Pacific Sky Cruise Cancelled Due To On Going Repai

Pacific Sky Cruise Cancelled Due To On Going Repairs

P&O Cruises announced last night that it has cancelled the Pacific Sky cruise scheduled to depart Auckland on Sunday 23rd March so that repairs to the ship can be completed to the satisfaction of the Company's stringent safety requirements and those of the Maritime Safety Authority of New Zealand.

All passengers booked on the cruise will be fully refunded their P&O fares and will receive a discount of 25% on a future Pacific Sky cruise taken before December 2004.

P&O Cruises Managing Director Gavin Smith apologized to passengers on Cruise P308 for the disruption to their holiday.

The decision to cancel the cruise had been taken following a full review of the condition of the ship's hull by a team of P&O Cruises' most senior technical managers who had flown in from Los Angeles.

Mr Smith said " The team today undertook a complete assessment of the repairs required to return the ship to service. This assessment was conducted with MSA inspectors, based on the examinations that the company, Lloyds Classification Society and the MSA have been undertaking since the ship's return to Auckland on Saturday."

"The Company, MSA and Lloyds have determined a timetable for the required repairs to the ducting. That timetable should see the ship repaired and subject to satisfying the MSA and Lloyds, enable it to be cleared to sail by all concerned prior to her next scheduled cruise departure on 2 April. MSA and Lloyds will monitor the progress of the repairs."

"We now have a definitive understanding of the work required and unfortunately it will not be possible to perform the repairs before Sunday's cruise. Whilst we regret the inconvenience to all involved, we cannot and will not sail unless the ship meets our own stringent standards of safety and of course those of the relevant authorities in New Zealand and elsewhere," Mr Smith said.

P&O Cruises will be contacting passengers and travel agents to advise of the cruise cancellation and to arrange urgent refunds of fares to enable passengers to make alternative holiday arrangements.

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