Van Gogh heads for home again

The ill-fated UK cruise ship stranded in Madeira for two days following a legal dispute is finally sailing back to Cornwall. The Van Gogh, with most of her 460 passengers on board, was held in the Portuguese port of Funchal in a dispute over a £2 million debt.

But its owner, Club Cruise, says it has now reached an agreement with the administrators of the vessel's previous operator, Travelscope. The vessel is expected to arrive at its final destination, Falmouth, on Sunday. And the charter company Van Gogh Cruise Line Limited said in a statement it was "delighted" an agreement had been reached between the current owners and the administrators.

The ship was on the final stage of a round-the-world cruise to destinations including Egypt, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Tahiti and Cape Town - and had been due back in Falmouth on Saturday after sailing on 4th January in a deal brokered by ABTA, after its previous operator Travelscope went into administration at Christmas.