About 100 guests on board a cruise ship were injured with five suffering “more serious injuries” after it got caught in a storm in the Bay of Biscay.

The Saga Cruises ship Spirit of Discovery was on a 14-night cruise to the Canary Islands when it was hit by the bad weather conditions last weekend.

It is understood the ship had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions.

The ship’s crew took the decision to return to the UK when the ship’s propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather causing it to veer suddenly to the left, bringing the vessel to a sudden halt.

This led to 100 of the 1,000 guests on board being hurt with the “vast majority” suffering minor injuries although five needed treatment for more serious injuries in the ship’s medical facilities, according to Saga Cruises.

The ship remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some guests sustained injuries

Passenger Jan Bendall, 75, told the BBC that she and her husband were “holding on for dear life” during the storm and added: “It was quite frightening, I’m not somebody who frightens easily, it was quite dramatic.”

She described how the staff were “absolutely fantastic” and set up “a makeshift medical area” in the dining room to treat the injured while passengers were told to stay in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and Sunday.

The Spirit of Discovery arrived back at Portsmouth on Monday evening but Saga Cruises has not confirmed if any of those injured require further treatment ashore.

A spokeswoman said: “Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.

“The ship remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some guests sustained injuries.

“All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.

“While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas.”