A PALMERS GREEN couple had their golden wedding celebrations ruined after the cruise liner they were holidaying on broke down.

Jim and Renie Tustin, of Powys Lane, were toasting 50 years of marriage on the luxury £200 million Aurora liner when the captain announced that it would be heading back to Southampton just a day into its maiden voyage.

The luxury liner, embarking on a 14-day Mediterranean cruise, turned back last Tuesday after a propeller shaft bearing overheated ? leaving 1,700 disappointed holidaymakers.

Mr Tustin, 73, said: 'It was quite surprising, everything seemed to be OK until the Tuesday when there was an announcement from the captain that they were going back to Southampton.

'The ship was fine, we did not notice anything apart from that it was going slower.

'Everybody was stunned but they accepted it. There was nothing we could do about it so there was almost a party atmosphere.'

Mr Tustin revealed that they were treated well and even had free drinks served for the remainder of the day.

The German-made vessel is currently being repaired and operator P&O hope that it will be ready for its next scheduled sailing on May 15.

Punters were offered a compensation package of a refund and a free cruise of the same value on a P&O cruise.

Despite their disappointment, the Tustins, who paid £10,000 for the trip, were still impressed by the Aurora.

'We planned it a couple of years ago when we knew the ship was being built,' Mr Tustin said.

'It is a superb liner ? it is the best that we have been on.'

The couple have already arranged another cruise on the same ship for later in the year.