Cruise Ship Held Up in Southampton After Overboard Banana Containers

P&O Iona in Southampton, UK (Photo Credit: P.Cartwright)

There are many reasons why a cruise ship might be delayed when setting sail on a new voyage, ranging from weather to technical difficulties. Bananas in the sea is a rather atypical situation.

However, that is exactly what happened to P&O Cruises’ Iona, which was supposed to embark on a 14-night sailing from Southampton, UK, on December 6, 2025.

Sixteen containers of produce went overboard from a cargo ship called Baltic Klipper on the evening of December 6 near the Nab Tower Lighthouse off Bembridge, Isle of Wight.

Eight of the containers contained bananas, two carried plantains, one had avocados, and the remaining five were simply empty.

“HM Coastguard is continuing to work with the relevant authorities after 16 containers went overboard from the cargo ship BALTIC KLIPPER in the Solent on 6 December,” His Majesty’s Coastguard stated.

“Eight of the containers were reported as carrying bananas, two as carrying plantain, one as carrying avocados, and the remaining five as empty,” the Coast Guard confirmed.

For safety reasons, the 5,200-guest Iona was forced to remain docked in Southampton overnight, delaying the start of its voyage.

The 184,089-gross ton ship could have potentially been damaged if it had collided with a shipping container, or created a dangerous situation for first responders trying to collect the spilled goods.

Impact on the Itinerary

As of the evening on Sunday, December 7, 2025, Iona received clearance to set sail and is shown on cruise tracking data sailing away from Southampton at speeds of 17 knots.

But despite the delayed start, there is no expected impact to the port calls on the 14-night itinerary.

Luckily, the first few days of the cruise are meant to be sea days, which allows the 2021-launched ship to make up some time.

The first port call is scheduled at Funchal, Portugal, on December 10, 2025, which is about 1,289 nautical miles from Southampton.

This is a distance that a cruise ship sailing at top speeds could cover in around two and a half days.

The P&O ship is also supposed to call on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Arrecife in the Canary Islands, Cadiz, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal, before returning to Southampton on December 20.

Status of the Clean-Up

As of 8 p.m. local time on December 7, search operations are still underway to locate and retrieve all of the missing shipping containers.

So far, five of the sixteen boxes have washed ashore in West Sussex, and response teams will begin cleaning up on the morning of Monday, December 8.

"Currently, five containers lost from the cargo ship BALTIC KLIPPER have washed ashore around Selsey, West Sussex. HM Coastguard alongside West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Sussex Police have put cordons in place and are asking people not to go near the containers,” the Coastguard said in an update.

“West Sussex County Council has contracted response teams, who will arrive in the morning to start clearing cargo that has come ashore,” they continued.

More containers have been spotted drifting along the shoreline by Coast Guard-operated helicopters and aircraft.

“Other containers have been sighted adrift off the shoreline, and an HM Coastguard helicopter and fixed wing aircraft have been carrying out searches,” the Coastguard noted.

Members of the public who might stumble upon wreckage or the missing containers are asked not to touch the cargo and to immediately report their findings to the Coast Guard and the Receiver of Wreck.

Anyone who fails to report their discovery within 28 days is breaking the law, and action could be taken against them.

The Coast Guard has indicated that it will continue to share updates on the recovery efforts as more information becomes available.