Passengers preparing to sail on P&O Cruises’ Ventura had to be evacuated because of a bomb scare at Southampton’s Mayflower Cruise Terminal.
Police were called to the scene at 11:46am on Saturday 9 August after a man claimed he had an explosive device at the terminal’s parking area.
A 200-metre cordon was put in place and both the terminal and Ventura were evacuated.
The 63-year-old man was arrested and a search of a lorry was carried out. No explosive devices were found, and Hampshire Constabulary lifted the cordon.
Ventura had just begun embarkation for its 14-night sailing to Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands.
One guest told the Daily Echo: “The captain made an announcement that we were in the bomb zone and we had to get out.
“They stopped letting guests on board and closed off the port. Crazy stuff.”
Not all passengers had disembarked by the time the cordon was lifted.
“We didn’t get off. The police stood everyone down because they cleared it, and it resumed normal operations,” the passenger added.
“I am OK, but a lot of the guests are really frustrated, saying it’s ruined the start of our holiday.”
Ventura was slightly delayed leaving the port, but the itinerary has not been impacted.
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “Due to a police incident and in an abundance of caution, we made the decision to evacuate Ventura and the passenger terminal on Saturday August 9th.
“The incident was quickly resolved and normal embarkation operations resumed. The safety of our guests, crew and port staff is our highest priority and we are grateful for the co-operation of the authorities, as well as everyone’s patience whilst the precautionary measures were in place.”
Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess, P&O Cruises’ Iona and MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa were also in port at the time, but due to their locations, they did not have to be evacuated.
The man has been bailed until 8 November.
