GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

29-07-2005, 08:27 PM

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

| P & O R601 if anyone wants for track our course.

.. . . tracking . . . locked on . . . torpedoes away . . .

Oops! All a misunderstanding. I didn't mean that, really.

Another cruise-from-hell in store for ill-fated Aurora passengers.

Janet.

P&O forced to cancel Aurora voyage
Thursday, 20 Jan 2005 14:02

P&O has confirmed that the ill-fated Aurora is returning to Southampton
after engine trouble caused its Grand Voyage to be cancelled.

The cruise-ship should have set out on its 103-day around the world trip
on January 9 but has been suffering from persistent propulsion problems.

After days of repairs the £200 million liner set out last night for a
series of tests at sea, but it quickly became apparent that these had
failed.

P&O said in a statement: "P&O Cruises can confirm that tests conducted
at sea during the night have shown that the repairs to the propulsion
motor on board Aurora have not been successful enough to allow he to
achieve the required speed to complete the Grand Voyage and the ship is
now returning to Southampton."

It is expected to berth the Mayflower Terminal in Southampton at
midnight tonight.

The company now faces a huge bill as it refunds passengers their full
fare, some of which cost over £40,000, along with compensation of 25 per
cent of the amount paid for their holiday to be used as credit for a
future cruise holiday with P&O.

**The ship has been in the news for the wrong reasons before. It broke
down in the Bay of Biscay on her maiden voyage in 2000 and in October
2003 600 passengers and crew were affected by the norovirus. End of
story