Cruise ship goes on rollercoaster ride in high seas...

Pass the sea-sick pills: The terrifying moment a cruise ship was slammed by giant Antarctic waves

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:56 PM on 9th December 2010

• Cruise ship with 165 souls on board limps into port at four knots

An Antarctic cruise ship with 88 American passengers and 77 crew members aboard sustained damage after being battered by brutal waves.

On Tuesday the Clelia II declared an emergency, reporting it had suffered engine damage amid heavy seas and 55 mph winds when it was north east of the South Shetland Islands on its way towards its destination in Argentina.

But the crew of the 2420-ton ship managed to overcome the damage and was heading safely back to its scheduled port at four knots yesterday, the vessel's operator said.

Huge waves caused a broken bridge window and some electrical malfunctions that temporarily knocked out some communications and affected engine performance on the Clelia II

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators issued a statement saying the wave that hit the Clelia II caused a broken bridge window and some electrical malfunctions that temporarily knocked out some communications and affected engine performance.

'This caused a temporary loss of communications and affected engine performance,' the organisation said. 

'Both engines remained operational and speed was reduced.'

One crew member sustained minor injuries as the ship, carrying 88 passengers and 77 crew, was rocked by the Antarctic swells

Despite the fierce bombardment the cruise ship received, there were almost no casualties to report. 

The tour operator said: 'There are no injuries to passengers, although one member of the crew sustained minor injuries.'

The ship was travelling from the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica to Ushuaia in Argentina when it ran into trouble

Another ship, the National Geographic Explorer, accompanied the Clelia II for much of the day and helped in restoring its communications, according to the association statement.

The damaged vessel resumed its journey alone across the Drake Passage when the repairs were complete.

The ship had 88 passengers, all from the United States, and 77 crew: 44 from the Philippines and the rest from Greece, Bulgaria, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, France, Denmark, Hungary, Indonesia, Ukraine, Romania, Britain and the United States.

It was heading for the port of Ushuaia at the extreme south of Argentina at normal speed by midday Wednesday and was in no danger, the association said.

The ship set out from Ushuaia on November 30 and was scheduled to return on Wednesday.

It is now expected to join with an Argentine channel pilot Thursday evening and arrive in Ushuaia tomorrow morning.

The ship is operated by Travel Dynamics International of New York and owned by Helios Shipping of Piraeus, Greece.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337062/Cruise-ship-slammed-enormous-Antarctic-waves.html#ixzz17d6Yq1WU