A major P&O cruise ship has been left stranded in port, forcing the delay of a holiday for thousands of passengers, after a fleet of shipping containers tumbled into a busy shipping lane.
Containers Overboard Disrupt Major Departure
The incident occurred on Saturday, 6 December 2025, at approximately 1800 hours near the Nab Tower lighthouse, off Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Eighteen containers fell from a cargo ship into the Solent, the vital waterway leading to Southampton Port.
The containers were confirmed to be carrying a non-hazardous cargo of bananas. Fortunately, no crew members on the cargo vessel were injured in the mishap.
Iona's Voyage Put on Hold
The fallout from the incident directly impacted the P&O Cruises ship Iona, which boasts a capacity for 5,200 passengers. The vessel was scheduled to depart Southampton on Saturday evening for a 14-day cruise around Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands.
Due to the debris and obstruction in the shipping channel, the cruise liner's departure was postponed. The ship is understood to be remaining in Southampton while recovery operations for the lost containers are underway.
Recovery Efforts and Warnings in Place
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is leading the response. An MCA spokeswoman stated that HM Coastguard is monitoring the situation and coordinating with the relevant authorities and the vessel's owners to retrieve the containers.
As a safety measure, broadcasts are being issued to warn all local shipping of the potential hazard. Furthermore, the Selsey Coastguard Rescue Team has been deployed on patrol in the area to assist.
While the cargo is not dangerous, the presence of the large containers in a key navigational route presents a significant risk to marine traffic, necessitating the cautious approach that has delayed the Iona's journey.
