Passengers have paid up to �42,000 for the P&O cruise

The �200m ship left Southampton port on Wednesday night to undergo final tests. A P&O spokeswoman confirmed that the checks had proved to be "satisfactory so far" and that the liner was heading for Madeira, its first port of call.

Aurora was to depart for its world trip on 9 January but had, until Wednesday, been no further than the Isle of Wight.

The delays have resulted in 385 of the 1,752 passengers leaving the ship.

Those who remain, some of whom have paid up to �42,000 for the trip, were treated to free drinks and entertainment while the ship was stuck in port.

The cruise's itinerary has been revised as a result of the delays, with 16 of the 40 planned ports of call missed out, including Acapulco, Barbados, Honolulu and San Francisco.

The ship will also return home via the Suez Canal and not the Panama Canal.

P&O have said passengers will be compensated for the loss of days and those on the first leg of the cruise were offered a full refund if they did not want to go.

The German-built ship, launched in 2000, has suffered bad luck since it was named by the Princess Royal and the champagne bottle did not smash, which is considered a bad omen.