Cruise Ship Damaged By Freak Wave

A rogue wave has damaged the Southampton-based cruise ship Artemis as she battled against gale force winds in the English Channel. The towering wave crashed over the ship's bow in the early hours of this morning hitting the anchor storage area and forcing the ship to change course and head for the shelter of the Cornish port of Falmouth.ArtemisA P&O spokeswoman said the ship was due to leave Falmouth later tonight after repairs were complete. "The damage was only minor and was restricted to the anchor storage," she said. "The damage does not affect the safety of the ship in any way, but will require some work before continuing into the Atlantic." The ship had already been delayed leaving Southampton for a 36-night cruise to the Caribbean following this week's bad weather.