9 Mar 2009

Cruise ship undergoing repairs in Auckland

6:13 pm on 9 March 2009

A P&O cruise ship with more than 1700 passengers on board has broken down in Auckland.

The Aurora was due to leave the city on Saturday evening but has developed a problem affecting its propeller.

The northern hemisphere vessel is usually based at Southampton, southwest of London, and has mainly Britons on board for the 13-week voyage.

P&O spokesperson Sandy Olsen says repairs are being carried out at Queens Wharf and the company will offer passengers compensation once they get back to the United Kingdom.

The company does not know how long it will take to fix the problem.

Passenger Sandra Thomas says she is angry and disappointed, as she will miss out on seeing the Bay of Islands, Wellington and Napier.

Ms Thomas says she is so unhappy about the situation she is considering flying back to the UK from Auckland.

Once repairs are completed, the Aurora will head toward Honolulu and the San Francisco.