A couple stranded onboard the stricken Norwegian cruise ship have told how their dream trip turned into a nightmare.

Rodney Horgen, 62 and Judy Lemieux, 66, from Minnesota, US, were among hundreds of passengers rescued from luxury cruise the Viking Sky over the weekend.

The cruise was carrying 1,373 passengers and crew when it suffered engine failure in an unpredictable area of the Norwegian coast known for rough and frigid waters.

Shocking footage showed furniture being flung around as the ship veered dangerously from side to side.

Rodney was desperately trying to get hold of his wife but she got swept away by water that had inundated the inside of the seventh-floor restaurant.

"I tried to grab her, but I just couldn't," he told the Star Tribune . "The swells were hitting us broadside, just leaning the ship back and forth, almost to the point we thought it was going to tip.

"People were getting tipped over in their chairs, amid breaking dishes and glasses."

Judy said a six-foot-tall wall of water barreled toward her through the restaurant window.

The force of the water was so strong that ended up sending her flying.

"There was a chair coming at me with the legs, and I thought it was going to take my eyes out. Then Rod grabbed me," she added.

Another clip showed the ship tilted to an angle of nearly 45 degrees and water coming through the communal areas inside the ship.

The couple was one of the first passengers to be evacuated by helicopter but they said it was difficult for them to accept being rescued before others.

They were on the eighth day of their 12-day cruise ship when the incident happened.

The operating company has now paid for the couple's stay at a hotel in Molde, Norway.

It also covered the costs of a flight back to Minnesota. They were offered a free cruise in the future as well.

The Viking Star sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted towards land in the Norwegian Sea.

It arrived safely into the port of Molde hours later after three of four engines backed up and running.

A Viking Sky spokesman said: "At 4:30pm (Norwegian time) on 24 March, the Viking Sky docked in the port of Molde. All passengers and crew are safe, and passengers will be flying home starting tonight.

"Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew.

"We would like to thank the Norwegian Redningssentral and the Norwegian emergency services for their support and skill displayed in managing the situation in very challenging  weather conditions.

"We would also like to thank the local residents who throughout the whole process have been extremely supportive and hospitable."

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