Giant cruise ship, which snapped moorings, remains in Palma port; 300 passengers sent home

Passengers on board the ship said they had been told to muster at their emergency points within minutes of the ship breaking its moorings with the captain saying on the tannoy system "this is not a drill...."

Passenger Gavin McCoy told the BBC that the the "unexpected drama" happened while "the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill". He said that at about 11:00 BST (11a.m. local time) "a sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea".

He said he was "sitting by the window in the coffee shop, and the first thing we saw were the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air," McCoy added."We've drifted well away from the berth and collided into a nearby freight/cargo ship."

It was unclear this morning how long Britannia would remain in port.