A SOUTHAMPTON cruise ship that cancelled its voyage because toilets on board had broken down arrived back in port this morning.

The newly refitted Thomson Celebration cruise ship cut short its Mediterranean cruise in Lisbon on Friday after the plumbing in 250 cabins failed.

The ship was minus about 600 of its passengers, who were flown back into Britain on Friday by Thomson after the voyage was cancelled. They had paid £1,000 each for the voyage to France, Portugal and Spain.

The 21-year-old ship left Southampton on May 8 for the 14-night cruise but major problems with a pump started three days later, rendering some cabins and public toilets unusable.

The ship docked in Bilbao in Spain and the passengers were taken off and put up in hotels while engineers fixed the problem.

On Thursday the problems occurred again at sea and Thomson decided to dock in Lisbon.

Passenger Alexander McBeth, 71, a retired pipe fitter from Millbrook in Southampton, said: "This is our ninth cruise and it has been an unusual one to say the least.''

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