due to the 'disappointing end to your cruise'.

The horrifying ordeal forced part of the dining room to be converted into 'a makeshift medical area' and passengers were told to stay in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday.

Passengers described people being 'thrown' by the force of the emergency stop and pictures show books, tables and other furniture flung to the ground as the intense storm gripped the ship. 

Passenger Richard Reynolds told MailOnline that people on board were screaming for their lives as 30ft waves battered the windows. He described the crossing as one of the most traumatic things he has ever experienced.

The 60-year-old was on the ship along with his wife and elderly parents.

His mother, 84, was injured when the ship rocked and she was thrown to the floor while he and others were confined to their cabins where passengers wrote final messages to family members on their phones and wore lifejackets non-stop for two days in case the ship capsized.