People are stuck at sea on a cruise ship after massive storm winds ripped it from its moorings in Scotland

Greenock ship blown off course
Greenock ship blown off course

Twitter/scottjammy80/Business Insider

  • Strong winds from a powerful storm hitting the United Kingdom a cruise ship from its moorings in Scotland while people were on board.

  • The Nautica, owned by Oceania Cruises, was pushed out to sea by the storm on Wednesday morning.

  • It isn't clear how many people are on board. A large number of guests were on shore.

  • Storm Ali has brought winds of up to 90 mph to parts of the UK and Ireland.

People are stuck at sea on a cruise ship after massive storm winds ripped the ship from its moorings and detached it from its dock in Scotland.

The Nautica, a ship owned by Oceania Cruises, was torn from the dock in Greenock, Scotland, due to "extremely high winds" on Wednesday, a spokesman told Business Insider. 

The spokesman said that nobody on board was hurt, and that everyone is safe. Oceania did not specify how many people were on board at the time.

Greenock Scotland
Greenock Scotland

Google Maps/Business Insider

They did say that 478 guests and 26 crew members were ashore at the time. The ship can accommodate around 800 people at full capacity. The cruise is currently halfway through a 12-day cruise around the UK and Ireland.

In the meantime, the ship is stuck away from the coast, in an inlet.

Footage of the unmoored ship was shared on social media.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1042399927219970048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Update from Oceania Cruises: This afternoon, while alongside at the port of Greenock, Nautica encountered extremely strong winds which resulted in the parting of mooring lines and the vessel being detached from the dock. All guests and crew safe and no injuries. pic.twitter.com/58RCG6hnef

 

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1042405755549298689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
@SeanBattySTV Nautica in the middle of the Clyde at Greenock. She broke loose from her mooring at Greenock Ocean Terminal. pic.twitter.com/4ktM2JwhQC

"Tugs have been called in to assist and the vessel is currently being held off of her berth," the spokesman said.

The ship is 181-meters long and has 386 crew members. It has a fitness center, a pool, and a golf putting green as well as restaurants, spas, and other amenities, according to Oceania Cruises' website. The ship has 11 decks and weighs over 30,000 tonnes.

Storm Ali has brought gusts of up to 90 mph to Scotland, and it is battering other parts of the UK and Ireland, downing trees and leaving thousands without power.

The storm has killed one person so far —  a woman who died when her caravan was blown off a cliff in the west of Ireland on Wednesday.

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