The Brilliance of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship which suffered a battering in an Eastern Mediterranean storm over the weekend, arrived in Grand Harbour this morning after having been diverted from its trip to Egypt.
The ship will be here for two days for minor repairs. It appeared none the worse, externally, as it berthed at the Valletta Waterfront at dawn.
Passengers had reported having gone through a 'nightmare'. A few suffered slight injuries.
The ship was said to have encountered 30 foot waves and hurricane force winds.
Some passengers writing on overseas websites praised the captain for keeping them informed, having made four announcements during and after the storm. They also praised the crew for working hard to clear the mess left by the storm.
A passenger reported one of the restaurants as being 'a disaster zone' but it was 'incredibly' kept open for service.
Royal Caribbean has reportedly offered $200 onboard credit per cabin as compensation - even though cruise lines do not normally give compensation for weather events. Still, some passengers are reportedly asking for more.
Syria, Lebanon and Egypt also reported having experienced the unusual storm.
The ship rolled violently as the waves dislodged furniture and toppled the ship's Christmas tree.
American passenger Evelyn Hoffa told CBS' The Early Show it was "horrifying" as the waves crashed above the ship's 10th floor windows. She said water was all over the passenger quarters as ice buckets and papers flew across cabins.
Another American on the ship, Lorraine Brewer, told "The Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith she woke up to "very rough" seas before being hurled back and forth in her cabin with her husband for about five minutes.
The Brilliance of the Seas was on a 12-day cruise from Spain to Italy, Greece and Egypt with Malta meant to be the last port of call.