Three eight meter high waves slam into cruise ship in the Mediterranean

Freak waves that smashed into a Mediterranean cruise ship flooded cabins, broke windows in a restaurant and terrified many travelers in an ordeal that claimed two lives, a passenger said Thursday.

Claude Cremex, 73, of Marseille, France said he was in his cabin resting because of the rough seas when walls of water hit the Cypriot-owned cruise ship Louis Majesty, which was carrying 1,350 passengers and 580 crewmembers off the coast of northeastern Spain.

The company Louis Cruise Lines said the ship was struck Wednesday by three "abnormally high" waves up to 26 feet (8 meters) that broke glass windshields in the forward section.

For more : The Associated Press: Passenger on cruise ship: Wave ordeal terrifying