'Hoping not to die': Terrifying footage shows giant waves bombard cruise ship

Unnerving footage has emerged showing huge waves crashing against the windows of a cruise ship during a storm in the Atlantic Ocean.

The video, which was posted on YouTube, was filmed in a third-floor room inside the Royal Caribbean international cruise ship which was travelling from New Jersey to Port Canaveral in Florida in February last year, the Sun reported.

Nine-metre waves and winds of up to 240km/h battered the ship, called the Anthem of the Seas, when it was caught in a vicious storm.

Stephen J Burke, who posted the video, said he plays music on cruise ships and in the first part of the video he posted photos of what he usually sees out of his window - idyllic still blue-green water - but this trip was different.

There is a person sitting in front of the window for most of the footage laughing nervously at the tumultuous conditions.

"It's like we're over a reef, it's really dark," he comments about the water at one stage.

"It's like we're on top of a tall building looking down," another person says, commenting on how high the ship is being lifted up by the waves.

"That is terrifying, thank God for good strong glass," he says later, knocking on the window.

"We're not even moving, we're just staying in one place, trying not to die," the man comments to the person filming.

"I think the captain said that before, we're just staying in one place, fighting against the wind. Jesus Christ!," another person says.

"We're underwater on the third floor!"

The video also captures footage of water pouring down the ship's elevator shaft and shows how much the ship is listing to one side as a man is shown stumbling along a corridor at a 45 degree angle.

The cruise ship was carrying about 4,500 guests and 1,600 crew members at the time of the storm, the Sun reports.

Earlier that day, passengers had been told to stay in their cabins by the captain as he attempted to ride out the storm.

The vessel was eventually forced to return to New Jersey.

Even though it was shot last year, the footage was posted to YouTube late last week and it has since gone viral.

Passengers took to Twitter at the time to share photos of knocked over chairs and damaged furniture on the ship.

The cruise company said the time that there was no damage to the ship.

It is believed that no one was injured in the incident.