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A cruise ship which made headlines when a pensioner was killed by a freak wave has run aground with almost 1,000 mainly British tourists on board, in sight of the pier where it was to be moored.

And it's not the first occasion the ship has come into difficulties in Norwegian waters, with it also getting stranded back in March this year. 

The 22,000 tonne MS Marco Polo was manoeuvring to drop anchor in high winds near Leknes in Norway's northern Lofoten Islands when it became lodged in soft mud, British owner Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) said.

A handout photo released by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and taken from a rescue helicopter shows a Norwegian coast guard vessel in front of Bahamas-registered cruise liner Marco Polo

The ship hit the headlines in February when James Swinstead, 85, was killed and several other people were injured when water crashed through restaurant windows as storms hit the English Channel.

The 85 year old died 'almost instantly' after water rushed on board the British cruise ship Marco Polo as it was battered by waves during severe storms.

The 22,000-tonne vessel, operated by Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV), was heading for its home port of Tilbury in Essex at the end of a 42-night voyage when the incident happened on Valentine's Day.

Water crashed through a window, injuring a number of the 735 passengers, who were mainly British.

A female passenger in her 70s was airlifted off the ship, while 14 people were treated for minor injuries.

Mr Swinstead, a father-of-two from Colchester, Essex, was on the cruise with his wife Helen, 82. 

The ship hit the headlines in February when James Swinstead, 85, was killed (pictured here with wife Helen) and several other people were injured when water crashed through restaurant windows

This time around, Marco Polo was chartered by Britain-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages and was cruising along Norway's fjords when it ran aground.

The ship is currently on a 14-night voyage to Norway and the Land of the Northern Lights with 763 passengers, CMV said.

It expects the ship to be freed and leave on schedule after an operation at high water this evening, but any passengers who want to go ashore are being transferred, it added.

Rescues services said they were hoping to pull the 176-metre (580 ft) Marco Polo free at high tide later. Tugboats and a coast guard vessel had tried in vain to free the vessel by pushing it from the starboard side. 

Passengers had been allowed to leave the cruise ship, which was carrying more than 1,000 people when it ran aground in the Lofoten archipelago earlier today (Saturday)

Rescue officials say there were no injuries, and no damage to the ship has been found. 

Chris Coates, CMV's commercial director, said: 'We are doing everything we can to ensure that Marco Polo can resume her itinerary and remain confident that she will continue to operate her Northern Lights cruise as planned.

'The comfort and safety of our passengers is our top priority. Our passengers have been fully updated of the situation.'

Tickets for the northern cruise can cost up to £2,749 depending on the time of year, according to the CMV website.

The Marco Polo is popular with tourists who want to see some of Norway's impressive fjords

Resident Karl Roger Johnsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK he thought the ship took a chance by sailing close to the rocky coast on its way into the quay.

The same liner also ran aground briefly in a nearby archipelago in March, according to Norwegian media. The cause of that incident remained unclear.