Ship breaks down on first voyage

London - A luxury cruise liner owned by P&O Cruises broke down on Tuesday just 18 hours into its maiden voyage.

London - A luxury cruise liner owned by P&O Cruises broke down on Tuesday just 18 hours into its maiden voyage.

The £200 million liner, named the Aurora, started out on Monday for a two-week cruise of Mediterranean resorts. But a spokeswoman for P&O said a propeller shaft bearing had overheated and the ship could not continue its journey. Instead it had been forced to head back to Southampton port with 1,800 passengers on board, she told the BBC.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter