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Carnival passengers stranded in storm
Passengers on the Carnival Spirit were forced to wait out a storm on board the ship as it was unsafe for it to attempt to dock at Sydney Harbour due to strong winds and high seas last night.
Harbour Master Philip Holliday said he was forced to close the port and wait for the winds to die down, which meant leaving the Carnival Spirit to spend an extra night at sea in the heavy storm.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the 2,500 passengers onboard had to endure rolling waves of more than 10 meters and when the ship finally docked this morning, a day later than planned, one woman told waiting reporters: "I thought I was going to die last night".
Severe storms have been battering New South Wales for three days, cutting off power supplies to 200,000. Flights to and from Sydney airport have also been affect, with some international flights diverted.
Carnival Spirit was returning from a 12-night cruise to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. Passengers travelling on the next cruise will embark later today for a 19:00 departure.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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