The Norwegian cruise ship Maud (16,151gt) headed toward Germany in late December 2023 after being damaged in a fierce North Sea storm.
The storm, which is named Pia in parts of Europe and elsewhere Zoltan, left a path of destruction, killing at least two people in the Netherlands and Belgium, with widespread flooding along the Dutch coast and the Elbe in Hamburg. For the first time, all the major flood control barriers in the Netherlands were closed.
Hurtigruten Group, owners of Maud, confirmed that the ship was redirected to Bremerhaven, Germany. The 266 passengers and 131 crew aboard were reported to be safe as the vessel headed to port at approximately 10 knots.
The ship which was damaged during the afternoon of 29 December when she was approximately 200 miles from the Danish coast heading for the UK. She reached Bremerhaven just before the new year.
Two offshore support vessels from Esvagt assisted Maud. Reports from social media by passengers said they were mustered and instructed on putting on survival suits after the waves broke the bridge windows, causing the ship to initially lose power.
Danish authorities confirmed that the first attempts to put a towline across were unsuccessful because of the heavy seas. Passengers said a line was put across and the Esvagt vessel was helping to turn the cruise ship when the towline parted.
Photo by Marcel & Ruud Coster/shipspotting.com
