Sixteen passengers and crew on a cruise ship from Sydney have been injured after hitting rough waters on what was supposed to be a peaceful voyage around New Zealand, writes dailymail.co.uk.

The cruise ship Crown Princess was in the midst of a two-week round trip when it was slammed by wild winds as the liner changed course near Milford Sound on the south-west of New Zealand`s South Island last week.

Footage recorded in the ship`s kitchen showed the chaos as it began to be bombarded by high seas and listed to one side, sending workers scrambling to find something to cling on to.

Kitchen staff then had to brace for the next big lurch as passengers in the cafe and restaurant rooms desperately grabbed onto whatever they could for stability. Phone footage posted to social media showed plates, pots and pans smashing to the ground and food careening across the kitchen floor as the cruise liner endured the brunt of a fierce storm.