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"We had split-open heads, broken bones, blood everywhere. It looked like the Bali bombings," Pacific Sun passenger Jonathan Woodward said.
"There was stuff smashed throughout the whole ship, paintings on the wall - I'd say 80 per cent of them were smashed. It was just chaos."
Mr Woodward was one of 1732 passengers and 671 crew aboard when the vessel was caught in the tropical low that caused chaos across New Zeland. They disembarked when it docked in Auckland about 1pm yesterday - a day later than scheduled.
Sixty passengers have now cancelled on the next voyage - due to leave Auckland for New Caledonia around 5pm tonight. They were given a refund and the 1650 venturing out will get a 20 per cent discount after two nights were cut from the now eight-day voyage.
A spokesperson for ship owners P&O Cruises said a specialist team was checking overnight for any damage - but an initial check by Maritime New Zealand showed no structural damage.
The Pacific Sun was caught in the storm, when 600km north of New Zealand, and battered by 7m swells and near-100km/h winds, which sent the vessel pitching 20 degrees, smashing furniture and fittings.
P&O said 42 passengers needed medical treatment, with three remaining under medical supervision for the rest of the journey.
Spokeswoman Sandy Olsen yesterday confirmed two passengers had been taken to hospital with suspected rib and pelvic fractures, but said rumours one passenger had lost a foot were untrue.
"It was like watching The Poseidon Adventure," Sunshine Coast woman Betty Appleton said, referring to the '70s blockbuster in which hundreds die after a cruise liner is flipped by a rogue wave. She and husband Jim - veterans of a combined 39 P&O cruises - yesterday described the storm as the most frightening they had encountered at sea, "because of all the flying crockery".
But the couple were philosophical about their ordeal, with Mr Appleton considering it "just bad luck" that the ship had to endure "three lows back to back".
The Appletons were due to set sail out again on their 40th cruise today.
Cynthia Hoban of Waiwera, north of Auckland, was concerned a number of items aboard ship that should have been fixed down, were not. She said listening to items of furniture and other pieces "sliding from one side to another" were alarming.
"We thought 'God, what's going to come through walls or the ceiling'."
Ms Olsen said there were "some loose items that did move around", and the company would investigate.
Counselling was being offered for passengers and crew who were shaken by their experience, she said. The storm-affected passengers would be offered a goodwill gesture of a 25 per cent reduction in the value of a future cruise.
- NZPA
