The Viking Sky cruise disaster: True terror on board

For the 1,370 passengers on board the Viking Sky, their holiday quickly turned to hell. The ship’s engines died and holidaymakers had to be rescued by helicopter. But cruise industry insiders say the disaster could have been much worse.

This story originally aired on the 31st March 2019.

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[dlmsarge]

Let's give a shout out to the helicopter pilots and rescue crews not just in this story but everywhere!! They often work in horrific conditions to save lives with little regard for their own safety. Heros indeed!

[kcwqwcj]

My husband and I were on this ship. We didn’t realize how close to disaster we were. Our muster station was in the theater. We stayed onboard until the next day when the ship was escorted into safe harbor. I’ve since sailed with Viking and have no fear of ocean cruising.

[tiffinyanderson]

I absolutely love Aussies attitudes. No complaints or blaming just getting on with it. Glad everyone was ok.

[richardstephens]

So glad no souls were lost. A miracle and a lot of effort by the various crews! Great interviews.

[mostlyinterested]

Coming from Aberdeen, Scotland I can tell you that, when the North Sea decides it's having a bad day, it's going to be very uncomfortable. When a vessel of that size loses power, it's literally along for the ride. All you can do is get as close to shore as you can, drop anchor and wait for the cavalry. This is not an environment for launching boats and, should anyone end-up in the water, they're going to perish quite quickly. The water is massively cold and, once you lose your body temperature, it's a downward slope. Glad everyone survived and great job by the crew and all the responding assets.

[Bess]

Whenever I watch a cruise video & people gripe about having to do the muster station drill, I wish they would see videos like this. It's a very important component of your cruise.

[libertyone]

I LOVE how that one passenger who was playing cards and landed on the floor BUT would not give up his hand of cards..LOL!

[summerhobbs]

What a lovely couple that elderly couple is. Glad everyone was safe.

[SharonCullenArt]

I’m glad the captain and crew were able to save everyone.

[Momma_Tomma]

"They are run by entertainment companies, and not shipping companies..." That statement hits hard....

[shannnonbinford]

I'm so happy no lives were lost. Thank you to all the pilots, crew and Captain for making sure the passengers were safe.

[alifetime]

So grateful for no loss of life in this situation. 🙏 The uncertainty of the seas/oceans is one of the reasons why I choose to not go on a cruise ship; although many of my friends have and thoroughly enjoyed them. The fact that the ship didn't experience loss of life speaks highly of the crew in my opinion.

[Sailor]

This occurred in 2019. I sailed on Viking Sky just last February 2023. I believe this to be the exception rather than the rule. After sailing on cruise ships since the early 1970's (18 under my belt), not to mention 22 years in the Navy in between; I believe cruising to be one of the safest forms of travel and one of the most memorable vacations you can experience. I am glad that everyone on the ship made it off safely.

[charlotteinnocent]

A clear warning, I should think. It's like when pilots on an airplane are pushed hard to keep a schedule intact but need to cancel a flight for various reasons. These captains and crews need to be empowered to do the same and stand up to companies and big money.

[taylordobbins]

I was on a ship in the North Sea during a horrible storm….it was crazy. The captain was super calm and was not worried at all. After 24 hours we were in clear skies. Quite scary….but prepared for the worst. 😊

[hirokawana]

its a miracle that no one have lost life out of 1300plus passengers, . im very happy to hear that every one could survive . i really want to thank God for saving every one on board!!!!

[carolynhoover]

I survived what i think was a hurricane back in 1961. I don't quite remember as i was a kid. We were on a ship called the Delta Line. It was part cargo and passenger ship. It was quite lovely. We left Argentina, and i think it was a slow cruise heading towards Louisiana. We survived the storm, but that night? They closed the doors . Next morning, our porthole was underwater, and the main stack was damaged. When my sister and i sat on deck, the ship was so low that the ocean was vertical to us like a wall. True story. I am 74, but i think i was about 9 at the time .

[jbx.]

The moral of the story is, every one went home.. And tall tales for the kids & grandchildren what great stuff honestly

[ggrinfan]

The craze for traveling in a crowded mall on the ocean is something I will never understand.

[sirtsupirtsu]

This brings back memories of the sinking of MS Estonia in 1994, 24 Sept. That was one of the deadliest sinkings of a European ship, after the RMS Titanic. 852 lives lost, and only 137 were rescued.