ENGINE problems are again plaguing cruise company P&O, with three recent cruises on the Pacific Sun cut short because of them.
A 14-night New Zealand cruise was cancelled when an engine gave way halfway through and passengers spent six days at sea returning to Australia instead of the two days stated in the original itinerary.
The ship eventually arrived in Newcastle in NSW a day late, leading the following four-day Melbourne cruise to be shortened.
In the latest incident, the ship returned to Sydney from a three-day cruise a night early this week after engine problems.
Mark Tipping, from Urraween, in Queensland, said the NZ cruise crawled from port to port before passengers were told they would miss the last two ports, Dunedin and Milford Sound.
He and his wife missed a connecting flight because they returned a day late and are furious they were not adequately compensated.
"There were 1500 people on the top deck protesting, all screaming that we wanted our money back," Mr Tipping said. "All we were given was a $100 credit."
Carnival Australia communications manager David Jones said passengers on the shortened Melbourne cruise had been offered a 50 per cent refund or cancellation with a full refund and 25 per cent credit on a future cruise.
On the most recent cruise, Mr Jones said instead of arriving in Sydney on Tuesday morning, the Pacific Sun came in on Monday night and its engineers completed work on its starboard engine at Darling Harbour.
"A number of passengers said they were very happy with the opportunity to make an uncustomary but spectacular night-time arrival in Sydney with the city lights, Opera House illuminated and passing under the Harbour Bridge," he said.
P&O cancelled three cruises on the Pacific Jewel late last year because of engine problems.
At the time, P&O apologised to passengers and offered a full refund of their cruise fare and a 25 per cent credit on a future cruise.
Mr Jones said all was now well with the Pacific Sun and she was now on a Pacific Islands cruise, returning to Sydney on Monday.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/anger-as-cruise-liners-engines-fail/story-e6frf7l6-1226019350639
