Terrified passengers share footage from cruise stuck in 'bomb cyclone'

A dream vacation around the Bahamas turned into a nightmare for 4000 cruise passengers after a brutal winter storm pummelled their ship.

When Del Ross and his family boarded the Norwegian Breakaway for a two-week voyage to New York, they never envisioned the horror they would endure as last week’s “bomb cyclone” battered America’s northeast.

Four days into the voyage, Mr Ross and his 21-person party were all smiles as they celebrated his father’s 80th birthday but they soon learned the return trip was going to be anything but a holiday.

Footage taken on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship shows wild waves rocking the ship, water spilling down stairways and elevators that left rooms flooded.

“People were getting sick,” Mr Ross told Newsday said.

“They were miserable. You couldn’t walk down an aisle without falling.”

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A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said "stronger than forecasted weather conditions" were responsible for the chaos that unfolded.

“The safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority and the ship’s captain adjusted the ship’s speed and itinerary accordingly to maintain the safest possible route, delaying the ship’s arrival,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement.

“We sincerely apologize to our guests for the stronger than expected weather conditions and any resulting discomfort or inconvenience they may have experienced.”

Other seasick passengers took to Twitter to share their own holiday nightmares.