MARITIME

27 August Mallorca, Spain

A P&O Cruise vessel broke free from moorings in a storm in Mallorca and collided with another ship. Inspections showed one of the lifeboats was damaged and could not be repaired on board, according to the cruise company. Some passengers were told they’d have to fly home. A total of 321 passengers were told they’d have to return to Southampton, or their starting point, by flight and transfer. A technical assessment was carried out on the cruise ship in Palma, where experts found “structural issues” with one of the lifeboats. P&O said the ship was “close to capacity” at the time of the collision and asked guests to “kindly volunteer to disembark.” The ship, named the Britannia, can carry 3,647 passengers.