Damaged Pacific Star on the way back to Brisbane for repairs.

A New Zealand Press Association report says that with P&O Cruises’s Pacific Star docked for repairs in Port Vila, Vanuatu, the damaged vessel’s next cruise has been cancelled, with damage to the bow and radar equipment caused while sailing from Auckland to the Pacific Islands during last week’s stormy weather.

More than 1,000 mainly New Zealand passengers were due to join the liner in Auckland today for a 10 day cruise through the Pacific, but the ship is still laid up in Vanuatu after being badly damaged while sailing through gale-force winds and swells of up to 12 metres last Tuesday.

The last of her 1,200 passengers are being flown back to New Zealand today having had the full cost of their holiday refunded and a 25% discount on their next cruise.

The Pacific Star is then expected to sail from Port Vila to Brisbane today to be put into dry dock for inspection and repairs before returning to service.

P&O Cruises Australia Chief Executive Officer Ann Sherry said the 1,160 passengers booked on the 10 night cruise to the Fijian Islands and Tonga would be given a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit, adding, the company regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers and apologised for the late cancellation of their holiday, with the company contacting passengers directly as well as travel agents to advise of these changes.

“We are extremely disappointed at having to cancel the current cruise and next scheduled cruise and apologise to our passengers, however, we have made this decision with the best interests of our passengers’ comfort and safety in mind,” Ms Sherry said.

Pacific Star is expected to sail for Australia late Wednesday, after all passengers have been disembarked from the ship, and is due to arrive in Brisbane by Friday for a full inspection and repairs if necessary.

Some windows, external doors and the ship’s satellite equipment were damaged during the storm after Pacific Star departed from Auckland last Tuesday and there was also some damage to the bow, however, P&O say that the ship’s safety was never compromised.

“We have cancelled Pacific Star’s next cruise because she will not be back in Auckland in time for her next departure on Wednesday,” Ms Sherry said.

“It has been a major logistical exercise to progressively disembark 1,200 passengers and arrange flights and accommodation, with the final passengers expected to have left the ship on Tuesday.”

“In addition, we want to continue our inspection of Pacific Star once she is in Brisbane as a precautionary measure to ensure no further damage was sustained during the storm.”

Passengers who cruised from Auckland on Pacific Star last week are being flown home from Vila and Noumea over the next few days.”

For NZTV video footage please click on:

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1233867

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1234802

Interestingly, earlier this year TravelMole reported that the Pacific Star, [please click on http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1118712.php ] although only joining the P&O Australia fleet very recently has since been sold and while the reasons give were as part of P&O’s fleet rationalisation, maritime industry analysts say that there were come concerns about the Pacific Star’s reliability and also her suitability for these waters, adding, companies like P&O do not move a vessel of that size all the way from Europe to Australia, operate her here for a few months and then sell her back to Europe – there must be something wrong with her as that would have cost millions.”

Report by The Mole

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