AUCKLAND – P&O Cruises’ round-the-world ship Aurora was forced to remain in Auckland this week while repairs were carried out to its propeller shaft.
Shopkeepers in the city were delighted, however, as the ship’s passengers headed for a little retail relief.
A bearing on a propeller shaft failed soon after the ship left Sydney and the port engine was shut down for the remainder of the voyage across the Tasman Sea.
Aurora was originally due to leave the port on Saturday.
A local business group chief told stuff.nz.com, "The good news is with their extended stay, our retailers are getting some of these beautiful people out of their shell suits and into some designer fashion.”
The ship skipped stops at Wellington and Napier on the way to Auckland, and visits to the Tahitian islands of Moorea and Papeete were also cancelled.
The ship was due to leave Auckland on Wednesday night. It will sail direct to Honolulu, then on to San Francisco and Southampton on its 93-night world voyage.
