P&O Cruises’ flagship Iona faced an unusual departure delay from Southampton after dozens of shipping containers – many packed with bananas – fell overboard from a cargo vessel nearby.
The Baltic Klipper lost 16 containers in the Solent on the evening of 6th December, close to the Nab Tower Lighthouse off the Isle of Wight.
UK Coastguard officials confirmed eight of the boxes contained bananas, two held plantains, one contained avocados and the remaining five were empty.
With the floating cargo posing a navigation hazard, Iona remained safely alongside in Southampton rather than risk a night-time departure through the busy shipping channel.
HM Coastguard said search teams and aircraft were deployed immediately, warning that collisions with the drifting containers could cause serious damage to passing vessels or jeopardise recovery crews.
Itinerary Remains on Track
By Sunday evening, 7th December, the 5,200-passenger ship was finally cleared to leave and was recorded sailing at approximately 17 knots.
Because the start of the 14-night Canary Islands cruise includes several sea days, P&O Cruises does not anticipate changes to scheduled port calls.
Iona’s first stop, Funchal in Madeira, is set for 10th December, followed by calls at Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Arrecife, Cádiz and Lisbon before returning to Southampton on 20th December.
Ongoing Recovery Effort
Five containers have so far washed up near Selsey in West Sussex, where police, fire services and local authorities placed cordons and warned the public to keep away.
Additional containers have been spotted offshore, and aerial search teams continue to sweep the area. Cleanup crews are expected to begin cargo removal operations on 8th December.
Authorities have asked anyone who discovers debris to report it immediately. Under UK maritime law, keeping unreported wreck material is a criminal offence if not disclosed within 28 days.
While cargo spills are not unheard of around major shipping hubs, the sight of banana-filled containers drifting toward shore has certainly captured attention – and briefly kept one of Britain’s biggest cruise ships in port.
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My wife and I are on Iona cruise G538 that was delayed by the containers falling into the Solent. As a result of this the visit to Madeira was cancelled, then when we reached the Canary Islands the visit to Lanzarote also had to be abandoned because due to Storm Emilea the Lanzarote authorities implemented safety protocol to close the island for people’s protection. Overall the cruise has been a disaster from the moment we arrived at the terminal in Southampton, waited over three hours to board the ship, which did not perform well in stormy seas (we have crossed Biscay onboard Ventura in worse conditions yet it was far more stable and rode the swell smoother than Iona.) and missed out on two of the best ports of call . We appreciate that these things were outside of the captain’s control, but sadly it has certainly deterred us from cruising again.