Norwegian safety body criticizes cruise ship that nearly ran aground in 2019 storm

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A cruise ship carrying more than 1,370 people should never have left a northern Norway harbor five years ago despite storm warnings, forcing a major evacuation by helicopter. Norwegian officials said Tuesday it could have developed into “the worst disasters at sea in modern times.” On March 23, 2019, the Viking Sky ship with mostly English-speaking passengers, had left the northern Norway and was headed south along the coast when it had engine problems and issued a mayday call. Passengers saw a large wave crashing through glass doors and knocking people across the floor of an area where they were instructed to gather as a muster point. The ship later limped into a Norwegian port on its own engines.