But luckily for the crew of a stricken boat, keen-eyed Fylde newlyweds Barbara and Andrew Keighley were on hand to issue their very own SOS.

The happy couple were on board the cruise ship MS Ryndam, taking in the awesome scenery as part of their Alaskan Cruise, when they came across an unusual sight.

Below them in the sea they spotted what they thought was a breaching whale.

"We realised it was a boat and I could clearly see there was a woman," said Barbara, 27, a former Hodgson School pupil from Thornton.

"They were shouting and waving for help. We were worried it was a hoax, but we couldn't risk it and raised the alarm as soon as we could."

Andrew, 26, ran to the cockpit to alert the captain who immediately contacted the coastguard and began to turn the liner back towards the stranded vessel.

"They tried to keep the ship steady at tea time while everyone's eating. So when they started this sharp turn the ship tilted and everyone came running out to see what was going on," added Barbara, whose father is PC Quentin Allen, the community police beat manager for Cleveleys.

The ship's spotlights were fired up as the crew searched for the tiny boat, which had become lost in the darkness.

A tug also turned up to keep an eye on the boat until the coastguard arrived to take the stranded couple to safety.

Andrew added: "We'd been sailing for about two hours so they must have been a long way out, I don't know what would have happened if we'd not spotted them.

"We were worried we'd be in trouble if it was a hoax, but thankfully we did raise the alarm and the people were safe.

"It was a very dramatic start to our honeymoon which was certainly less hectic after that."

It is thought the two people small boat had gone for a ride only to run out of fuel and, without paddles or radio, were stranded until the Ryndam sailed by.

Among the passengers were Jacqueline Gerber and Elizabeth Rhodes who are presenters on WCLV, a radio station in north America.

In a web blog of their trip they wrote: "One time-honoured method for romancing a girl in a vehicle is to run out of gas. That theory was tested when passengers on the Ryndam heard cries for help.

"A young couple was in a boat that had run out of gas. We were in open sea off the coast of Vancouver and the conditions were treacherous.

"Reports of this rescue ricocheted around the ship. It was all the buzz at dinner."