Passengers on a Pacific Star cruise were so ill as the ship was battered by storms off Auckland that they have been given free doctors' visits and $100 vouchers.
About 1000 passengers left Auckland on Tuesday for an eight-night cruise and were hit by the atrocious conditions.
People
on board reported passengers being sick and damage to the boat by swells of up to 10m.
One passenger said the dream trip to Vanuatu had started like the holiday from hell.
P&O Cruises spokeswoman Sandy Olsen said some of the ship's external windows and doors, as well as its television satellite equipment, were damaged in the storm.
"It would have been an uncomfortable couple of days for the people on board," she said.
"As you can imagine, some people were unwell due to seasickness."
Conditions were so bad the ship has cancelled a planned stopover in Lifou, New Caledonia, and will head straight for Vila to make its scheduled Friday night stopover.
Ms Olsen said passengers would get $100 spending money and P&O would waive doctors' charges for those who needed medical help during the storm.
Cruise chiefs were also offering free wine and soft drinks to passengers at a Captain's Dinner tonight, and giving free room services to those who preferred to stay in their rooms.
The ship is due back in Auckland in the middle of next week.
