Terrifying moment cruise ship  dramatically tilts after hitting rough seas injuring 16 people and smashing furniture

THIS is the terrifying moment a cruise ship tilted dramatically in rough seas – injuring 16 passengers and sending objects flying.

The Crown Princess cruiser was near Milford Sound, south-west New Zealand, when it got caught in violent winds and began to lean.

The gale tilted the enormous vessel over by 14 degrees, leaving thirteen passengers and three crew members with minor injuries.

Footage from inside the 3090-capacity ship shows scenes of chaos as its content fly around.

Sandwiches and mashed potato lie strewn all over the kitchen floor, with chefs standing around in disbelief.

The floor was also covered with a brown liquid that flooded throughout the room.

Trays, crockery, utensils and furniture littered the place – with workers gasping shock as they walked around documenting the mayhem.

The worst mess was made by huge vats of food that had been upset, swamping the area with a thick layer of sludge.

Martin Wise, as passenger on the 14-day trip from Sydney to New Zealand, said he’d never experienced anything like it.

He told Stuff: “I felt the boat starting to slant and tip.

“Then it lent over quite a bit and really started moving along at a high speed and we could see the sea looking very high out of the restaurant windows.”

He said that cups and plates were sent “flying” around the room.

Martin added: “Crashing could be heard around the area and a huge crash from the kitchen.”

The passenger thought the extreme tilting lasted for around 40 seconds.

The captain reportedly told those onboard the boat had been rocked by a 75 knot wind, which briefly boosted the vessel’s speed and titled the boat by 14 degrees.

Martin said that the experience was “8.5 out of 10” on the “frightening scale”, but that it hadn’t put him off future cruises.

He added: “This is our seventh Princess cruise and nothing’s ever happened like this before.”

In a statement to website Cruise Hive, Princess Cruises said: “On February 25, while in Fiordland, New Zealand, Crown Princess encountered strong winds during a course change, causing the ship to briefly tilt beyond its usual movement before stabilising.

“Our crew responded quickly to correct the situation, and at no point was the safety of the ship compromised.

“Additionally, a small amount of water from the Lido Deck pool briefly entered the Horizons food court, but the area was quickly cleaned and reopened.

“There was no structural damage to the ship.”