KEY POINTS:
An already delayed South Pacific cruise was today cancelled before departure from Auckland so further repairs can be carried out to the ship.
The Pacific Star was originally due to have left on Tuesday for an eight-night trip to Brisbane via Mystery Island, Noumea and the Isle of Pines.
The need for repairs to a ventilation duct put the departure time back to last night.
P&O chief executive Ann Sherry said today that it became apparent that the problem area needed further review.
She apologised to the 1145 passengers for the frustration, disappointment and inconvenience caused, and said they would receive a full refund and 25 per cent credit on a future cruise.
All on-board expenses incurred by passengers since they embarked on Tuesday would be waived.
Ms Sherry said the company would today focus its efforts on helping passengers to return home.
"We had expected to sail last night but it became apparent during the course of the night that there was still need for a further review of the problem area," she said.
"We have taken the view that the prudent thing to do is to move Pacific Star into dry dock so that this issue can be fully addressed."
Following its ill-fated cruise last month, the ship had already been stranded in port in Auckland for two days.
More than 1000 passengers who had boarded on Tuesday at 2pm for the eight-night Tango Tasman trip were still waiting round this morning.
Repairs to a corroded ventilation duct delayed the departure of the 35,000-tonne liner, which was rescheduled to sail at 11.30pm last night.
An extended family of 14 from Christchurch were among the passengers.
They had spent $25,000 to get everyone together for a break after the death of a loved father and grandfather.
"We were supposed to be met at the airport as part of the package but that didn't happen," said one family member who asked not to be named.
"Then we were standing on deck with cameras out and streamers ready to go when they made the announcement just before we were supposed to get going.
"The toilets weren't flushing and there was a terrible smell of sewage."
Most of the family headed to Devonport on the ferry yesterday afternoon because "it's the closest we'll get to the water".
"They gave us free drinks with dinner last night, but it's pretty disgusting," said the man.
"With all we've been through as a family, we would rather it had just been postponed."
A scheduled stopover at Mystery Island, Vanuatu, had already been dropped from the itinerary, Sherry said last night.
"Every passenger will receive a $150 onboard credit in recognition of the disappointment caused by the ship's delay and the itinerary changes," she said at the time.
Any passengers who wanted off the ship would also be offered a full refund, the company said then.
Arthur Woo, who had been holidaying in New Zealand for three months with wife Gweilan and son Joshua, was heading home to Brisbane with his family.
"They [P&O] are not being upfront with us. People have trains, buses and planes to catch, and where is the time going to be made up? We're going to miss part of the trip to make up time," Mr Woo said.
The Tasman Tango cruise - with prices up to $5500 - will head direct to its scheduled second stop at Noumea before going on to the Isle of Pines and Brisbane.
Last month P&O had to cancel two cruises after the Pacific Star was damaged in gale-force winds and swells of up to 10 metres. Passengers were offered full refunds and a cruise credit of 25 per cent.
The 25-year-old ship was put in a dry dock in Brisbane and repaired before returning to service.
* Meanwhile, police are investigating the sudden death of a 31-year-old man on board sister ship Pacific Sun.
The Sydney man, who was on a holiday he had won on a radio programme, was found slumped unconscious in a toilet cubicle on Tuesday, New South Wales police say.
A P&O spokeswoman said they believed the death was from natural causes.
- with NZPA
